Back in December 2024, Polish studio 11 bit Studios, known for This War of Mine and Frostpunk, announced the termination of the mysterious Project 8. Now, details have emerged about this ambitious game, which had been in development since 2018 and required nearly £10 million.

Project 8 canceled game screenshotImage: 11 bit Studios

The protagonist was meant to be an emaciated man with pale skin and long dark hair, his body partially wrapped in a magical fabric that transformed into a deadly weapon. The gameplay combined stealth elements, acrobatic maneuvers, puzzle-solving, and the use of a catapult to distract enemies. The game's universe was filled with giant plants, ancient obelisks, and creatures reminiscent of those from Rime or Hellblade.

Project 8 canceled game screenshotImage: 11 bit Studios

Project 8's concept revolved around the five stages of grief following the loss of a loved one. The developers aimed to create a game where players wouldn’t just witness the story but truly experience each emotion—from denial to acceptance.

Studio CEO Przemysław Marszał elaborated on the reasons for the project’s cancellation:

  • Translating psychologically complex stages of grief into gameplay proved an immensely challenging task. For instance, how could the "bargaining" stage be visualized in an interactive format?
  • The stealth mechanics, central to the gameplay, demanded perfectly balanced design. Creating a system that was both deep and intuitive ultimately proved unattainable.
  • Even at the prototype stage, narrative issues arose—many ideas worked on paper but failed in actual gameplay
  • Development, which began in 2018, had only progressed to the prologue and one chapter ("denial") by 2024. Completing the project would have required another 1–2 years of work and tens of millions in additional investment
  • The studio concluded that psychological narratives "in the vein of Hellblade" were no longer commercially viable, especially amid rising production costs
  • The final two years of development were marked by internal crisis at the studio: delays across all projects, overly rapid team expansion (from 90 to 280 people), and management struggles
We were overly optimistic in believing a new team could deliver such a complex, unconventional project. In the end, it became clear: either we cancel now, or we lose millions more and face complete failure
Marszał concluded.

Main image: 11 bit Studios

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