Indie game publisher Devolver Digital made an unusual move on April Fools’ Day 2024: They announced a shift from video games to reality television. The company, known for its quirky marketing and humor, shared this tongue-in-cheek decision through a series of tweets outlining their satirical reasoning for the change. At least, we think so because it kind of sounds real.
Devolver Digital started by rejecting other types of entertainment: movies because they are consumed in short social media clips, music because of a perceived lack of interest, and literature because it’s for nerds. Then, they had a realization: reality television, with its focus on interpersonal drama, glamour, and conflict, seemed like the perfect new platform for Devolver’s unique brand.
The announcement teased a collaboration with Nerial, the studio behind the popular Reigns series of choice-based narrative games. This led to speculation about a potential reality television project where viewers would control the on-screen drama, similar to Reigns. As an April Fools’ joke, the publisher playfully asked their followers to “watch this space” for a follow-up reveal tomorrow.
I’m definitely going to be here to see it because the whole thing sounds pretty real, and I only half-think this is a joke. This announcement emphasizes Devolver Digital’s known for its playful and often self-deprecating humor. The company enjoys using April Fools’ Day to make light-hearted jokes about itself and current trends in the entertainment industry. However, the comments gave out good ideas that Devolver would be smart to get into.
While it’s probably just a joke for April Fools’ Day, the crazy idea matches Devolver Digital’s usual sense of humor. We’ll have to wait and see, but for now, it’s just a joke. I’ll update this article if that changes.