How do you follow up a near-perfect game like Dead Cells? With 97% positive feedback and over ten million copies sold, developer Motion Twin had the creative freedom to forge their next path. While many players hoped for Dead Cells 2 or more content for the original, Motion Twin set out with a new vision: Windblown, an evolution of their beloved roguelike formula. However, the studio acknowledges that its initial release in early access last year might have been a bit too challenging.
Yannick Berthier, Windblown’s co-creative director and game designer, notes that the overall reception has been positive. The development team meticulously sifts through “dozens of thousands” of player feedback, using it to guide the game’s development from day one.
Yet, Motion Twin admits they might have pushed the difficulty envelope a little too hard right out of the gate. Berthier specifically points to the co-op “revenge system” as the element that garnered the most passionate, albeit sometimes negative, reactions. This brutal mechanic meant that if one player fell in co-op, any subsequent hits on the remaining player would result in an instant defeat. It was designed to be uncompromisingly extreme, a deliberate creative choice to foster intense teamwork.
“We lacked that extreme [before],” Berthier explains. “So let’s start with the most extreme and we’ll see the reception. It was a bold move, a risk that we took for creative reasons because we felt like it was cool to create systems that push you to play together as much as possible. Maybe it was a bit too punishing.”
True to the spirit of early access, Motion Twin quickly responded to player sentiment with the “Revenge Update,” which was prioritized over other planned content. Berthier and Gwen Massé, the game’s artist and level designer, highlight that feedback was overwhelmingly constructive, with players offering thoughtful suggestions rather than just complaints.
Striking a balance between developer vision and player desires is crucial. Massé emphasizes that it’s a constant negotiation: implementing what feels best for the game while also considering player input. They note that while some feedback addresses issues already in progress, other suggestions offer fresh perspectives that the team hadn’t considered.
This iterative process is the heart of early access. Windblown’s development has been profoundly influenced by its community, even leading to the early implementation of an Endless Mode. Although initially slated for a much later release, an “obsession” from a small percentage of players to test their builds in a continuous mode convinced Motion Twin to add it in March 2025. This decision proved invaluable.
“It revealed a lot of issues, underlying ones, that were not reflected because of the length of runs before,” Berthier reveals. “So it helped us make the game way more stable, have ideas for new powers, new affixes, new effects, and so on.”
This is the profound impact players can have on an early access title. As Windblown approaches its first anniversary in early access, active community feedback remains more vital than ever.
Windblown is currently available in early access. The full 1.0 release is anticipated in 2026.
For those who enjoy similar experiences, explore our curated lists of action games and the best indie games for more captivating adventures.