Intro

In case you didn’t follow the gaming scene for the entirety of 2023 for whatever reason, you will not be aware that The Day Before was the laughing stock for most of it. After the ill-fated “game” managed to crash and burn at the end of the year, the devs went silent for a while and have now resurfaced, asking for a seemingly small development budget that quickly snowballs into outrageous projections.

Event recap timeline

• The Day Before makes a splash with a “gameplay” trailer in 2021
• Besides pre-rendered “gameplay” trailers, Fntastic show no signs of progress for two years
• In 2023, pressure to show actual gameplay and release date mounts
• Gaming community pokes fun at various red flags in Fntastic’s showcases
• December 7, 2023, The Day Before launches, crashes and burns in the span of 4 days
• December 11, 2023, Fntastic announces closure
• Servers officially shut down 45 days after launch
• September 26 (September 27 for East Asia), Fntastic announces a return

Fntastic returns

After being the laughing stock for the entirety of 2023, Fntastic have decided to pop their heads back up in an attempt to come back and regain trust of the fans. There is a slight hitch here as the company never really had a lot of trust from the gaming community.

In true Fntastic fashion, there is no originality and everything looks like a rip-off. Their new logo is terribly reminiscent of Twitch’s and their new game is a Fall Guys rip-off called Escape Factory. The game is 4-8 player co-op instead of battle royale but that’s where the differences end.

Funding campaign already has discrepancies

Humble game, humble goals. Or at least that’s what it looks like in Fntastic’s Kickstarter campaign which has a goal of $15,567. You may think it’s not much of a potential scam if they are capping it at a number that low.

Well, there are the stretch goals as well, unlocking new things every time one is passed, going all the way up to $700,000 and possibly higher, if Fntastic manages to get that much funding. Even without the shameless attempt at $700,000 after releasing a non-game just 10 months earlier, there are things that don’t click.

First, the initial goal is $15,567 but the stretch goals chart states the game’s launch will only be secured at $20,000 in crowdfunding. Should the $15K goal be reached without going to to $20K, Fntastic can simply reap everyone’s pledges and disappear into the ether once more, scot free.

Second, the Kickstarter campaign states it originates from Singapore, which has a rather high cost of living. Dev studios can’t really go far with $15,000 in pocket which is already suspicious. Additionally, we know the duo behind Fntastic are two brothers from Russia, Eduard and Aisen Gotovsev, and this choice of location begs further inquiries about their intentions.

Third, the FAQ on Fntastic’s site claims they won’t be able to return if the funding goal is not reached. $15,000 can’t be the make or break for a studio in Singapore. Cost of living there for a family of four is estimated at $5,308 per month, without rent. Keep in mind that simply living is much cheaper than maintaining a dev studio.

Fourth, there are disclaimers stating people won’t be charged unless the goal is reached before the campaign’s deadline and rewards aren’t guaranteed but the creators have to “update” the backers. Fntastic kept “updating” everyone during The Day Before hype but that didn’t lead anywhere.

Is the return a scam?

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and carries several red flags, it is probably not where you should place your money.

Fntastic are talking a lot about honesty and transparency on their site and social media but the same patterns that emerged ahead of The Day Before release are also popping up now. Players who bought the game could refund it on Steam but there are no such guarantees on Kickstarter. Should the campaign look like it’s short of the goal before the timer ends, who’s to say Fntastic or someone associated with them won’t “back” Escape Factory just to tip it over the finish line and collect the pledges with no responsibility whatsoever?

Even if it reaches the $20,000 goal, Fntastic have already shown they were willing to release an asset flip with the minimum legal definition of a product and call it a day.

Technically, they can refuse to call it a scam all they want but the users are unlikely to get what they hoped they paid for.