In 2011, Broken Bulb Games launched a creature collector on Facebook calledMiscrits. This colorful, streamlined take on the genre focused on making each critter distinct, according to Broken Bulb, and it was one of themost successful games on Facebookuntil time caught up with it. Many Facebook games unceremoniously shut down, and that was the case withMiscritsin 2017..
Seven years later, Broken Bulb has partnered with an eccentric fan, revival project lead GK, to bring the belovedFacebooktitle back to gamers. Targeting an app store release and in alpha testing now, GK and others from the revival’s Discord community discussed the project with Game Rant.
How Miscrits Returned After Seven Years
When the changing market and decline in interest in Facebook’s games platformhit games likeFarmville,Miscritswas hardly an exception. Broken Bulb’s founder Robert Nelson explained that, though there was much rumor and speculation at the time, the truth was simply that the player base for Facebook games was shrinking. As a result, it was becoming more expensive to continue to runMiscritsthan the revenue the game brought in, forcing Broken Bulb to operate at an unsustainable loss.
GK, who leads thecurrentMiscritsrevival, found themself unable to log in to their favorite game one day as a result, resolving then to bring backMiscritsto the world. A project to create a playable version has been underway for some time, and an alpha test for a fully-restoredMiscritsmobile experience is currently being held that looks strikingly similar to the game that vanished in 2017.
Thought was given at the time to trying to releaseMiscritsasa mobile title, but Broken Bulb did not see that option as viable seven years ago. But today, it’s a much more possible prospect, and GK is ready for that massive undertaking.
Miscrits is a legendary game. Since it was on Facebook, it took a lot of effort and resources from the developers to create it…it is very difficult to draw even one Miscrit. After adding all the content from the original, there will probably be a continuation of the story, new locations, and new Miscrits. There are many things to be done before the new version is released, but this version will be much better!
Of course, before the game could ever see a release, there was going to be the issue of rights. Since Nelson held the intellectual property (and a lot of assets) for the originalMiscrits, it was going to be necessary for the small team GK led to get formal permission to useMiscrits’ name and assets. Though GK was hesitant, a member of the Discord community tracked Nelson down and reached out to him, initially via LinkedIn, to explain the project and discuss the license. Nelson initially quoted a number that, while very reasonable on a corporate level, was well outside the capabilities of a fan-powered project.
Eventually, however, Nelson joined the project as a consultant and greenlit GK’s efforts, announcing it on the revival’s Discord server on November 5. Nelson was happy to see the huge support GK had garnered and thatthe team chose to pursue lawful waysof reviving the title. While specific details on the agreement Nelson and GK reached are understandably unknown, Nelson said that the thing that sold him on supporting the project was speaking to someone who sounded both serious and professional and was able to enter into a legitimate agreement to redevelop the title.
With that hurdle cleared and the assets that came along with it, GK was able to proceed full-steam ahead on the public revival of the Facebook classic. Though at the moment no other members of the originalMiscritsteam have joined, Nelson did mention that some other members of the Broken Bulb team have, over the years, expressed interest.
It’s far too early to speculate on a release date, but fans of the classic Facebook gaming era andMiscrits,in particular,can take heart that their favorite Miscrit will be coming home one day soon.
