An Update From Team Tinybill: Addressing Our Recent Radio Silence

We wanted to take a moment to properly address something that many of you have noticed recently: Team Tinybill has been quieter than usual.

We know that some Kickstarter messages, emails, comments, and other communications have gone unanswered for longer than they normally would, and we want to apologise for that. We haven't forgotten about you, your support, or the commitments we've made.

The simple truth is that our team is currently dealing with a number of significant circumstances outside of development.

Taking a Step Back

Our Social Media Manager, Jasmine, is currently taking some time away from Team Tinybill following the loss of multiple family members in a tragic accident. Jasmine has been an important part of keeping our community updated, answering messages, managing our social channels, and helping Team Tinybill communicate with everyone. Right now, however, her priority needs to be herself and her family.

As a result, we're currently unable to respond to every Kickstarter message, email, social media comment, or private message as quickly as we normally would. We ask that you please give her the space and understanding she needs during this time.

Personal Circumstances Behind the Scenes

There are also circumstances affecting other members of the team that we haven't previously discussed publicly. Our founder, Ducky, is currently dealing with an ongoing personal and legal situation involving his family and the custody of his son. We don't want to publicly disclose the details of an ongoing family matter, but it has placed a significant financial and emotional strain on him.

Ducky has personally invested thousands into Team Tinybill and our projects, and while he remains committed to the studio and its future, legal and court-related expenses have understandably become another significant financial responsibility.

We mention this not to ask for sympathy, nor to excuse delays, but simply to provide some context for why things behind the scenes have been more difficult recently.

And, Of Course, There's Still Development

Despite all of this, Static Hearts is still being worked on.

The rest of our team continues to put time and effort into development, art, writing, music, design, and everything else that goes into making the game.

But our team members also have their own lives, responsibilities, jobs, education, families, personal projects, and circumstances outside of Team Tinybill.

That's something we want to be transparent about.

Team Tinybill is not a large development studio.

We're currently made up of 7 core team members and 2 members of leadership. That's it.

We may have a growing audience and a community that is considerably larger than our actual team, but that doesn't mean we suddenly have the resources, staffing, or response times of a large studio.

Sometimes an email takes longer to answer.

Sometimes a Kickstarter message gets missed.

Sometimes an update takes longer to write.

Sometimes development has to slow down because something more important is happening in someone's life.

We're doing our best to keep moving forward regardless.

Please Be Respectful

We also want to address something that has unfortunately become increasingly noticeable.

We understand that people have questions.

We understand that Kickstarter backers want updates.

We understand that people may be frustrated when they don't receive a response.

Those feelings are completely valid.

What isn't acceptable, however, is directing abusive, insulting, or hostile language towards members of our team. We've received emails and comments containing abusive language, and there have also been private messages sent directly to Jasmine while she's already dealing with an incredibly difficult period in her personal life.

Please remember that there is a real person on the other side of that message.

Before sending an angry email or comment, take a moment and think about what you're actually trying to achieve. If you have a genuine concern, question, or criticism, we're willing to hear it. You don't need to agree with every decision we make, and constructive criticism is something we genuinely value.

But abuse isn't constructive. We have tickets for a reason. Utilizie them. Please stop feeling the need to publicly air out whatever issues you may have when that isn't the course of action that should be taken.

We Are Still Here

The recent radio silence doesn't mean Team Tinybill has disappeared. It doesn't mean we've abandoned Static Hearts. It doesn't mean we've forgotten our Kickstarter backers or the people who have supported us since the beginning.

It means that we're a small team of people trying to keep a studio and a game moving while also dealing with life outside of it. Remember. Our core members are writers and artists whilst our leadership team are people who just simply steer the boat. Ducky is still very much a one man person trying to hold the reigns and it isn't as "relaxing" as some people may very well think.

We'll continue addressing messages, emails, Kickstarter communications, and community questions as we're able to. We may not always be able to respond immediately, but we are working towards getting back on top of things.

We also want to thank everyone who has continued to be patient, supportive, and understanding during this period. Every message of encouragement, every person who checks in, every person who continues to follow Static Hearts, and every person who simply gives us the time we need means more than you probably realise.

We're still here. We're still working. And we're still building Static Hearts.

Thank you for sticking with us.

— Team Tinybill