Sometimes, you get picked for the team you really wanted to be on.

That wasn’t most of my childhood. I wasn’t one for sports—especially not team sports. Things that transported me to different worlds were always more alluring: like reading and video games. When I was a kid, game guides and issues of Nintendo Power were the few places those things overlapped. But when I finally returned to video games in adulthood, on the lookout for something more literary, I quickly stumbled across LudoNarraCon—a wonderful festival of narrative games and experiments. After following the fest closely for so many years, it’s surreal and thrilling to have Sub-Verge chosen as an official selection.

The full line-up is amazing: ludonarracon.com. I almost can’t believe we made the cut. What’s everyone doing after the game? I brought Capri Suns.

Actually, what I’m bringing is something a bit different. The story-world of Sub-Verge goes deep. So, speaking of the reading/gaming overlap—another announcement: there’s a  prequel.

Subtle Mind is an origin-story novella set before the events of . It features more incredible art from Tiia Reijonen and tells the story of The Mind, the enigmatic leader of a fractured band of renegade divers. One day, out fishing, he commits a singular impulsive act that brings the Surface City's lies crashing down, revealing a hidden world beneath its eternal waterfall. With a small pet krake, he flees both his past and his pursuers, launching a rebellion that sets the scene for the game.

We want to tell you more. Like, right away. Pantaloon has just made an excerpt of Subtle Mind available via the newsletter! Sign up, and the first two chapters of the novella will arrive in your inbox.

In the meantime, check out the LudoNarraCon line-up (we’ll have some streams during the fest!) and add Sub-Verge to your wishlist. More updates to follow—just as soon as we’re done basking in the glow of having been chosen for the team.