Ib to be exhibited again in commercial remake

Written by Jack Allin — March 10, 2022 at 12:00

Any good art gallery is worth revisiting ten years later to see what's changed since you last were there. Indie developer kouri is betting that's equally true of the mysterious setting of Ib, a freeware horror adventure that is soon to get an updated commercial remake. 

Ib (pronounced "Eeb") is the name of a young girl who attends an art gallery with her parents but "suddenly realizes that she is alone." To make matters worse, as she desperately searches for signs of anyone else, the gallery itself "begins to change." As Ib, you must now explore the "creepy, mysterious" building to discover useful items, solve puzzles and disarm deadly traps if you're to ever find your way back out again. How you choose to do so will greatly impact the outcome, as there are seven different endings depending on your approach. Once you've completed it once, a "True Guertena exhibit" will be unlocked with all the collected artwork found throughout the game, along with an "extra dungeon" you couldn't access the first time through.

Originally created with the RPG Maker engine and released in 2012, Ib is now being remade for modern computers with a number of notable changes  while still retaining the core concept of the original. The pixel art aesthetic will remain, but with increased resolution and "significantly enhanced graphics paired with a range of upgraded and new effects." There will also be some entirely new art for "maps, characters, and stills," as well as the gallery's own exhibits. The gameplay and interface are being updated too, with new puzzles to solve, a "conversation system" that "allows companions to offer hints and engage in conversation," and a "Smooth Mode" that offers "improved visibility, allowing players to spot small items more easily and view the many pieces of artwork in greater detail."

There is currently no firm target release date for the Ib remake, but the game is due to launch on Steam sometime later this year. In the meantime, the freeware original is still available to download for Windows PC.