Owlboy release date finally confirmed after nine years in development

After more than nine years in development, the retro-inspired 16-bit-styled platformer Owlboy will launch on November 1, developer D-Pad Studio has revealed. 

“Revered. Exalted. Wise. These are the traits of your fellow owls,” says the release teaser below as it depicts a handful of the game’s locations. “Over the centuries, we have worked hard to build the respect that people have for us. It’s time to begin our journey.”

Against the multitude of similarly styled games that have flooded the market since Owlboy was first conceived, this may not seem like a game that’s particularly worth celebrating. Having spent a couple of hours flying around in its beta last week, I can confirm that it is. Everything about it is polished—from its limitless flying mechanics, to its whimsical characters; from its intuitive puzzling, to its vibrant backdrops.

Owlboy is due November 1, when it’ll be available from GOG, the Humble Store and Steam. A boxed edition will cost £24.99/$29.99 from Indiebox, which includes full colour manual, the game’s soundtrack, an art mini-print, and a Steam code.