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IGD sat down with the team at JaB Arcade for a quick interview about their upcoming survival horror title, The Dark Delivers. We chatted about their origins as a studio, the inspirations behind their new game, the challenges they faced along the way, and what players can expect in the future. Here’s our full conversation with the developers.
IGD: To start things off, tell us a bit about your studio. Who’s behind JaB Arcade and how did it all come together?
JaB Arcade: We’re a team of two passionate game developers who met in college over a shared love for creating games. We’ve stuck together ever since and now we’re taking our best JaB at indie development. Between the two of us, we combine design, art, and technical skills to craft unique and exciting gaming experiences.
IGD: And your current project, The Dark Delivers, what’s the story behind it?
JaB Arcade: The game takes place over a single, unsettling night at Postal Sector 7. Players take on the role of a Package Inspector who has to complete their quota by assessing packages accurately while also keeping an eye on their surroundings. The workplace is anything but safe, and surviving long enough to finish the shift becomes just as important as the job itself.
IGD: What inspired you to create a game like this?
JaB Arcade: Our biggest inspirations were Five Nights at Freddy’s and Papers Please. We wanted to merge the survive the night tension of one with the focused, detail heavy task loop of the other. Having players juggle both defending their position and staying attentive to their work creates a constant tension that can break with a jumpscare or pay off with a narrow victory.
IGD: What were some of the challenges you faced in the early stages?
JaB Arcade: Getting the balance right between difficulty and fun was tough. We didn’t want things to feel too easy, but pushing it too far made the gameplay frustrating. We increased the frequency of playtesting so we could iterate quickly and zone in on a difficulty curve that felt satisfying.
IGD: If you could restart the project from the beginning, would you do anything differently?
JaB Arcade: We would begin public testing much earlier. We made several major changes later in development because of feedback, and addressing those earlier would have saved a lot of time overall.
IGD: And for players wondering, what kind of experience is this? Single player or multiplayer?
JaB Arcade: It is fully single player with no multiplayer components.
IGD: What can players expect next in terms of updates?
JaB Arcade: We are currently adding two new enemies and revisiting the original two. The goal is to make the gameplay loop even more engaging and to build on the suspense and tension of working under threat.
IGD: Any idea when the full game will launch?
JaB Arcade: We don’t have a specific date locked in, but we can confirm it will be out by the end of 2025 at the latest.
IGD: And what platforms are you targeting?
JaB Arcade: We are planning to release the game on PC.
IGD: Is there a demo available for players who want a taste right now?
JaB Arcade: Yes, there is a playable demo on Steam.
IGD: And where will the full game be available at launch?
JaB Arcade: We are focusing on launching first on Steam and Itch.io, with plans to bring the game to additional PC storefronts around the release window.
IGD: It was great talking to you – we love your game and hope to be playing it more regularly once it’s out in full! Good luck with the launch.
You can try out the demo now on Steam, or add it to your wishlist to be notified when The Dark Delivers launches later this year.
