The Silver Lining (video game)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video game development and publishing |
| Founded | October 2000 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | The Silver Lining (video game) |
The Silver Lining (TSL) is a freeware episodic video game fangame inspired by the King's Quest franchise, created and distributed by Phoenix Online Studios for Microsoft Windows starting on July 18, 2010. Although initially conceived as a five-part series, the most recent installment released was Episode 4: 'Tis in My Memory Locked. And You Yourself Shall Hold The Key Of It on November 8, 2011.
This title employs 3D visuals while returning to the classic adventure mechanics reminiscent of earlier King's Quest entries, moving away from the RPG elements found in Sierra's final installment, The Mask of Eternity. The narrative revisits the Green Isles setting from King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow, featuring familiar characters such as Mannanan and Pan. The storyline focuses on King Graham’s quest to locate ancient druid artifacts to rescue his children, Alexander and Rosella.
As of 2020, development on the fifth episode, A Thousand Times Good Night, remains unfinished after numerous postponements since 2011. In May 2014, Phoenix Online Studios rebranded itself as Phoenix Online Publishing to concentrate on publishing independent adventure games and exploring more lucrative opportunities. Subsequently, the company transferred all rights for the game to Activision, which began working alongside its Sierra Entertainment division to produce a new official King's Quest installment.
Episodes
- "Episode 1: What is Decreed Must Be" (July 10, 2010)
- "Episode 2: Two Households" (September 18, 2010)
- "Episode 3: My Only Love Sprung From My Only Hate" (February 17, 2011)
- "Episode 4: ‘Tis in My Memory Locked. And You Yourself Shall Hold The Key Of It" (November 6, 2011)
- "Episode 5: A Thousand Times Goodnight" (Development status unknown)
Game development
Work on TSL commenced in October 2000. After slow progress initially, leadership shifted in January 2002 when César Bittar, formerly a project writer, took charge. He reorganized the team into five specialized divisions (Art, Design, Audio, Programming, and Public Relations) to enhance productivity. Much of the original storyline was discarded, significantly reducing its similarity to the initial concept.
The project was first envisioned as a trilogy, but later expanded into a single release comprising five chapters. Initially intended to include only Chapters 1 and 2, the scope grew over time. Although a cliffhanger ending was planned, a more conclusive finale was developed but never implemented due to delays and shifting priorities toward commercial projects.
A demo of Chapter 1 was made available on July 30, 2006, followed by a beta version containing three scenes released in March 2008. By June 2009, the team aimed to complete the game and submit it for approval to Vivendi Games, Inc. After further delays throughout late 2009 and early 2010, Chapter 1 officially launched on July 18.
Following the release of Chapters 3 and 4, budget limitations caused many team members to depart for paid positions on their second title, Cognition. Despite this, Bittar retained a small core group working mostly on a voluntary basis and contemplated splitting the studio to maintain momentum. Although some files were leaked online, they were insufficient for completing Chapter 5. Around mid-2012, Phoenix reportedly offered Chapter 5 free of charge to anyone willing to finish it; however, precise details remain unclear.
Legal Challenges and Delays
Originally named King's Quest IX: Every Cloak Has A Silver Lining (KQ IX), the project encountered legal obstacles from Vivendi Games, Inc in 2005 and later from its parent company Activision between 2009 and 2010, necessitating a title revision.
From its inception, TSL sought to conclude the King's Quest saga under the scope of U.S. fair use law, which remains legally ambiguous. The development team committed to ceasing progress if Vivendi Universal, the license holder, contested the project. In September 2005, after more than four years of development and a publicized release schedule, Phoenix received a cease-and-desist notice from Vivendi, prompting an immediate halt in production while negotiations ensued. Meanwhile, fans initiated campaigns encouraging Vivendi to permit the project's completion.
On November 29, 2005, Phoenix secured a Fan License from Vivendi that allowed development to continue on the condition that "King's Quest" be removed from the title; all other content was retained intact. Bittar noted that the revised full title became The Silver Lining: a game inspired by the King's Quest series.
Following Vivendi’s merger with Activision in 2008, Activision rescinded this non-commercial license and issued its own cease-and-desist directive demanding cessation of development and removal of all associated materials. However, on June 26, 2010, Activision reversed its stance and permitted the release of The Silver Lining, provided it remained freeware and that Activision maintained ownership over any content resembling the original series.
In June 2014, as preparations began for a confidential reboot of the franchise, Phoenix returned rights to Activision. On August 7, Activision announced the revival of Sierra Entertainment, which subsequently launched the official reboot in 2015. Sierra now holds legal authority over TSL’s publication; nonetheless, Phoenix continues distributing the game at no cost. Throughout this period, TSL has remained Activision’s intellectual property with Phoenix licensed solely for free distribution under strict content controls, including omitting "King's Quest" from its title.
Release
The first installment, "Episode 1: What is Decreed Must Be," was made available as a free download on July 10, 2010. This episode served as a reintroduction to the King's Quest universe and laid groundwork for future chapters.
Released on September 18, 2010 at no charge, "Episode 2: Two Households" marked a return to traditional Sierra-style adventure gameplay. The narrative follows King Graham as he investigates a curse afflicting his children while searching for ingredients to create an antidote. Incorporating player feedback from Episode 1, Phoenix Online implemented enhancements such as adjustable narration lengths, improved pathfinding algorithms, lifelike walking animations, selectable run/walk modes, and widescreen compatibility.
"Episode 3: My Only Love Sprung From My Only Hate," released as a free download on February 18, 2011, introduced more challenging puzzles and continued King Graham’s journey. This episode emphasized classic adventure mechanics requiring careful note-taking and revisiting locations to observe changes.
The fourth installment, "Episode 4: Tis in My Memory Locked and You Yourself Shall Keep the Key of It," was released without charge on November 6, 2011.
"Episode 5: A Thousand Times Goodnight" remains under development with no confirmed release timeline.
Reception
The initial episode garnered a range of responses, combining commendations with critiques focused on the voice performances, the simplicity of puzzles, and the brief duration. Opinions on the visual and musical elements were mixed. Nonetheless, a significant number of critics showed enthusiasm for subsequent installments. MobyGames compiled an average rating of 68 from eight separate reviews, while Metacritic listed a score of 66 based on five evaluations.
The second episode achieved a notable improvement, receiving a MobyGames rating of 73 from six critiques, indicating enhancements in quality. The third episode earned a 67 score from five reviews on MobyGames. There are no Metacritic ratings available for episodes beyond the first.