81Monkeys is developing the Wendy-branded JRPG "Wendy's Quest: The Legend of the Four Cornerstones," insisting on production by a genuine indie team. This brand collaboration also provides the studio with funding, enabling them to continue advancing their original pixel-art RPG, "World of Antra."
"World of Antra" raised funds via Kickstarter in 2022, but the project's scope continued to expand. 81Monkeys subsequently approached around 60 potential investors without success. After Wendy proactively contacted the team, both parties signed a contract within a week. The studio split its staff into two groups to simultaneously develop the branded game and their original project.
The development team did not simply adopt the initial proposal for "Wendy's Quest: The Legend of the Four Cornerstones." Instead, they changed the pure turn-based combat to a system emphasizing action and rewrote 99% of the script. A charge meter requires players to master attack timing, and the game retains satire aimed at competitors and business logic while staying within brand safety guidelines.
The team lead stated that the studio might not initially receive credit, but he insisted on letting players know the work came from a genuine indie development team. As a result, the Steam page prominently features "100% Human Made." He hopes brand collaborations can become an alternative channel for financially struggling indie studios to secure development funding.