Rich Fan Wants Thimbleweed Park 2

Ever harbored that deep-seated fantasy: if only you were rich, you would bring back Looking Glass Studios and make a proper sequel to Thimbleweed Park? It’s a pleasant daydream, but in the world of game development, wishes rarely materialize—unless you look at how some niche projects manage to find unexpected paths to success.

This dream has found a concrete, albeit slightly unconventional, reality with the development of Thimbleweed Park 2. The journey to bring this highly anticipated sequel to life was marked by some classic creative friction. Ron Gilbert, the creator of the original adventure, found himself navigating the often-frustrating landscape of traditional publishing, where demands and terms rarely align with an artist’s vision.

“I don’t mind the publisher earning back their money,” Gilbert admitted. “It’s just that once they have earned back their money and become whole, they still want the majority of the money. Or there are really goofy terms, like you don’t make anything unless it’s a major hit. I always felt that was unfair.”

This sentiment echoed when Gilbert first explored making Thimbleweed Park 2. Publishers showed interest, but their terms proved unsatisfactory, creating a bottleneck in the process. To keep the project moving forward, Gilbert looked beyond conventional routes and sought an alternative path.

He made contact with a figure who turned out to be a substantial wealthy benefactor and a genuine enthusiast of adventure games. Instead of negotiating restrictive deals with publishers, Gilbert approached this outsider with a “very realistic” budget for the sequel—a figure higher than the original’s cost of just over $1 million. The benefactor agreed, recognizing a much fairer arrangement: getting the funds back quickly and establishing a reasonable split.

This deal bypassed the typical publisher headaches entirely, demonstrating that sometimes, the most successful creative projects thrive when they find unconventional funding sources. It turned a frustrating negotiation into a straightforward path toward production.

The enduring appeal of point-and-click adventures lies in their timeless quality. Unlike games tethered to cutting-edge technology, these classics possess a longevity that speaks to a dedicated audience. Titles like Thimbleweed Park continue to generate interest even years after release, proving that there is a strong appetite for beautifully crafted, nostalgic experiences.

With the success of the original game still evident, and the growing demand for new classic adventures, Thimbleweed Park 2 is poised to arrive in early 2028, promising a return to some of the most beloved gaming history.