Ron Gilbert will finally be able to create a sequel to *Thimbleweed Park*—nearly ten years after the first episode—but there will be no Kickstarter campaign or publisher to back the creator.
While the video game industry is awash with crowdfunding campaigns, multi-million investments, and partnerships between independent studios and publishing giants, Ron Gilbert has found a solution that’s decidedly more… DIY. To finance Thimbleweed Park 2, the creator of the Monkey Island series turned to a wealthy fan—introduced by a mutual friend—who agreed to fund the project single-handedly. The context partly explains this unusual arrangement. Gilbert didn’t want to work with a traditional publisher again. In principle, the creator is obviously not opposed to a “publisher recouping its investment,” but, as he explains to Bloomberg, “It’s just that once they’ve recouped their investment and covered their losses, they always want the lion’s share of the profits. Or there are some truly absurd clauses, like not getting paid unless the game is a smash hit. I’ve always found that unfair.”
The overly unfavorable terms offered by publishers therefore led Ron Gilbert to decide against pursuing this kind of venture for *Thimbleweed Park 2*. The problem is, money doesn’t grow on trees. To finance the first game, a Kickstarter campaign was launched: it raised a very impressive sum —$620,000—but the budget for the sequel is significantly larger, and rather than risk failure with a new crowdfunding campaign, Ron Gilbert was able to rely on a more unconventional source. Introduced by a mutual friend, a patron outright offered to fund the project. A fan of adventure games and particularly fond of the first Thimbleweed Park, the patron in question—who wishes to remain anonymous—reportedly accepted the budget presented by Gilbert without batting an eye. This budget exceeded that of the first game, which had cost about one million dollars, and included a commitment to offer fairer compensation to the people working on this sequel.
The deal struck between the two parties reportedly convinced Gilbert because it seems much more balanced to him than a traditional agreement with a publisher. The investor is expected to recoup his initial investment quickly, after which a “reasonable” revenue-sharing arrangement will take effect. This arrangement allows Terrible Toybox, Ron Gilbert’s studio, to retain greater control over its project while offering employees better compensation. For an independent studio, this is obviously a pretty spectacular breath of fresh air—even if it relies on a circumstance that’s hard to imagine replicating on a large scale: knowing a millionaire who loves exactly the same kind of old games as you do. That said, the mysterious benefactor didn’t rely solely on the nostalgia of a few old point-and-click veterans: Ron Gilbert had a compelling argument to back up his proposal.
In fact, even today, Thimbleweed Park continues to sell. Nearly ten years after its release, it boasts a longevity that’s rare in the world of video games and, in Ron Gilbert’s view, serves as proof that there’s still an audience for this type of adventure—one that’s relatively far removed from the commercial standards of modern video games. The venture is therefore less far-fetched than it seems, especially since the required budget isn’t on par with current productions: a point-and-click game makes do with relatively simple graphics; it certainly doesn’t need the latest graphics technology or an army of developers, graphic designers, and animators to see the project through to completion. Thimbleweed Park 2 is expected in early 2028, but for now, details remain scarce. One thing is already certain: while many independent creators spend months trying to convince investors, Gilbert has managed to find his among the players themselves. He simply had to find the fan who could afford to pursue his passions.
