The development of KOTCL took a long time, and there’s plenty to look back on with fond memories. But we can’t stay stuck in the past forever—so let’s dream a little about the future of Midian.
Full notes
Full Knock on the Coffin Lid update
Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.
What changed
0 fixes5 additions2 changes0 removals
Gameplay
Events
addedThe development of KOTCL took a long time, and there’s plenty to look back on with fond memories. But we can’t stay stuck in the past forever—so let’s dream a little about the future of Midian. What could a new game in our universe look like? Feel free to share your own ideas, and I’ll share one of mine. Don’t take this too seriously—let’s just have some fun imagining.
addedI don’t really want to create a direct continuation of Knock on the Coffin Lid . The world itself is vast, complex, and full of possibilities, so focusing on a single storyline doesn’t make much sense. Instead, I’d rather tell a new story—one that connects with some of the characters from the first game, but isn’t bound to their fates, showing us a fresh side of Midian.
addedImagine this: you’re a secret investigator for the Brotherhood, ordered to look into the mysterious death of an abbot at a remote monastery on the edge of the Empire. Disguised as the new abbot, you arrive at the monastery—but not in an ordinary way. The Fire Brothers have their own brutal portal: first, you’re burned alive on a pyre, and then the fire spirits resurrect you from the ashes on another pyre anywhere in the world. Quick, painful, and (to me) very cool—definitely in the Fire Brothers’ style.
changedTime passes and—spoiler alert—someone summons a demon the size of a skyscraper, burning everything around it with blue flames (let’s say). But just before the flames engulf the hero, time freezes. And who should appear but… Millenis. She explains that our mission is to prevent the demon’s summoning within a given time limit, then rewinds everything back to our rebirth from the ashes.
addedIf the hero dies in battle, they’re reborn from the ashes again on Day One—but this time they’re greeted, surprisingly, by Mortis. Die too early, and you get a dialogue with Mortis. Survive until the climax, and you get one with Millenis. Alternating dialogues with Mortis and Millenis unlock new content—this could be implemented in a really engaging way.
changedThe hero’s goal is to perform a carefully planned sequence of actions—combining progression and dialogues—to uncover the conspiracy within the Fire Brotherhood and prevent disaster. Death itself becomes a full-fledged gameplay mechanic, necessary to progress.
Knock on the Coffin Lid changes
addedThe development of KOTCL took a long time, and there’s plenty to look back on with fond memories. But we can’t stay stuck in the past forever—so let’s dream a little about the future of Midian. What could a new game in our universe look like? Feel free to share your own ideas, and I’ll share one of mine. Don’t take this too seriously—let’s just have some fun imagining.
addedI don’t really want to create a direct continuation of Knock on the Coffin Lid . The world itself is vast, complex, and full of possibilities, so focusing on a single storyline doesn’t make much sense. Instead, I’d rather tell a new story—one that connects with some of the characters from the first game, but isn’t bound to their fates, showing us a fresh side of Midian.
addedImagine this: you’re a secret investigator for the Brotherhood, ordered to look into the mysterious death of an abbot at a remote monastery on the edge of the Empire. Disguised as the new abbot, you arrive at the monastery—but not in an ordinary way. The Fire Brothers have their own brutal portal: first, you’re burned alive on a pyre, and then the fire spirits resurrect you from the ashes on another pyre anywhere in the world. Quick, painful, and (to me) very cool—definitely in the Fire Brothers’ style.
changedTime passes and—spoiler alert—someone summons a demon the size of a skyscraper, burning everything around it with blue flames (let’s say). But just before the flames engulf the hero, time freezes. And who should appear but… Millenis. She explains that our mission is to prevent the demon’s summoning within a given time limit, then rewinds everything back to our rebirth from the ashes.
addedIf the hero dies in battle, they’re reborn from the ashes again on Day One—but this time they’re greeted, surprisingly, by Mortis. Die too early, and you get a dialogue with Mortis. Survive until the climax, and you get one with Millenis. Alternating dialogues with Mortis and Millenis unlock new content—this could be implemented in a really engaging way.
The development of KOTCL took a long time, and there’s plenty to look back on with fond memories. But we can’t stay stuck in the past forever—so let’s dream a little about the future of Midian. What could a new game in our universe look like? Feel free to share your own ideas, and I’ll share one of mine. Don’t take this too seriously—let’s just have some fun imagining.
I don’t really want to create a direct continuation of Knock on the Coffin Lid. The world itself is vast, complex, and full of possibilities, so focusing on a single storyline doesn’t make much sense. Instead, I’d rather tell a new story—one that connects with some of the characters from the first game, but isn’t bound to their fates, showing us a fresh side of Midian.
As a foundation, I’d pick the Cult of Mite, or the Brothers of Fire, or the Star Spirits. It’d be fascinating to learn more about them—but not all at once. So for starters, I’d go with the Fire Brothers.
Imagine this: you’re a secret investigator for the Brotherhood, ordered to look into the mysterious death of an abbot at a remote monastery on the edge of the Empire. Disguised as the new abbot, you arrive at the monastery—but not in an ordinary way. The Fire Brothers have their own brutal portal: first, you’re burned alive on a pyre, and then the fire spirits resurrect you from the ashes on another pyre anywhere in the world. Quick, painful, and (to me) very cool—definitely in the Fire Brothers’ style.
Day One
The protagonist rises from the ashes at the monastery altar and begins the investigation. At first, they explore the locations and meet the characters—the monastery itself, its surroundings, and its inhabitants. (Scale always clashes with detail, and I’d choose detail.)
Time passes and—spoiler alert—someone summons a demon the size of a skyscraper, burning everything around it with blue flames (let’s say). But just before the flames engulf the hero, time freezes. And who should appear but… Millenis. She explains that our mission is to prevent the demon’s summoning within a given time limit, then rewinds everything back to our rebirth from the ashes.
Day One
You can guess what happens next: a time loop. The more the hero interacts with NPCs and learns, the more opportunities they gain. At this point, we give them the option to fight—granting access to hostile locations and combat.
If the hero dies in battle, they’re reborn from the ashes again on Day One—but this time they’re greeted, surprisingly, by Mortis. Die too early, and you get a dialogue with Mortis. Survive until the climax, and you get one with Millenis. Alternating dialogues with Mortis and Millenis unlock new content—this could be implemented in a really engaging way.
Day One
The hero’s goal is to perform a carefully planned sequence of actions—combining progression and dialogues—to uncover the conspiracy within the Fire Brotherhood and prevent disaster. Death itself becomes a full-fledged gameplay mechanic, necessary to progress.
As for the conspiracy, I’d like all the Fire Brothers involved to be completely sincere. They truly believe they’re serving their fire spirits faithfully and doing good. That angle could make the story deeper—and also let us create antagonists who are absolutely charming. Maybe some could be persuaded, others would have to be killed, and the protagonist might have no real moral choice—just their duty. (But that’s not set in stone.)
Visually, I picture something in the style of Disco Elysium, with whatever combat system the designers would like to add—I’m not too strong in that area. Anyway, that’s the idea. I’ve got a couple more in mind, and I’d love to hear yours too.
