15 years later, the Steam dev behind a failed Minecraft killer won’t give up
Cube World, a voxel exploration game in development since 2011, continues its unlikely journey toward completion despite years of dormancy and minimal community engagement. The game generated significant buzz in 2013 when early footage circulated online, positioning it as a potential competitor to Minecraft. However, its controversial Steam Early Access launch in 2019 derailed momentum, causing the project to fade into obscurity.
Today, Cube World remains in an incomplete alpha state with a “mostly negative” review score on Steam and fewer than 20 concurrent players. No new builds have been released in years, creating the appearance of an abandoned project. Yet Picroma, the two-person studio behind the title, shows no signs of surrendering their vision.
The persistence of such a small team continuing work on a commercially failed project underscores the passion some developers maintain for their creations regardless of market reception. While most studios would have pivoted away from a game with zero commercial traction, Picroma’s commitment demonstrates either unwavering creative vision or stubborn determination. The article hints at potential future developments, suggesting the studio believes it is “just getting started” despite the game’s bleak current status and minimal player base.