Thimbleweed Park 2 Funded by Anonymous Wealthy Fan

Thimbleweed Park 2 is moving forward not because of a publisher deal or a crowdfunding campaign, but because Ron Gilbert’s friend happened to know a rich guy who really loved the first game. According to PC Gamer, that unusual origin story is now the reason a sequel is actually in development.

Why Gilbert Skipped Publishers and Kickstarter

Gilbert was open to making a follow-up to Thimbleweed Park, and publishers came knocking, but the terms they put on the table were a dealbreaker. As he explained in an interview cited by PC Gamer, his core frustration was that even after a publisher recoups its investment, it still demands the lion’s share of ongoing revenue. He described certain contract structures as offering developers nothing unless a game becomes a major commercial hit, which he called simply unfair. Another Kickstarter was also off the table, leaving the project without a clear path forward.

The Friend-of-a-Friend Deal That Made It Happen

The breakthrough came when a friend told Gilbert he knew a wealthy individual with a serious passion for adventure games and Thimbleweed Park specifically. Gilbert was skeptical at first, but made contact and found the person to be legitimate. He then put together what he described as a very realistic budget, higher than the roughly $1 million it cost to make the original game. The anonymous backer approved it. Gilbert told PC Gamer via a Bloomberg interview that the arrangement lets the backer recoup his money quickly and then moves to a reasonable revenue split, which he called far more equitable than anything a conventional publisher offered.

The Case for a Niche Sequel Nearly a Decade Later

Part of what convinced Gilbert the project was worth pursuing is the original game’s continued commercial life. He noted that Thimbleweed Park, released close to ten years ago, is still generating sales today, which he takes as evidence that an audience exists for this style of game. Point-and-click adventure games occupy a smaller corner of the market, but players who enjoy them tend to be dedicated, and the genre does not rely on cutting-edge technology to remain accessible, which helps titles stay relevant long after launch. Thimbleweed Park 2 is described as neither a direct sequel nor a prequel, and is currently targeting a release in early 2028.

Sources: PC Gamer