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Red Candle Games, a Taiwanese developer, has launched a new online store where players can buy its two horror games, Detention and Devotion, as well as any future releases. This makes Devotion, a game that’s been long inaccessible due to a censorship controversy, easy to purchase and play.
Both games are strong horror titles with unique themes, both set in Taiwan. Detention focuses on Taiwan’s 1960s White Terror period, while Devotion focuses on a family involved with a religious cult in the 1980s.
Hello, Red Candle e-shop is now online. https://t.co/smmZxHj7zQ#返校Detention, #還願Devotion and our future projects will all be on e-shop in DRM-free format.
— redcandlegames (@redcandlegames) March 15, 2021
We hope to provide a direct and simple purchasing channel for players who’re interested in our games. pic.twitter.com/1SxzBZSiyW
In February 2019, players discovered an environmental background poster in Devotion that criticized Chinese president Xi Jinping, comparing him to Winnie the Pooh. This was enough to kickstart a firestorm of controversy for the developer, despite an apology from the developer. The game was removed from storefronts for an “additional QA check” for any similar assets, but never returned despite efforts from Red Candle Games.
Devotion has since been preserved in the Harvard-Yenching Library, “one of the largest East Asian libraries in the Western world,” according to Harvard. In June 2020, the Red Candle Games announced a limited time physical release in Taiwan. CD Projekt Red-owned storefront GOG announced they would sell the game in Dec. 2020, then swiftly pulled the product, citing “many messages from gamers.”
Devotion is available on the Red Candle Games storefront for $20.68. Detention is priced at $17.08, and players can also purchase a bundle — with Detention and Devotion paired together — for $33.56.
