Tha. LTD's Humanity hits 1 million downloads

Exactly three months after release, Humanity has hit 1 million downloads. Developer tha. LTD revealed the milestone on Twitter, saying it includes the game's release across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Steam. 

And beyond celebrating how far the game's come, Tha was frank in stating: "We won't stop there—we need MORE!" and linking to the game's store pages on Steam and the PlayStation Store. 

What likely helped it reach the threshold is that it's a technically "free" title for PlayStation owners. Subscribers for the Extra and Premium tiers of PlayStation Pus can download the game at no cost, while it runs for $30 on Steam.

Humanity released back in May, and puts players in the paws of a golden Shiba Inu tasked with guiding souls towards a goal point and using them to solve puzzles. One of the most noteworthy things about it is that it's a collaboration with Enhance Games, publisher of the similarly transcendental Rez and Tetris Effect. 

Before Humanity's release, Game Developer spoke with Tha founder Yugo Nakamura and producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi. They were both frank in saying the game's development was heavy on trial-and-error, which Nakamura said could sometimes clash with their desired effect on the game. 

"The more I stare into what I'm doing, the more I want to push it to the extreme. Because I think that's how I can maximize its impact," they said. "But I'm still going to pursue it because I want to make people feel something."

Mizoguchi added that it was Enhance's goal to help "find the fun" in what he called a strong core from Nakamura. He described the user tests as a big boon during this period, saying, "It was layers upon layers of work, but we managed to trim the fat and create something...very sophisticated."

The full interview with Nakamura and Mizoguchi, along with Enhance's executive producer Mark MacDonald, can be read here. In it, the trio discuss how QA testers helped change their perspective on the game's puzzles, Nakamura's shift from design to full development, and removing the guilt from sacrificing souls.