Save the Forest!

Michael Samyn's picture


Mudam is ending its support for The Endless Forest, after having hosted the game server for 7 years.

The Musée d'Art moderne Grand-Duc Jean in Luxembourg commissioned us to make a work of art for their online gallery in 2003. In response, we created the original prototype for The Endless Forest. In 2005 we were ready to launch the first iteration of the game and Mudam agreed to pay for the server required for allowing all players to interact with each other. Thanks to their support, The Endless Forest has been available for free until today.

Now, however, the museum has changed its policies and is no longer willing to sustain the cost.

Even though we haven't been updating The Endless Forest as much as we may have wanted to, and even though we can't promise any changes in the foreseeable future, we do want to continue to maintain the game in its current state and offer it to the public as a place of peace and harmony, free of charge. To do that, we will need to find a way to pay for the server.

The monthly cost of hosting the server is 165 Euros. This is not a lot of money. And we already have a voluntary subscription system in place. All we need is a few more people who are willing to commit to sending us a few Euros every month. And then we can continue as before.

Click "Read more" to see how you can help!

This is not just a question of finances. It is also a matter of principle. We believe that an artist and their audience can have a symbiotic relationship that does not require any interference from the outside. So in a way, we are taking this opportunity to prove a point. Please help us do so.

Select a subscription amount below to make an automatic monthly donation via Paypal.
(You can end the subscription any time that you wish.)

10 Euro/month: Subscribe
5 Euro/month: Subscribe
3 Euro/month: Subscribe
1 Euro/month: Subscribe
Nastusha's picture

This is music to my ears!

This is music to my ears! It's nice to know that the community is able and willing to cover the cost of the server. I'm a bit disappointed that I am unable to pitch in at the moment, but perhaps I will be able to help in the future.
gglidden's picture

This is wonderful news! Good

This is wonderful news! Good job everyone. [8
Ring The Bells That Still Can Ring.
Forget Your Perfect Offering.
There Is A Crack In Everything.
That's How The Light Gets In.

(A part of the lyrics of Leonard Cohen's Song "Anthem")
Froyuh's picture

I wish I could donate, but I

I wish I could donate, but I am too young to use PayPal, or get a job. It'll be a great shame to miss out on the future abiogenesis performances Sad

Thankyou to everyone who was able to donate and keep the server running!
Anjali's picture

Froyuh, Michael Samyn

Froyuh,

Michael Samyn wrote:
We still do spontaneous mini-festivals once in a while. But I'm afraid that the official, announced ABIOGENESIS events will all be private as of now. But hopefully we will find a way to let each of you attend at least one.


There still might be free abios and mini-abios - the abio that the Gods gave for donating members was just a special thank-you. Smiling
Seed's picture

Hoooray! We mostly did it! I

Hoooray! We mostly did it!

I wonder how viable a kickstarter to fund an update would be... Ah, dreams.
LittleNo's picture

0: I'm not allowed to donate,

0: I'm not allowed to donate, but I could always try my best to find a way around it in order to help fund an update... (I think it would increase everyone's interest in helping fund, if we could get an update. Even if it was just something small?)
J!n's picture

^ Like a grazing emote. Not

^ Like a grazing emote. Not to be greedy or anything... I think to keep playing the game is enough, but still.
LittleNo's picture

That was one of the things I

That was one of the things I was thinking about! Things that we already have, that can be implemented in other ways.
RikkaChan's picture

That is a good idea! That

That is a good idea! That would be perfect.
Perhaps in the future get more pelts, masks and antlers.

Pelts, masks, antlers.

Pelts, masks, antlers. Yes.

I still love how I was jumped on for mentioning updates before c: c: c:
Tabithaaa's picture

It's heartbreaking to come

It's heartbreaking to come back to see this beautiful game in peril. I was active almost five years ago, before the Birch Forest, before this website. As a gawky and awkward teenager, this community gave me so much that I desired; support, kindness and friendship. Sadly, I transferred laptops to a Mac almost three years ago, and had to leave the Forest for good. I still lurked on the forums from time to time, admiring artwork, and watching people come and go.

I don't see many faces I recognise today ('cept Sluggs and Quad, you guys rocked Eye. Is Quamar still here?), but it's wonderful to see all the new names and deer still playing the way they used to. Makes me smile Smiling.

I will definitely be donating to keep this fantastic game on the go, it would be a tragedy to lose such a marvellous creation.

Much love Smiling

Tabithaaa <3

T-Tabi? ;A; ...&hearts;

T-Tabi? ;A; ...♥

Well, I hope you get enough

Well, I hope you get enough subscribers, hehe.
The only reason my mom even lets me play this game is because it's free. She's all ready peeved at me using her memory for screenshots...
onyxsoulclaw's picture

I was wondering (yer dangeous

I was wondering (yer dangeous i know), in the older versions of the game where we stored our own spell data on our machines/ Or Sluggs spell saver and not on a central server was the game cheaper to run?
I note the new version you save 1 set on server. does this add to the cost of running the server?
If so what would happen if we went back to the old usa data storeage way and had it on our own machines.
Im not an IT person but was just wondering about it.

I know it would mean recoding the game again but might be a good time for bug squashing and such.
Haydn127's picture

Just an idea: you could

Just an idea: Question you could get some money for the server by hiding an ad at the near bottom of the main site? Question
Smiling always happy Smiling
Haydn127's picture

Just an idea: you could

Just an idea: Question you could get some money for the server by hiding an ad at the near bottom of the main site? Question


sorry double post
Smiling always happy Smiling

D!m may rarely wake to walk

D!m may rarely wake to walk to forest any more, but the heck I'm not gonna donate to this.
Sluggs's picture

That's nice to know, LF

srry i cant help,but im sure

Sad srry i cant help,but im sure theres lots of people who can.
eyestrain's picture

Still donating to keep my

Still donating to keep my tree, moth, his forest, and his brethren around.

I don't strive to be the best, but instead I strive to do my best, and always give it my all every time.
-faunet

i lovo end less forest i dot

i lovo end less forest i dot wot the forest to die
Cupup889's picture

No, the forest must not

No, the forest must not die!
I can't help sadly, but I know there's people who can and will Smiling!
Cupup889's picture

Oh,sorry accidently posted

Oh,sorry accidently posted twice Sticking out tongue
Neon's picture

Hrmm.. I'll see what I can

Hrmm.. I'll see what I can afford.

Me too

Me too Sad

same here execpt im 12....

same here execpt im 12....
Siris

Do u have the Magpie Pelt

Do u have the Magpie Pelt spell My user is FatalAtraction i have a Space Beluga pelt and A Magpie mask and regular brown antlers with purple flowers please find the time to spawn the pelt on me i have wanted it forever i would apreciate the help....
MapleTree's picture

I wish I could Donate ;_; I

I wish I could Donate ;_; I don't want to see his game perish, I love this game as much as, hmm, Horses [Love to death] I'll see what I can do, But, I don't think I can give much. Stay on the safe part of the Forest TEF, <3
Greyhorn's picture

Donating 5 a month. (:

Donating 5 a month. (: <3
my DA
Siggy by Kokote
RikkaChan's picture

I can't do the every month

I can't do the every month thing, but I will donate in the near future!
acidaran's picture

I'm subscribed for five

I'm subscribed for five euros! I just found this game two days ago, but I'm already in love I'm hoping that this will help.

same as Pretzil, if i

same as Pretzil, if i actually had money and was older, i'd totally donate! >.< im only 13, so hopefully you can wait awhile for mine C=
Please disregard any comments made by this account before 2014~ Thanks!
Luna's picture

x v x I have no real income,

x v x I have no real income, but I will try to sell art to get money to donate.
It won't be monthly, but that also depends how much money I actually get for art...;;
Butbut, previously before me someone mentioned funding for updates.
I was thinking similar ( and came here cause I made a post on the forums ;; )
and would like to know the amount required for an actual update. o v o
Mushroma's picture

aww, i really don't wanna see

Sad aww, i really don't wanna see the project be shut down :'c
I don't have way of donating,'cos i'm too young for a paypal account :S but everyone who can't donate can still show support by telling all their friends to join the community c:

(i ought to log on to the community more often and forget my passwords less often, I end up commenting too late)

~Mushroma, aka Tanya

sorry i cant i im only 11 i

sorry i cant i im only 11 i lovo the end less forest Sad
keepspeeps's picture

Donated ~and subscribed.

Donated ~and subscribed. Thank you for your dedication to the Forest.

Keeps loves Fay.
kihone's picture

NO! I just got the game and

NO! I just got the game and i'm in love with it D,; if only i was older!!!
cicadia's picture

A bump in case.

A bump in case.

I know, I know, it's been

I know, I know, it's been ages... and I just found this game, but I'm in love with it. Is there another way to donate aside from Paypal? I cannot use their service... but I would love to be able to give even a small donation, if I can. Thank you for your time.
Verdalas's picture

At long last I'm able to

At long last I'm able to donate to the Forest. I've already posted my thanks on the new forums, but people who don't use them might be interested to see that I've willingly donated out €100 to ToT. I hope my contribution supports The Endless Forest and helps keep it alive for many more years to come.

Thankyou for this place and thankyou to the community for being so amazing.

if someone save the forest

Idea if someone save the forest they help us