Kenshi | The Making of 

I enjoyed that, never seen a documentary about myself before. Proper pro-quality work. Interesting point: At 8:40 where I said "I had an overwhelming number of emails asking for a screenshot and further delays" I was actually just being sarcastic. I was really getting emails demanding the release. Lol

If you think about it, kenshi's development is just like the game itself . You start from nothing, get beaten down and almost starve to death. But you get stronger, gather allies , build a base . It's fucking beautiful.

Wait, so you're telling me that the development of the game somehow ended up following the core gameplay-loop of the end product? That's super poetic.

One wise man once said: "There are many factions in kenshi, and most of them, arent skin bandits"

Chris Hunt uses pure chad energy to manifest a game after spending 1000 years in a sensory deprivation tank emerging then as a transcended lifeform

He kept his fucking promise. I don't care that it took 12 years or whatever. He said, verbatim, "I can't guarantee that the game will be finished quickly, or by a certain deadline, but I guarantee that it WILL BE FINISHED, and it WILL BE DONE WELL." He did something massive AAA studios haven't been able to do for shit over the last 20 years, and kept his fucking promise to us. He finished the game, and it was done well. Kenshi is, objectively, one of the greatest indie projects to see completion EVER. It can be a clusterfuck of messiness, it's ugly as all hell, the engine is garbage, and some systems are fucked. But, goddamn, what a great game it finally turned out to be. I'm so glad I stuck around for all these years. Thank you for keeping your promise to us and giving us Kenshi.

"With little artistic ability" - The code is the art. The game design is the art. The gameplay is the art. - I believe Chris is one of the most artistic developers in the industry.

"even if you choose to pick up a pickaxe" >shows a slave mining

I first reviewed Kenshi on Steam in the summer of 2014. At the time I called it the best game of the year. Since then, after hundreds and hundreds of hours playing and living in this truly interesting, huge and honestly open sandbox game, I have come to change my feelings about Kenshi. It's the best open-world computer rpg of all time. What it lacks in the fancy icing of AAA games like Skyrim, it overwhelmingly makes up for by presenting a living, breathing world that one can feel has an endless, deep backstory that hints at a world long destroyed in the past. Kenshi reaches for the stars like few games do. It's today's Daggerfall- unleashing the gamer without tying their hands or pointing their way. You are free to....be. The game's designer claims he is not much of an artist, but that is totally not true at all. He has created a masterpiece, a gem, a wonderful gift to anyone who enjoys roleplaying, strategy, building and swordplay. Kenshi is art.

There is something so genuine about the trailers it actually feels like someone showcasing their hardwork instead of just marketing

I checked this game out and thought "this looks like garbage but I think its got alot of potential" I bought the game and never played it for 5 years. I now have over 2000 hours in the game and still have not done everything or been everywhere. I still play it. I am playing it right now. Its good. Don't sleep on Kenshi.

"Developers will harp on and on about their games, while they have nothing to show for it." -Chris, circa 2009, warning us about Cyberpunk. What a lad.

What the fuck? I opened Kenshi to start a new game literally minutes ago.

One of the best success story and one of the best game i've ever played and im playing it right now XD

I've never been more addicted to a game, than I was to Kenshi. The freedom and possibilites and unique atmosphere of the game are just one of a kind.

One of the best stories of “Stick to it, through thick and thin. And the fruits of your labours shall be most ripe indeed” Glad he kept it going. I only got the game in 2019 but man it’s in my top 5 games if not top 2. Can’t wait for Kenshi 2 and I will wait another decade if need be

This is one of my most played game. On steam, it’s my second most played. I started playing in 2011. From the start, I felt that this game was so incredible. It has so many replay value. I play out my desired scenario until I feel satisfied, and then quit. A few weeks later, I start a new scenario with different play style, different purposes, different careers, finish it, quit, come back later and start another new and different scenario. Etc. The developer gave us a world to play in, from there, it’s up to us. P.S. Sorry Chris, I never knew you had a starter fund going, I would’ve help with what little budgets I had.

Listening to this I wanna give this man a hug. He is the real warrior. I myself delve I little bit into game development, I can code but can't draw or do any design, so it was very relatable. He succeeded where I gave up.

Every time you start as a man alone with a rusty sword and a dream you are in a way taking a part of Chris’s dream

I fear no man, but that _beak_ thing scares me!

Such a smooth and rugged voice,would be funny to hear a parody of old movie trailers...”in a world devoured by darkness,once every ten thousand years a hero will rise....etc”. Great video by the way.

Been one of my most played games over the last couple of years.

I'm so happy he kept going. This is my favorite game. The stories I've played, no matter how tragic, are some of my best memories.

It still absolutely blows my mind you only have 1K subs. Can't wait to see you blow up

The 'start a business' part is something im really hoping becomes more in kenshi 2 😁

41 Years old man...is near to cry now, who actually never cry in his life. Amazing Video, amazing game

It's so interesting seeing aspects of the game that have existed since nearly the beginning, like the running animation and one of the most desirable structures in the game, the Outpost III. I've been with the community since we were just a square of desert surrounded by a 3/4th greyed out map. It's been a great experience :)

This is high quality stuff, gave me some newfound appreciation for kenshi. It’s crazy to think, even with all the odds against the game, it released and became one of my favorite of all time. It’s kind of weird even writing that since the game is so unpolished but it truly is special under the jank, especially when you consider the community mods that have been accumulating since kenshi gained a following. Here’s hoping kenshi 2 sees the same success

Glad to see that all the painfully hard work and persistence paid off in the end. 😊

Chris Hunt is a man of focus, commitment, and sheer freaking will. Thank you for creating Kenshi and am looking forward for Kenshi 2

The music in this game is so good, my fav gotta be the one in the intro

plus dont care who you are . when im alone at night ill crank this up on my speakers and god theres nothing like kenshi soundtrack. it just makes you feel like a badass.

Kenshi's soundtrack alone puts it up there for me. Such a fitting choice for such a desolate yet alive world that's beautiful in its own way. The song used in the intro has me in a headlock.

Seeing story of struggle, pain and ultimate succsess of indie dev make my heart melt. Story like of making Kenshi and Darkest Dungeon is something that will inspire numerous number of people to dive in as indie dev and make their games. Iam still very hyped for Kenshi 2. Thank you Chris for a immense effort and thank you for a flaweed masterpiece we call Kenshi.

Super late but this game is breathtaking in many ways. Mechanically and artistically. The effort and love the devs have poured into it is tactile in game. You literally can feel the passion in which this game was masterfully crafted. If they were working with a AAA budget, this is one of the greatest games ever released. Truly the among the best when it comes to small dev teams. Nothing but appreciation for this game/creators.

Ah, time for a trip down memory lane... I bought Kenshi the day it dropped on steam, recommended to me by pure chance. I wonder how much of this I'll remember,

As a pirate gamer, for the first time I felt ashamed for having this masterpiece without expressing my gratitude to it's hardworking artist. I am truly in dept of you, Chris.

Have posted before, but still, every time I watch and get to the end the hairs are standing on end! What a terrific fan-tastic video (︶^︶)

I saw this video a year ago and every once in a while I’ll come back to it. Such a great breakdown. 10/10 man

I'll be preparing a semi-D&D module set in the world of Kenshi. Probably just for my friends.

one of the best games of ALL TIME, And I CAN NOT WAIT to learn more about the Moon of Kenshi.... in Kenshi2!!!

That shot with 100 beak things took me back

Kenshi has such a unique atmosphere thats created by everything from the crazy map, aged graphics, aged models/animations, and the music that I fear even in Kenshi 2 they won't be able to come close to replicating it. This game only turnt out as unique as it did due to the circumstances surrounding its development.

After this shit hes been through, I cant' believe their actually making Kenshi 2

I said I would be seeing more of you, and I tell no lies. Great Video my man, you have the talent, voice and skill to make it to 1 mill subs. I just know it.

I keep coming back to this flick, just to keep lit the little kindling of hope that even a schmuck like myself could one day complete a creative process of my own, even if one of a vastly smaller scale.

Good to know the stormy story behind on of my fav games.

I started playing kenshi back in 2017. I couldn’t understand why it was so good so I put it on the back burner for a year. It was a mistake. Being bored and broke I finally started it up again. It’s now a game I have played for hundreds of hours and will play until the day I die. It’s pushed me to start game dev as a hobby. Your video has helped me understand why it’s so good. Thank you.

I remember seeing that tech demo, thinking, "huh.. well that looks cute i suppose" And now kenshi has been installed on my computer for 4 years straight.

RU-vid recommended me this video and i just thought it was a big youtuber that made this video only to see that you dont get the attention you deserve, FOR NOW! Keep uploading videos like these and you will get very big i just know it!

I'm shocked to see how many subscribers you have, you deserve at least 100x more. Well spoken, written and edited, reminds me of GVMERS. I'll definitely keep and eye out for more you make!

Kenshi and recently Silica are the proof that anyone with a dream, passion and willpower can go and make their dream game. I love this. And now that AI becomes more and more available for everyone... It becomes much easier to voice the ingame characters for example.

Don't know if you still read these but this video made me buy the game. Having a ton of fun from it.

I'm so glad he stuck with it. Because kenshi is hands down the best game I've ever played.

i'd like to think that Chris Hunt's story is like Kenshi... you start alone with nothing, then you slowly struggle and fight for a chance to succeed, just as we all recruit new characters and earn money, Chris did so too in real life

It takes a special kind of passion and determination to develop a good video game alone and for over a decade.

Great content! Kenshi was the whole reason I bought a pc. such a great game .

I play this game every day one of the games ive been looking for all my life

The final trailer made me cry.

Had to come back and rewatch this for I don’t which time. This is such a good video.

Brilliant! My respect for this game and the community is even greater now. Well done Chris. Well done!!! EDIT. Could have easily watched the long version. Great work and thankyou.

The story of making of this game reminds me of playing the game itself - You start as nobody, you are constantly beaten up by the reality of the world you are in from every direction, but you never give up... And eventually, you will find more people to join your team and eventually you will be strong enough to take over the world. As if the very essence of the game is actually the story of its creator itself.

Why does the music slap so hard though? It gives me chills.

well done man. i like your style, writing, and delivery. as far as "the making of" documentaries go, this one feels quite mature. have a good one!

Great quality, really enjoyed watching it!

Thank you Mitchell! I have over 3300 hours in the game and could relate to most of this video. The very early parts not so much. Absolutely enjoy Kenshi and even with all those hours, I have probably only tried less than 50% of ways that it *could* be played. Thanks to Chris Hunt for your perseverance and unfailing faith in yourself. I know it had to be quite trying at best.

So hyped for Kenshi 2. The first installment is a masterpiece and one of my top 5 games ever

Kenshi is the best game i have ever played. You become so immersed and so connected with your characters, you FEEL the game. That fight or flight instinct gets turned on visceral, heart pounding, yelling at the screen... Pure masterpiece Thank baby jesus for Chris Hunt. I love you

Cant believe you only had 1000 subscribers. I watched this whole video and thought it had a few hundread thousand views. Easy sub from me mate great video!

one should buy this game even they are not going to play just to show their respects to Chris Hunt. such a dedication, passion and all of the things that we need in today's world.. great vid!

I remember Kenshi and getting it on early access back when Steam still had Green Light. I loved the concept of the game but knew it was still VERY lacking back in 2013. Looking back, it definitely was a great investment as any purchase of the game helped Chris get Lo-Fi to where it is today. You could imagine how happy and satisfied I was when Kenshi finally hit full release. I gave it a positive review immediately in hopes of getting more people to try and buy the game. Kenshi and Lo-Fi deserve every accolade and every success they’ve had since 2018. Now, I wait for Kenshi 2 lol while I play Kenshi modded. 😎

Really good quality of documentary! I started with Kenshi about a week ago and I absolutely love it!

I remember buying and playing this game before it was on steam, and eventually getting a steam code for the game, i was so elated to see the game had made it onto steam's library!

Wow this is a really great video on one of my favourite games :) Also really cool how Chris saw this and commented!!!

Chris you are a CHAD...true chad that we should all strive to be. Have a passion, have a goal, work trough all adversity to it, and create a masterpiece!

10:16 I enjoyed that part where you fought off the possession temporarily.

I just found out Kenshi two weeks ago and now I'm binges playing it.

That was a GREAT video. Your voice is awesome for it as well. Having around 4500 hours into Kenshi, I thoroughly enjoyed that. Thank you.

I can't wait for Kenshi 2! I love the first Kenshi, although optimalization and graphics are not the best, but damn it is so unique and still surprises me with all the different things.

Just bought the game 3 weeks ago. 120 hours in now. Haven't built a settlement yet, and have way more than half the map still to explore.

Amazing video, thank you for informing us about all this story, it was a hell of a ride but the guy made his dream come true, and he would make it even alone all the way ! AMAZING !

I found Kenshi randomly browsing steam and read reviews, probably a minority but it has become one of my favorite games and has left a permanent mark on my view of the world.

Great Documentary on Kenshi! I remember my brother playing it a couple years back. It reminded me of Mount & Blade. Maybe I'll pick it up in the coming months

The little dev that could. Never completely gave up, turned out to be one of my favorite games in the end, 1K+ hours into the game which is a lot with my busy life. Can't wait for Kenshi 2.

Such an amazing and unique game - It is already one of the best game concepts I saw today. Just imagine how Kenshi 2 will be, running on an actually good engine and being developed with a much larger budget. Can't wait for it to release in 12 years.

I still play this game more than most others. The story of the game's creation makes me very happy. The market is saturated with liars and scammers. But seeing Chris's efforts and acts of indominable will to complete his game gives me hope that more devs will follow his example. Anyway, bet you ass I'm supporting Kenshi 2.

damn... If I wasn't so young at the time I'd have loved to try and work for him for free. The aesthetic of this game is too good to not want to pitch in what I can... The story of this game sounds like hell but man am I happy it made it. It truly is one of a kind.

Honestly, the biggest downside this game had and still suffers from is good PR. I heard of the game back in 2018 from a coworker and just brushed it off when I looked at the trailer. It rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. Last month I saw it on a recommended video on RU-vid and I found my self bing watching the entire series from a channel that I never knew it existed. I had the game on my wishlist ever since, waiting for a sale to come by. But you know what... After this video and knowing how hard the developer worked on making this game work, I'm buying it full price. He deserves every cent. Not gonna lie im even considering to work for him for free if I can offer my artistic talent. He deserves it. Good job Chris. Wish you a very successful career 👏

so many games claim to be where you arent the main character and you arent special and similar things, but Kenshi is the only game that really does it, your fun isnt guaranteed and it shines so much because of it. nice video

Very nice video. The fact that it is based on one of my all-time favorite games certainly helped, but still very polished. If you had not said it, I would not have realized you were at the 1K subscriber mark. BBC level content if this is an example.

man i was kinda hoping your video wouldnt end at the release of 1.0 but continute to narate the roadmap and all the updates and stuff that happened until 2021 :)

Honestly, kinda surprised this video doesn't have more traction considering how many copies of the game have sold and how big the Kenshi community actually is (even though I'm hella late to the party too). This video is done really well, everything sounded great. Best of luck in the future, hope this picks up more traction!

Really good video! Let me say as a fan from before steam I have been waiting for a video like this from a long time.

Turns out Chris is not an artist at all, he is a captain. And for you sir I say AYE! Thanks for this cornerstone in gaming and for not giving up your ship. You deserve every ounce of your success.

And you just got another sub. So when you inevitably receive your diamond playbutton, I can say I was here when it all started :D Excellent video! A little minimalist, a bit rough around the edges maybe, but your voice and presentation alone will take you very far. As they say, you had my interest, but now you have my attention. As for the format, I (and quite a few people) like longform videos a lot. You obviously did a ton of research and you presented it in a well structured and flowing manner. Funny enough, I wish it was actually longer, with more details :) For example, you didn't talk about the quite lively modding community around Kenshi, that helped the game itself a lot. Not only with word of mouth advertising, but also with crucial fixes and bigger/smaller extensions to the game itself, a lot of which have been actually incorporated into the main game since. Anyway, I'll be following your progress with great interest. Keep up the good work :)

Kenshi is one of my favourite games ever, and I remember in such vivid detail adventures I went on long time ago. Glad everything worked out for Chris.

Very well done :D I will continue to watch your career with great interest!

Yeez, this makes me wish I had known about Kenshi in the early days, would have gladly offered to do art for this considering my obsession with anything post apocalypse and ruins. The world of this game is basically my dream gerne. What a battle to the finish line wow, I’m glad this game got traction, and that Kenshi 2 is in production with an actual team now, the guy is truly amazing and deserves success. ‘I’m pretty terrible at marketing’ No kidding, I’m into post apocalypse and open world games and I hadn’t heard of this game until it nearly reached its final stage…

Please, please, if you have a chance, do a follow-up interview. Documentary wasn't too long. To my taste it was too short, but that might just be me. Other than that it was perfect. Looking forward to your future work.

So proud of this creator went from nothing to owning his own studio. Hope I can do that one day . Made one hell of a game too man