Our Flag Means Death Inspires Fan-Made Dating Sim

After finding a rabid fandom throughout the last year, Our Flag Means Death has just finished airing Season 2 on Max and continues to inspire fan creations. Our Flag Means Death struggled during the initial debut season due to a lack of marketing, but the fandom quickly grew into one of the most creative and obsessed many have seen.

Our Flag Means Death has already inspired thousands of words of fanfiction and pages of pages of gorgeous fanart, but one fan is taking that even further as development picks up for The Best Revenge. As many continue to process the emotional Our Flag Means Death Season 2 finale, we had the opportunity to speak to creator Lochlan about the origins of their new project.

Our Flag Means Death dating sim The Best Revenge prepares to set sail

Trying to pinpoint how Our Flag Means Death captured the imagination of so many fans is easier said than done, but explicit queer representation and a world of unforgettable characters certainly played a role. While some shows (and games) have often balked at the existence of fanworks, with some creators even invalidating their value, Our Flag Means Death has done the exact opposite.

The show itself, loosely based on real historical pirates, is essentially historical fanfiction. The first season went so far as to include "bit of fanfiction" as a line in the show, and Season 2 even included a few of its own nods to fanworks. Beautiful works of art and brilliantly written prose have already filled the fandom, but a well-timed fan response has triggered a project that unites those aspects of fan creation with gaming.

"It started when I posted a 'jilted lover Izzy' as a sort of comfort after Season 2," Lochlan said when speaking about how The Best Revenge came to be. "It helped me realize it's always been more about the community than the media. It's about the friends and fandom. It's about belonging to something."

Lochlan echoed the feelings of many fans, whose reaction to the Season 2 finale has been mixed, to say the least. Even for those still processing the emotions it brought about, there has been comfort and safety in their own pockets of the Our Flag Means Death fandom. When other fans commented on Lochlan's Izzy Hands fanart that "the coloring on this makes me feel like I'm playing a dating sim," the idea took hold and refused to leave.

"That just opened the floodgates! I remember reading the comment and saying aloud 'stop, I can't, I've got so much work, I swear don't let me do this,' but it was way too late to stop at that point," Lochlan explained. While they're not an experienced developer, Lochlan brings a background in animation to the project along with the far more important ingredient: passion. 

"The game, to me, is my sort of gift back to the fandom for everything it's done. It's a message that no matter what you thought of the ending, we as a community have the power to change it. We can forge our own endings and write our own story by romancing our faves and giving them the ending they deserve. I want to do this fandom justice, and I want to create a game that the community would be happy to call ours," they said.

While development is only beginning on the project, Lochlan's willingness to dive in echoes the inspiration that Our Flag Means Death has given to legions of fans. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of fans have watched the show and channeled their love of it into creative endeavors. Like many, they stressed how the show itself and the community around it pushed their art forward and contributed to the growth of their skills.

"It's why I think I'm so willing and eager to start such a huge project. It's because I know my friends and the OFMD community have my back through it all. It's a beautiful thing really, how much love people have to give," Lochlan continued. "Whether you're an artist, a writer, a crafter, etc., it's so important to have that support and that love to drive you forward. It's important to have people tell you you're doing great when our internal thoughts are telling us otherwise."

"The OFMD fandom is my drive and my passion. All I can do is promise to do my absolute best with the fuel they've given me," they said. As of now The Best Revenge is targeting a rough estimate of Spring 2024 for launch, but eager fans can follow Lochlan on Twitter to watch for updates or support the creator by ordering from their prints shop.