Wishfully Studios overcomes rejection to find success with Planet of Lana

Wishfully Studios, a Swedish development team led by Adam Stjärnljus, Klas Martin Eriksson, and Dan Faxe, successfully developed the cinematic platformer ‘Planet of Lana’ after years of significant hardship. The developers admit the project began with extreme naivety, featuring an inadequate initial demo and unrealistic production plans that resulted in hundreds of rejections from publishers.

To sustain the project, the team worked for approximately three years without salaries, with Stjärnljus investing personal savings. A turning point occurred in 2020 when a more structured demo secured support from Xbox, followed by an agreement with Thunderful.

Released in 2023, ‘Planet of Lana’ received critical acclaim, including high marks from Edge magazine. The franchise has since expanded with a sequel in 2025. Additionally, Story Kitchen is currently proposing a film adaptation of the game to various streaming platforms and studios, involving Amber Midthunder and Angus MacLane.