Daydream | Making Of
Author: bearplaster,
published 2 years ago,
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/60a217854aa846b77bf34eec674985b4efe64836.jpg[/img]
In the run-up to the release of our first horror game we started thinking about our second game. We didn't want to quit indie development at that time, because we already understood that we could make any project on our own, and the main thing was to bring it to release. I vividly remember us trying to come up with a new game while sitting in a bar, but failing to come up with a decent idea for a future project we were ready to spend several years of our lives on. We realized that the game had to be really worthy.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1542110/Daydream
A couple of months later I watched a cartoon by Method Animation “The Little Prince”, based on a book I read a long time ago. At first glance it seems that the book (or the cartoon) is for children, but in the process of re-reading or re-watching it you find a lot of interesting issues for yourself to reflect on. This is when we realized that the game had to be something similar to it. There was something "high" about it.
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/ef216f5e6bca25d6f86168522d3a25cd08ac77a7.jpg[/img]
Originally we decided that the mechanics of the game would be the "imagination" of the player (character) as it was in the book.
“I showed my creation to the adults and asked if they were scared.
- Is the hat frightening? - they told me. It wasn't a hat at all. It was a boa that had swallowed an elephant.”
[url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/93674e67ac3fcceab4afdb7ec0c32030189aa3fb.gif][img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/93674e67ac3fcceab4afdb7ec0c32030189aa3fb.gif[/img][/url]
For instance, we wanted the whole world to transform into a castle inhabited by knights, kings and dragons by picking up a stick and pressing a certain key. So we began creating concept art of the first chapter and at the same time thinking about the plot of the future game.
After a couple of months of development we came to the conclusion that it would take us years to fully implement these mechanics, so we decided to leave just the core message of the game and remake everything for Little Nightmares. The genre of dark adventure and puzzle platformer suited our ideas best.
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/caa1e8ab931e08c98d87794d0b3b89d1c8c6bf0f.jpg[/img]
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/564a3b1bea541d1f37151f7320d0a828391b4fc2.jpg[/img]
[i]Originally our team consisted of two people: the developer (me) and the 3D artist. [/i]
Whoah, how difficult it was for us to come up with an interesting, fascinating and full-fledged scenario for the game. It was a total disaster and a real nightmare, no other words can describe it, we were trying to come up with something worthwhile for days. We watched a bunch of videos on creating scripts for books and games on YouTube. As a result, we came to the conclusion that it was necessary to let someone finish writing what we began. We emailed one of youtubers, a writer, and more or less he helped us to come to our current idea.
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/f78b0b5303770b61b02976b720a865e4dcb6af1d.jpg[/img]
But it turned out that the script for the book and the game are very different things - we decided to remove almost everything and took only the main message. At this point, it seems that we have also changed it fundamentally as well. No one can tell for sure, what, how and how many times was changed , heh =)
There was a moment we even decided to make secondary characters morph,but rejected the idea later.
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/25260dd6373e4d8b1b94ad395a2291[url=https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/caa1e8ab931e08c98d87794d0b3b89d1c8c6bf0f.jpg][img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/c85ecb5d165d8a35eb668496e0bb38050be6762e.jpg[/img][/url]a285f3e51b.jpg[/img]
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/c4ed6f8948a51c626ab86be0f9fd69dd2333bc60.jpg[/img]
As a result, we decided to create the game without a final scenario, along the way in other words. And with the understanding of what the game will look like, fully immersed into it.
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/fdd9ef7ed3d683a0b91f0135040d8f6ef4c321f4.png[/img]
The image of the hero has changed, various details to visually highlight him among other similar characters have been added. The toy mate became a teddy bear. Also, over time, the image of the mysterious enemy - the dark arm - has appeared.
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/7618c11bc457f03051c8614943ab36fc9f84d7bd.jpg[/img]
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/eda4f7828b6e22ba7d2aa416aef3613a943b1fda.jpg[/img]
The main plot went through major changes, but the main character remained the same boy from the early ideas. The world the story took place in, became darker with the passage.
[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/e18eefa77836b89c712a0515a0e401f1b310232a.jpg[/img]
In the process of the development we started participating in various indie contests. We even won a couple of nominations and “the best game on UE4”. That moment we got kicked by euphoria - we were on the right track! We applied for the UE Mega Grant. Can you imagine our emotions back then? How pleasing it was to get this letter from Epic Games =)
Later Daydream received the BEST UNREAL ENGINE GAME and the sponsored XSOLLA’S CHOICE awards at Indie Cup W’21. Then we received a nomination from Ravenage and an opportunity to collaborate.
Join us on Discord to take part in discussions about Griffin and Birly`s adventure!
[url=https://discord.gg/zap9pZ4k8k][img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/2924c898cb1d8a56bd6203f113a691851c8cbfef.jpg[/img][/url]
We will release the game soon!
Follow us on social media and add Daydream to your wishlist on Steam.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/day_dream_game
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daydreamgame
VK: https://vk.com/daydreamgame
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@daydreamgame