Greetings, travellers! Today we'll tell you a bit about how it all started:) Fireside was born in March 2020. At the Stay Safe! Jam, Paul, CP, Matthias, and Linus joined forces. Having already completed over 50 game jams, this time they managed to impress the jury, which was particularly captivated by the game’s atmosphere and awarded them the Jury’s Special Prize. Since the theme of the jam was solidarity, the four came up with the idea of creating a game centered around sharing at a campfire. [img]https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/41076287/8060d11a19f321375afec9bdfc94ea9fc4a0e70c.jpg[/img] Initially, the Fireside team consisted of four individuals: Paul, CP, Matthias, and Linus. Paul and CP are the two co-founders of Emergo Entertainment, the development studio behind Fireside. Paul is the project manager, programmer, and game designer. CP is also a programmer, but he contributed to the game design in some phases, particularly focusing on the dialog system. Matthias is the composer and sound designer, creating music and sounds intended for the game and subsequently integrating them into the game engine. He aimed to establish an intimate mood through his music, drawing inspiration from game soundtracks like that of Life is Strange. Linus already knew Paul and CP from other game jams. He is the artist responsible for everything from particle effects to UI and world design. Initially, he sketched everything related to Fireside in a sketchbook, drawing inspiration from references such as Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood and Moon Hunters. [img]https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/41076287/aab223f7fd591b0680b9a0186a16e05ebd65e8f3.png[/img] Fireside revolves heavily around solidarity and a sense of community. Initially, the plan was to make it an RPG, where the player would have to pay attention to their hunger and stamina levels. Another idea behind Fireside was to develop a rogue-lite game without a combat system. [img]https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/41076287/79c518903a4cd53e9577d7e1ec1ea6e5b87976e9.png[/img] However, later on, the decision was made to focus on the action around the campfire. It aimed to showcase the experience of togetherness, listening to other travelers’ stories, and finding ways to help them, regardless of their appearance or identity—all from the comfort of one’s sofa. It’s designed to be a cozy game, not demanding or complicated, but zooming in on the breaks between the battles that are the typical focus of RPGs. [img]https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/41076287/3523dd80a280cffd968cf0a154a26bca3cc7994e.png[/img] Fireside primarily focuses on dialog and narrative elements like speech bubbles, which were surprisingly difficult to implement. It requires a good quest and dialog system. To provide robust and imaginative narration, Ilona joined the team in 2021 as a writer. She’s responsible for narrative design, aiming to strike a suitable balance between entertaining texts, character backstories, and relevant quest information. While Fireside drew inspiration from various sources, it stands out due to its original execution, shifting focus away from the combat stress between rests as seen in other games and abstaining from resolving conflicts with violence. It offers a break from everyday life, a lot of humor, and a beautiful world full of diverse characters to explore with no threat of danger looming.