This new interview with Alexei, our narrative director, and Kelly, our art director, gets into the back-story of how Camp W got made, and will tell you a little more about our studio Psyop:
We're celebrating the spooky season with a limited-time 15%-off sale!
In Camp W, you take the role of either Liliandra or Lysander, a runaway Witch trespassing in the realm of Humans. Cast spells, uncover mysteries, and -- perfect for Halloween time -- gather around the campfire to hear spooky stories!
Tales from the making of Camp W
We've had a few interviews go online the the past couple of weeks that you might find interesting...
In this interview with Geek & Sundry, narrative director Alexei and creative director Kelly discuss the story behind the development of Camp W's world and art style.
Here's a quote from Kelly: "I wanted to spark in people the feelings of curiosity and playfulness and acceptance and strength. With the goal that anyone could find pieces they related to somewhere in it. I wanted to make people feel good about who they are. Who they genuinely are. That they don’t need to hide, and that their choices do matter. I believe that that is a really powerful thing which could be scary, but is so exciting."
Over on Gamasutra, Alexei is joined by lead engineer Charlie to discuss their new narrative game design tool, Branching Storywriter, and what it's like making an all-ages game.
Here's a snippet from that: “My worries for this particular game were sort of a genre worry, in that I feel like we’re doing something that other people aren’t doing, and you have to question, when you walk down that path, why hasn’t anybody been walking down this path before?” says Bochenek. “Is it dangerous? Or is it simply undiscovered?”
Follow each link to read the full articles.
Spooky Campfire Stories
We mentioned "Memories" in our last update, but I wanted to go a bit deeper into how exactly they work and what they contain.
One of my favorite examples of the Memory system is the telling of ghost stories, an event that happens twice in the game. Each time this happens, the campers gather late at night, and you are given three choices of which story to hear. For instance, you might get to choose between a forlorn fiancee, a mad scientist, or a creeping shadow man. Once you have chosen, another camper steps up to center stage and tells you the story, in their personal voice.
At the end of the story, you open up your Grimoire and sketch what you think the character looks like. On your next time through the game, you might choose a different ghost story, told by a different camper, resulting in a different Memory.
All of our Memories, of which there are dozens to collect, were done by talented illustrator Julia Iredale.
You Must Remember This
Throughout each playthrough of Camp W, you will unlock various "Memories." These are unique pieces of art associated with choices that you make. Your Memories are stored in your Grimoire, either sketched, painted, or taped onto the page next to the character they remind you of.
Above, you can see some of Wilfred's Memories.
Each playthrough will allow you to unlock 12 different Memories, from a selection of over 60. You'll have to go through the full game more than a couple times to see them all!
Do you like concept art?
We have been posting tons of concept art on our Twitter and Facebook pages lately. If you are into that sort of thing, you should definitely follow along.
Here's a sample of some stuff that we have posted:
A Double Dose of Family
Today we've got two new characters to meet: your mom and grandma! You literally wouldn't even exist without them, which isn't something that you get to say very often.
Meet Mila and Gadgy, your loving and maybe at times a teensy bit overbearing family.
A celebrity Witch and star of her own show on PotionTV, Mila holds you to a very high standard, but only because she knows you're capable of greatness.
Gadgy is the definition of old school cool. She's perhaps the wisest Witch you'll ever meet, not to mention the best hugger in the whole town of Coventry.
Your Camp W History Tutor Has Arrived
There's one more character to meet at Camp W, and it just so happens that she is the most downright campery of all the campers!
Ruby is an expert on the history and lore of Camp W. Basically, she knows everything there is to know about this place--or at least she thinks she does--and she’s going to share it with you, whether you want to hear it or not!
If you want to ask her any questions, you can usually find her in the Camp History Center.
Stay tuned for more art shares, character intros, and Camp W announcements.
Next up: The counselors!
Our Next Character Intro Is A Three-Pack!
If you consider fist-bumping an art form, you might've just met your long lost brothers: Blake, Miles, and Miller. Camp W's most entrepreneurial campers, they're on the verge of developing *the* sport of the future--(TM)--patent pending.
We're on track for our summer launch, so stay tuned here for more art drops as we get closer!
Meet Ezzi & Ella, Your New Bunkmates
Two new campers have arrived at Camp W for the summer!
Is there such a thing as too smart for your own good? Genius twins Ella & Ezzi will certainly put that theory to the test when they attempt to repurpose the old radio tower to broadcast a signal into deep space. But when someone--or something--reaches back from the dimensional void... will you be there to answer?
There are just some of the Twins' poses that you'll see in the game.
As always, stay tuned for more as we approach our summer launch!
