We're happy to announce that Flawless Abbey will be a part of The Storyteller's Festival 2024! And that's not all — just for this event we've prepared a walkthrough of the game!
Dive in Tomorrow at 12 pm PST \ 9 pm CET into the Flawless Abbey broadcast!
Don't miss your chance to take a closer look at the game, and possibly be surprised by some of the twists the story takes.
See you in the dreams!
Turning the Cogs of Fate
Dive Deep
Dreams seem to follow their own logic. They wrap all around you, live their own life, and create their own story; very few are able to take control of their own dreams. So controlling the dreams of somebody else should prove downright impossible, then?
Not quite. As an outsider, you cannot shape the dream of Flawless Abbey as you see fit. However, as a Dreamseeker, perhaps you can give it a small nudge in the right direction…
What seems like a small detail might sometimes lead to bigger things…
The way is open to you, if you pay attention.
Take Hold
There is no sense in analyzing dream logic, one should simply follow it. Flawless Abbey gives you, the Dreamseeker, various tools to indirectly influence the story. The most crucial tool is the lever, which can interact with and lead to many things. Click the left mouse button, feel its grip, and take hold.
Open the smallest doors…
…And the largest gates.
Once you grab the lever—spin away with your mouse! It’s not just the doors that can be brought into motion, but various mechanisms, and even the largest structures within the Tower. Manipulating those might require putting all of your strength into that spin, though…
Not all things turn the same way.
Nothing in life comes without patience.
Find the Way
However, physical strength alone is not enough. The Tower is an endless maze waiting to devour you, so might not always makes right. To navigate the dream properly, you will have to keep your wits about you, pay attention, collect items, and sometimes even take unexpected detours. Only those with a keen eye can navigate the Tower’s living walls and not fall prey to fear and illusion.
Not all keys bear meaning. Follow the true way.
The clues are there for those willing to find them.
The right way is not always a narrow path. Look closer and you just might find more than meets the eye. To break through the nightmare, you will have to use all of your senses: tough, sight, and sound. Hear the Tower’s song with the Sonant Gyratorium, rotate it at the proper pace with your key, and unlock new floors of the Tower. But beware: failing to do so will eventually cause it to break and shatter. You will still be able to proceed further, but might have to face dire consequences…
Curiosity has its rewards.
Hear the Tower’s song and move the Sonant Gyratorium.
Sometimes, you have to put all of your strength into your cause.
This is just the beginning of the trials and tribulations that await within the Tower. Whatever happens in Flawless Abbey, prepare to be challenged and to face lies and deceit. Take the plunge, and may your Dive bear fruit.
A person’s mind can be a fascinating display of their personality: it holds our dreams, wants, convictions, aspirations. But as with everything, there is a darker side lurking beneath. Insecurities, fears, hidden desires… sins.
As a Dreamseeker, it is your job to dive deep into other people’s mind palaces, tearing away at their very cores. The dream of Flawless Abbey should be no different.
In your mind’s prison, what would a Dragon represent?..
The Veil
But dreams are not simply repositories of desire and fear: they are mired in illusion. Reality is not always as we remember. As time passes, one will encounter lies, and some even display the strangest proclivity to lie to themselves. What would it be like to see the mind of someone who doesn’t realize they are hiding from their own selves?
No task more pointless than running in circles.
Revisiting old memories can be dangerous. The places and people you wish to hold onto might simply not be there…
The Truth
The mind is a maze, yet it also hides that which we hold most dear. How can something so fleeting have such a great power over us? Standing on the precipice of truth and delusion is the only way to unlock that which lies within.
Some walls are steadfast. Others — paper thin.
Not all dreams bear meaning. Sometimes, it’s apt to look at the bigger picture.
Nothing more exposing than the little things.
The Gaze
Yet this dream is not static. Flawless Abbey is not a museum filled with personal curios, existing for someone’s scorn or fascination. It is a living, breathing being and it welcomes you in its maw. Will you cooperate, shatter it asunder, or be devoured by it?
As you glimpse into the dream of another, it twists and contorts around you.
Even if you live by someone else’s script, you can still try giving things a small nudge…
At least you are not alone… are you?
No matter what preconceptions hold you of this darker realm, whether your intentions are pure or not — Welcome to Flawless Abbey. And may your Dive bear fruit.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to bend the laws of reality? To make the impossible possible?
Today we shall take another peek behind the curtain while the overall construction of Flawless Abbey continues. But don't worry, We won't spill any big secrets just yet. That's part of the magic! That and well…no one likes spoilers, we would never wish such a dreadful fate upon our esteemed audience here tonight.
At this stage in construction many of the Abbey’s secrets must remain hidden, we hope you understand, and we guarantee the big reveal is worth all the anticipation. What we can share, however, is the architects report construction is going well and proceeding according to plan!
Moving on, we promised you a peek and a peek you shall get, presenting:
…this! Without any context whatsoever!
The only way for you to find out if it was an incredibly spoilerific moment, or something a little less vital is to visit the Abbey for yourselves…eventually!
Now, where was I? Oh yes, I wanted to thank everyone who’s played our demo on Steam and stopped by to say hello at live events over the past few months! Not unlike the Tower of Babel, it takes a terrific amount of work and effort to keep up the construction of the Flawless Abbey as well. But your love, encouragement, and feedback give us all the strength we need to keep moving forward against the dreaded Development Dragon. (please note: this is not the name of the Dragon in our story, he’s a distant cousin)
Now, going back to that tower, we have a question for all of you in the audience today: what are your thoughts about the Labyrinth Tower?
Any of these answers are valid, really. To be technical, anything else would be also, as we exist outside The Story and are not tied by scripted narratives.
The architects (us) consider it to be all three at once: a frightening display of the human condition in all of its glory and ruin. At least, that was our intention
I didn’t mention Tower of Babel for nothing — Bruegel’s paintings have been a specific inspiration for us from the very beginning of the Abbey all the way back in its concept stages. It is a place where our deepest secrets will be laid bare, and where our true selves are revealed.
Since most events of the Flawless Abbey are happening from inside the Tower, we wanted it to make an extra impression on our Dreamseekers right from the very beginning. This is your destination, your destiny awaits in this place - whatever it may be. Will your story be one of hope or despair? Of triumph or tragedy?
It’s obviously a rather significant place, right? So wouldn’t it be a shame if this Tower just… disappeared?
🔔*DING*🔔
Unfortunately, our train has arrived back at the entrance to “Spoiler Territory” so we’ll have to cut things short for now. Until next time! Spare a moment to wishlist our game here on Steam and follow us on our socials to get more in-development content (and also because it makes the architects’ days!).
Hey everyone! We are proud to announce that Flawless Abbey is participating in the Dames 4 Games event!
This event is meant to put a limelight on women in gaming, which includes the people behind Flawless Abbey. We hope you celebrate with us by playing our DEMO.
Here are some sights you can expect to see as you’re visiting Flawless Abbey:
Gaze upon our majestic handle collection. You might even find some curios if you pay attention…
Watch an old-timey play. Don’t make that face: it might have more significance than you think.
Appreciate the masterful tilework at play. Why are these symbols all around the Abbey?
…And even meet some unusual guests.
We hope you dive into the world of Flawless Abbey with us! If you like what you see, please wishlist our game to keep an eye on it.
Today, we wanted to take you all on a little walk down memory lane, and see how far we’ve come in creating Flawless Abbey’s majestic but terrifying Beast. 🐉
Fun fact: Dragons represent wisdom and protection in many cultures!
The initial concept for the fearsome fire-breathing beast of Flawless Abbey was partially influenced by the creatures found crawling the pages of Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons. A 2003 fictional book written by Dugald Steer about all the different dragons of the world; their biology, behavior, and even a pretty comprehensive account of their recorded interactions with humans throughout history!
Just like other elements of the world of Flawless Abbey, The Beast was originally confined to paper. Then given life through watercolor to eventually become part of the hand-painted world of wonders we see today!
During its initial conception phase, we could have never expected that bringing an entirely hand drawn Dragon from paper to 3D would actually prove to be quite The Beast in its own right!
While other ‘paper-to-3D’ elements found in the game had posed their own unique dilemmas, what we didn't expect is the fact that making an entirely hand drawn Dragon into 3D isn't as easy of a task as we really thought... Unlike other elements which could be modeled with simpler constructs, The Beast had to be sculpted— almost carved out a chunk of polygons, emerging like a figurine from a piece of wood in the hands of a master craftsman.
Next, to make it really come alive it had to be outfitted with a complex skeleton for animations!
Uh oh, looks like we got spotted!
Another factor that contributed to the overall difficulty was its textures. Just like everything else in the world our fearsome friend inhabits, each texture was hand painted. Usinga complex texture map to breathe life into brushstrokes and create the mesmerizing monster before you
These awe-inspiriing creatures can be your noble companions, or your greatest enemies. Which side do you think our Dragon end up on?
We hope you’ve all enjoyed this deep dive into the depths of creating this majestic and fearsome creature! Let’s make our exit for now...it looks hungry.
*chomp* 🐲
Be sure to keep an eye out for future devlogs and updates! We’ll continue to share peeks at the process of bringing Flawless Abbey to life, and can't wait until you can visit it yourselves.
Farewell for now, dear Dream Divers!
Don’t Drag-on and follow our socials for all the latest devlogs, news, + more!
We have a special announcement today: Flawless Abbey will be present at PAX East on March 23-26!
Join us at Critical Reflex's Booth #22102 and try out the newest demo available!
See you there! 💜 💜
Flawless Abbey - Symphony of Sounds
We are back 🎇 Mystical Passagers 🤩 and we have some updates ✨!
Soon you will be able to explore the mystical world of Flawless Abbey with a Symphony of New Sounds!
From footsteps, to paper rustling, sound design is an essential part of building the game’s true vision – it is crucial to build the true atmosphere and express the emotional depth that the story requires.
Every click, ruffle and melody has a purpose.
This latest musical addition truly completes the spirit of Flawless Abbey: The stunning and mystical Labyrinth Tower is in reality, a huge music box, a big mechanical orchestra. Everything has its own sound and plays its own music - including each character using their new instruments-voices to play their parts.
To properly create an atmosphere, we used mostly cellos and double bass mixed with glucophone and sounds of birds, thunderstorms and wind. Sometimes, you can hear the abbess whispering poetry-mantras – you might feel inspired, so pay attention.
So, to round up, the current build of the game has:
➼ Characters with new voices! - now you can hear the characters' language using flutes, xylophones and trombones are now the language of our world!!
➼ For a brand new experience, we scattered original melodies around.
➼ The elegant and magical Star-Key Box is now a music box – connecting every object and story with a soft melody of connection.
➼ As you press new objects, we have brand new sounds to connect the mood!;
➼ New atmospheric sounds that enriching adventure to it’s true level!
So keep listening! Flawless Abbey is singing to you!
If you want to keep up with updates on the game, follow us on social media for the latest news: Twitter: https://twitter.com/bed_head_games Discord: https://discord.gg/3KnVewGYhm
DEMO LIVE NOW!
Great news for all the curious minds out there!
After months of hard work, we are excited to present to you the official Demo for the Flawless Abbey adventure.
Flawless Abbey demo is live for limited time event — so run, don’t walk, to your nearest steam store tab and take advantage of this brilliant opportunity.
If you want to keep up with updates on the game, follow us on social media for the latest news:
Lost Dolls - the truth about the test dummies
Happy Wednesday everyone,
Today we wanted to gift the curious minds some secret lore for our future saviors of Flawless Abbey - we are talking about the figures scattered around Flawless Abbey!
Before we get into the details, we wanted to show the design process: from the original sketches, to first coloring test, and finally to the end design:
You can see the coloration evolve from the simple sketch into the final version with more vivid gradients and stronger pigmentation. You can also notice that the figures look like they’ve been painted with watercolor on human-shape paper cut outs.
Inspecting the design even deeper, you can see that the bodies are made of polished lacquered wood, delicately held together by hinges in their limbs, neck and torso covered by a material that seems to be purple fabric (could it be related to the abbey’s emblem colors?).
We are introduced to the tales of Flawless Abbey through a play performed by these cardboard dolls — and they can be found all over the game. Just like in dreams, you can’t seem to remember any specific facial feature in any of the characters. With no face nor personality, It seems like they have been drawn by the Abbess and forced to participate in this…
Without a voice, lost in a dream, the figures seem to both be part of the Abbess plans but also seem to be victims of the nightmare that is threatening Flawless Abbey… could there be more here than we think?
If you want to keep up with updates on the game, follow us on social media for the latest news:
