Actual seeds! And actual work!

Most of these graphics are still stolen -- but the seeds themselves aren't! Here are our final ideas for the 5 seeds you will be using throughout Wilderbrook.

Each seed can be eaten or planted. Eating seeds will cause strange effects to happen to you -- planting them will effect the environment around you instead. The goal is to manipulate both yourself and the environment to overcome the obstacles you face throughout your journey.

Click to view -- a GIF showcasing the final 5 seed concepts.

 The sketch from before, implemented into the engine.

As always, this is an alpha build, so everything is subject to change -- but we're making our way there!

Expect to see more, cooler updates soon!

First area! Colors!

Hey guys! Just a short post to let you know that for one, we're still alive -- and for two, we have a new piece of concept art for you. We're starting to really launch into the thick of development, so we're very quiet.

At the very beginning of Wilderbrook, you will be able to choose a color that you feel represents you, whether it's your favorite color or something else entirely. This color will change how the game plays, by enhancing the seeds of that color drastically.

Some mockups of the color selection.

And here's a beautiful sketch of the peaceful village of Wilderbrook, where the Tietoa live.

A familiar face!

We are doing something a bit different with the seed mechanic as well. Expect a more puzzle-oriented game rather than a pure combat one. We just didn't think combat fit the art style very well.

Stay tuned for more!

Alpha!

Hey guys - another round of pretty pictures for you!

Click on a picture to view a much bigger version.

A few early concepts for the Wilderbrook logo (we're thinking of using the bottom one...)

Some early screenshots of our test environment.

Some alpha screenshots of our first draft of the pause menu.

And finally, our "work environment"!

One little disclaimer here -- all of these graphics are fillers as of now. Next to none of these images will be in the final product and all characters (Sparkster from Rocket Knight Adventures, etc.) are copyright to their respective owners.

What do you think? Let us know!

Pictures!

Hey guys! Thanks for being so patient over the past month or two. The team has been rather busy, but we're totally still psyched about Wilderbrook and we hope you are too! Today we have a lot of pretty pictures for you:

An early concept for our art style.

Some more concepts for the seeds that Ly will be able to use!

Some concepts of Ly's friend Mimpi as an adult.

Concepts for one of our enemies.

Stay tuned for more! We will be attempting to provide you with updates about once every week from now on.

Seeds & Gameplay Mechanics

The main gameplay mechanic we're planning on focusing on is that of "Seeds". Wilderbrook is an action/platformer at its core, but we want to introduce an unusual style of gameplay. Throughout the game world, Ly will be able to find different colored seeds, which he can collect. These seeds can then be either eaten, planted, or mixed together to make new seeds. Ly can attack by punching, but it is very weak initially. Seeds are his main method of surviving in the world.



Eating seeds generally gives Ly an internal benefit (like additional attack power or a health increase). Planting a seed in the ground below generally causes a magical effect to occur. This effect could be a defensive barrier, an explosive boulder launching from the ground, or any number of other effects.



Seeds can be assigned to the X and Y buttons, which act as "quick slots" a la the Legend of Zelda. This way, you can easily pick your favorite seeds and use them at will, without having to pause the game.

Seeds can be planted by simply pressing the X or Y button. Ly will throw the seed in front of him, and the effect will occur where the seed lands. Holding the L Trigger while you use the seed will cause Ly to eat it.



We have most of the seeds finalized so far. Here's a little sneak peek of a very basic seed and a more complex one:

Vitaseed (Green)
Eat Effect: Instantly recover 10% health.
Plant Effect: A recovery plant sprouts from the ground. Standing near this plant speeds your health recovery, granting you 30% of your total health over 10 seconds.

Zenseed (Purple + Brown)
Eat Effect: You are completely immobilized, but protected from all attacks, for 5 seconds.
Plant Effect: An Altar of Strength rumbles forth from the ground. 50% of any damage you take is transferred to the Altar until it shatters.

There are 15 seeds in total, and they come in five colors: Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, and Silver -- and then the various mixtures of each. Silver seeds are special and cannot be mixed. Instead, they provide other, more unique benefits...



Next post, we'll discuss some of Wilderbrook's early pre-development; we want to show you the changes we've made to this formula along the way, and get your opinions on how you think we've done!

Introducing: Ly (again?!)

One primary theme in Wilderbrook is "coming of age". And throughout the game, we plan to show you just that -- Ly's coming of age. We want you to experience it firsthand right alongside the main character, and maybe even remember some of your very own journey through the earliest stages of your own life.

Ly is a member of a special race called the Tietoa (roughly translating to "information" or "knowledge" in Finnish). Their name suits them: at their eldest state, they are the great bearers of all the world's knowledge.

Click to view a larger image.

However, they don't start out as all-knowing, towering creatures. Instead, they are born from small fruits planted in the ground. These fruits grow up into the Ti, which are very small, furry creatures like in our last post. Each of them is tasked with a special quest that is at first unknown to them. As they discover the many facets of the world around them, they eventually grow into the Ei, much like a human grows into a teenager.

The Ei are much taller, stronger and more nimble than the Ti. Consequently, and much like a human teenager, they are also more emotional.

The Tietoa have poor eyesight. They often operate on an immensely-powerful internal instinct.


Stay tuned for our next post, where we'll touch on many of Wilderbrook's gameplay mechanics!

Introducing: Ly

These are some of the very early concepts for Wilderbrook's main character, Ly. Wilderbrook focuses on Ly's journey through life, particularly through his incredible coming of age. Through the game, players will witness Ly growing stronger, more knowledgeable, and even older as they help him conquer his many daunting trials.

Click to view a slightly larger version of the image.