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Devlog #7 - Soundtrack & Audio Sneak Peek

[h2] Hello friends!
Peanut here with our 7th TMYSlog – 🎧 Soundtrack & Audio Sneak Peek 🎤

Say hi to Wyatt Barclay – the composer behind Tell Me Your Story’s lovely tunes! I had the pleasure to ask him a few important questions about himself and his work on the game’s soundtrack.
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Wyatt's journey with composing music began at six years old when he got his first electronic keyboard. He draws inspiration from incredible composers such as Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, and Vangelis, but what made him want to pursue the craft professionally was seeing The Phantom of the Opera.

The opening musical number with the rising chandelier completely terrified me, and I became obsessed with trying to recreate that feeling with music. – Wyatt Barclay, Tell Me Your Story’s Composer.

He worked closely with Inez Górska-Brzezińska – Tell Me Your Story’s Game Designer and Producer, when establishing the process of making music for the game. Each level had its foundations, which Wyatt built on and then revised. What made the process efficient was his balance of a clear framework along with a healthy dose of room to experiment ⚗🎵
When it came to picking instruments, the most important information was the location and time period of each chapter. Every track became a variation of one central melody, with different instruments and moods, but with similar ideas – similar to how New Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo works.



When I asked Wyatt if the music was there to bump up the coziness or add to the plot of the game he said that both were equally important – on one side the music had to be inviting across the board, but it also has to communicate a lot about the story.

Since the game is meant to be very inviting, but also very emotional at the same time, my main focus was making music that effectively communicated those emotions without becoming too intrusive. The best case scenario is that the player isn’t thinking consciously about the music, but that it subconsciously evokes certain feelings while they play. – Wyatt Barclay, Tell Me Your Story’s Composer.



To conclude this TMYSlog, and our musical journey, Wyatt told me more about this favorite track 🐶🎤

My favorite track is definitely the one in the final chapter, which culminates everything that has been going on musically in the game up to that point. I like that it can act as an emotional conclusion, whilst simultaneously reminding the player of the journey they went on as they played the game. – Wyatt Barclay, Tell Me Your Story’s Composer.

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[h3]Big thanks to Wyatt for taking the time to answer my questions and letting our community know more about himself and the wonderful music of Tell Me Your Story! 👏[/h3]



[h3]I am now on my way to listen to all the audio tracks included in our demo and be a cozy pup with style 🐶🍵

Toodaloo, friends![/h3]

Peanut out~

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1415570/Tell_Me_Your_Story/



Devlog #6 - Inspirational Influences

[h2] Hey there! Peanut here with another TMYSlog for you 🐶🥜
It’s been two weeks since Puzzle Creation Challenges, where the devs talked about all the brainstorming around Tell Me Your Story’s riddles 🧠

Today I’ve got an important one for you, as Devlog #6 is all about Inspirational Influences. So here’s everything that helped the developers create the game that Tell Me Your Story is today ✨
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Tell Me Your Story’s atmosphere was inspired by different sources, many of which are considered “cozy”. The overall story and the vibe related to making connections were inspired by games like Venba and Florence. Both are very different from TMYS, but the gameplay and sometimes even artwork and style were a source of inspiration for the devs. A Little to the Left is another title that had an impact on gameplay and puzzles. You can see it in some of Tell Me Your Story’s levels - especially the ones focused on organization 🧹📝



Meanwhile, choosing the right artstyle was a process in itself! It was inspired by Studio Ghibli’s movies and artwork plus the illustrations from Winnie the Pooh (traditional artwork from the book). The “vibe” that the developers experimented with was cottagecore - which can be seen in many rooms of Grandma Rose’s cottage 🏡✨

Below are comments from TMYS’ Artists, which shine a brighter light on the game’s key styles and inspirations 💭

Our focus while creating graphics for Tell Me Your Story was to make bright, colorful illustrations, with delicate contrasts, with items being drawn either with light contours or without any outlines at all. We wanted to capture the cottagecore energy of Grandma Rose's household and show her personality through environment full of colors. – says Kamila Osińska, Tell Me Your Story’s 2D Artist.

With art direction we were initially drawn by the Studio Ghibli animations, wanting to capture the same atmosphere. Over time our artstyle became more simplified, we were inspired by games like Venba and A Little to the Left. – says Karolina Wójt, Tell Me Your Story’s 2D Artist.

Colors are also very important for TMYS and not only when setting the vibe! Color schemes are supposed to help the player realize where they are in the story. Each set of levels is color-coded, and both Amelia and Rose have a different way of seeing things 👀🎨

– The beginning and the end have one color scheme because the story taking place in Grandma’s house is seen through Amelia’s eyes, while Rose’s memories have a lead color. The Amazon Jungle story is all warm greens, Yunnan has colder green shades and blues, and the Orient Express story is roses, violets, and blues. – says Inez Górska-Brzezińska, Tell Me Your Story’s Game Designer and Producer.



[h3] When it comes to the story, TMYS had more real-life inspirations. The times spent with the elderly members of the studio's families, knick-knacks found in their homes or given for keeps are all previous memories. For those of you, dear friends, who were (or are) close to your grandparents or other family members - this might be your own road down memory lane. Experiencing it firsthand through Amelia’s eyes might also be a brand-new experience! Hope you’ll enjoy spending time with Grandma Rose either way 👵🗺


That’s all for Inspirational Influences, folks!

See you in the next Devlog all about Audio 🐶🥜 Get your earphones ready to rumble!

Peanut out~ [/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1415570/Tell_Me_Your_Story/

Devlog #5 - Puzzle Creation Challenges

[h2]Hello friends!

Peanut here with another part of our Devlog! This time I got all the information about Puzzle Creation Challenges –- brainstorming puzzles, their difficulty levels, and their inspiration
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Let’s start with the puzzle-story relation 📖🐶 TMYS is all about the travels of Grandma Rose and puzzles are the main device of the narrative. The dev team had meetings about how well players would follow the events as they go while making sure that not only are the puzzles fun to play, but that the levels themselves are relaxing. One of the priorities was not using “game-overs” or timers to minimize frustration and let you all focus on the story and colorful artwork.

When did the devs know that a level was finished? When they felt that it was fun to play and it looked good – so there are no hard challenges or quick time events that could completely throw you off.



Some of the puzzles were inspired by other media or in-real-life versions of the places that you can see in the game. The Amazon Forest totem and shrine are a cozy take on the kind of puzzles that Tomb Raider or Uncharted characters could stumble upon during their travels. Another inspired set of levels is in the second chapter of the game – the process of making black tea is very similar to how it’s actually made. Everything is put together in a more game-like way – so you can experience it hands-on!

An important part of the Orient Express puzzle set is the map, which is based on one of the real but older routes of the train line. Familiar places, cities, and sights can be spotted and experienced not only through Rose’s eyes but your own as well 🗺👀



With all of this in mind, the developers balanced between different difficulty levels and storytelling. Some puzzles are easier, meant to show off the story and others are made to be more thought-inducing. While designing all of them the devs added a few changes that would make the components of each level fit better together. For example: you don’t have to place every single ball of rice in the perfect spot while making onigiri. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy what’s right in front of you without worrying about making mistakes 🏖🌟

Speaking of onigiri – I’ve got the info from TMYS’ game designer that the cooking levels were really fun to make. Making food step-by-step and watching it come to life is really something – if you are in the mood for any of the recipes in TMYS you can make them at home, too!



[h3] Even though Steam Next Fest is behind us, our demo is still up 🎮🥜 If you’d like to play it, we’d be glad if you left us feedback after doing so. There is a short survey at the end. Happy puzzling 🧩

That’s all for now, everyone, take care!

Peanut? Out~ [/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1415570/Tell_Me_Your_Story/


Devlog #4 - Evolution of Art & Design

[h2]Hello hello, Peanut here!

Hope you’re doing well, friends! I’m here with Tell Me Your Story’s Devlog #4 – Evolution of Art & Design! Let’s take a trip down memory lane 🛣
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There were many sources of inspiration for both the artwork and design of Tell Me Your Story. Some of them were games like A Little To The Left, Florence, or Venba, aesthetics, and animated movies. Rose and Amelia looked very different before they settled on their present style – for example, Amelia had much longer hair. The artwork itself also underwent revisions – choosing the best possible lineart and adjusting colors only sounds easy, in reality, there were multiple versions of it, which were supposed to tailor the overall experience.



When it comes to level design (which is very much art-related as well), TMYS used to be more abstract. The levels were less organising-related and more symbolic of Rose and Amelia’s relationship and memories. What you can see in trailers, teasers, and the demo itself is much more story-focused and overall clearer as to what you’re supposed to do. The puzzles went through mock-ups and test assets before they became clear and ready to be solved or moved around.



One of the devs’ favorite levels to design was the Foxtrot lesson led by the one and only Grandma Rose! Moreover, all the steps. From those, you can learn how to dance Foxtrot, and genuinely, Grandma Rose is a great teacher. The “learning something new” aspect of Tell Me Your Story is reused throughout the game; both in the cooking lessons as well as Foxtrot. It’s supposed to be quick, simple, and easy things, but fun both in-game and in real life.

Bonus fun fact: little old me here used to be called Paco, but I was the same corgi doggo through and through 🐶



Now we will take a quick look at things that didn’t make the cut - but were just as exciting!
A player-made scrapbook – like the one Amelia has, but was more customizable 📖
Paper planes – more of a mature and poetic perspective on adventures and thoughts ✈
Canceled levels – the greenhouse by Grandma Rose’s house and a trip to Egypt (the latter was switched around with an adventure in the Amazon Forest) 🌱

[h3] And with that, we went through the Evolution of Art & Design for Tell Me Your Story – it was an adventure by itself. It’s wonderful to see what the team has been up to and how TMYS changed as time went by.

If you want to try out the game and send over your feedback – Tell me Your Story has its own demo with an itty bitty survey at the end. Let’s tell a story together, shall we? 🐾

Wait. I think the developers are cooking something 👀 I can smell goodies, which means it’s time for…

Toodaloo, friends! We will see each other in the next Devlog for Tell Me Your Story! [/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1415570/Tell_Me_Your_Story/

Tell Me Your Story is taking part in Steam Next Fest!

[h2] Grandma Rose has been to all sorts of places around the world during her career as a traveler. But this will be the first time she will visit the Steam Next Fest!
Tell Me Your Story – a cozy 2D game filled to the brim with logical puzzles, straight from independent developer RedDeer.Games, is taking part in the latest edition of Steam Festival from 5 to 12 February!
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Open yourself up to a touching intergenerational story and take a journey with Amelia through her grandmother's memories as a globetrotter.

Tell Me Your Story is an atmospheric tale of a grandmother, a granddaughter and the exploration of one's family history. Wordless, decorated with hand-drawn illustrations, the game, filled with nearly 70 puzzles and a relaxing soundtrack, is a heartwarming proposition for players of all ages.



During the festival, players will be able to get a closer look at the enchanting Tell Me Your Story, and even get acquainted with the Prologue and the 1st Chapter of the game!


The free demo version, available to everyone on Steam, will introduce players to the beginning of Amelia's adventure and the first of her grandmother's journeys - deep into the mysterious Amazon.


[h3] A demo version of Tell Me Your Story awaits on the Steam platform! Have fun! [/h3]


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1415570/Tell_Me_Your_Story/