Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island News

[h2]Get ready![/h2]

Join us September 11 - 14 right here on Steam for one of the largest digital expos about audio and music in games. Save & Sound features concerts, deep-dives, and mashups from 70+ developers from around the world!

Starting at 10am PDT / 7pm CEST, a 3-day live show from September 11 - 13 will showcase original content made just for Save & Sound.

We'll have an EXCLUSIVE Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island music featurette going live for the event featuring a live performance by the game's composer, Aether.

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Set a reminder to be notified when Save & Sound will go live!

The show will be streamed on the Save & Sound website, YouTube, and Twitch. Check out all the games part of the event on saveandsound.io

[h3]MODERN DAY MEETS MYTHOLOGY[/h3]
Mythwrecked is set in the present day. You play as a backpacker taking a much needed vacation from the pressures of modern life who is shipwrecked on a mysterious island that is home to some rather strange residents, the long-lost gods of Greek mythology!

In our last dev-blog we spoke about contrasts. When we were coming up with the idea for the game we really liked the idea of someone from the modern world meeting the gods of ancient Greece. It’s a classic ‘fish out of water’ set-up that we found really playful, exciting and couldn’t wait to explore from a story and gameplay perspective.



You know when you have a good idea because your brain will start firing and the ideas and questions will start to flow. We were asking ourselves:-

• ‘Why have the gods been absent from the world for so long?’
  
• ‘How have they changed over time?’
  
• ‘What do they look like and how do they act?’
  
• ‘How are they relevant in today’s modern world?’
  

[h3]WHAT IS MYTHOLOGY[/h3]
We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves though! In order to answer those questions it’s first good to look at the concept of ‘mythology’ and its purpose.

Mythology is broad but generally speaking is the stories of gods, their exploits and the origins of the world. You might think these tales of supremely powerful divine beings wouldn’t be relatable to us puny mortals, but think again.

The role of these Mythical stories is actually closely linked to the human condition. They can be interpreted to distill an ancient society's culture, moral code and values. They can be tales of caution (looking at you Icarus) or to inspire greatness. They brought a sense of meaning and comfort to the chaos of the ancient world.

Today, myths and legends fade away from our modern world of technology and science.


[h3]MODERNISING MYTHOLOGY’[/h3]
There have been many modern takes on the Greek Gods across films, comics and video games, everything from Lore Olympus (which is soon to become a Netflix series) to the Marvel Universe’s Eternals (which itself has had a few different versions!).


Each interpretation varies a great deal and it’s this ‘spin’ that gives each creation its own character and message. So what was the thinking behind our take on modernizing the gods of ancient Greece for our next game?

[h3]MYTHICAL MAKEOVER[/h3]
Earlier we talked about myths and their role in bringing a sense of meaning to a chaotic ancient world. Well dear reader, have you watched the news recently? Even after all the scientific and technological advancements we have today, the world is a pretty chaotic place, even more so in recent years. So maybe it’s time for the gods and myths to make a comeback, but this time to give an insight into the modern world we find ourselves in today.

For Mythwrecked we wanted a cast of gods that were kinda goofy, entertaining and ultimately relatable. We spoke earlier about how myths can give an insight into the human condition and the culture of the day. To achieve this it was essential that the player could connect and emphasize with our version of the gods. We want them to be able to connect with them on a human level, rather than looking up at all-powerful flawless beings on a plinth. In short, we want these to be characters facing relatable problems that you want to help, even the grumpy ones!

It is this humanity that we’ve tried to capture with our own take on the gods of ancient Greece and we look forward to introducing them to you next year.


[h3]FOLLOW THE ADVENTURE[/h3]
That’s all for now, but don’t forget you can keep up to date on Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island by following our Twitter, joining our Discord or subscribing to the Polygon Treehouse Newsletter.

[h3]WHAT IS ‘CONTRAST’[/h3]
When you hear the word ‘contrast’ you might first think of a setting you adjust on your TV or monitor, however let’s take a look at its broader definition below:-

‘Contrast’ is used to maximize the experience of many varied things, some are obvious but maybe some you haven't considered before:-

• The colors used in a painting
  
• The flavors present in your favorite meal (‘sweet and sour’ is a famous dish of contrasts)
  
• The loud and quiet sections of a piece of music
  
• The slower sections of a film compared to its action sequences
  

Contrast is used in most creative works to generate dynamism. This sounds fancy but basically just means that something doesn’t stay the same throughout, it changes, which makes it more interesting for us as viewers, diners, cinema goers or music fans.


Now, you might wonder where we’re going with all this, but there is another creative endeavor where considering ‘contrast’ is important, and that’s when you design a cast of characters...

[h3]CONTRASTING CHARACTERS[/h3]
If you think about the characters of a memorable TV show, cartoon (Steven Universe is a great example) or even the singers in your favorite pop group. Chances are, you can easily tell the characters apart from each other and they are each distinct and easily recognizable. This is because they contrast with each other.

This contrast can be created by any number of physical or behavioral factors; for example, are they short or tall, are they shy or a loudmouth and so on. You can see an example of the contrasting characters from our debut indie game Röki below:-


It’s these differences that make the characters ‘pop‘ or stand out from each other visually, but also create interesting group dynamics and relationships between them. Do they all get on? Do some characters argue frequently, does anyone have a love/hate relationship with someone else?
For us, creating contrast in the design of a cast of characters is critical, and after all, if we were all the same life would be pretty boring!

[h3]THE CREATION OF MYTHRECKED’S CAST[/h3]
Of course, this challenge was at the forefront of our minds when we began to work the cast of Greek Gods for our upcoming indie game Mythwrecked, which stars the long-lost Greek Gods. The Mythwrecked cast is very much our own playful take on what the Greek pantheon would be like if they lived in today’s world. As you can see from the sketch below, even at a very early stage we considered them as a cast, rather than individuals.


In developing the designs of our characters as an ensemble, we can easily see when their designs (AND their personalities) become too similar to each other and push them in another direction to create the contrast we want. This would be much harder to gauge and orchestrate if we were creating the designs for each god in insolation.

In addition to this, ‘Family’ (and dysfunctional ones at that) is a central theme of the game, so we wanted to make sure we were thinking of them as a collective from as early a stage as possible.


This consideration also extends to the storylines you’ll be exploring as you get to know each islander. Even though these are the Gods of Ancient Greece we wanted to explore a number of themes relevant to today’s players in their lives. It’s important that these storylines….you guessed it CONTRAST to each other. We really like the idea of using the Greek Gods as a lens to playfully explore modern issues, like men’s mental health, working too hard, egomaniacs, ostrich-ing and a whole lot more.


Hopefully this gives you a good insight into the importance of contrast and how we consider, foster and nurture it to create a vibrant and dynamic cast and story.


[h3]FOLLOW THE ADVENTURE[/h3]
That’s all for now, but don’t forget you can keep up to date on Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island by following our Twitter, joining our Discord or subscribing to the Polygon Treehouse Newsletter.

Until next time,
Alex & Team

[h3]VIDEO GAME ITEMS 101[/h3]
Hi everyone and welcome to today’s dev blog. Today we’re going to be talking about video game items. You can collect loads of varied items in games, things like keys, coins, health packs and even ocarinas. Classic adventure games (like the much-loved games of my childhood; Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and Day of the Tentacle) are centered around more item-based puzzle gameplay. In these games you have to find and use the correct item (or combination of items) to solve a puzzle. These games have a rich history of having more esoteric and even downright bizarre items populating their worlds. Curiosities like a rubber chicken, breath mints, spit encrusted paper and even a balloon sculpture with the likeness of Robert Frost!



These items can be a lot of fun to collect and it can be fun to figure out what they should be used for. It’s safe to say that they've been delighting and bamboozling players for decades. There is however a different aspect to items in video games that we explore in our games, and that’s their ability to impart emotion and to tell a story.

[h3]ITEM IMPRINTING[/h3]
If you forget about video games for a moment (difficult I know) and think about some of your favorite real-world items or possessions. It might be a souvenir that conjures memories of a special holiday, a mug that you’ve drank from for good luck every day since your sixteenth birthday or a treasured gift from someone close to you that reminds you of them.

As you can probably tell, these items have a meaning and emotional weight imbued in them that far outweighs their intended use. Sure, I could use a different mug for my morning coffee but that cup and I have been through soooooo much together and it’s loaded with all those memories, feelings and emotions. The mug itself is worthless, it’s junk, but to me it’s one of my most treasured possessions.



If you haven’t already guessed where I’m going with this then I’ll lay it out plain; Items can conjure emotions and tell stories in video games.

[h3]TELLING STORIES WITH ITEMS[/h3]
In our debut game Röki we wanted to explore not just item-based puzzle gameplay, but also whether we could also use these items to help tell an emotionally impactful story. The item is not just used to unlock the path forward for the player but also to make them feel something. We’re really big believers in telling a story via gameplay and not with didactic cutscenes. We want the player to have an active role in uncovering the game’s story, not watching it unfold in a passive way as if they were watching a movie.



A good example in Röki (and one that I could easily find a screenshot for!) is the above dream-like section where our hero Tove is trapped in a gigantic well. The items you are carrying can be used to satisfy the monstrous rock hands that block your path but they’re also items Tove remembers from her childhood, as they belonged to her mother who has since passed away.

The player isn’t just using the items to escape the well, they’re also using them to discover more about Tove, her past and the game’s story. These items will make Tove feel something, and that emotion in turn be passed onto the player.

[h3]MEMENTO ITEMS IN MYTHWRECKED[/h3]
In Mythwrecked we take this a step further. In fact, one of the main mechanics in the game is using your Ambrosidex’s radar to track down the God’s lost mementos. So as you explore the game-world you’ll be able to track the signals to their source and hey presto, you’ve discovered a lost memento item!





Not only are these items pleasantly varied and delightfully odd, they also hold the key to unlocking the repressed memories and lost identities of the gods. Once found, the player has to work out which memeto belongs to who, and return them to their correct owner. Once the correct set is delivered the emotional charge will spark the god’s memory. These flashback sequences are key to unraveling the game's story and are all driven BY THE EMOTIONAL WEIGHT OF ITEMS and the meaning they hold for us all.

For us as storytellers, there is real power here.

[h3]FOLLOW THE ADVENTURE[/h3]
That’s all for now, but don’t forget you can keep up to date on Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island by following our Twitter, joining our Discord or subscribing to the Polygon Treehouse Newsletter.

Until next time,
Alex & Team