The Amusement News

[p]Hey everyone![/p][p]As some of you already know, we've released a demo for The Amusement and you can already explore the mysterious and stylish Luna Park of Samantha's late father. We hope you're enjoying your time walking, climbing and... tinkering around. 😁[/p][p]As the Steam Next Fest starts today, we've updated the Steam demo build with the following adjustments:[/p]

• [p]Added a vignette effect while climbing[/p]
• [p]Added a setting to disable all vignette effects[/p]
• [p]Added a sound effect when placing the wheel[/p]
• [p]Added an additional hint for the first climb[/p]
• [p]Improved UX for play space setup, free roam, recentering, and pause menu UI positioning[/p]
• [p]The main menu is now anchored within the scene[/p]
• [p]General visual improvements[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug in the yo-yo tutorial[/p]
• [p]Fixed hand poses for the tiny cart and pipe[/p]
• [p]Fixed visual issues with hedges in the maze[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug when switching a grabbed item from one hand to the other after moving through certain areas of the maze[/p]
• [p]Fixed typos in subtitles[/p]

[p]Thanks for your feedback which allows us to improve The Amusement and, in the end, produce the best possible final experience! Have fun in the Park. 🤫[/p]

[p]While The Amusement features plenty of puzzles and exploration, it is, above all, a narrative-driven experience. We wanted to tell a beautiful story that players could connect with and relate to as they follow Samantha through the park.[/p][p]We chose to focus closely on three main characters: Samantha and her parents. Her mother and father hold a central place in the story, as Samantha reflects on their many arguments which lie at the heart of The Amusement: what it means to be a child caught between two parents whose love for each other has faded.[/p][p][/p][p]Marc : I come from a broken home like a lot of people. There are often two different conflictive narratives from one parent ranting about another. It’s only when you grow up that you get a full perspective of the situation and I think that’s what The Amusement is about through Samantha: growing up and being in a two-sided family, each side tearing you apart.[/p][p]Marc is our writer, the talented author behind The Amusement’s characters and story. Drawing from his own experience of growing up in a broken home, he brings a deeply personal yet relatable perspective to the game.[/p][p][/p][p]Marc : It’s been a hard game to write and make because it’s a very personal story. Maybe exploring parenthood through a game could help to have a better understanding of our parents and actually see them for what they are: human beings. Maybe, if you come from a broken home, you will be more forgiving about your parents’ choices. I don’t expect everyone to take this away from The Amusement but I do hope people will be having a good time.[/p][p]The Amusement will be available very soon, and we hope you’ll enjoy this heartfelt story. ♥️[/p]

[p]If you read The Amusement Steam Page, which you surely did, right? [/p][p]Then you heard us mention redirected-walking.[/p][p][/p][h3]But what exactly is redirected-walking?[/h3][p]Redirected-walking is a locomotion technique used in VR to translate the player's real steps into the virtual world.[/p][p][/p][p]Usually in VR games, you don’t need to move a lot, apart from your arms, or you move by pointing the joy stick in the direction you’re headed. This technique allows players to roam and immerse themselves in a large world. But it can easily trigger motion sickness.[/p][p][/p][p]Redirected-walking gives players more control and fluidity in their movements, resulting in a better immersion and game experience. [/p][h3]
Ok, but how can I know I won’t pump into a wall when I play the game?[/h3][p]That’s a funny technical trick. [/p][p]The fact is that the steps you take in real life don’t translate exactly one on one in the game. It gives you the sensation of walking great distances while actually just taking a few steps in the required 2x2m play space. 

- If not for that tech, how would you reach the end of this ride? (concept art)[/p][p][/p][p]Also, we never make the player walk in a straight line. Another funny trick is that your head movements are also not translated in one on one.[/p][p]For example, you will turn your head at 45 degrees in real life, but the game will make you feel like you only turned it at 15 degrees. Therefore, you can walk in a circle in your apartment while advancing forward in the game! [/p][p]- That's how you can easily walk through that maze from The Amusement![/p][p][/p][p]There are different types of redirected-walking techniques and The Amusement falls in the category of “impossible spaces” games: [/p][p]The game engine constantly makes the rooms around you move and tricks you to think it did the opposite, so that you never run out of space, no matter how long the distances you walk in game.[/p][p][/p][h3]So, The Amusement is all about walking? [/h3][p]Far from that! [/p][p]Walking is only one of the locomotion mediums of the game. [/p][p]Redirected-walking allows you to move across great virtual distances. [/p][p][/p][p]So, why not also swing to your destination? - Use your grapple hook to swing to the other side of the map[/p][p]
Or climb? Because redirected-walking also works vertically![/p][p]- We hope you are not scared of heights..[/p][p][/p][p]The Amusement’s gameplay is full of interactive locomotion techniques to cross the many lengths and many heights of the abandoned Luna Park!
[/p][h3]Stay tuned in spring 2026, because it will be your turn to explore it![/h3][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]
[/p]

[p]Hello everyone![/p][p]Last week, we talked about the gameplay of The Amusement. We still have plenty to share on that topic, but today we’d like to focus on the game’s environments.[/p][p]You may have noticed (or at least we hope so!) that the game takes place in an abandoned amusement park. More specifically, we drew inspiration from the Luna Parks that emerged in the early 20th century. Some of them are still operating today, like Coney Island, but for The Amusement we focused on the oldest ones, as the game is set in the 1920s. Art lovers may also spot influences from Art Deco and Art Nouveau, but our main inspiration remains deeply rooted in the world of Luna Parks.[/p][p][/p][p]Amusement parks hold a special meaning for us at Curvature Games. Some of us grew up in places where Luna Parks existed for a long time, others are theme park enthusiasts, and some have simply visited many parks throughout their lives, sometimes a bit accidentally.[/p][p] [/p][p]What we all share is a strong attraction to the sometimes fantastical aesthetic of amusement parks, and even more so when it comes to old Luna Parks. Beyond our personal experiences, we studied vintage postcards and historical blueprints to bring that unique visual identity into The Amusement. The goal was to create a soft and nostalgic atmosphere that would allow players to follow Samantha’s story in a beautiful setting.[/p][p][/p][p]We hope you’ll enjoy wandering through the park and uncovering the secrets and memories left behind by Samantha’s father. ;)[/p]

[p]Hello everyone![/p][p]Today, we’d like to tell you a bit more about the gameplay of The Amusement, and especially about how players will interact with their environment.[/p][p]Interacting with the scenery is a core part of the experience. As she inspects this abandoned amusement park, Samantha will have to manipulate all kinds of objects and mechanisms: a postcard, a yo-yo, pipes, rails… In short, the park reveals itself to the curious ones![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]There are plenty of things to grab, turn, throw, connect and manipulate in order to find clues, uncover hidden information, solve puzzles… or simply move around because exploring an abandoned park isn’t always easy! Sometimes you’ll need to use your muscles and gain some height to carry out a thorough inspection![/p][p]We can’t wait to show you more in the coming weeks: the park still has many surprises in store ;)[/p][p]See you very soon![/p][p]
[/p]