DEV DIARY #1: The beginnings of digital Escape Tales: The Awakening

We’re really happy to see that you’re satisfied with the teaser trailer and waiting for more. In case some of you haven’t seen it, take a look:

There's been a lot going on in the studio since we started the works and we’ve decided to share with you some behind the scenes so that you could see how we bring to life your beloved card game created by LockMe and Board&Dice! 🤗 In the first Dev Diary we’d like to focus on the process of that you would see in the final product.

How did it all start? 🤔

🃏 At the very beginning, our graphics team had carefully studied the location cards in order to be able to put it 1:1 from the physical version of the game to the digital one. Both location cards were joined to create the whole basement and the sections were divided into squares to see what elements fit which space. Then, the whole location looked like this:

🃏 Later, the standard version of the location cards was exported and the team prepared the whole location so that it would not include the interactive elements. Next, all of these elements were separated from the location to bring it as a whole to the digital dimension. Square by square, the graphics team paid attention to every detail to transfer all the interactive elements visible on the location cards, such as the safe, tools or chest. 🛠️ They separated the elements from the basement location and transferred it to the digital realm.

Why the fisheye perspective? 👁️

🐟 In the paper version of the game, the location is shown with two cards, each showing half of the room. To see the whole room, you have to line up the bottom edges of these cards. This can look a bit strange because one half of the picture is flipped upside down, which can make it hard to understand the room's shape, where things are, or what you need to do in the game based on the pictures. 🚪

🐟 To fix this problem, our team used a fisheye perspective, which makes the whole room look balanced and unified, no matter where objects are. This gives the player the feeling of looking down at the room from above, making it easy to see everything clearly, even the walls that are at different angles.

🐟 Also, changing straight lines into curved ones makes the picture look softer and easier on the eyes. This helps the player’s eyes move smoothly over the image without hitting any sharp edges. It makes the game feel more smooth and flexible.

🐟 Since this perspective doesn't happen naturally and is made by bending light in a special way, it looks unique and interesting. This makes the picture (and the game) more memorable and less ordinary. 🧠

🐟 Labeling objects is also important with the fisheye perspective. Since it looks like a camera lens effect, the labels get distorted too. The final effect can be seen below:

And for the final part...

We’ve prepared for you a little fun fact: 😎 The height of the camera above the room is of no small importance here - the lower it is, the more pronounced and surreal the curves become. 😎

We hope that this piece of info will introduce you better to the digital world of Escape Tales: The Awakening. 😃 Stay tuned for more info and the next part of the Dev Diary coming in two weeks! 😍

Bluekey Games Team

PS In the meantime, don’t forget to Add the game to your Wishlist and Follow it to stay up to date. 😏

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