Forest Spirit Pipeline & Previous Devlogs

I am currently working on our eighth forest spirit and wanted to post to Steam a bit more about the process involved in making a forest spirit in the game.

Creatures are the most complex content in the game as they are carrying the story and have the most complicated art needs. A summary of the pipeline is identity --> story/personality --> sprite --> portrait --> token --> quests --> memories --> furniture --> dialogue --> animations --> bark. I'll break each step down a bit more.

Identity

All forest spirits are based on a mythological or legendary creature. I chose all 20 identities early on to ensure we had a good spread across animal types and that each could meet the game's tone and visual identity - e.g., no humanoids, could be made cute or pretty.

Story

Each spirit besides the starting cast has a journey the player helps them through to deal with some past trauma/baggage and build trust with the Keeper. Early on, I identify loosely what themes and main struggle this spirit's story will have and how that fits into the larger narrative of rebuilding the sanctuary.

Sprite

Now that I know their identity and story, what should they look like? Even with a basis in myth and legend, there is a lot of creative freedom to represent different creatures. I aim to have all the creatures have a touch of magic or fantasy about their appearance.

Portrait

Recently killed the need for a separate portrait image as the sprites are way more interesting to look at than a zoomed in face.

Token

Each spirit has a token that players can collect. The token unlocks memories when carried to certain places in the forest. Each token is a stone miniature of the sprite.

Quests

The real heart of the development of each spirit. What problems do you help them with? How do those problems and solutions manifest in game? How do they speak? What will they reveal about the Sanctuary's past? What boon will they grant once they trust the Keeper?

Memories

Six illustrations and captions that are rewarded for progression and puzzle solving with the token. They help to show the creature's personality and past.

Clues

Hints to players about how to discover the spirit and how to unlock their rare memories.

Furniture

What special piece of furniture can players purchase to display in their house that will also serve as a place for the creature to be present in their home?

Dialogue

Idle dialogue that the player can hear in the Sanctuary, in the spirit's home area, and in special places in the forest when they hold the spirit's token. These lines should reveal more of the creature's personality and their interactions with other spirits.

Animations

A few simple ways to make the spirit feel more alive in dialogue.

Barks

A couple sounds that can also make the spirit feel more alive and unique from other spirits. Can be challenging, some animals do not sound cute - looking at you rabbits and foxes.

And then you have a complete forest spirit. By far the hardest content to make but also the most rewarding.

If this was interesting content, you may want to explore previous development blogs. Thanks for reading!