Environment Design: The Living Imagination

Hi, Tough Cookies!

We’re back, and this one’s all about environment design.

Today, we’re talking about something that defines the feeling of My Friend Barrington before you even press jump: Environment Design.

If narrative shapes meaning and mechanics carry tension, then the environment is where all of that lives.

From the beginning, we knew the world couldn’t just look imaginative. It needed to feel like a living imagination. Something that adapts, stretches, and subtly shifts alongside Jordan’s emotional state.

That’s where Tanisha, one of our 3D artists, comes in.

Designing a “Living Imagination”

When we asked Tanisha how she approached designing environments that feel like a child’s fluctuating psyche, her answer focused on visual language. For her, it wasn’t just about making things playful. It was about using shapes, scale, texture, and movement to communicate emotion.

Rounder forms tend to feel safer. Sharper edges introduce tension. Larger proportions can make a space feel overwhelming, while softer materials can make it feel nostalgic. "As artists, it was important to use these visual tools to subtly reflect what Jordan might be feeling at any given moment."

We leaned into retro-style toys and familiar childhood materials. Soft plastics, stitched fabric textures, slightly exaggerated proportions. The goal was to make the environments feel like memories rather than exact replicas of reality. Childhood memories aren’t precise. It’s emotional, and sometimes things feel bigger than they were. Sometimes they feel smaller. Designing that balance became the real challenge.

Tanisha also emphasized that relatability mattered. We didn’t want the world to feel like a generic “toy level.” We wanted it to feel personal, like something you might have imagined on your bedroom floor as a child. That meant paying attention to small details, subtle animations, and how objects exist within the space. Even something as simple as a slight sway or bounce can make the environment feel alive instead of static.

Emotion Through Environment

Just like the mechanics adapt to reflect emotional pressure, the environments do too. Colours shift, lighting changes, and space can feel more open or more confined depending on the tone of the moment.

With a team that leans heavily into art and narrative disciplines, environment design became one of our strongest storytelling tools. Our art team ensures that the world feels cohesive with the emotional arc rather than separate from it.

In My Friend Barrington, the space, the mechanics, and the story all support the same structure.

And yes, we promise there’s intention behind every oversized toy asset. Even if some of them look like they might hurt to step on in the middle of the night.

We’re excited to keep building this living imagination with you.

See you in the next one, Tough Cookies.

— Tough Cookie Productions