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@skylessblind.bsky.social

410 followers 84 following 140 posts

Artist and sound designer working on Margin of the Strange, and creator of Skyless Blind, a cosmic horror exploration game https://tinyurl.com/SkylessBlindKickstart

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Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 21

Going through some art I made when I was laying groundwork for the universe that would become Skyless back when I was a teenager. I don't usually make concept art because I'd rather just make the thing I'm conceptualizing, so this is the closest thing Skyless has to it 🧵

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · 1d

Much of this was initially going to be part of the "Steam update," I decided to split it up because I'm moving across the country and I'm not going to be able to use my computer for a bit, so I wanted you guys to have at least a few new features until I can finish the rest.

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · 1d

Skyless 1.6 is here, available to everyone! Including a ton of bug fixes, a new secret world, new pages to the Garden Grimorika, new items, and a black hole.
skylessblind.itch.io/skylessblind

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · 9d

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · 9d

The first batch of digital goodies are out! KS backers can check their KS dms for HD wallpapers and art. More coming soon <3

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · 22d

It should be! There's an issue with text being cut off the screen on steam deck right now but we're trying to find solutions to that.

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Aug 22

Skyless is coming to steam soon btw! Only reason it hasn't yet is because I want to have one more free content update first with a few features that I didn't have time for before the initial beta release. I want the game to be the best shape it can be in when it goes live on Steam 💙

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Aug 22

it will be!

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Aug 20

🐠 in a void reef

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Aug 3

Ever been to a void reef before?

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Aug 1

Getting lost is part of the experience I want to make! Everything from the world layout to the mechanics are designed around the experience of being lost and aimlessly wandering. I think people are used to being lost in games being a bad thing you want to avoid, but that's not the case with skyless.

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Aug 1

I have more things like these planned, but I want to aim more for navigation methods that are baked into the worlds themselves and reward the player for learning the world around them. I don't think something like the signalscope would work very well in 2D or even be possible in RPG Maker

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Aug 1

There's a few of those! Locality gates update to track your last used corresponding gate to allow soft location saving, the dimensional fissure in the lake of ash works as a nether highway essentially (this will be added to other worlds) and there's a mask that lets you save and return to a location

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Aug 1

This will mostly just content that I wanted to have ready for the beta release but had to cut due to time. So, things that are needed to make me feel satisfied with the beta as its own release essentially.

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Aug 1

Working on one last free update to launch with the steam release! It'll include more pages to the garden grimorika, expansions to the ice shell moon and solprovenant ruins, tons of bug fixes and maybe even a new secret world. After that, updates will be KS backer exclusive 💜

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 25

I actually do have maps of all the worlds. I want the locations to feel real and to fit together coherently so I use maps for design purposes. But I'll probably never put those in game bc it works against the feelings I want to create. Being lost is part of the experience.

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 25

Even in games that hide markers or borders until you've been in that location, once you've made your way there and get a map that location still instantly loses much of its mystique. There's no way around this, maps are antithetical to creating a sense of discovery. (4/5)

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 25

That's just how the human mind interprets scale. When you don't know where things are they could be anywhere, there could be new mysteries around any corner, and so that's how it'll feel. When you know where the borders are that mystery is gone, and everything feels small. (3/5)

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 25

Once you know where the borders of a world are it loses its mystique. Not only because you know where things are, but because once you can see the entire world as a little piece of paper in front of you it psychologically feels smaller, even if it's not small at all. (2/5)

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 25

I know a lot of people want maps in Skyless, but I'll probably never add them. When lost it's easy to feel frustrated, so you think having a map would be a better experience. But what you don't *consciously* feel is the loss of mystery and scale when you *do* have a map. (1/5)

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 22

@xdnighthawkxd.bsky.social Just teasing, enjoyed the stream :)

However I will confirm that if you could quantify the amount of inspiration Skyless pulls from undertale with a number, it'd be in the negatives

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 22

I'm sorry, what?

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 21

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 21

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 21

Near @skylessblind.bsky.social · Jul 21

Going through some art I made when I was laying groundwork for the universe that would become Skyless back when I was a teenager. I don't usually make concept art because I'd rather just make the thing I'm conceptualizing, so this is the closest thing Skyless has to it 🧵