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So it’s been a while, and I’m not even sure if people get on Tumblr much these days, but here’s a new Tumbling Apart thing. I’m still working on the aesthetic of the messages. For sure going to give each character their own unique colored text boxes. 

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Back in that foreboding space meant to represent the darker corners of Isaac’s mind, here’s a puzzle tip for you tumblr followers. The moving gate was created by using layers. The gate moves down, and slides underneath the top layer, which is the ground.

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Isaac walking a lonesome autumn trail.

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He’s always been here with you.

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Tumbling Apart: Then vs Now

 This month will mark the second year that Tumbling Apart has been in development, and the final one before it is released on Steam. During that time, there have been highs and lows, tears of joy and frustration, and a whole lot of learning. We're at a point in the project where we’re diving into the meat of the climax, and because Tumbling Apart isn’t so much a game as an interactive story, I don’t want to give anything away by revealing any screens. What I can do, however, is show you a bit of how much Tumbling Apart has changed over the course of its life. 

    Disclosure: I’ve always considered myself a writer. When I began work on Tumbling Apart, I made sure to keep that priority number one. It takes a team of dozens (sometimes hundreds) to create the visuals you see in modern AAA games. That’s a remarkable achievement and a testament to what a talented group can do, but it isn’t what Tumbling Apart aims for. I kept reminding myself throughout development: You don’t have a throng of gifted artists working for you, but it only takes one to tell a story.  

    You have to play to your strengths.

    Keeping that in mind, visuals in games are still pretty important. Let’s be honest- if they didn’t matter, we’d never feel that hankering to play games at all and just stick with novels. I like to think of visuals as the vehicle by which immersion is facilitated in the gamer. Take a look at our old, earlier than beta title screen vs the new:

    Sure, neither is going to win any awards, but the second sets the mood for player before the first line of dialogue even appears on the screen. It helps to create the tone.

    Moving on, we can start to take a look at animations. Here’s a gif (or is it jiff?) from the opening scene of Tumbling Apart when graphics were just a placeholder compared to what it is after some polishing:

    Again, no awards here. But the added touches in the finalized version bring just enough detail to facilitate that immersion within the player. There’s actual dust blowing, the words are no longer static, and Isaac’s hair waves in the wind as it pushes against him, threatening to drive him back. It isn’t much, but it all comes together to help that story feel just a bit more alive.

    Finally, you never want to look lazy. What are you going to think if you fire up a game only to find the sprites are the exact same stock assets you’ve seen time and time again? If the devs don’t care enough to even change the basics, how much attention have they given to the narrative? Now that we are approaching the end game, we can finally work on replacing the stock character assets. Here’s a peek at the old Isaac and McKenna beside the new, created by the talented Gustavo Santos.

    Expect the Steam Page soon. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about Tumbling Apart, we’d love to have you on Twitter, Tumblr, or on our website: tumblingapart.com

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Working on some of the end-game at the moment, and don't want to spoil anything. For now, here's an early draft of McKenna back in her teenage days. Isaac is next to her for comparison. Do they look like siblings?

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A (very) basic rendition making a 2D image appear 3D from a first-person viewpoint in rpgmaker. When I finish the animation, I’ll post a mini-blog for anyone who may be interested on how to do it. For now, it’s time to add details- it’s pretty bland!

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Sometimes discussion of audio gets left behind while other aspects of game design take the lead, but sound effects are always fun, right? Do you know what these two are? They’re related to the vid posted last night. No cheating by peaking at the track names:^)

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Tumbling Apart. Best with sound.

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Working on one of the... darker animations of Tumbling Apart. Isaac’s greatest struggle may end up being the demons hidden within himself. The game will tackle themes and raise questions previously unexplored within the genre.

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The opening of Tumbling Apart. 

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Working on making the last leaves catch the autumn wind to be carried away.

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Using Aseprite to create a wind effect. It is primarily done via layers and simple rotation. Thankfully, there is already a windblown animation for Isaac on hand.

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Working on converting placeholder assets to all-original work. This three frame animation still needs some work. Particularly on the flailing green shirt and waving hair.

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Finally getting to work on the dialogue system in Tumbling Apart. That finish line is coming into view over the horizon and it’s got me a tad anxious! If you have any thoughts or suggestions on the aesthetic or font, let me know!

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The final touches of a repeating three frame animation in aseprite, and how it works in-game.

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A few new images. It feels great to finally be making original art for Tumbling Apart. The game is over 50% complete! This year you will be able to take part in Isaac’s incredible journey across time! Be sure to check out the website if you don’t know what the game is all about: http://www.goodnamehere.com/about.html