I hope you’re all doing great. Welcome back to the third devlog for After the Wane (yes, already). For this third devlog, I wanted to highlight a central character in After the Wane, whom you probably didn’t spot in the demo if you didn’t explore all the narrative branches (I’m trying to convince you to go back to the demo and unlock your first conversation with this utterly endearing character).
Samira is a charismatic woman who plays a pivotal role in our game’s story. It was important to the studio to include a lesbian romance for Lena. To mark the occasion, I asked Nicolas, the studio’s art director, a few questions so you can learn a little more about Samira.
Samira's first concept (obsolete version)
Samira is a young woman of Syrian descent on her mother’s side and Turkish on her father’s. After arriving in France as teenagers with her brother, Aslan, and facing their fair share of hardships, they managed to find their footing with Enzo's help. As the game begins, Samira has just quit her job as a waitress to focus on her hairdressing studies, dreaming of one day opening her own salon. Known and loved by everyone in the neighborhood, she is warm and outgoing; she's easy to talk to but definitely doesn't pull her punches. However, having learned French quite late, she often mixes up her idioms.
Samira's concept art (current version)
We tailor-make our characters, and we’re obviously influenced by a thousand different things, but I’d say the character of Sabrina, played by Souheila Yacoub in the film En Corps (Rise), was quite a defining influence. One thing is certain: this type of 'all-in' character is always a 'make or break' situation in an interactive setting. Depending on the players’ expectations and moods, they’ll either love them or hate them. Regardless, the goal is to offer a unique and memorable relationship with Lena.
Samira really likes Fangio, the little cat at the pizzeria
Samira’s narrative arc is deeply tied to Lena’s personal choices. She stands as the polar opposite to the elitism of 'Outpost,' the prestigious theater where Lena is called to dance. Samira is fundamentally community-oriented; she prefers a Lena who views dance as a form of communion and shared experience rather than a pursuit of technical perfection.
The current version of Samira as she appears in the speech bubbles
Samira is very clearly one of the game’s love interests. She is immediately captivated by Lena’s charm, but it’ll be up to you to decide how that relationship unfolds (wink).
A short stroll through the capital, filled with love and warmth
There are countless details about Samira that you’ll only discover under specific conditions, but here is one she will never reveal: she once had a romantic relationship with Patrizia, Enzo’s niece. If that name rings a bell, there’s a very good reason for it...
The demo for After the Wane has been available for several weeks now. We’d love to hear your feedback on what you liked and didn’t like. If you have about ten minutes to spare, filling out this form would be a huge help! We’ve included a little gift at the end of the survey for those who help us out...
Link to the form: https://forms.gle/j3gqdszGvdfguhP1A
The entire team would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to you for your incredible enthusiasm. We plan to release an update to the demo soon, so please keep sending us your feedback, comments, and suggestions to help us make the game even better.
In the meantime, keep spreading the word and sharing the Steam page to help us boost our wishlist numbers! And if you want to stay up to date on the latest news, feel free to join us on Discord and other platforms to chat with us directly.
If you have any questions, please post them in the comments section: we’ll be happy to answer them.
See you soon for the next devlog. We’ll be back in April to talk a bit about the game’s soundtrack with an exclusive interview with the music team working with the studio… Take care.
Antonio, Marketing & Community Manager