Hello everyone, and welcome back to The Midnight Chronicle.
This cycle, we are diving into the art and animation of 1666: Amsterdam: how three centuries collide into a single, unmistakable look. We are also sitting down with one of our level artists to talk about building the world room by room, answering some of the questions you have been asking us, and sharing a few updates from the studio.
We filmed this Devlog at the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, one of Montréal's oldest institutions, drawn in by the kind of Rembrandt-esque light we wanted to capture for the episode itself.
This latest episode explores how the team drew inspiration from 17th-century Dutch art, particularly the Dutch Golden Age, to shape the game's distinctive visual identity across its different timelines. From historical research and artistic references to the process of translating paintings into interactive environments.
Step into the art with Marie-Noël Vanasse (3D Animator), Patrice Désilets (Cofounder and Creative Director), Nicolas Cantin (Art Director), Geoffrey Kouadio (Character Artist) and Eric Houde (Senior Level Artist).
This edition we are talking with Nathan Sioui, Level Artist at Panache Digital Games, about how he builds the world of 1666: Amsterdam.
Can you tell us about the level art process? How does it work on the organizational side, splitting tasks and zones? How many people are on the team, and is anyone dedicated specifically to 1666 or to 1999?
At Panache, the environment team is composed of six people, such as the art director Nicolas Cantin, our lead artist Éric Houde and four environment artists: Ines Setbel, Frédérick Locas Paquette, Audrey-Anne Potvin, and myself. There is no specialisation. We all do modeling, texturing, level art and we even make entire environments on our own sometimes. That's my favorite part of the job. No two days are the same.
The starting point varies. Sometimes the level design department has already done a first pass of walls, navigation metrics, major volumes and gameplay zones. It's a bit like the pencil sketch that defines the structure before the final painting. And in other cases, as with the library, it begins with a drawing from Yannick, our concept artist, which sets the mood and tells us what props and textures we'll need.
Then comes modeling in Blender, and texturing in Substance Designer and Painter. We use Trimsheets a lot. They allow us to texture multiple objects from a single material. And finally remains the level art stage, which means placing objects in the game engine to decorate the environment. It’s a bit like playing The Sims but with infinite possibilities. The process is highly iterative. We're in constant communication with the level design department about gameplay constraints. Once lighting is set, the environment is essentially completed.
What is the essential thing to consider when building the world? How do you decide how to "decorate" an interior and bring it to life?
Player comfort. 1666 has two protagonists, Noa and Aaron, with completely different dimensions and navigation systems. Everything we place in the world has to work for both. For Noa it’s usually pretty straightforward; but for Aaron, who can jump and squeeze into the tightest spaces, we need to block every corner with volumes that still look believable and appealing.
The world also had to feel just as detailed for the cat then it does for Noa. You notice a street a lot more when your nose is three centimeters off the ground. We add debris and grime to make the detail hold up at his height.
Was there an aspect of level art that was particularly difficult to create in 1666? How did you work through it?
The visual language of interactive objects. They have to communicate the ingredients they'll give the player, stay grounded in 17th-century Amsterdam, and signal interaction through visual accumulation. Performance constraints sometimes cap how many objects can be used for the staging of those ingredients. For example, if a merchant tent is destructible: what does it look like once it's destroyed? How does it affect navigation? Finding the sweet spot is the hard part. Which is why reviews with design, level design, and our art director matters so much.
Players are going to discover a lot more of this world in Early Access. Without spoiling anything, what are you most excited for them to find?
Wander around, take the time to appreciate the city and all its details. The story is mysterious and engaging, and I think players are going to love what's coming. And even though it won't be right away, I can't wait for them to see the other environments we're working on. But for that, they'll have to wait a little longer…
A few weeks have passed since the demo, and we've received a lot of great questions from the community. So we thought we'd take some time to answer a few of them here.
Will there be an artbook or concept art book released after launch?
We're looking into it! It's something we'd love to do down the line, nothing confirmed yet, but there's a lot of concept art and early designs we'd be excited to share properly one day.
Are the crow and mouse mechanics from earlier versions still part of the game?
No, not anymore. The cat ended up making more sense for what we wanted in the game. It just worked better overall, so that's the direction we went.
How big is Amsterdam in the game compared to a typical open-world map?
Amsterdam's city core is dense, not sprawling. We chose density over scale, every house is one you can actually walk into. Expect to spend as much time inside buildings as on the streets.
Will there be a dedicated feedback channel or more ways for players to share feedback?
Yes. It'll be built directly into the game, so you won't need to leave it to report a bug or share feedback. Ready for EA.
What improvements are planned for the controls, UI, performance, and bug fixes following the demo?
Keyboard and mouse support is already live. Performance will keep improving steadily throughout development, and bugs will be addressed continuously. We just did a pass and want to keep doing them regularly, prioritizing what comes up the most. Using our feedback and bug report tools is the best way to help us know what matters to you.
Will the game have Dutch dubbing and subtitles?
Dutch subtitles are already in. Dubbing is not in our short-term plans, but the more support the game gets, the more resources we have to add dubbing and subtitles in other languages.
What is the name of the deli sandwich place Patrice and Jean-Francois went to after getting fired?
That would be Reuben's Deli & Steakhouse, at 1116 Rue Sainte-Catherine in Montréal. Sadly, the sandwich is no longer $16.66.
Have a question for the team? Bring it to our Discord.
Next cycle, we return with a new Gameplay Feature exploring our two main characters, Noa and Aaron. Thank you for being here. See you at the new moon.
The moon wanes The cycle turns What sleeps will wake In the coming months Keep watch The call is near