The work on the art of Cryptical Path has been a hell of a roller coaster, and we sat down with Laura Maetz, Rudy Wilde and Cédric Cadiergues to learn about this art journey and their inspirations for the game.
Inspirations
Cryptical path is the culmination of extensive work and multiple attempts to discover the ideal setting for this innovative roguelite. Early on, the team decided on things they didn’t want for the game: everything too scary was pushed aside, inspirations like Little Nightmares or Coraline who would be too on the scary side for example.
The team wanted to find a sweet spot between spooky and gloomy, without a cartoonish aspect, and draw inspiration from games like Lost in Random™ but also from dark fantasy and RP games to incorporate elements that would add to the mystery and dark ambiance.
When working on inspirations, Cédric Cadiergues explains that the appropriate artistic direction for Cryptical Path was also determined by analyzing the team's abilities in detail (number of people in the team, skills and time), a crucial preliminary work for any indie team.
Screenshot of Lost in Random™, by Zoink Games
The Architect
Locked in a prison called The Hexium, the main character, the Architect, builds their own path through the dungeon. "Because it's a prison, the space is unstructured and props become threatening," explains Cédric Cadiergues, Art Director, who enjoys working on the environment and lighting in the game, among other things.
According to Rudy Wilde, "The goal for the Architect was to create a non-human character: a creature or a demon, a cursed being." Many proposals were made before the current version of the Architect, some even more complex! They draw inspiration from many different models and cultures, even voodoo imagery.
A dangerous dungeon
Early on, enemies, mobs, and bosses were based on props: cursed objects found in the dungeon that would become foes in the Architect's way. This concept remained unchanged from the beginning and continues to this day. In a cursed setting, the idea of a twisted reality with moving (and frankly mean) objects to challenge the player made sense from the start.
Rudy Wilde alongside Laura Maetz have put a lot of effort into designing the various bosses that players will have to face, and creating character's design that captures their power and timing. “Working on conveying the difficulty through the art is hands down my favorite part”, shared Laura.
A constance: Bernardo
Bernardo "survived" every iteration of the game and its art. Since he was crafted right from the start to be a very funny character, his design and quirky tone remained consistent throughout the process, making him a very fun and adaptable figure in the game. He was born from a sweet mix between two references: Gaunter o’Dim from The Witcher 3 and a drawing from the artwork of American experimental rock band Mr Bungle’s first album.
What to expect
Cryptical Path will include different biomes, all inspired by a setting in particular. You can already discover the first biome in the demo, based on a foggy manor-like maze. If you like the game and its rogue builder experience, please add it to your wishlist!
Do you like the art of Cryptical Path? Did it inspire you in any way? If you are making fan art, don’t hesitate to join the community on Discord and share your creations!