My Deerest Friends,
We wanted to start sharing more about what goes into making Deer & Boy, so we’re kicking off a dev diary series. One topic at a time, starting with the one that defines everything else: how the gameplay changes as the deer grows up.
During your journey, your companion will grow up next to you. As the deer grows, the gameplay will change to adapt to its new abilities.
First, the boy helps the fawn get around by carrying it in his backpack, preventing it from jumping due to the weight on its back. It’s a small constraint that says a lot…looking after a fragile being changes how you move. Every step becomes a little more deliberate, a little more careful.
Second, once the fawn can walk again, it will follow you like your shadow. Its small size can be an asset; it’s up to you to learn how to use it to your advantage. It can slip into spots the boy can’t reach, nudge things into place, open up paths you wouldn’t have noticed on your own. You start thinking for two without realizing it.
You may think you're free to move around but watch where you step; you could get stuck if you don't keep moving.
As time goes by and the baby deer becomes a teen, your mutual support takes a new turn. Its strength grows, and it is now able to support you on your journey. The one who needed carrying is now the one doing the carrying. New ways of moving open up, and what started as the boy protecting a small being has quietly grown into something more like a real partnership.
Find out what happens next in Deer & Boy…
- The Deer & Boy team