Hey everyone!
It's been a wild few months since we dropped the announcement trailer back in September. Here in Japan, we've finally gotten some relief from that brutal summer heat as we head into the cooler season.
For our first official devblog, we wanted to catch you up on the announcement, share some behind-the-scenes development stories, and give you a peek at what we're working on right now!
The "Chronoscript: The Endless End" trailer debuted during September's State of Play! If you missed it, there's also commentary from Producer Masami Yamamoto and Director Tom Fujii that digs deeper into what we're building. Check it out here 🎥:
We also handed out postcards at Tokyo Game Show right after the reveal! We're planning more giveaways at events next year. Got ideas for merch you'd love to see? Drop your suggestions in the comments, we're taking notes!
Development is in full swing as we push toward next year's release! Here's what's on our plate:
① Ink-Based Combat Mechanics
Diving into the ink pool isn't just for dodging, but an opportunity to attack as well! But watch out: some enemies hide in the ink, waiting to catch you off guard...
② Experimenting with Dash Movement
We're testing out dash animations right now. Still figuring out if it fits, balancing mobility without breaking the game's flow is tricky!
Development officially kicked off on December 6, 2022. From day one, we committed to the hand-drawn pen illustration style. It was definitely challenging, but we wanted to tackle it head-on.
December 2022: Designing the Protagonist
Early on, we were sketching tons of variations for the editor character. An editor traveling to a remote Western-style mansion to collect manuscripts from a reclusive writer... We tried everything, even a gunslinger design at one point!? Eventually, we found our direction and landed on the current editor look. Fun fact: his head is actually shaped like an ink bottle!
2023: Refining the Pen Illustration Style
We spent a lot of time testing the pen art approach. How dense should the linework be? Should rain be white or black? We experimented constantly with line thickness to make sure characters stood out. The art of Pen illustration is both rich and deep. The way ink flows, drips, and spreads changes everything. And back then, the entire game was still in monochrome 🖋
That's all for this devblog! The holiday season 🎁 is right around the corner, but we're not slowing down, full steam ahead on development!
For the latest updates on Chronoscript: The Endless End, follow us on our official X (Twitter) account ✨