Devlog #6: Tools for Time, Transitions, and Toddler Versions of Yourself

In this devlog, we’re checking in with Dala K., a developer on the 100 Lives team focused on building flexible, behind-the-scenes systems that make the world feel dynamic—and help the rest of the team bring their ideas to life.

From implementing a full day/night cycle to creating smarter camera transitions and even experimenting with an NPC aging tool, Dala’s work is all about making Kingstown feel alive, responsive, and full of possibility.

What did you work on last week, and what’s next?

Last week me and Alberto been working on a daynight cycle, so that you can revisit the same location during different times of the day. Next task is sadly not as exciting, since I will be just fixing bugs that come with every new feature.

What’s a new feature, mechanic, or piece of content you're excited about?

I am really excited to soon work on our NPC Creator that can automatically age an character. In the end we will be able to just create one NPC and hopefully just hit a button to have the same character as a toddler, adult, and elder!

What’s been the most interesting design or technical challenge recently?

The most interesting challenge was working on upgrading our Camera's capabilities. We wanted something more than just having a static camera like alot of visual novels have. So we worked out a system that lets you stack different camera movements and call them through commands. It allows us to have endless possibilities of camera transitions, without having to code each movement from scratch.

Is there anything players might miss if they don’t look closely?

All of these options in the character creator. I know some games might have even more options but I hope the Players will be able to see the potential in the assets we created and the Colors we provide.

How is your work helping bring the “100 Lives” concept to life?

I like to think the tools I create can help each department to simplify and streamline their work. I hope this give them the freedom to create what they actually want to achieve within their story or design, without ever having to restrict themselves because we are missing some extra Code for that.

Dala’s focus on tools and systems helps turn creative ideas into playable features—whether it’s revisiting a familiar location at sunset, watching a character grow over a lifetime, or simply enjoying a more expressive scene thanks to subtle camera movement.

As always, there’s more to come. We’ll be back soon with another devlog from the team. Until then, don’t forget to wishlist 100 Lives on Steam and keep an eye out—some of the best moments happen when you return to a place you thought you knew.