Hello! Welcome to our very first Aberrate Inc. Dev Diary! ^v^ Going forward, these will act as a little window into how Aberrate Inc. is coming together, what we’ve been up to, and where we’re headed. We’ll share the odd bit of news, but mostly have a chat with you as we build toward launch in Q4 2026. So, let’s get into it!
We are Chilltop Games - a new two-person studio from Sydney Australia.
That’s:
Phoebe - Creative Director; the one designing the puzzles and shaping how it feels to play.
Lachlan - Technical Director; the one bringing the vision to life (and making sure it all actually works!).
Aberrate Inc. was initially a university project - but it’s grown into something we’re pouring everything into.
Aberrate Inc. is a cozy 3D puzzle game starring N.T.R.N., a curious little maintenance robot who’s just been given a job at a rather mysterious company. Your job is to help N.T.R.N. get through each room by splitting, moving, and fusing red and blue batteries to power doors, platforms, and all sorts of odd office machines.
It’s got a real Portal-y feel to it - tricky, tactile puzzle rooms that respect your brain. But it also has cozy game vibes; it never tries to trip you up, there are no timers, N.T.R.N. won’t be in danger. It’s just you, a charming robot, and the drive to experiment until you get that satisfying feeling when a solution falls into place. We may be a little biased, but N.T.R.N. is very easy to root for, too.
This is the bit you’ll see in all future Dev Diaries - a quick rundown of what we’ve actually been building for the last few weeks!
SFX for splitting, fusing, buttons, doors, and moving platforms all have their own satisfying little noises now. You may have heard them in the recent Announce Trailer!
N.T.R.N. got a whole lot more personality through work on their sound, too: footsteps, hops, and vocalisations are all in.
We’ve added a system of expressive emotes, allowing N.T.R.N. to express themselves through cutscenes and gameplay. Can’t wait to show you more of this!
A bit less exciting of an update - but we’ve got the game’s Save / Load / New Game systems up and running properly. So don’t fear! You won’t be forced to play through all 25+ levels in one sitting when Aberrate Inc. launches later this year.
Closed Beta - later this month, we’ll be sharing news of a big opportunity for you to get hands-on with Aberrate Inc. before release. Keep your eyes peeled!
Creator Opportunities - If you’re a content creator interested in cozy and/or puzzle games like ours - be sure to register interest in preview opportunities here: https://forms.gle/2tPt7sVT71NBB8bP8
Ask The Devs - we’re kicking off a regular Q&A, and we want your questions for the very first one! Anything goes - the game, the studio, how we take our coffee. Send them our way to be featured.
Secret Things We Can’t Tell You About (Yet)! - From new mechanics and secrets to story and character elements, there’s a bunch of exciting stuff still under wraps. Some of it’s hiding in plain sight (🟩) but our lips are sealed for now!
Thank you for sticking around!
Wishlist Aberrate Inc. - this is genuinely the biggest thing you can do to support us!
Follow us on socials - so you don’t miss out on updates
Tell a mate about Aberrate! - a good word from you means the world!
That’s all for Dev Diary #1. We’ll be back with another soon! - The Chilltop Games Team