the Cellarer · published · build 24578673
The board in the Cellarer has made the move from 2D to 3D, literally!
When I started working on the game, the simple 2D board with its IDE-like interface was a deliberate choice. It let me focus on buildings, paths, production chains, and all the carts trying to find their way through the network.
From the first concepts, I wanted to evoke the cosy feeling of a slow-paced tabletop game. As the monastery grew, however, the flat board started to feel a little too modest for it and placed more constraints on the gameplay than I had expected. After a few experiments, I quickly became convinced that a 3D world would better fit the direction I wanted to take.
It has never been about creating a realistic medieval landscape. The game is still built around a grid, and that grid must remain clear when the monastery becomes busy.
Indeed, the new board takes its inspiration from tabletop games. Buildings, trees, resources, and even carts look like painted, slightly animated pieces. Stone paths cross the board's surface, while daylight and shadows make everything feel tangible without hiding the game underneath.
With the usual camera controls, you can pan over the board, zoom in on your construction, and rotate around the table. This can help when building an optimised monastery, but it is also rather nice to see the place from a few different angles and admire what you have accomplished!
Changing how the game looks is one thing. Making sure it still plays like the same game is another.
The core gameplay principles have stayed, but the first 2D concepts relied heavily on building panels placed directly on the grid to show useful information. I liked those early panels, but their rectangular format also placed limits on the buildings themselves. Bringing the world into 3D created much more freedom:
Buildings are no longer limited to rectangular footprints.
Some buildings now have pass-through cells, allowing a path to cross their footprint.
The Belfry's tall illustration only worked in one orientation. Its new square footprint allows it to be turned like other buildings.
These are only a few examples of what the new renderer makes possible. Now that I'm pleased with the new look and feel, I'm moving toward the next tiers of content!