DevLog 21 - Making the Invisible visible

A little update on what’s going on during the production of the turn-based combat exploration game Paul.
Current status: I’ve blocked out around 50 stages and populated them with enemies and placeholders. The pacing still isn’t quite right, some parts feel repetitive, others feel too dense. At this point, what’s missing are the story elements: those moments that let the player breathe and allow the narrative to reveal what’s really going on in this world beneath the earth. What the game needs right now is a sense of purpose for exploring this abyss! I’ve decided to start by sketching out the special places and encounters the player can discover throughout Paul’s journey. This includes a meeting with Madame Curie, climbing a petrified giant, or encountering the gingerbread witch. So now, in the evenings, I sit there with pencil, ink, and paper, making rough scribbles that slowly bring the (story) world to life and make it tangible. At the same time, I’m spending my time with testing, doubting, creating gameplay assets, throwing them away and rearranging of level parts. It’s a bit of a tough phase right now. But as I mentioned in my very first post, this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon (and actually, I like that).
Best regards,
Tobi