Tunic It has been one of the most surprising video games that have come to us in this month of March. Behind this title is the independent study Finji who has been working on its development for the last 7 years. With Andrew Shouldice at the head, this small studio has finally seen its work rewarded although the result is different from when it all started: “Visually Tunic is very different from its beginnings”.
LOS40: How did you get the idea to make this game?
Andrew Shouldice: Tunic is inspired by a lot of different things. For a long time, he wanted to make a game focused on exploration and mystery, but he didn’t know what it would be like. When I started experimenting with lighting and isometric perspective, the two ideas came together.
What can players expect from Tunic?
Tunic is an isometric action-adventure game regarding a tiny fox in a huge world, where you explore ruins, fight monsters, and find secrets. You will be given a brief direction of where to go but you will find yourself in a vast world to discover. You’ll find weapons and tools to help you along the way, as well as pages from the game’s instruction manual. The pages are not only collectible but contain useful information such as tips, secrets and maps.
What is the story behind the fox?
In the game, the story of the fox is your story, the story of the player. Just like the little fox, you’ll wake up on a beach with not much idea where to go, players will start playing the game without much knowledge, beyond the fact that there are strange treasures out there that you’ll have to find.
The story of the creation of the fox is mundane. When I started working on the game, my 3d modeling skills weren’t particularly good. There was no way to make a reasonable approximation to a real character, so some kind of animal made sense. I’m not sure exactly why a fox crossed my mind, but it seemed like an obvious choice over time. I don’t know much regarding foxes but in my imagination they get into a lot of trouble, which made sense to Tunic.
What challenges did you face during the development of the game and how much time did you invest in it?
I have been working at Tunic since 2015 and there have been many challenges along the way. For me, the biggest challenges were all the things outside of game development. Things like contract negotiation, hiring collaborators, even planning, server configuration and much more. Fortunately, I was able to collaborate with Finji, who has much more experience in this sort of thing.
Other challenges included learning some game design lessons. While it’s fun to come up with big ideas and designs, implementation at scale is a bit of a mess. Even if an idea is good (and probably isn’t), easily implemented (and probably isn’t), and simple to test (and probably isn’t), take that idea to integrate it technically, mechanically, logically, narratively, etc. , is very challenging. But above all this, knowing when something is good enough is an important skill when it comes to putting together a game.
After all these years, has Tunic changed much from how you expected it to be in the beginning?
Yes and no. Visually it is very different from how it was at the beginning. When I was building the initial prototypes, I had to decide that Low Poly and Minimal Texture was the way to go. One problem with this was creating a visually consistent world in ruins was very difficult: the parts that aren’t in ruins look too clean, and the rubble is too loud. Over the years the visual style has been refined to have even greater detail fixation, while maintaining the blocky geometric aesthetic.
Emotionally, I think we’ve managed it well to achieve the goal and stay true to the original vision. Making a game regarding mysteries is difficult, because following all these years, there is no mystery left in Tunic for me. It can feel much more like you’ve lost your way. Either way, when we play the game, players will get it. Those feelings of surprise and discovery for people to discover are what I am most extremely proud of.
Tunic’s story
Explore a kingdom riddled with forgotten legends, ancient powers, and ferocious monsters in Tunic, an isometric action game regarding a little fox who goes on a big adventure. Marooned on a mysterious beach and armed only with your own curiosity, you must face colossal beasts, gather strange and powerful items, and uncover secrets lost in time.
The stories say that there is a great treasure hidden somewhere in this kingdom. Is it perhaps beyond the golden gate? Or somewhere deep in the earth? There are those who speak of a palace above the clouds and ancient beings with incredible power. What will you find? During your travels, you will be rebuilding the game’s instruction manual. Page by page, you will reveal maps, tips, special techniques and the deepest secrets. If you discover each and every one of them, maybe something will happen…
Immerse yourself fully in a combat as technical as it is varied. Dodge, block, defend and attack! Learn to conquer a wide cast of monsters, big and small, and find useful new items to help you on your way. Explore a hostile and intricately connected world of shadowy forests, sprawling ruins, and labyrinthine catacombs.
Battle mighty monsters in the bowels of the earth, above the clouds, and in even stranger places. Gather the missing pages of the manual, full of advice and original full-color illustrations. Discover hidden treasures that will help you on your way. Unearth secret relics, secret techniques, secret puzzles and…there are so many secrets!