Hi everyone,
Alex here (Lead Designer, Co-Writer, + misc.) with a fresh Design Bible Update hot out of the oven.
New video and music content are above.
The real meat of this post will be in the new Design Bible Sample PDF download at the bottom of this post.
Scroll down. Hit download. Let us know your thoughts.
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WHERE ARE WE AT?:
Short version; around 100 pages into the DB.
That equates to approx 40 pages of the V2 Narrative Script, with artwork, the additional gameplay sections at the start, and some intro pages to come.
The art team (Omri, Joey, Norm, Adam) is currently working on a set schedule to deliver the end-game design and art tasks.
This is all taking place in tandem as I create the DB itself. I am also creating new artwork and game design elements as we go.
IMPROVEMENTS & NEW DB CONTENT:
You’ll find some new visual improvements within the new DB PDF.
Some areas are much more refined.
For example, the “Pause Screen” running tally inventory pages between chapters are now fully populated with items (and empty nooks to fill new items).
There is also an overall rework of the page aesthetic and graphic design. This is more in line with some of the UI and UX screen mockups we’ve seen recently.
New content for gameplay and mechanics have been dropped in place, with more to come.
New artwork for the earlier chapters has also been placed, and we’ll be proceeding according to our schedule to complete the bulk of the DB work this calendar year.
There are also interactive URL links that will take you to supplementary video content on American’s YouTube channel when clicked.
This is something I will be tapping into more as we go, but for now, you can see the concept in action.
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YOUR FEEDBACK:
Before you dive into the PDF, being a work in progress, some areas still need work.
Namely;
• Anything that says {TBC} or {To Come} regarding artwork or copywriting is self-explanatory.
• If you see gibberish in words, this is “lorem ipsum” placeholder text for the layout and word count for content to come. Do not be alarmed. Content will come.
• Some icons on the enemies and bosses/combat need to be created. Blank spaces are left for now.
So with that in mind, the big question for you, the fans, is;
How does this format look to you?
Does it read well?
Does it look good?
Are you well informed?
Can you follow the story beats and understand the game mechanics?
Is it enjoyable?
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For those new here, I’ll copy-paste the key goals for the Design Bible for Alice: Asylum.
This is the rationale shared with the art team on our welcome pack for the new artists.
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We are now focusing on creating a finished, cohesive, informative, art-packed and beautiful “design bible”. This design bible will be our biggest and best tool towards securing a potential $30 million+ USD deal to “fund and create a published videogame.”
The design bible is designed to perform the following tasks:
1. Allow all Alice: Asylum videogame narrative experiences, key art and game mechanics to be easily understood and assessed by potential financiers. (For EA Games, Amazon, Netflix etc.)
2. Allow the Alice: Asylum videogame story to be experienced, enjoyed, and easily understood by anyone who linearly reads the design bible. The audience can experience Alice’s journey in Asylum in its entirety via the Design Bible. (For Alice Fans, Patrons, etc.)
3. Allow the Alice: Asylum videogame technical aspects and mechanics to be easily understood. All core game concepts are communicated for a potential development partner to assess undertaking and build the actual video game we pitch.
(For Epic Games, EA Games etc. or any potential Development Partner)
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So, for this hybrid/comic book/game guide/graphic novel/game design document… I am hoping it ticks all the required boxes so far.
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THE STORY BEHIND THE DESIGN BIBLE:
When American and I first sat down and spoke about creating this document, we both wanted to capture that feeling we shared when we were kids, poring over a magazine, game guide or manual for a game that we loved.
I remember reading the manuals and game guides for all the games I loved as a kid, even reading the old .txt files that came with Doom and the like on MS-DOS games on the PC.
Like a huge nerd.
I took these documents to school, to the dinner table, and read them in bed.
I’d be glued to the pages as I scoured over every detail, text passage, artwork, and design, diving headfirst into that world that existed on the page, on my screen, and in my imagination.
And I loved it. They’re good memories.
I hope that a sliver (or more) of that experience is shared by you as well as you read these pages for the Alice: Asylum Design Bible.
Each day I am at my computer, crunching away here, I hope that someone with a truck-load of cash will see this work from the team and back us to make this game happen.
I wish it with all my heart, but sometimes wishes aren’t enough, so there’s work to be done.
RESPONSE TO THE DESIGN BIBLE WIPs:
From what I’ve been told by American, every time a WIP of the DB sits on the desk of a global mega-corp, the reaction is favorable, so hopefully, one day, it’ll be enough for them to get their checkbook out.
Much more to come as we go this year, but please drop any comments worth noting here or where I can see them, and I’ll do what I can to take reasonable feedback into account.
Thanks as always for your continued support as we try and make this happen together.
Cheers,
Alex