There is a game

We’re making it! We being my brother and I. We always wanted to collaborate on a project together, and after years playing and critiquing games together, we’ve begun development.

Adventure Botanist is a top-down adventure game about literally befriending the natural world. Challenging both ourselves and the notion of combat-as-default in games, the game is decidedly non-combative.

I’ve felt a pull to realize this idea since its conception, and with my professors’ support in hand and graduation behind me, it was time. Shortly after, I was able to get my hands on Satoshi Matsuura’s book, “Fantasy Characters and Creatures,” which contains a glitteringly creative repository of character designs. The artist’s breakdown of his process struck a chord that kicked off a wave of character designs that kicked serious development into motion.

The outcome of this wave of character designs are the game’s Dryads, folkloric embodiments of flora, and the focal point of the game. Key inspirations also include Myroslava Sviridova’s fantastical illustrations.

Creative directing on my own time between jobs is going to be tough, and I have my concerns about art direction, but I’m speaking this into the world as a declaration of my commitment to see this through.