PAX East is already behind us, and Sacrifice Your Friends is almost ready for release. Meanwhile, I created a little virtual tour of the game’s main hub: the train station.
The station is the headquarters of Miskatonic Travel Co., a mysterious agency dedicated to offering occult tours around the world.
The Tour
The train station is located in Arkham, Massachusetts. The building’s architecture is heavily influenced by Art Deco. The style’s proeminent uses of luxurious materials, geometric patterns, and classical depictions lends itself well to an impressive look that remains faithful to the game’s 1930s setting.
The travel agency’s booth serves as one of the game’s menu screens. From this location, players can choose whatever they want to play story tours, arena games, tournaments, or simply peruse the game guide.
The back wall of the train station features the ticket booth. This is where players select their characters and choose their next arenas. The booth itself is flanked by two colossal statues of dread lord Cthulhu. For reference, these statues would be about 8 meters (26 feet) tall in real life.
Of course, a train station wouldn’t be complete without a train. This majestic machine is the Miskatonic Express, bringing you to your final destination in cozy comfort. The Miskatonic Express is powered by a mighty steam engine sporting a golden depiction of Cthulhu.
Speaking of trains, you may notice the departure board when entering the game. It is usually replaced by the option menu, but it is visible on the bottom left of the start screen. It changes every time you enter the main menu.
If we take a look upward, you will notice the station has glass ceilings. The glass is adorned with depictions of tentacles, a classic nod to lovecraftian iconography.
By the way, you may wonder if there is something behind the camera at the start of the game. Well, yes: there is an actual wall closing the station. There is no exit, however. (Except the actual quit button… or Alt+F4 for the villainous barbarians.)
Behind the scene
This was the tour of the train station, SYF’s main hub. I included below a couple behind the scene screenshots.
One of the things I personally do in Sacrifice Your Friends is lighting and postprocessing. To get an idea of what this is about, here is a shot of the station with what I usually call “Wal-Mart lighting”, which is typically what a scene looks like before I work on it.
Here, we have a shot of the station from outside the visible area. To scale, the entire surface is about 45m x 30m (150 ft x 100 ft). The ceiling is 12m (40 ft) high.
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I had a lot of fun writing this update. Next one is likely to be about one of the playable arenas. Hit me up on Discord if you have a specific topic you would like me to cover. Until next time!
By Non-Euclidian Overlord
Game Designer, Astrolabe Interactive