Here are the core principles we used to create this game:
1. Freedom of Actions
We will throw you into an open world and start the main quest.
Besides that, it is up to you to decide what you will do.
Yes, you can go from the start to find one of the final bosses in the game and try to fight them, we will not stop you.
When it comes to the story, you will have the chance to pick sides and end the game in different ways.
2. Consequences
We introduce consequences through the death mechanic, world events, the story, and sometimes even dialogues.
We do this to keep you invested in the world.
The higher the stakes, the more you will be invested in the game, and the more you will care.
For this reason, we highly recommend leaving Ironman mode enabled.
That being said, consequences should never feel frustrating.
If you get stuck somewhere, the game should start helping you in various ways.
We are in this experience together. We closely follow player feedback, and we will loosen up consequences in places where players have issues with the game.
The whole experience should be and stay fun in the first place.
3. Player versus Developer Approach
We grew up playing and loving games such as Gothic.
What we loved the most in those games was trying to abuse the freedom we received to break the game.
For example, I would spend half an hour kiting the late-game bear to get its loot, and it felt so satisfying when I finally managed to do that.
In Svarog's Dream, your job is to try to outsmart us by using given mechanics, and our job is to lay traps for you.
With time invested, you will eventually win, but we will surprise you many times when we predict your moves, and the fun lies in this whole interaction between you and us.
Here, we captured one moment on stream of a new player experiencing the game as we imagined it.
We spent so much time working on small details, and you will often be surprised by twists like this when they happen to you.
4. Freedom of Interpretation
We imagined a few different interpretations of the game and then went through the game over and over to support them all.
The game should be for you what you decide it is.
This whole project was personal for me (Ivan), as it took four years of my life to finish it.
During that period, I read a lot of (Eastern and European) philosophy and went through a process of rediscovery,
so some of the in-game quests may reflect that.
Here are some interpretations we wanted to support:
Ending 3:
You are in this fight to help the light side win against the dark side and save the fantasy world.
Ending 2:
Old Gods represent ego, the new god represents presence (the eye behind the ego), the world is experience, and you as a player are free will.
Ending 4:
You are Svarog, the God Creator.
While playing the game, you are in a state of sleep, and the whole goal is to wake up, leave the sleep, and start looking around yourself.
We tried to support few more interpretations, but in the end, the game can be whatever you decide it is, and you are the only one to decide that.
What do you think about those? Are you experiencing what we intended to create? Feel free to leave comments below.
Best regards, Ivan Ristic.