Hey Misfits. We hope you’re all unwell!
Today we’re talking islands. But not the sunny, vacation kind, but the floating, falling-off-the-edge type that make up the world of Into The Unwell!
Every island is its own little world, shaped by the whole team, but before anything is allowed to pass through, it still has to survive an ocular pat-down from Mårten Stockhaus, co-founder of She Was Such A Good Horse and Creative Director on Into The Unwell. Each one starts with a spark: a visual, a prop, a layout. From there, it grows into a space with its own story. And then there’s Pedro. Whether he shows up or not is one of the things that makes each island feel special!
Happy Accidents
Level design didn’t start out on floating islands. Early iterations used regular rooms with proper walls, but everything felt cramped and stiff. The moment the walls disappeared the world opened up and fights flowed better. Best of all: enemies could be kicked clean off the edge.
Proper walls looked cool but did not do the trick
In Into The Unwell, edges aren’t just boundaries, they’re part of the playground. Players fall and enemies fall. Sometimes both go down together and the environment constantly shifts between weapon, hazard, and slapstick. Some discoveries simply happened by accident. Odd placements for one of the game’s permanent rewards, pills, came from test areas built because they looked funny or strange, and many survived into the final layouts. Hidden across certain islands, they reward anyone who strays off the obvious path, or anyone who slips off a ledge and spots something shiny on the way down.
Traversal and Exploration
Islands are linked by jump pads, rails, and other expressive traversal tools, turning movement between arenas into its own mini challenge. Some islands also contain static hazards like fire pits, perfect for a tactical shove or a dramatic escape. The more carefully the environment is observed, the more ways appear to turn a fight in your favor.
Combat arenas themselves stay mostly consistent so fights remain clear and readable, while traversal routes and hazards shuffle each run to keep things lively. Vertical arenas rarely appear; tall, narrow spaces just don’t suit the feel of the game. Each island is designed to give enough breathing room to fight, dodge, explore, and poke around for secrets.
With a huge rotation of islands and traps spawning in unexpected places, every run feels different. Combat stays focused in the center, loot glints along the edges, and enemy spawns nudge tension without tipping into unfairness. Each island becomes its own little puzzle box: part action and part exploration!
Feel the Peel
Most meaningful decisions happen between islands. Certain paths trigger events, alter future layouts, or transform the next arena entirely. Pick The Mighty Peel, for example, and banana peels will scatter across the next island.
Early concepts for the Banana God
Every island in Into The Unwell is built for wanderers. Those who poke behind rocks, chase suspicious corners, or follow a hunch just to see what’s there. Curiosity pays off. Whether it’s stumbling onto secret pills, unexpected viewpoints, or a Pedro hidden in an ice cream cone, the islands are full of moments worth chasing down.
Previous posts
The bird that sparked Into The Unwell’s visuals
Want to discuss Into The Unwell, the Closed Beta, rubber hose animation, and everything in between? Join our Discord! You can also follow us on Steam and social media for updates on Early Access and more!
Till next time,
Stay weird, stay wacky.
/ The Horses 🐎