Greetings, Star Seekers!
In summer 2023, we envisioned a survival video game inspired by the classic novels "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. By blending these two literary masterpieces, we aimed to create a whimsical world filled with interplanetary adventures and philosophical musings on the peculiarities of sentient beings in the galaxy. At the heart of it all was the quest to reach the "star" that had struck our home planet—the ultimate goal.
Naturally, we chose the title "To the Star". While it was somewhat generic, we appreciated its brevity, memorability, and pleasant connotation. However, challenges arose during the logo design phase, as any versions referencing the star came off as tacky.
We then shifted our focus to a style reminiscent of "Don't Starve," blended with Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland." This aesthetic felt much more aligned with our game's vision. When we created the first promo art, we opted for violet as our primary color, inspired by the beautiful violet night sky in the game, featuring the fallen star on the horizon.
The result was underwhelming. While not disastrous, it failed to capture the light and whimsical essence we aimed for. A romantic blond character gazing at a lonely mountain under a violet sky doesn’t quite evoke the playful spirit of burping after too many cotton candy cupcakes with slug meat.
Throughout the first year of development, our vision evolved significantly. We made several strong design changes, including the ability to interact with every small to mid-sized object on your path, craft faster and weirder items, and integrate the progression system with building in your private dimension. Reaching the star became less of a priority. It’s often said that the journey is more important than the destination, and our current approach reflects just that.
We updated our promo art to showcase the hero during his journey, focusing on the present moment. The star remains in the background, serving as the ultimate proof of your achievements, but it’s no longer the central aspect of the game. This shift led us to change the title to better align with our vision.
Welcome to "Across the Wonderlands".