Hello everyone, as we are gearing up for release in Early Access very soon, I would like to write here a little dev log on how the game will play and the core loop which I hope will clarify a lot of things! I am trying not to reveal too much as I want players to discover as much as possible for themselves!
We are also working on a launch trailer that will be the most gameplay focused.
Arcadian Days is a non-linear, character driven exploration game.
On a surface level, Arcadian Days might seem like a farming or survival crafting game, however this is not the case. There are no plans to include crafting or farming sim elements. Everything in Arcadian Days is driven entirely through hand-crafted quests and adventures you can partake in and discover at your own pace, with some light puzzle elements. As you go through quests, you can see the homestead be developed, new decorations added and new adventures unlocked. I want players to adventure as much as possible and discover in Arcadian Days, which goes with the theme of playing as a child.
Narrative LEGOs and reactive world full of dynamic encounters.
I took a lot of inspiration Ken Levine, director Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite on how to use 'Narrative LEGOs' to create more exciting stories that focus on player agency!
The world of Arcadian Days offers a thundering amount of narrative possibilities. As Miela is a young child, her development and learning of the world lies in the hand of you, the players.
The way you solve quest, discover them and even collectibles are all interconnected and have different ramifications. As we go through Early Access, this system will expand to include an affinity system with your family and eventually with your loyal companion, Tola.
The engaging storyline of Arcadian Days is being specifically written to allow for this branching and dynamic narrative building. We want every story to feel different for each player.
For example, the players can develop a sheep pasture in one of the maps if they find enough necessary materials, but those materials can only be discovered based on helping your father build himself a little logging cabin. This will in turn create new quests such as finding lost sheep and further development of the pasture to start a quest chain relating to wool threading to help the family develop their vocation. Of course, the player might not want to build a log cabin and instead focus on forest growth, which will have its own ramifications. The world is designed to be as reactive as possible. 
Immersive, minimalist interface and gameplay.
I want the players to enjoy the exploration and discovery elements to the fullest.
Arcadian Days features a highly minimalist HUD and gameplay, where we aim to have actions and interactions happen in a diegetic, fun way with exciting player feedback.
Due to the sandbox and non-linear approach, there is no quest log in Arcadian Days, and we have a number of fun ways for players to find their ways around and progress :
Context Thoughts - At the press of a button, Miela will think out loud about where they are and what can be done in any given area. Those Context Thoughts are both location and quest sensitive, so they will always be different. The Context Thoughts button will have a cool down and I heavily encourage players to not make too much use of it so they can discover at their own pace with their curiosity.
Talk to your parents - In Arcadian Days, you parents are there to guide you and help. Speaking to them can help you progress specific quests and adventures as well as give you a helping hand.
Inventory Items - each item in the inventory will have a description that can help you know what to do with it. Items are unique and each related to something you can do whilst exploring the land of Bucuria.
The player should never feel stuck in Arcadian Days, as even when it seems like you might have hit a road-block, exploration and creative thinking can help you progress. You can always return to something at a later time as very few quests are time-restricted.
Cinematic presentation in a world we want you to believe exists.
Arcadian Days aims to be a highly cinematic, beautiful adventure set in a thoroughly build world.
Besides featuring AAA graphics and sound design to further the immersion, you will encounter cinematic cutscenes build using my experience and passion in filmmaking. We want however to keep both cutscenes and dialogue to a minimum where possible as gameplay is front and centre in Arcadian Days.
The world of Bucuria is inspired by Romanian Landscapes and Cultures which are almost never seen in any type of media with plenty of creative liberties to create a truly original world. You will discover a lot of terms and history around that you have the opportunity to learn about.
We want players to really believe Bucuria is a real place and be fascinated to discover its history and how it relates to Miela and the Dragobete family.
You can also expect some light folk and mythology as the narrative progresses throughout Early Access.
Of course, there is much more to see in Arcadian Days and we cannot wait to share it all with you on the 16th of September and watch this world grow together.
If you ever have any curiosities and questions do reach and please follow our socials for more!
Until then, have a lovely day!
- Cal