Hey everyone,
Wanted to pull back the curtain a bit on what we're building with the Animentals playtest. We've been heads-down getting this ready, and I thought you'd appreciate some insight into our thinking.
What We're Going For
The core goal here is simple: get you excited about the world of Animentals and give you a chance to provide feedback about what kinds of things YOU would like to see in the game. Our number one priority is to make a game that you enjoy playing, so this playtest will be an opportunity for you to tell us.
Design Philosophy
We've established three pillars that guide every decision we make:
Reward Thoughtful Play - You should have choices in how you approach problems. What skills do you like to use? How do you make the most out of your team? This first playtest will limit your choices to keep things simple at first. Future playtests will give you much more freedom with regards to which Animentals you choose, and what strategies you use.
Encourage Engaging Interaction - Combat should feel like solving a puzzle with your team composition and skill combos. We're also thinking long-term about community features (special events, new creatures, etc.), but that's down the road. For now, we want you to feel like you have all the tools you need to take on any challenge. The only question is, “How do you use them?”
Cute Art Style, But Not Built For Children – We’re building a world with a wide variety of creatures, and we want them to have fun endearing visuals. But let's be clear: endearing doesn't mean childish. We're tackling real themes - corruption, death, betrayal. This is a game that respects your intelligence while still being approachable.
Combat Design
Combat is a puzzle, not a button-masher. We want you engaged and making meaningful decisions frequently. We're designing the Animentals and their skills around specific player types (borrowing from Magic: the Gathering's playbook here. Props to Mark Rosewater and the rest of the team), which keeps everything focused and purposeful.
The Characters
One of our biggest strengths is the character design. These creatures are something special, and we want to show them off. The playtest is built around giving you multiple chances to meet different Animentals, even if some appearances are brief.
You'll meet a bunch of Animentals in the playtest, each with their own personality:
Elementlings – Tiny creatures found in nature that are closely tied to their environment. When given enough of the right kinds of energy, they become Animentals.
Wowl - Your friendly, excitable guide who's always eager to help. He values his friends above all else.
Petunia - Sweet but shy, wears her heart on her sleeve. She likes taking care of the small Elementlings and seeing them grow.
OneTon - The quiet type. He cares deeply about his village and wants to keep his people safe.
Axolotlit – Excitable but a little unsure of himself. He tends to rush into things without fully thinking them through.
What's Next
We're getting close. The playtest is about showing you what makes Animentals different and getting your feedback on whether we're hitting the mark. We’re excited to show you what we’ve been working on, and to get your feedback.
To stay up to date on our latest developments, make sure to add us on social media, and wishlist on Steam.
We look forward to sharing more of this exciting adventure with you. More details, coming soon.