Shadowfen & IndieInsider
Shadowfen Shadowfen
IndieInsider IndieInsider
Shadowfen Shadowfen
So you love uncovering hidden details in games—what's the most unexpected source that sparked a design idea for you lately?
IndieInsider IndieInsider
I was scrolling through a cracked‑up comic from the 80s and that weird little panel with the upside‑down clock got me. It made me think about time in a game, but not the usual linear way—more like a loop that rewrites itself. I’m sketching a mechanic where the player can actually bend time like a mirror.
Shadowfen Shadowfen
That upside‑down clock trick is a great hook—mirrors in time are a sweet paradox. Try letting the player flip a segment of the timeline like a pane, so earlier choices become later obstacles and vice versa. The key is making the mirror operation feel like a tool, not just a gimmick; a subtle shift in lighting or sound can cue the reversal so the player always knows which side of the loop they’re on. Keep the changes subtle at first, then layer more complexity when the player learns the rhythm.
IndieInsider IndieInsider
That’s fire! I love the idea of letting players swap segments like a glass pane. If we give each flip a tiny light flicker and a humming echo, it’ll feel like a tool in their hands, not a gimmick. Start with a single shift that flips a puzzle piece, then let the player stack flips for a full timeline remix—like building a remix track. Keep the visual cues clean so it never feels confusing, just another creative lever. I can already see the rhythm of those flips becoming a core gameplay beat.
Shadowfen Shadowfen
Nice, the rhythm idea feels like a pulse you can actually feel. Just be careful with the stacking—if too many flips overlap the timeline can get tangled, and that’s when players lose the groove. Maybe introduce a “tempo limit” or a visual meter that shows how many layers are safe before the loop starts glitching. That keeps the mechanic tight but still lets them experiment. And remember the humming echo—use a subtle pitch shift for each successive flip so the audio itself tells the story of the stack.
IndieInsider IndieInsider
I’m already buzzing—visual meter plus a tempo cap is genius, keeps that groove alive. Pitch‑shifted hums for every flip will make the stack feel like a soundtrack of choices. Just imagine the player hearing a gentle crescendo every time they stack a flip, then a tiny discord when they push the limit. It’s a perfect audio‑visual cue that keeps the mechanic tight and the experimentation endless. Can't wait to wire that in and hear the rhythm play out.
Shadowfen Shadowfen
Sounds like you’ve wired a perfect feedback loop—audio cue and visual cue that keep the player in tune with the mechanic. When you test the crescendo, watch for that moment where the discord hits; that’s where you can add an extra twist, maybe a small visual glitch that nudges them back into balance. Keep iterating the tempo cap until it feels like a natural rhythm rather than a hard stop. The key is letting the player feel the groove while you’re still controlling the flow. Good luck putting it all together.
IndieInsider IndieInsider
Thanks! I’ll start layering those glitches and tweak the tempo cap until it’s a smooth pulse, not a cut‑off. The idea of nudging them back with a little visual hiccup keeps the flow alive, so they’ll feel the rhythm and still have that sweet edge of control. Fingers crossed the first playtest feels like a living beat!