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@angelineera.bsky.social

Some thoughts about the influences and design
underpinning the game!

melos actually discussed exactly this a while ago, saved this from twitter in the pre-bluesky days because it was foundational to my understanding of percentage counts as a potential harm to a game's staying power. two images because the alt text wouldn't fit on one

The missability philosophy comes from wanting to steer the adventure experience away from fulfilling linear questlines, which necessarily require more guidance and hints. While Angeline Era does feature a ultimately linear story, it's not the main focus for much of the game so we only need a light touch with guidance. I'm not sure what inspired the initial desire to have the game track minimal main-quest-related state, but it could have been a response to the very linear Sephonie, but, also, we tend to design games where you see everything, so there's always been an itch to make a game where most stuff is optional.

And this game was too late to be a core influence, but I have enjoyed Romancing Saga SNES's approach to missing stuff and every player having a wildly different experience, yet not being as loose as a roguelike, which of course relates to the wide history of TTRPGs/CRPGs and nonlinearity.

The imagery in the thinking behind the mixed up/loose historical structure of Kenzaburo Oe's "The Game of Contemporaneity" also comes to mind - he was inspired by a temporally nonlinear mural by Diego Rivera. The Oe is a much earlier influence so it's possible that guided my thinking. I have always loved the idea of creating a world that feels more like a 'book of myths' where we aren't seeing all that's there, but are forced to accept an incomplete depiction of the world (e.g. the collected Tono Monogatari, or something like Miyazawa's Ihatovo, Naohisa Inoue's Iblard, or even Hiroshi Masamura's Atagoul... or Sakura Momoko's Coji-coji), so to be able to lean into that approach with making the levels has been fun. I want Angeline Era's world to imply there's more we aren't showing, but also signal that to an extent it's up to the imagination to figure out what that is.

I really like linear stories in that they can give us strong characters and arcs to act as a lens towards the more loose, nonlinear aspects. But not when the linear stories overly dictate the game's design and flow. E.g., I'm not sure I like games as much when they're linear a lot of the time, and the nonlinearness that exists is a kind of choice that feels more like uncovering some 'truth' or conspiracy-esque underbelly of the game - focused around getting characters to say alternate things, etc, replaying sections 10 times just to find one alternate dialogue. I feel that people today are primed to consume work with a compulsive-esque fixation on the 'truth', but I'd like to make something that tries to downplay that urgency. Because the whole idea of singular truth is really out of sync with how the world is full of many contradictions (but we still have to find a way forward, anyways!)

November 10, 2025 at 2:05 AM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

A taste of what you have to look forward to playing Angeline Era!!

Aura/Moom @moomanibe.bsky.social · 2d

I love a lot of things Angeline Era does, but IMO its smartest decision is understanding that Mystery and Full Knowledge Of A Game's Scope are enemies that cannot coexist and its refusal to even _imply_ what completionism looks enhances its sense of atmosphere a thousandfold

November 9, 2025 at 10:32 PM

Reposted by 🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

Marina Ayano Kittaka

@even-kei.bsky.social

There's a powerful feeling when coming across a melancholy town in Angeline Era. The sunlight and song washes over you...

I'm excited to share it with you very soon! Please wishlist: store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...

November 6, 2025 at 9:50 PM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

YES, in ANGELINE ERA, you can jump on shopkeeper's HEAD.

It's said this is the essence of good game design.

store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...

November 7, 2025 at 10:10 AM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

Meet some NPCs from ANGELINE ERA! Can we reach 900 followers before release???
wishlist here... store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/

Marina Ayano Kittaka @even-kei.bsky.social · 5d

I think of Angeline Era's character art as "gestural" vertex colors: big blocks of gradients and hard edges that loosely gesture at finer details. They are often seen very small on the screen, so it helps them not appear over-detailed. But I also think it looks beautiful up close!

3 NPCs, a snazzy dressed woman, a grumpy old sailor, and a dapper bearded man. They are rendered in a chunky low poly style with a mix of flat vertex colors and simple textures

November 5, 2025 at 10:58 PM

Reposted by 🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

Marina Ayano Kittaka

@even-kei.bsky.social

Decided to make a little seal for each overworld zone in my game Angeline Era! I hope you feel intrigued to explore...

7 circular seals with simple geometric designs depicting things like an ocean liner in front of a city, a mysterious forest, or a mountaintop mansion.

November 3, 2025 at 7:10 AM

Reposted by 🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

Marina Ayano Kittaka

@even-kei.bsky.social

One of many "Objects" you will encounter in my action adventure game Angeline Era

A crude figurine of a bald eagle. There is a blurred background of a bright window overlooking a table of objects

October 29, 2025 at 8:38 PM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

#GAME OF THE YEAR EVERY YEAR..
EXPERIENCE ONE THOUSAND DEATHS...
FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE AND CRY
THIS IS #ANGELINEERA...
store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...

October 31, 2025 at 8:52 AM

Reposted by 🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

Marina Ayano Kittaka

@even-kei.bsky.social

Wow there are a lot of levels in our game! We've never been into making things "a lot" for its own sake, but it seemed important for this game to convey certain feelings of travel and mystery. Maybe you will spend a lot of time in the poison mansion and completely miss the fairy training grounds...

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼 @angelineera.bsky.social · 11d

Meet my indie game!⚔️🗺️
- chart your path through an open country in over 100 surprising levels!
- intense combat + equipment options,
- challenging bosses!
- a lighthearted & humorous world
- ...with a haunting, emotional story!
- releasing THIS YEAR!
wishlist here! store.steampowered.com/app/2393920

October 31, 2025 at 3:18 AM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

Meet my indie game!⚔️🗺️
- chart your path through an open country in over 100 surprising levels!
- intense combat + equipment options,
- challenging bosses!
- a lighthearted & humorous world
- ...with a haunting, emotional story!
- releasing THIS YEAR!
wishlist here! store.steampowered.com/app/2393920

October 31, 2025 at 1:58 AM

Reposted by 🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

melos han-tani

@hantani.bsky.social

new devlog post for @angelineera.bsky.social !

melodicambient.substack.com/p/angeline-e...

Can't announce the release date yet, but wrote up some notes on the design stuff I've been doing lately and the process of wrapping up the game.

October 27, 2025 at 3:47 AM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

The intro level in Angeline Era features the 6 phase fish boss from the demo.

Is this good game design? bad game design? One thing's for certain... It is "funny game design". 🐟

October 27, 2025 at 5:50 AM

Reposted by 🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

Let's jump in the water in the city of Laigen, in the game Angeline Era.
And then, let's tell all our friends about the game.
store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...

October 24, 2025 at 2:05 AM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

Let's jump in the water in the city of Laigen, in the game Angeline Era.
And then, let's tell all our friends about the game.
store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...

October 24, 2025 at 2:05 AM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

@protonjon.bsky.social Hi there! The demo for our action-adventure game, Angeline Era is out! bsky.app/profile/ange...

Travel the open country, uncovering levels filled with surprises in a world of Angels, Fae and Humans. Wanted to bring to your attention; lmk if we can send a code. Thanks! - Melos

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼 @angelineera.bsky.social · Jun 7

⚔️🧚⚔️🧚⚔️🧚⚔️
We revealed a NEW TRAILER!!! I can't wait for you to BE DEFEATED IN THESE PLACES!!

Angeline Era IS A FAST BUMPSLASH ACTION ADVENTURE
(𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙤...)
SOWHAT ARE YOU DOING??
REPOST THIS AND WISHLIST IT NOW!!!⚔️
store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...
⚔️🧚⚔️🧚⚔️🧚⚔️

October 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM

Reposted by 🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

melos han-tani

@hantani.bsky.social

Wow Angeline Era is still on schedule to release this year!!
Do you stream on Twitch?

Imagine streaming it on release...it could be you.. if so DM the below account (or email analgesicproductions@gmail.com)

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼 @angelineera.bsky.social · 27d

We're the world's first turnip-type action game, and YES we are releasing this year... come on down to the store page store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...

October 15, 2025 at 7:58 AM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

We're the world's first turnip-type action game, and YES we are releasing this year... come on down to the store page store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...

October 15, 2025 at 3:29 AM

Reposted by 🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

This holiday season, enjoy three scary sound effects from the upcoming travel action-adventure game "Angeline Era".

store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...

October 11, 2025 at 11:18 PM

🧚ANGELINE ERA!!👼🏼

@angelineera.bsky.social

This holiday season, enjoy three scary sound effects from the upcoming travel action-adventure game "Angeline Era".

store.steampowered.com/app/2393920/...

October 11, 2025 at 11:18 PM