Victor Breum (REVIEW MIND DIVER)
@breum.bsky.social
Game director of Mind Diver: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2259330/Mind_Diver/
And other stuff: https://www.victorbreum.com/
And other stuff: https://www.victorbreum.com/
Thanks for having us, London 🙏 AdventureX was indeed an adventure. The loveliest crowd of players any narrative game developer could dream of. And an inspiring, intelligent, and warm bunch of developers - how I look forward to speaking more with those of you I met for the first time!
#gamedev
#gamedev
November 24, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Thanks for having us, London 🙏 AdventureX was indeed an adventure. The loveliest crowd of players any narrative game developer could dream of. And an inspiring, intelligent, and warm bunch of developers - how I look forward to speaking more with those of you I met for the first time!
#gamedev
#gamedev
So, for AdventureX today, the printing company sent a banner for a German crane company instead of for Mind Diver. So I improvised and got the handcrafted vibe going 😄 no AI used
(If you work at a German crane company, uhhh, we may have your banner)
(If you're at AdventureX, stop by and say hi!)
(If you work at a German crane company, uhhh, we may have your banner)
(If you're at AdventureX, stop by and say hi!)
November 22, 2025 at 3:18 PM
So, for AdventureX today, the printing company sent a banner for a German crane company instead of for Mind Diver. So I improvised and got the handcrafted vibe going 😄 no AI used
(If you work at a German crane company, uhhh, we may have your banner)
(If you're at AdventureX, stop by and say hi!)
(If you work at a German crane company, uhhh, we may have your banner)
(If you're at AdventureX, stop by and say hi!)
Everyone: "What are you working on?"
Me:
Me:
October 31, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Everyone: "What are you working on?"
Me:
Me:
OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE*
WHAT 😱
Mind Diver is our first game. We're a tiny team. I'm crazy proud of our work: an intimate game we dearly wanted to exist.
But we've had almost no press and few streams, so THANK YOU for the words-of-mouth 😭
*in Recent Reviews, but still, wtf🫣
#gamedev #steam #games
WHAT 😱
Mind Diver is our first game. We're a tiny team. I'm crazy proud of our work: an intimate game we dearly wanted to exist.
But we've had almost no press and few streams, so THANK YOU for the words-of-mouth 😭
*in Recent Reviews, but still, wtf🫣
#gamedev #steam #games
October 29, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Not what you're looking for, but you immediately made me think of this video. The parody of the form is the best candidate I can think of.
October 28, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Not what you're looking for, but you immediately made me think of this video. The parody of the form is the best candidate I can think of.
Mind Diver is the Turkish Game of the Year confirmed
(from a Steam review)
#indiegames #gamedev #gaming
(from a Steam review)
#indiegames #gamedev #gaming
October 12, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Mind Diver is the Turkish Game of the Year confirmed
(from a Steam review)
#indiegames #gamedev #gaming
(from a Steam review)
#indiegames #gamedev #gaming
who's going to be lucky number 100?? Whoever is number 100, congratulations, you WIN!!!
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
Your prize is
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
thank you for playing 😍
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
Your prize is
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
thank you for playing 😍
October 8, 2025 at 8:39 AM
who's going to be lucky number 100?? Whoever is number 100, congratulations, you WIN!!!
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
Your prize is
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
thank you for playing 😍
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
Your prize is
CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
thank you for playing 😍
Japanese singer Daichi Miura who made a song for Death Stranding 2 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJq0...) just played Mind Diver. I watched along with live texting and auto-translated chat. So wild!!! Greatest thing was how extremely nice the whole chat is, so wholesome www.youtube.com/live/9yUruwK...
October 7, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Japanese singer Daichi Miura who made a song for Death Stranding 2 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJq0...) just played Mind Diver. I watched along with live texting and auto-translated chat. So wild!!! Greatest thing was how extremely nice the whole chat is, so wholesome www.youtube.com/live/9yUruwK...
Mind Diver is now Very Positive, with 100% positive reviews.
store.steampowered.com/app/2259330/...
If you're interested, now is the best time to buy it!
We're apparently falling off and on New and Trending, surfing just on the cutoff point of sales. So a buy makes huge diff!
15% off!
#indiegames
store.steampowered.com/app/2259330/...
If you're interested, now is the best time to buy it!
We're apparently falling off and on New and Trending, surfing just on the cutoff point of sales. So a buy makes huge diff!
15% off!
#indiegames
September 30, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Mind Diver is now Very Positive, with 100% positive reviews.
store.steampowered.com/app/2259330/...
If you're interested, now is the best time to buy it!
We're apparently falling off and on New and Trending, surfing just on the cutoff point of sales. So a buy makes huge diff!
15% off!
#indiegames
store.steampowered.com/app/2259330/...
If you're interested, now is the best time to buy it!
We're apparently falling off and on New and Trending, surfing just on the cutoff point of sales. So a buy makes huge diff!
15% off!
#indiegames
🧠🤿MIND DIVER IS OUT NOW!🧠🤿
“Mind Diver is absolutely captivating”-Lucas Pope
“It's the kind of game that makes you remember why you love games”-heavyeyed
Investigate a broken mind to solve a twisted case. Uncover a story of love and lies.
store.steampowered.com/app/2259330/...
#indiegames #gaming
“Mind Diver is absolutely captivating”-Lucas Pope
“It's the kind of game that makes you remember why you love games”-heavyeyed
Investigate a broken mind to solve a twisted case. Uncover a story of love and lies.
store.steampowered.com/app/2259330/...
#indiegames #gaming
September 28, 2025 at 7:52 AM
🧠🤿MIND DIVER IS OUT NOW!🧠🤿
“Mind Diver is absolutely captivating”-Lucas Pope
“It's the kind of game that makes you remember why you love games”-heavyeyed
Investigate a broken mind to solve a twisted case. Uncover a story of love and lies.
store.steampowered.com/app/2259330/...
#indiegames #gaming
“Mind Diver is absolutely captivating”-Lucas Pope
“It's the kind of game that makes you remember why you love games”-heavyeyed
Investigate a broken mind to solve a twisted case. Uncover a story of love and lies.
store.steampowered.com/app/2259330/...
#indiegames #gaming
And bringing reality into a game also brings so much. little details that would take ages to sculpt just exist. A certain unexpected facial expression that makes an expression really human.
And you can just go around and look at stuff and imagine it in the game, if you're missing something!
8/11
And you can just go around and look at stuff and imagine it in the game, if you're missing something!
8/11
September 27, 2025 at 1:53 PM
And bringing reality into a game also brings so much. little details that would take ages to sculpt just exist. A certain unexpected facial expression that makes an expression really human.
And you can just go around and look at stuff and imagine it in the game, if you're missing something!
8/11
And you can just go around and look at stuff and imagine it in the game, if you're missing something!
8/11
My fav part of working with this was the unruly and uexpected things that come out of it. Game dev is a controlled process, every single thing you put in the game you work really hard for, so all choices become very conscious.
But here, every scan had something unexpected, some charming flaw.
7/11
But here, every scan had something unexpected, some charming flaw.
7/11
September 27, 2025 at 1:53 PM
My fav part of working with this was the unruly and uexpected things that come out of it. Game dev is a controlled process, every single thing you put in the game you work really hard for, so all choices become very conscious.
But here, every scan had something unexpected, some charming flaw.
7/11
But here, every scan had something unexpected, some charming flaw.
7/11
We scan real people and places for this with Polycam, modify in Blender, shade, place, and light in Unity.
See video for one of the intense periods of scanning, where we were scanning three actors simultaneously in a cold weird room.
The actors were heroes for enduring this.
5/11
See video for one of the intense periods of scanning, where we were scanning three actors simultaneously in a cold weird room.
The actors were heroes for enduring this.
5/11
September 27, 2025 at 1:53 PM
We scan real people and places for this with Polycam, modify in Blender, shade, place, and light in Unity.
See video for one of the intense periods of scanning, where we were scanning three actors simultaneously in a cold weird room.
The actors were heroes for enduring this.
5/11
See video for one of the intense periods of scanning, where we were scanning three actors simultaneously in a cold weird room.
The actors were heroes for enduring this.
5/11
Reflections on #minddiver 9: Artstyle!
Mind Diver's 3D-scanned artstyle is probably the thing that makes it stand out the most. But it wasn't a conscious attempt at standing out. Instead, it came from trying to represent memories in a game and then stumbling on broken photogrammetry.
#gamedev
1/11
Mind Diver's 3D-scanned artstyle is probably the thing that makes it stand out the most. But it wasn't a conscious attempt at standing out. Instead, it came from trying to represent memories in a game and then stumbling on broken photogrammetry.
#gamedev
1/11
September 27, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Reflections on #minddiver 9: Artstyle!
Mind Diver's 3D-scanned artstyle is probably the thing that makes it stand out the most. But it wasn't a conscious attempt at standing out. Instead, it came from trying to represent memories in a game and then stumbling on broken photogrammetry.
#gamedev
1/11
Mind Diver's 3D-scanned artstyle is probably the thing that makes it stand out the most. But it wasn't a conscious attempt at standing out. Instead, it came from trying to represent memories in a game and then stumbling on broken photogrammetry.
#gamedev
1/11
CHOPPER ATTACK!! my long-lost brother.
this also describes me as a person perfectly: "3D graphics, a mostly fluid framerate, booming explosions, missions with different objectives, power-ups, eight attack choppers, and a cool arsenal of missiles, bombs and decoys"
this also describes me as a person perfectly: "3D graphics, a mostly fluid framerate, booming explosions, missions with different objectives, power-ups, eight attack choppers, and a cool arsenal of missiles, bombs and decoys"
September 25, 2025 at 8:57 AM
CHOPPER ATTACK!! my long-lost brother.
this also describes me as a person perfectly: "3D graphics, a mostly fluid framerate, booming explosions, missions with different objectives, power-ups, eight attack choppers, and a cool arsenal of missiles, bombs and decoys"
this also describes me as a person perfectly: "3D graphics, a mostly fluid framerate, booming explosions, missions with different objectives, power-ups, eight attack choppers, and a cool arsenal of missiles, bombs and decoys"
Player perception is always different in 3D, so testing again at this stage is important.
After this, the logistics of 3D scanning start! Will save that for another thread :)
This was a tougher one to write, it's sort of abstract. Hope it's understandable!
Bonus process pics below.
12/12
After this, the logistics of 3D scanning start! Will save that for another thread :)
This was a tougher one to write, it's sort of abstract. Hope it's understandable!
Bonus process pics below.
12/12
September 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Player perception is always different in 3D, so testing again at this stage is important.
After this, the logistics of 3D scanning start! Will save that for another thread :)
This was a tougher one to write, it's sort of abstract. Hope it's understandable!
Bonus process pics below.
12/12
After this, the logistics of 3D scanning start! Will save that for another thread :)
This was a tougher one to write, it's sort of abstract. Hope it's understandable!
Bonus process pics below.
12/12
After playtests and tweaks, the puzzle is ready for the next stage: a "temp scan" version, where we mash together existing assets to create ugly in-game versions of the puzzles.
(I don't have a pic of this temp scan phase available, so have this sketch instead)
11/12
(I don't have a pic of this temp scan phase available, so have this sketch instead)
11/12
September 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
After playtests and tweaks, the puzzle is ready for the next stage: a "temp scan" version, where we mash together existing assets to create ugly in-game versions of the puzzles.
(I don't have a pic of this temp scan phase available, so have this sketch instead)
11/12
(I don't have a pic of this temp scan phase available, so have this sketch instead)
11/12
This is the first point of playtest!
We invite a player into the board, and let them explore freely. If they want to take game actions, like listening to audio, they say that to the game master.
We can then reveal details (placeholder dialogue, new items) by moving images on the board.
9/12
We invite a player into the board, and let them explore freely. If they want to take game actions, like listening to audio, they say that to the game master.
We can then reveal details (placeholder dialogue, new items) by moving images on the board.
9/12
September 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
This is the first point of playtest!
We invite a player into the board, and let them explore freely. If they want to take game actions, like listening to audio, they say that to the game master.
We can then reveal details (placeholder dialogue, new items) by moving images on the board.
9/12
We invite a player into the board, and let them explore freely. If they want to take game actions, like listening to audio, they say that to the game master.
We can then reveal details (placeholder dialogue, new items) by moving images on the board.
9/12
Once this general structure of the puzzle is in place, we start on my favourite part: floor plans! We make post-its for every interactable item, and every "memory hole" (the "blank" part of memories you need to fill out with an item).
And the best part: these floorplans are playable!
8/12
And the best part: these floorplans are playable!
8/12
September 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Once this general structure of the puzzle is in place, we start on my favourite part: floor plans! We make post-its for every interactable item, and every "memory hole" (the "blank" part of memories you need to fill out with an item).
And the best part: these floorplans are playable!
8/12
And the best part: these floorplans are playable!
8/12
We sometimes map out these chains of reasoning like in pic 1 here.
Orange: clues
Blue: Subrealizations
Green: Key realization, solution.
We kind of stopped doing these at some point though? Just writing chains of post-its started being enough.
7/12
Orange: clues
Blue: Subrealizations
Green: Key realization, solution.
We kind of stopped doing these at some point though? Just writing chains of post-its started being enough.
7/12
September 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
We sometimes map out these chains of reasoning like in pic 1 here.
Orange: clues
Blue: Subrealizations
Green: Key realization, solution.
We kind of stopped doing these at some point though? Just writing chains of post-its started being enough.
7/12
Orange: clues
Blue: Subrealizations
Green: Key realization, solution.
We kind of stopped doing these at some point though? Just writing chains of post-its started being enough.
7/12
We start from a written description of the events of a group of scenes (from a larger outline of the entire story).
We then discuss the puzzle opportunities in this area - what would be the most emotional or interesting thing for the player to realize?
Made-up example: "Police officer lied"
2/12
We then discuss the puzzle opportunities in this area - what would be the most emotional or interesting thing for the player to realize?
Made-up example: "Police officer lied"
2/12
September 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
We start from a written description of the events of a group of scenes (from a larger outline of the entire story).
We then discuss the puzzle opportunities in this area - what would be the most emotional or interesting thing for the player to realize?
Made-up example: "Police officer lied"
2/12
We then discuss the puzzle opportunities in this area - what would be the most emotional or interesting thing for the player to realize?
Made-up example: "Police officer lied"
2/12
Reflections on #minddiver part 7: Puzzle design!
Deduction puzzles are the meat of Mind Diver, all designed by my co-designer Gabriel Gaspar and myself.
I'll take you through a deep dive of our puzzle process, with several screenshots from our humongous Miro boards.
#gamedev #indiegames
1/12
Deduction puzzles are the meat of Mind Diver, all designed by my co-designer Gabriel Gaspar and myself.
I'll take you through a deep dive of our puzzle process, with several screenshots from our humongous Miro boards.
#gamedev #indiegames
1/12
September 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Reflections on #minddiver part 7: Puzzle design!
Deduction puzzles are the meat of Mind Diver, all designed by my co-designer Gabriel Gaspar and myself.
I'll take you through a deep dive of our puzzle process, with several screenshots from our humongous Miro boards.
#gamedev #indiegames
1/12
Deduction puzzles are the meat of Mind Diver, all designed by my co-designer Gabriel Gaspar and myself.
I'll take you through a deep dive of our puzzle process, with several screenshots from our humongous Miro boards.
#gamedev #indiegames
1/12
We start with talking about the scene, then do full takes of the scene, with notes between takes. Once we have a good take of the full scene, we do smaller takes of individual parts or single lines that could use more focus.
Eg the line in the image became "He dropped these... headphones?"
7/10
Eg the line in the image became "He dropped these... headphones?"
7/10
September 22, 2025 at 6:03 PM
We start with talking about the scene, then do full takes of the scene, with notes between takes. Once we have a good take of the full scene, we do smaller takes of individual parts or single lines that could use more focus.
Eg the line in the image became "He dropped these... headphones?"
7/10
Eg the line in the image became "He dropped these... headphones?"
7/10