The best indie games can have the only concepts, typically mixing in retro gaming issues we love with new concepts and fashionable tech. The brand new recreation Screenbound is precisely one in every of these, and a recreation I’ve had my eye on for some time now.
When Screenbound was first introduced in 2024, its 28-second trailer exhibiting its ‘5D’ idea of the participant navigating a 3D world in first-person whereas additionally enjoying a 2D recreation of that very same world in entrance of them on a Recreation Boy-like handheld instantly caught my eye. A singular dual-focused concept that blends retro and fashionable kinds – what’s to not love?
Nevertheless, this teaser from indie writer and developer Crescent Moon Video games was primarily only a proof of idea slightly than an precise recreation. Whereas the thought of outsourced improvement, or co-development, is one thing you’d often affiliate with bigger AAA video games, it additionally exists in indie improvement. Radical Forge is one such studio with expertise in indie co-development, together with work on Gang Beasts and a number of other Vampire Survivors spin-offs, and has been chargeable for turning Screenbound right into a playable actuality. And there was lots of work concerned, because the studio’s lead tech artist, Lyra Owen, describes the sport primarily based on the unique teaser as “naked bones”.
“Loads of it was simply mockups with very fundamental art work that used lots of asset packs,” she tells me. “So once we obtained maintain of it, we began once more in lots of respects, particularly from the 3D aspect the place we redeveloped how the terrain system works. We remade all of the foliage. Again then, every part was very a lot simply blocky and easy.”
(Picture credit score: Crescent Moon Video games)
Screenbound’s 80s and 90s retro references
The unique idea had a blockiness paying homage to Minecraft that the group needed to maneuver away from, wanting towards extra fashionable takes like numerous 3D iterations of Mario, although the 3D terrain from the Mario + Rabbids video games was a key inspiration to emulate. For the 2D components of the sport performed on the Qboy handheld, they referenced 2D video games from the ’80s and ’90s, although they largely entrusted the pixel artwork to a single pixel artist named Daniel Cossaboon.
When it got here to placing the property collectively, Owen says the 2D ranges have been constructed very like a “primitive” model of the extent editor from Tremendous Mario Maker, whereas the 3D world was created by means of procedural era. “That was one of the best ways we discovered that you might get parity between the 2 worlds,” Owen explains. “So lots of the procedural methods needed to be redone and restarted.”
This nonetheless, nonetheless, leaves the difficult side of how a 2D world can precisely signify a 3D world, which naturally has one other axis. The sensible method to do that was to have a number of 2D planes you could be in, relying on the place you’re within the 3D world.
“Primarily it is 2D, but it surely’s obtained layers, after which every layer represents a observe within the 3D world,” Owen says. “So within the editor we are able to scroll out and in by means of the z-depth of the scene, and we principally construct the extent in z-layers from left, after which all the degrees go from left to proper like a traditional Mario recreation.”
(Picture credit score: Crescent Moon Video games)
Easy methods to make 2D work in 3D
Regardless of makes an attempt at parity, there are challenges to creating one thing 2D in 3D. One such instance she provides is the peak of the bushes in 2D in comparison with their 3D iteration. “You’ve got solely obtained a lot display screen, so many pixels, and it is completely totally different making an attempt to transform that right into a 3D perspective and get the composition proper.”
That additionally brings with it a part of the sport’s twist in that solely sure components are seen in 2D or 3D, which additionally ensures the participant’s focus is switching between the 2 views (it is also price noting that regardless that the Qboy is seen on the backside of the display screen, you may generally decide to carry it up nearer so that you just’re actually solely targeted on the 2D half).
“What we do not need is to be like a DS, the place you have got a map on one display screen, and also you’re enjoying a 3D recreation, or the opposite method round the place you might simply play it in 2D and by no means take a look at the atmosphere, so there are issues which might be kind of out and in of the 2D and 3D worlds,” Owen explains. “There are issues that may transfer between worlds, like enemies that disappear in a single world and seem within the different world.”
(Picture credit score: Crescent Moon Video games)
It arguably even breaks its personal guidelines at instances, because the Qboy is not fully restricted to 2D gameplay however can be used as a viewer to see issues hidden in 3D and even to goal and shoot at targets. However there’s nonetheless extra work to do to get the stability proper, which appears to be why Crescent Moon Video games has delayed Screenbound from its September launch to a later date. Extra vital is making certain that the dual-focused 5D idea is not misplaced whereas nonetheless making sense to gamers.
“Primarily, it is two video games working on prime of one another, and that was one of many challenges. There are not any separate issues occurring; when you’re working by means of the 3D world, you’re really additionally working by means of the 2D world. That is sort of the magic of it.”
Screenbound is coming to PC and you’ll strive the demo on Steam.