Roughly eight years ago, Eyes in the Dark started out as a small Game Jam prototype – a final project for a game design course I took meant to spark some creativity before getting back to my day job. As it turns out, that little project would become the foundation of a new career and a much crazier ride.
Like most creative projects, we didn’t start production with a fully fleshed out design document, and I’d be lying if I said we had it all figured out from the start. Back then, we were a group of strangers united under a simple goal: make a video game. That’s it. There wasn’t any ‘change the world’ ethos statement, we had no access to funding or mentors, and no one stepped up to teach us how to get from point A to point B.
The gameplay mechanics took longer to lock down than the design because we wholeheartedly knew our first title had to be a black-and-white roguelight. It took years of testing and experimenting with the core concepts until it all finally came together in what you’re experiencing today. Of course, this process was not always easy. Along the way we lost a few people and took several long breaks where it wasn’t even clear if the project would be completed. But every time we looked at our progress and what the game could be, the team was revitalized.
Truthfully, I think that finding our own path as a studio had the biggest impact on the final version of Eyes in the Dark; it enabled us to put our own unique spin on the genre, a roguelight. We use that term deliberately because Eyes in the Dark stands out in a genre filled with similar titles. Without spoiling too much, we wanted to create a game that was accessible to everyone, no matter your skill level or experience.
From everyone here at Under the Stairs, we hope you enjoy your time exploring Bloom Manor and have as much fun playing Eyes in the Dark as we did in making it.
Thank you!
Vladimir