Rose: For someone who has never heard of your game, how would you describe it without using the usual genre labels?
Toy Worlds Atlas is a “philosophical colouring book.” Each level presents a peculiar creature that you can colour in a way you like, within some loose constraints. These constraints are inspired by a particular philosophical topic, such as existentialism, colour psychology, or the philosophy of mind.
I tried to turn every colouring page into a different experience by changing and subverting colouring mechanics. In one level you simply select colours; in others you overlap them, collage, or remove them, and more. Each page works as a thought experiment: you solve a visual puzzle, but at the same time encounter a concept from philosophy and science.
Rose: Where did the idea for this game come from?
Before I started developing games, I studied philosophy for six years. In my master’s, I focused on game ontology, which asks about the nature of games: how do we know that something is a game, while something else is not? That made me curious about borderline cases, and with Toy Worlds Atlas I wanted to explore whether you can turn a colouring book (which is more of a toy) into something more game-like.
Rose: What makes your game different from other games in the same space?
I haven't seen many colouring-book video games that go much deeper than a regular colouring book does. What makes Toy Worlds Atlas unique is that it combines playful, relaxing colouring with an optional but still deep and reflective exploration of complex topics, such as consciousness or love.
Rose: Was there anything you had to cut that you still secretly wish you could put back?
My professor advised me to cut my favourite puzzle, the Spideedoscope. He has a good argument: the puzzle often confuses players because it differs a lot from the other levels, and it takes time to figure out how it works. I iterated on this puzzle multiple times, trying to make it more accessible and intuitive. I’m afraid I still have to do a couple more iterations, but I’d like to avoid removing it because I really like how surreal its art and colouring mechanics feel.
Rose: What is something players probably won't realize took an absurd amount of work?
A huge amount of time went into the sound design of the game. Each level has its own sounds for buttons and other UI elements. Sourcing the clips, selecting the most fitting ones, and editing them was much more challenging than I expected. I still have to refactor and optimize the code for the whole sound system. 🙈
Rose: What is the weirdest bug you've encountered that you almost wanted to keep?
There’s a bug in the Spideedoscope level that I decided to keep because it makes the level easier for the player. Here, the player must move the spider’s eyes to draw a shape of a particular colour. Compared to the other levels, this creates an actual spatial-thinking challenge. There’s a way to cheat this level that I should remove before the final release.
Rose: Is there a particular emotion you wanted players to walk away with from your game?
I’d like players to feel relaxed and reflective. Some playtesters reported that the levels made them think about interesting ideas and also inspired their imagination. That would be the perfect affective outcome.
Rose: What's one piece of advice you wish you'd had before starting?
One thing I wish I’d realized earlier is that philosophical depth shouldn’t get in the way of playfulness. My game has plenty of philosophical references. However, I tried to design it in a way that it’s still compelling to play even if you skip the meta-narrative part entirely. I tried to add some juicy, playful reaction to every other click. So if you feel puzzled by the philosophical challenges, you can just toy around with the game, and some playful VFX can put your train of thought back on track.
Rose: Five years from now, what do you hope people remember about this game?
The game draws on the nostalgic aesthetics of illustrated encyclopedias for kids. If the game itself made players feel nostalgic five years from now, that would be terrific. I have a similar experience with Vectorpark’s games, like Metamorphabet and Windosill. I played them many years ago, and that period of my life is now a warm memory. Vectorpark’s projects were a huge inspiration for the toy-like aesthetic of Toy Worlds Atlas.
Rose: Why should someone reading/watching this go play your game today?
You’ve probably never played a philosophical colouring book! The game is designed to give you a satisfying cognitive reset after banging your head against the wall at work, or just after spending an evening staring at the ceiling. If you want something relaxing but intellectually exciting, give it a chance!
Rose: Finally, the question we ask every developer: After everything you’ve told us, can you officially confirm that your game is, in fact, probably a game? Why should we believe you?
It’s a great question! I hope Toy Worlds Atlas combines both game and toy elements. Even though you can play around with colours however you like, as with toys, there are still rules and directives, as in games. However, some levels are intentionally designed to subvert the victory/failure logic that we usually associate with games. Imo, “probably a game” would be a really good description of Toy Worlds Atlas.