03/10/2016 - From Nothing to NAIRI
Let's talk a bit about how NAIRI came to be.
It's weird to look back at some early stuff - so much has changed.
The game wasn't even called NAIRI back then!
When we design games, we don't start with a story or a specific gameplay mechanic.
NAIRI didn't even start out as a point&click adventure!
Instead, we started with an experience we want our players to have.
We wanted the experience to feel magical. Our modern exotic city gradually shifted to what is now 'Shirin'.
We really wanted players to enjoy a compelling narrative-puzzle experience, with a special art-style to bring it all together.
The next step was to think of gameplay mechanics that would effectively convey this experience.
This is why NAIRI eventually became a point&click adventure!
The same is true for NAIRI's story - first comes the intended experience.
We didn't start with narrative devices or specific plots.
Instead, NAIRI's world, characters and plot were - and are - finetuned around what we want our players to feel.
Some pages of reference, descriptions and history - to build a believable world with interesting lore.
So we went from nothing, to an experience - and from there to gameplay mechanics and a story.
We slowly 'stumbled upon' NAIRI - and now we're finally ready to show our concept to the world,
and hope people will love it as much as we do!
If you've been following NAIRI, or got interested by this blogpost, you should check out our Kickstarter page.
This is just the beginning for NAIRI!
Thanks a lot for reading, everyone - and remember, we're always available for questions.
Have a super nice day!
-Joshua, HomeBearStudio
(Co-Owner, Programmer, Designer, Composer)