Strayed Lights preview: Talking with the devs of one of PAX’s most beautiful games

Strayed Lights is honestly such a cool game. It would win the PAX’s Most Impressive in Camila’s Opinion Award if such a thing existed. The game features beautiful graphics, a hauntingly alluring soundtrack, and challenging fights that require you to use both your wits and your reflexes to beat. I recently played a demo of it was really enjoyed it.

I also got to speak to Alex and Ilias from Embers Games about Strayed Light and what it means to them.

Me: All right. Well, first of all, thanks for joining us today! Can you tell us a bit about your game Strayed Lights?

Alexadre Arramon: Thank you. Strayed Lights is a game that we wanted to make familiar yet innovative. The gameplay is physics-based, but the color mechanic adds an original twist. We also wanted to create a special, unique, and mysterious environment and story to immerse players and make them feel like they have pieces of the puzzle to put together.

Me: That’s really interesting. I played a one-hour demo of the game and I loved it. It’s relaxing, but it keeps you on your toes. What was something about this game that you wanted to make different or something that you wanted to make sure that your players feel?

Alexadre Arramon: We wanted to create a game where players can tell the emotions without words. We focused on creating animations that would convey the feelings and the situations without any dialogue. We also wanted to create unique and memorable characters, such as the Big Monsters, that players can connect with emotionally.

Me: I loved the big monsters. They reminded me of Shadow of the Colossus, they’re gentle but they’re huge. But then, you know, they’ll still beat you up. Was that an inspiration for the game?

Alexadre Arramon: Actually, yes, it was. We took inspiration from games like Shadow of the Colossus, but we also wanted to make the monsters have their own personality and reflect that in their behavior and animations.

Me: You definitely nailed it. I’m 100% going to buy this game. Is this your first game?

Alexadre Arramon: Yes, it is. We took great care in making sure that the game is accessible to everyone while still being challenging.

Me: I can tell. I’m not a fan of combat games, but I really enjoyed the rhythm of the monsters. It was complicated enough to make it challenging but not stressful. What was your inspiration for the game’s accessibility?

Alexadre Arramon: One of our inspirations was Sekiro, but we wanted to make the game much smoother and accessible when you start. We wanted to make sure that more people could enjoy the game without the high barrier of entry.

Me: That’s great to hear. I really enjoyed the game and I’m looking forward to playing the full version. Thank you for joining us today.

Alexadre Arramon: Thank you for having me.

Strayed Lights comes out on April 25th, 2023 on Steam.