Behind the Scenes with the Obsidian Moon Developers

After doing the preview for Obsidian Moon, I got an opportunity to ask the developers over at Lost Cabinet Games a few questions about Obsidian Moon. They gave some fascinating insights, along with some things players can look forward to when the game fully releases.

This detective game demo is a great look into what makes the genre so interesting as a whole. Since players decide how they conduct an investigation, it leaves a lot of the given information up to interpretation.

I asked the developers some questions that had sat with me while I played through the demo. The developers gave some great answers, so without further ado, you can find the interview questions and answers below.

Interview with Obsidian Moon Devs

Q. What inspired you to make a noir detective game?

A. I love the genre regardless of format (literature, movies, games). I have been fortunate to own quite a large literature collection, which has been a big inspiration and source for Obsidian Moon. Above all, though, I especially love the mystery and the characters. Who can forget iconic game characters like Tex Murphy, Sam and Max, Harrier du Bois, and many others?

Q. The heavy focus on choices was interesting to see in action; what led to that focus?

A. Obsidian Moon was designed around two simple but firm constraints: giving the player investigative freedom and allowing the narrative to evolve through their choices.

Everything else, even the card-based gameplay, was selected or designed around these constraints. We wanted each player to apply their own investigative approach and get their ‘version of the story’ depending on the decisions made and the pieces of information they revealed. The more you dig, the more of the lore is revealed.

Almost anyone will be able to solve a case, but fewer will turn every stone and manage to uncover all the facts surrounding the case — and the backbone mystery.

Q. From a mechanics standpoint, this game is pretty different. Were there any particular inspirations that led to the mechanics of the game?

A. We spend a lot of time testing out different design ideas that would allow us to deliver the ‘openness’ we were aspiring for. We also looked at other genres and games, but everything had unwanted constraints. For example, ‘classic’ 2D or 3D adventure games are restricted by their own world; you simply cannot design and implement all the potential characters, locations, objects, etc., and mechanics to simulate how an investigation could evolve.

These restrictions, though, cease to exist if you reduce the complexity a lot. A text-based format allowed us to extend the world as much as needed without compromises. After this, the design choice for delivering the gameplay would be a mechanism that works well with words, and in this respect, we were inspired by Card games like Stacklands and Cultist Simulator (thanks, guys!), among others.

Q. Since time is arguably the biggest thing working against you, will there be anything else that gets in your way in later cases?

A. Indeed, time is important, but so is money and sanity. The game asks you to be efficient and to pursue investigation paths that optimize both time and cost, especially in the gumshoe mode, where there is much less tolerance for slack (contrary to the story mode, where they don't actually matter). In addition to this, you will need to watch out for your sanity, especially when you are tempted to take ‘shortcuts’.

Beyond the game mechanics, though, the most important obstacles will come from the investigation itself. There is a dark plot at play, and its actors will actively pursue to divert you from the truth — but I can't say much to avoid spoilers!

Q. There's a much deeper mystery here, and it's presented in a way that could be ignored if you aren't paying close enough attention. Does it become more obvious through the cutscenes and story, or could it be something players miss entirely?

A. There IS a mystery here, and the demo scratches its surface, but just a little bit. Of course, the cutscenes will set the scene, but it is through the investigation that the biggest revelations will be made. We consider the story to be the biggest asset of Obsidian, and we are putting great care into delivering a compelling narrative. So be prepared for something powerful, with a climax that will place player agency right at the center.

Q. What sort of hardships did you encounter while designing the game and story? Anything in particular stick out?

A. Absolutely, the first challenge had to do with the core game mechanic, that is, the Combo System. It would need to allow the narrative ‘openness’ that we have been looking for without being over-complicated and strenuous to configure. Another challenge would be the setup of the storyline and overall narrative. I.e., how to deliver fragments of a story without having full control of the informational flow, nor of the timing it is delivered, but at the same time keep it coherent and allow the player to construct ‘their version of the story’ without losing the plot or its coherence. This was achieved via carefully designed synergies and balancing between the game mechanics, progression, and storytelling via clues and cutscenes.

Q. A lot of the difficulty within the game hinges on using your time wisely. Will you have 'unlimited' time, or will the case simply end after a certain number of days?

A. Our vision is to simulate the ‘detective experience’ with all that it includes: the stress of the investigation, not making enough to pay your bills, and your vices. At the same time, though, we want to make a game not only for the die-hards but also for the newcomers to the genre. For this reason, we provide three distinct game modes.

The Story Mode allows the player to focus on the investigation without having to worry about sanity or money, while also providing additional assistance to point the player to potential solutions.

On the other hand, the Gumshoe Mode is for the seasoned player. There are no assists, you cannot freeze time, and your course of action may lead to failure, or death without a chance of recovery — except starting a new run.

The Normal Mode stands somewhere in the middle. It gives you the tools to complete the game without sacrificing the economic aspects that make it a more complete experience, like time, money, and sanity.

Q. Is it intentional to let players redo the same tasks? For instance, you can repeatedly surveil something as the option to do so never goes away.

It is intentional to a certain degree, but we do understand that it takes points from accessibility, especially for the less experienced player. So we are taking actions here to refine and balance this in the upcoming releases.

Q. The writing here really grabbed me with some of the small details that gave me a sort of uneasy feeling. How did you go about achieving that sort of subtlety without making it obvious?

A. We are so glad that even in such an early state of the demo, the game manages to convey these emotions as intended. Above all, we have a great narrative team that is both experienced and knowledgeable in the genre.

There are really no secrets here; we take our lessons from the best, like Mr H.P. Lovecraft himself. Our approach is reductive; the scariest thing is what you can’t see, but you know it's there. The deepest horrors are the ones that manifest in the depths of our minds by images that our brain constructs from limited information that live in an environment that accommodates and reinforces such fear.

Q. By putting players in charge of how they handle a situation, you can create all sorts of problems. How do you handle all the possibilities that players can do?

A. This is a great question and represents the greater risk this game takes: giving the player maximum agency and control over ‘almost’ everything.

Obviously, the game cannot provide for *every* possible situation, but can (and does) provide for all that *makes sense*. This means, firstly, avoiding ‘moon logic’ and giving at least some level of (subtle) guidance when needed. We ‘set the scene’ and then we provide fragments of information that, if you pay attention (like any good detective should), make illogical solutions obsolete.

On top of that, Obsidian Moon leverages a technique that is used in board games (like DnD) by the greatest Dungeon Masters, which is the 3-Clue Rule: for any conclusion that you want players to make, provide at least three distinct clues (or paths). For example, to determine the identity of a victim, you can search their surroundings, the victim itself, ask around, or take the longer path (extract fingerprints, search records, etc.)

Q. I'm certainly looking forward to more cases and getting a better understanding of the world of Obsidian Moon. What do you think contributes the most to the world of Obsidian Moon? The writing? The gameplay?

A. Thank you, and we are excited to show the world what Obsidian Moon can offer to the genre! I really think that Obsidian Moon is a special game. Given that it is a game that depends mainly on text to convey its gameplay and narrative, it is a bit like how the blind develop their other senses to compensate for the absence of one.

It is the same with Obsidian Moon; the gameplay, the writing, the tone, and the overall atmosphere bear an equal and important weight to the immersion. In this respect, I believe that Obsidian Moon Demo has already given a good indication of our final vision, and we encourage all aspiring detectives to try out the demo and send us their comments!

Like many indie games, Obsidian Moon is trying to do something a bit different. If you're interested in getting a feel for it yourself, you can check out the demo now.

It isn't the only great detective game out there, but if you're new to the genre, it could be a good place to start. It's simple and leaves a lot up to you to figure out, so don't be afraid to give everything a shot.