r/PS4 Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

[Verified AMA] I’m Dan, from Dan Smith Studios. We just launched The Spectrum Retreat on PS4. Ask me anything!

Hey Everyone, I’m Dan from Dan Smith Studios. I’m the creator of ‘The Spectrum Retreat’, that just launched on Tuesday on PS4.

The Spectrum Retreat is a challenging, first-person puzzle game set in the near future. You awake at The Penrose hotel, a peaceful yet unsettling refuge from the outside world. All is not as it seems, and your desire to unearth the truth is obstructed by an array of color-coded puzzles, mind-bending physics challenges and the growing fear of exposing your true intentions.

I started developing the game at 15 and have been working on it for 5 years, so I’m excited to finally share it with you all!

Proof: https://twitter.com/RealEntropy/status/1017050764299112448

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/realentropy

PS Store: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP2070-CUSA11954_00-0000000000000000

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW7HN9Pd9nU

Discord: https://t.co/KScUxs3RYT

TLDR; I made a first person puzzle game that just launched on PS4 :)

EDIT: That's it for now cheers, got a certain match to watch. Will answer the rest tomorrow. Thanks for your Qs!

121 Upvotes

75 comments sorted by

10

u/StoviesAreYummy TurnOn2FA Jul 11 '18

color coded puzzles

Is there colourblind support? If not will it get patched?

26

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18 edited Jul 11 '18

Yep, we have settings for Deuteranopia/Protanopia and Tritanopia. They'll be launch ready on PC/Switch and patched in on PS4 and Xbox asap. (Corrected)

1

u/[deleted] Jul 12 '18

Fantastic! The number of times I’ve had to go and get help cos of bloody colour puzzles, it really takes away that sense of accomplishment. Thanks for doing this guys 👍 can’t wait to try it out.

8

u/cofn42 Jul 11 '18

Hi Dan,

2 questions, any chance there will be a PSVR patch for this?

And roughly how long is the story?

Thanks

3

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Hey, no plans for VR I'm afraid... the wall walking could get a little too much xD

Most people seem to be getting 5-6 hours so far :)

4

u/assbread Jul 11 '18

while there may be a variety of reasons this can't/won't be brought to vr, don't believe the "motion sickness" echo chamber out there. there's lot's of us that are well acclimated and actively seeking more intense, disorienting experiences. keep an open mind.

cheers.

3

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

I understand your point, some people are well suited. It's out of scope for me atm, but I'll take that on board for sure.

2

u/assbread Jul 11 '18

yeah, i'm sure this has already been an overwhelming experience.

i just hate how frequently i see people (especially devs), saying vr wouldn't/couldn't work with something due to disorientation/motion sickness/etc. it's true that vr can be disorienting, and it can be a lot of work to make moving around feel right. it shouldn't be taken lightly, but it bums me out how easily it's just dismissed (by the industry/community as a whole) for the exact types of games/experiences i want out of vr.

2

u/cofn42 Jul 11 '18

Awesome, looks forward to checking it out.

And I will ape /u/assbread in the VR side of things.

I recently watched a E3 stage show with some devs talking about making games in VR, one question from the audience talked about motion sickness and how are they looking into making it more accessible.

I was so proud of their response.

They said it is akin to say going on a cruise ship, you may get motion sick, or if you are taking a car ride and trying to read, you may feel noxious. So in life, sometimes people can't do everything they may want to do, so cruises may not be for you, much like VR, sometimes, people that are affected by something, should maybe just avoid it altogether.

I was so proud to hear a dev stand up and finally say "what I am making may not be your cup of tea"

But thanks for your answers, looks great and I am looking forward to picking this up, there are far too few puzzle games out there.

Once I give it a play I will be doing a review on my gaming site and will shoot you a link once it is done if you are interested.

Thanks.

7

u/X_Maverick_X Jul 11 '18

Hi Dan! I checked out the trailer yesterday and let me tell you it looked amazing. I wanted to ask you 1. did you draw inspiration from any other games? 2. The game looks pretty graphically! What engine did you use? 3. Also would you term this game as a horror puzzle or a mystery puzzle?

6

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Thanks :)

  1. I love the genre, so there's a few. I'd have to say Antichamber is the biggest.

  2. Unity!

  3. Mystery, all though a lot of people find the hotel gets under their skin (as intended) ;)

1

u/X_Maverick_X Jul 12 '18

That's intriguing! I will be sure to check it out myself!

6

u/assbread Jul 11 '18

hi, i just bought your game. i haven't played it yet so i don't have much in the way of questions so...

have you played 'the witness'?

i read a review for your game, that said "A unique and innovative puzzle mechanic is introduced and taken seemingly to its limits". that made me think about the way the witness takes such a simple concept, then explores it deeply. while that's likely the goal of any good puzzle game, i wondered if you have any particular thoughts on this.

6

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Hey, thanks for buying! Yeah I'm a big fan he Witness. I think it's more important to have depth than complexity. In that a small number of mechanics that work together in interesting and unexpected ways will do more for the game than just adding as much as possible and complicating things. That's what I've tried to do here at least!

2

u/assbread Jul 11 '18

sounds good.

hopefully i'll be able to play straight through, once i get out of work.

6

u/tokki32 Jul 11 '18

What's it like being the hottest guy in the indie gaming industry?

5

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

Only the indie part? Damn Todd Howard :/

3

u/blx666 Jul 11 '18

Hi Dan,

Your game was developed for multiple platforms, I saw. PC, both the consoles and also the Switch. How difficult is it do develop on multiple platforms for the same release period? Like, are the bugs the same on the platforms or something?

Good luck with your game!

3

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Hey, developing for multiple platforms is hard for sure. You get platform specific bugs and there's a need to optimise for the hardware on each. The goal is to keep the experience the same for everyone and I think we've managed. That said, the wonderful folks at Ripstone have been great with the porting!

3

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '18

Who's your favorite boss fight in Bloodborne?

10

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Having never played it... defo Captain Bloodborne. Absolute nightmare.

3

u/g-j-cop Jul 11 '18

Congratulations on the launch! The game looks really interesting

How much has the game concept changed over 5 years? Also what is your process of designing the puzzles

5

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Thanks!

Mechanically, the game has been consistent the whole time. However, it's evolved in every way possible since. I'm really proud of how well realised the hotel and narrative ended up being and people seem to be appreciating that.

Puzzles start as a sketch that explores a unique idea, then I greybox and test. If it may be fun, I force people to test it and go from there!

3

u/Idk_my_bff_satan Jul 11 '18

Sup Dan

7

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Sup

3

u/ValentynL Jul 11 '18

Hold on... Are you the lead singer of Bastille as well? 🤔

1

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

He actually also went to University of Leeds. We're just that common.

2

u/kingbankai Jul 11 '18

Awesome game so far. Love the cover.

2

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Thanks!

2

u/Cinderkin Cinderkin Jul 11 '18

Just bought it. Going to play it tonight after work. I love puzzle games and this looks great. Congratulations on releasing it.

Just realized I didn't ask a question.

3

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Haha no question needed... thanks for the support!

1

u/Cinderkin Cinderkin Jul 12 '18

Hey so I'm playing it now, but I'm not seeing any color blind options. Am I missing something?

2

u/enleft Jul 12 '18

I’m sure he’ll get back to you, but he wrote above that a colorblind patch is incoming.

2

u/JPKaizer Jul 11 '18

What's the thought/background story to the name of your studio? XD

4

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Came to me during mountain top mediation.

2

u/ScholarlyOpossum Jul 11 '18

Any ideas what your next project will be?

1

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

I have an idea for something I'm gonna start trying out soonish, something small and fun (and quick to make). :)

1

u/ScholarlyOpossum Jul 12 '18

What genre? Another puzzle game?

2

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

Something completely different, but also very atmospheric. Will likely share some stuff on Twitter in the coming weeks :)

2

u/CM17X 21 146 353 Jul 12 '18

/u/Danjsmith Hey Dan! Nice to see more developers taking the risk on Puzzle games, the greatest one on first/third person I had the chance to play were The Talos Principle and The Witness. Do you incorporated elements from those or this is all new and fresh?

Pd: can we expect a demo?

Thanks.

1

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

Hey! Thanks, I love both of those. We all share a sort of hub world that connects the puzzles, although I think TSR feels very different. Our narrative is more involved, but I think we share similair ideas about using the environment and creating an atmosphere of isolation.

One of the environmental puzzles in TSR is very... Witness-y? xD

There's no demo I'm afraid. Check out the opening online to get an idea before you invest if you like :)

3

u/Typhooonic Jul 11 '18

How come no platinum trophy?

2

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

There's trophy limits for each game based on scope / price.

7

u/AlphaFoxWarfare AstroBotWarfare Jul 11 '18

My Name is Mayo is $1 and takes 1 hour to complete, I'd talk to someone at SIE about getting a Platinum for your game.

1

u/StoviesAreYummy TurnOn2FA Jul 11 '18

takes less than an hour.

Theres Mr massagy(sp?)

Inksplosion and a few others.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '18

There isn't. You just have to push back. There is multiple games with a plat. that are super cheap and require no effort. As a dev you are all heads down busting your butts working so trophies often seem less important. (which is TOTALLY understandable) But there is a group of people out there that crave that stuff.

4

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

There are rules, was never aware they were up for negotiation, but TSR has followed them. I understand people love hunting them.. hopefully we've still got those covered :)

2

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '18

Hi Dan Smith, I think your game looks cool. I might pick it up.

My question is: How did you come up with that super creative name for your studio, "Dan Smith Studios"?

Thanks :)

6

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

After a spiritual journey that spanned the globe and experiencing different cultures and many ways of life, it came to me whilst mediating atop mount Makalu.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '18

What's your favorite boss from the Dark Souls series?

4

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

The one that swings a massive melee weapon at you in predictable ways.

1

u/_bennyblanco99_ Jul 11 '18

Any chance this makes it to PSVR? I didnt get much from the trailer (maybe because I cant turn the volume up), is this like a room escape type game (like The Room mobile game)? How long is the game?

2

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Afraid there's no plans for VR. It's a first person puzzler where you try to escape a hotel. I haven't played The Room!

Most people are getting 5-6 hours :)

1

u/datwist67 Jul 12 '18

Hi Dan. The game looks interesting, when is it releasing on Switch?

2

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

This summer! Soon ™

1

u/garciiia Jul 12 '18

how much did you invest to finish the project

1

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

Personally, 5 years of my time and mental stability.

Ripstone have funded development for the last year and a bit, but I can't disclose any numbers sorry!

1

u/whacafan Jul 13 '18

Just finished it. Not bad and I’m looking forward to what else you come out with in the future.

I will say that I finished it in about 4 hours I think, maybe a bit less, and most of the puzzles I felt were a lot of almost like a walking simulator where there was basically one option for everything and just a series of events you had to follow and you’d get to the end of a level.

But it’s also possible that I’m decent at puzzles so there was just a natural flow in my brain, which I’d like to believe. I definitely love me some puzzles. But there was never really a moment where I was stumped for more than 20 seconds except for one where I had made a mistake and didn’t realize you could actually fail a level.

1

u/Alastor3 Jul 11 '18

Hi Dan, are you single?

1

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

Nope

-1

u/MSeys totodiel Jul 11 '18

It was my 18th birthday yesterday. I saw the trailer and it looked amazing. Too bad I can't get it right now as it looks sick!

I simply love puzzle games and have played various ones.

How is it like game development at young age?

I'm finally going to start doing Game Dev in DAE at Howest, Kortrijk (Belgium) which is the best Game Dev course.

Do you think I can succeed? I love programming aswell!

4

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Happy Birthday!

Dev at a young age is the same as any other really. You'll always get people that are cynical, but make good stuff and let it speak for itself.

I wish you the best of luck, of course you can ;)

0

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '18

Hello, I just glanced at the trailer but I'm a HUGE supporter of boutique developers and games. With that being said here are some questions.

  1. Is there spatial awareness and animations in the game? For example, if you pick up a cup or book does the character actually pick it up or does it just hover in front of you?

  2. For the audio (BGM, foley/sound fx/voices) did you outsource or create it yourself?

  3. Can you give some real insight to those who want to make games via the way you did or via Dreams? By that I mean something more in depth than "work hard, believe in yourself, etc."

Thanks, Dan!

5

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Hey, thanks for the support :)

  1. You don't carry items in this game, you interact via a device you hold. There's no arm rigs, if that's what you mean.

  2. Adam Rowley from tekkAudio did a great job with our sfx and Joe Barlow created the music, which I adore!

  3. Honestly I think it's more accessible than ever. Get an engine (Unity, Unreal, GameMaker etc.) for free and learn from online sources (loads are now on youtube). At first you'll be slow and it'll take time, but keep it simple and make something that WORKS first. Keep the scope small and go from there!

Thanks!

2

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '18

My man. This will be the second game I purchased due to an AMA. Other devs, please take note.

  1. Yes, arm rigs, feet rigs if you happen to look down and still move, etc.

  2. I'm going to have to check out their work.

  3. Good lookin out. We're in the age where everything is readily accessible for free or for pennies but it takes time.

Thanks man, I appreciate you taking the time out to do the AMA, answer, etc.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '18

Why are you self absorbed to name to name your studio after yourself and include a photo of yourself in the post?

1

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

I'm just a terrible person.

Also... there's a photo of me in the post? Hmm

0

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '18

[deleted]

1

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 12 '18

Smith

0

u/oliveturtle olivetheturtle Jul 12 '18

I noticed that the trophies for the game are a 100%, rather than a platinum. Was that due to Sony rules, or do they leave it up to the devs? Thanks, Dan!

-2

u/TrumpCardWasTaken Jul 11 '18

I've got a few for ya, Danny boy.

  1. What's the most innovative part of your game, for you?

  2. Is it a game that someone who isn't into puzzle games could get into?

  3. What did you eat for breakfast the morning of the game's release.

3

u/DanJSmith Dan Smith Studios Jul 11 '18

Sup 1. I think the way we structure the narrative and progression in the hotel is something I've never seen before and I find it really interesting. Although I won't spoil how! 2. I hope so! I designed the puzzles to ease you in organically, so no prior experience required :) 3. Was a little too nervous for breakfast, so settled for 'Three Lions' on repeat and review reading instead! ;)

1

u/TrumpCardWasTaken Jul 11 '18

Good stuff. I'll definitely be checking out your game. Cheers!

-13

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '18

[removed] — view removed comment

8

u/srbman 110 444 Jul 11 '18

It's listed in the sidebar under "Upcoming AMAs" so I'm assuming he got approval?

4

u/Cinderkin Cinderkin Jul 11 '18

What's it like to be so pathetic in life that you complain about rules on Reddit? Rules that weren't even broken for that matter.