From Match-3 to Cathulhu: Roland Kie’s Vision for Roguematch

Hello, Readers of the Friendly Necromancer blog! I have a special treat for you today. I've asked Game Designer Roland Kie from Starstruck Games, makers of Roguematch: The Extraplaner Invasion, if he'd be willing to sit down and answer a few questions for us in an interview format. 

I've talked about Roguematch a few times here on the blog and after making it into the credits for the game with a special thank-you, it's only fair that I return the favor. Roland highly deserves a spot here on the sidebar of the blog as a VIP! 

Read on for more insights into Roland's special kind of awesomeness. 

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Q: So Roland, why don't you take a second to introduce yourself to those who may not know you! Let us know how you found yourself in this state of life and why you're doing what you're doing. 

A: Hi! I'm Roland Kie, born and bred in Singapore! Games have always been a major part of my life, and when I got a chance to work at EA as localisation QA 20 years ago, I joined the games industry and never looked back! I eventually made my way to become a game designer, co-founded Inzen Studios, focusing on mobile games, and then subsequently left and found Starstruck Games.

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Q: Let's talk for a moment about Starstruck Games. Where is Starstruck Games based, and how do you feel that location has or hasn't influenced your approach to development and marketing?

A: We are based in sunny Singapore! For us, I think it's been a fairly good spot for development. For example, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo do make it fairly straightforward to get Devkits here, so that was a blessing! Marketing wise, it's been a challenge, as always, because we don't use a publisher, so we have to look for marketing companies in the different regions, or try to approach social media influencers ourselves!

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Q: What inspired you to take the leap into indie game development, especially with the risks involved? 

A: There's this deep...yearning? Want? To create something that somebody would love to consume and appreciate, the way I've appreciated the games I've played throughout my life. 

I don't think the freedom to do so would be easily available in a bigger company. Games have been such a deep part of my journey that making them feels like the natural direction of my life. The risks are 100% definitely (Still) there, but this is really one of those things where, if I don't try the darndest for it, it would be something I would regret later on.

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Q: Could you walk us through your team’s workflow—are roles more defined, or do you collaborate on multiple aspects of the game? Are there certain fingerprints in Roguematch that you could identify as yours or Jesmond's or Yi Chuin's?

A: Chuinny is our Artist, Jesmond is the Coder and I'm the Game Designer. That's the very basics of it. We discuss and bounce ideas off each other all the time though. 

The character design is definitely in Chuinny's style, that's the most visual 'fingerprint' we can see. She really does the cutest stuff. UI/UX is a good mix of the three of us, but eventually Chuinny finds the best look. I come up with the narrative and features but always bounce them off Jesmond and Chuinny. I also did the music, but also with their input on whether it sounds appropriate. We balance each other out quite a lot!

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Q: As a fellow game designer, I’m curious: what design principles do you hold closest, especially when blending genres like match-3 and roguelike?

A: This is a tough one! Personally, I feel like I need to have a narrative to the games we make. 

For Roguematch though... In some ways, I have to adhere to the limits that Match 3 and Roguelikes bring to the table. I kept shifting focus between many principles, but ultimately kept going back to, and having difficulty in, designing the best tutorial because these are two disparate genres merged into one. We still don't feel it's good enough! It's too long, it's too short, we should break it up into different stages, there's so many mechanics because it's two genres, etc.

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Q: Do you or your team have a particular fondness for both roguelike and match-3 games, or did Roguematch come together more organically from different ideas?

A: I have a reasonable fondness for Match 3. It started with Bejewelled, and it went on to the many iterations of games like Candy Crush and Puzzle Quest and Gardenscapes and so many in between I forget them. Oh Angry Birds, Harry Potter, and Stranger Things just rushed through my mind. 

I do not play Roguelikes like Angband and Dwarf Fortress, but I did play the Mystery Dungeons like Torneko's Quest, and a bit of Chocobo Dungeon, I can't remember if I've played Shiren it was so long ago, and a few years back, Dragonfangz and Crown Trick. 

Roguematch did not come from just appreciating both genres. Roguematch came together from the years noticing that out there, games are tagged as 'Match 3 Roguelikes' or 'Match 3 RPGs', and they were in a sense, but not truly combined in the way I imagined it. I always felt that the next step for a Match 3 RPG is...what Roguematch is. Where Match 3 is real to the characters in the game. Where Match3 players can put their skills to test in a more 'real' situation. Where Roguelike players are playing a turn-based, grid-based RPG with Match 3 for real.

We also want to push Match 3 further into a space where the mechanics of it aren't viewed as 'casual'. There have been other Match 3 RPGs that have managed to do it in some ways, like the Puzzle Quests 1, 2, 3 and Marvel Puzzle Quest, which is more of a Match 3 deckbuilder, and many of the games that you've covered and talked about a few years back. What we wanted was for the Match 3 aspect of it to be way more involved within the game itself.

Our serendipitous discovery of your hunt for Match 3 Dungeon games also gave us a super boost in motivation during early development :D

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Q: What design or gameplay element of Roguematch are you the proudest of, and why?

A: We're proud that we even managed to find a playable balance between Match 3 and Turn-based Dungeon Crawling! 

We didn't have any references so it was a lot of trying to see how it could work. We had so many iterations of it. We ended up with this one because we realised that if we wanted to introduce this sub-genre, we had to make it more palatable for players, so it's the simpler version of what we thought it could be.

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Q: How do you incorporate player feedback into Roguematch's development, and were there specific changes you made based on that feedback? Where does most of your feedback come from? 

A: We have friends playtesting the game, which is useful for deeper-level game design issues. We went to some cons, like Tokyo Gameshow, Busan Indie Connect, and Gamescom Asia SG, and observed players playing, which is useful for silently observing beginner player issues. We listen to everyone and then we sit down and discuss what makes sense and what doesn't. 

Specific changes from player feedback? Quite a lot, some were additions, like multiple ways of shifting the pieces when using controls. We added a different color scheme for the color blind. We shortened the number of rooms to reach each level's boss. We shortened, then lengthened, then shortened the tutorial based on player feedback (or frustration).

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Q: How did the team approach the fusion of match-3 mechanics with turn-based gameplay? Was it challenging to keep it balanced and accessible for different types of players?

A: It was extremely challenging. We were facing two demographics of players that did not necessarily have any skill overlap, or skill transfer from one genre to the other. What we did attempt to figure out were the common motivations for playing these types of games. One of them was the 'tactics' aspect of both games. In both genres, you try to be efficient with your turns to get the optimal outcome. 

For the short version of this, In match 3, this could be solving one of the parts of the board, in a roguelike, it would be, defeating one enemy. The next step from that would be how to find ways to clear more of the board, or how to clear more enemies at one go. So the (not exactly) parallel tools for this are the special pieces in Match 3 and Magic/Skills in Mystery Dungeons.

Match 3 players are usually presented with one board to 'solve' in a number of turns. Dungeon crawlers, however, are often one large level with interconnecting rooms that you can freely travel around, and where monsters can chase you from one room to the next.

We decided to stick to one room at a time for Roguematch so that it would be easier to learn and play. We tried to find ways to reward players for clearing a room, and that came in the form of getting items, and later on, gaining Exp to level up.

During player testing, we would find an experienced match 3 player doing really well, defeating enemies further away...until one enemy reached them, and then they'd be just running away. Experienced Roguelike players with no Match 3 experience maybe could kite a bit, but without relying more on available matches, they would miss opportunities to defeat enemies and get overwhelmed. Fortunately we came across a few players who played both genres, and they were quite good and played it so naturally, and liked it. We also had players who were better at one genre than the other, but halfway through playtesting, had an 'Aha' moment, and then played through all the way to the boss. So on that end, we knew on average that the game was balanced and generally well received as long players stuck around to learn a bit of both genres.

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Q: Tell me more about the dynamic music in Roguematch—how each stage’s soundtrack shifts with elemental themes. What inspired this feature?

A: We started out that way because in each level, you could have rooms associated with one elemental plane, and a different one the next, so the music just faded in and out according to the room you were in. Also, the combining of music in the mixed elemental planes just 'made sense'. If you listen to the Cryo-Volcanic rooms, they're a mix of the music from the Ice rooms and from the Lava rooms, which in themselves are a mix of music from the four main planes. For example, the Elemental plane of Lava is associated with the elemental planes of Fire (Where we use more heavy Brass Instruments) and Earth (Where we use more percussions). Ice would have music from Water + Air. 

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Q: Sonya the “nekomancer” is such a unique character! Can you share more about her creation and the idea of her quest for the Nekonomicon?

A: We knew we had to have a Cat, Dog and Rabbit BFF adventuring party. So if there was a Cat, it absolutely (100000%) had to be a Nekomancer. If there was a Nekomancer, the Nekonomicon had to be involved. If the Nekonomicon was involved, Cathulhu had to be involved. If Cathulhu was involved, the other Meowter Gods, Elder Nyans/Elder Wans also had to be involved. If they were antagonists or protagonists, who would be their counterparts? And so on and so forth!

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Q: What were some of the most challenging technical aspects of Roguematch’s development? How did you approach them?

A: The Match 3 system was challenging. Characters interact with it in so many ways, walk into it and you switch places with it. Or maybe you have the item that makes you consume it. Or maybe you're the same color and you match with it! Then, matching them makes them disappear, or turn into new pieces, or explode, or stop time. Put in a new feature on the Roguelike side and something on the Match 3 side goes haywire. Honestly we could only approach it with hard work and time. Aka Brute Force. (Thank you Jesmond).

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Q: Is there a dream project you’d love to work on with unlimited resources, or are there aspects of Roguematch you’d expand on?

A: Yes. It's Zelda related. And now that BOTW and TOTK have come out it made me think that it is even more possible now. But we're not Nintendo! So that's a pipe dream. (Wait, unlimited resources means we can buy Nintendo, yes?). There are others! But it has to do with past games we've worked on before.

Jesmond and I often have fun thinking of working on a fighting game. As for Roguematch, yes for sure. Though that largely depends on how the gaming community as a whole accepts diegetic Match 3 Roguelikes as something that they could learn to play.

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Q: What lessons from Roguematch’s development do you plan to apply to future games? 

A: Don't try to create new sub-genres unless you have plenty of resources. Especially one where half of it looks casual, and the other half looks hardcore. 

~~

Q: What’s next for you and Starstruck Games? Any exciting plans for new projects or updates to Roguematch? 

A: Roguematch is our Final Fantasy. We won't have the resources to carry on if we cannot get the world to see and try Roguematch. 

~~

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for my readers. As someone who loves this style of gameplay and mashup, I'm extremely excited to see it happen and executed in such a fantastic way. You've done an amazing job and made a game you can be proud of! 

In a way you might say I am star-struck by Starstruck! Keep up the excellent work and thank you for your passion with Game Design, Match 3, and just being a downright great person. I wish you nothing but the best and success in all your endeavors. 

Happy Dueling!

AW: Off the Grid with Ingrid and To and Fro with Frodi

Ok, Team. It's time for another update on Asgard’s Wrath because, DANG, some super cool stuff happened. Basically I’ve finished the first hero’s story (Ingrid) and moved on to the second (Frodi). Obviously, I'm still in love with the game so far, and it's just getting better and better.

The big bad of Ingrid's story

Wrapping up Ingrid’s journey led to a pretty epic boss fight -- one that I honestly wasn't expecting to be so cool. I love it when you get surprised by something awesome like this. Tyr basically taunts the heck out of Ingrid and starts destroying her hometown. Eventually, you make your way up to a giant arena and there you are in a mythic showdown between Tyr and, not Ingrid, but you in God form. He came out with fireballs, flailing maces of death, all armored up with serious grudges. My job? Counter his fireballs by shooting them out of the sky, knocking off his armor pieces, and then hitting him with an arrow to the heart so I could pull him close on a light rope. Once in range, you punch him out boxer style. After you do that sequence three times (three is always the magic number), he's left knocked down long enough for Ingrid to get in there and stab out his left eye. Truly an epic moment you can't get in any other VR game than Asgard's Wrath!

Time to gain an eye patch, Tyr!

With Ingrid’s adventure wrapped up, I’ve now started with the second hero, Mr. Frodi, the blind priest. He’s a caster-type character wielding a staff, which adds a whole new dynamic to combat. Frodi’s staff can cast energy bolts, which you can direct in looping paths. He also has this spirit orb, which you can use to refill with extra charges since his staff has limited power. 

Unlocking Frodi also meant unlocking my next animal companion: a minotaur! Now, just to be sure you understand, these animal companions in Asgard's Wrath aren’t exactly powerhouses—they’re more like sidekicks for fun and to help with puzzles rather than front-line fighters. That said, if you toss them a rage potion, they’ll go beast mode for a bit. By the way, it's super satisfying to throw stuff like that to your companion: potions, food, and whatnot. It’s great watching them catch and use it or throw it back. Anyway, the whole deal with the minotaur is that it can push large blocks out of the way to open up those blocked areas.

No need to bow, my dude . . . let's go wreck stuff!

All in all, Asgard's Wrath is doing a great job of keeping things awesome, and I’m excited to see where Frodi’s journey goes next. More updates to come!

Happy Dueling!

Breaking Through Bridges and (Almost) Breaking Bulbs in Asgard’s Wrath

I'm so happy I was able to play Asgard's Wrath again this weekend!  Jumping back in to play this game again was difficult for me for some reason.  I don't know if VR just felt too athletic an experience right now or if I was just too into Diablo, Brawl Stars, and all that other stuff I've been playing. I don't want to say I've been lazy with it, just haven't really been heavily wanting to play this game when I sit down . . . more like . . . lemme just veg out. 

That all said, I’ve made some progress in Asgard’s Wrath over the weekend! I’ve officially unlocked Astrid as a companion, which has added a whole new dynamic to the game. She's an Eagle Valkyrie with some solid ranged attacks. There’s something about her that feels cool. So far, she’s been essential not just for story but also for helping me navigate the game’s many puzzles.

EAGLE POWA!

And let me tell you, these puzzles are part of what make Asgard’s Wrath so satisfying. I do hope they get a bit more difficult as I go on here. Case in point: the recent God Puzzle challenge I encountered, the solution was pretty simple. I just had to grab a few pieces and assemble a broken bridge to allow my avatar to get across. Easy. If it's anything like my experience in AW2, it'll get much more complex later in the game.

Easy, make a bridge from two pieces. Got it.

The next puzzle I encountered however was more involved and brought Astrid into the mix. This time, I needed to lower a bridge to retrieve a handle, which was essential to get me ready for the upcoming fight with Tyr’s bruiser. The trick here was using Astrid's wind wings to blow a windmill that adjusted the wooden stops on either side of the bridge. The puzzle demanded some patience at first because I wasn't understanding what my eyes were seeing. I had to pay close attention to the stops on the right and left sides as the bridge lowered, making sure it hit just the right angle. After a bit of trial and error, the bridge finally lined up, and I got what I needed. It’s these kinds of puzzles, sprinkled throughout the gameplay, that make the world feel interactive and alive.

Lower a bridge . . . seemed easy enough at first.

Speaking of the Tyr’s Bruiser, that mini-boss fight was no joke. He’s one of those Etins who doesn’t give you much breathing room, and timing is everything. After blowing up the meteor above his head while he was summoning it a few times, it was game over and the game actually asked me to rip his two heads off, which was incredibly satisfying. Ripping the heads off an ettin wasn't on my dance card this weekend, but I'm so glad it happened.

Add another defeated enemy to the codex!

Overall I'd say my biggest hurdle to returning to play Asgard's Wrath again is simply parrying. After taking a break from the game, my timing was completely off, and I could feel it in every swing. Each missed parry is a reminder that this game’s combat demands a bit more precision than just sword wagging on an enemy. I’m slowly shaking off the rust, but getting that timing back has been a challenge all its own. 

Of course, the bruiser wasn’t the only danger I faced this weekend. In the heat of battle, I managed to pull off some accidental real-world damage to my finger—thanks to my current VR setup. Right now, my playspace has its own hazards: the most worrisome being a ceiling fan with exposed bulbs. I’m genuinely surprised I haven’t shattered a bulb by now. If I don’t swap out this fan for a regular light fixture soon, there’s bound to be an incident, especially since games like Asgard’s Wrath require some serious arm-swinging action.

Bandaid please!

In short, Asgard’s Wrath continues to keep me hooked with its thoughtful puzzles, intense battles, and a world that feels surprisingly immersive. Astrid’s arrival has marked a new phase in the adventure, adding a bit of guidance and grounding to the otherwise chaotic Norse world I’m navigating. Here’s hoping that next time, I’ll nail those parries without needing a Band-Aid in real life!

Happy Dueling!

Of Content Mills and Zones of the Month in Wizard101

I've been waxing a bit reminiscent lately about all my time and energy spent working on Wizard101. There are a few good stories in me from those days, and I'll have to write them out someday. Today, however, I'm thinking a lot about the Zone of the Month feature I instituted. 

I'm really fond of list projects like this that choose a random "thing" and expound on it a bit. It feels like there's a natural sense of surprise and collection to them that all feels good to me.

A couple examples of this here on my blog are how I used to do a pet of the day feature for Wizard101 or how I made a collection of wizard101 player mini-interviews and turned it into a card game. I LOVE IT! It's such an easy content mill for blogging.

Ahh, the Death Cyclops pet!

At Kingsisle I instituted (and it's still going on) the Puppet Pirates "of the month" comics with Jeff Toney where every month you have a new comic that fans caption. I instituted the Rogue's Gallery spotlights "of the month" that highlighted NPCs in Pirate101. Again, it's just a great content mill format that fans track and appreciate so much. 

When I was knee-deep in Wizard101 community management, I set my sights on bringing that content mill to the newsletter with something that seemed endless to me: all the freaking zones in Wizard101. There's a bajillion of them. You'll never run out of them! Even better, we still had access to the original zone-level designers, and I felt like it would be great to partner with them and pick their brains. 

When I was concepting the article, I asked my old coworker Natalie Akilian about how we handle zone pricing, and when I found out we could sneak in price changes with weekly maintenance, I sold our Marketing Manager on it and we were golden. I got approval to discount that zone to go along with the article and with the help of Natalie, we made it happen.

So there it was and my randomness led me to close my eyes and point to a list of zones and BAM, in the December 2017 Wizard101 Newsletter, I was gathering info on the Celestia Science Center, talking with the writers and designers, using the flycam to take screenshots, reading quest text, coordinating zone pricing, and working with the marketing web designer to make it happen.

The flycam let me get great shots like this one!

It went over surprisingly . . . quiet . . . at first. I think people were a bit confused, but eventually, the masses seemed to approve and the discount was actually what made people appreciate it the most. There typically weren't any discounts on zones for Crowns-only non-subscribers, so picking up a random zone on a discount was actually pretty welcome and unique. 

I kept that feature going strong each month up until my transition out of Marketing into Design in August 2018. So in the end I helped coordinate these:

• July 2018--Zone of the Month: Zanadu Sewers 
• June 2018--Zone of the Month: Pegasus Place 
• May 2018--Zone of the Month: The Wild 
• April 2018--Zone of the Month: The Crystal Grove 
• March 2018--Zone of the Month: Crescent Beach 
• February 2018--Zone of the Month: Savarstaad Pass 
• January 2018--Zone of the Month: Chamber of Fire 
• December 2017--Zone of the Month: Celestia Science Center

What's pretty great to see is that the Community Manager and Marketing Team kept that going well beyond what I started, which is impressive. 

• February 2020--Zone of the Month: Chronoverge
• January 2020--none 
• December 2019--none 
• November 2019--Zone of the Month: Aggrobah 
• October 2019--none 
• September 2019--Zone of the Month: Throne Room of Fire 
• August 2019--Zone of the Month: Jade Palace 
• July 2019--Zone of the Month: Regent's Square 
• June 2019--Zone of the Month: Sunken City 
• May 2019--Zone of the Month: Firecat Alley 
• April 2019--Zone of the Month: Pigswick Academy 
• March 2019--Zone of the Month: The Oasis 
• February 2019--Zone of the Month: Urville Station 
• January 2019--none 
• December 2018--Zone of the Month: Northeast Aero Plains 
• November 2018--Zone of the Month: Aeriel Shores 
• October 2018--Zone of the Month: Pet Pavillion (again) 
• September 2018--Zone of the Month: Pet Pavillion 
• August 2018--Zone of the Month: Wizard City Commons  

Good on 'em! I'm glad they kept it going as long as they did.

Seeing all this is making me wonder now, hmm. I wonder what it would be like if I brought this back on my personal blog? Obviously I couldn't direct zone discounts anymore, but it might be fun to let randomness once again direct a zone of the month. It certainly would get me back in the game and playing around more often!

I don't know ... I guess, don't be surprised if you see it pop up again here on TFN!

Happy Dueling!

Brawl Stars' Update -- From Scary Tales to Angels and Demons

In my last post, I was all about Count Pengula. Since then, things have only gotten better. Not only did I reach the end of the Brawl Pass with a few days left to spare, but the game kept the treats coming right up until the very end.

Dripping with Looty Goodness!

One of the biggest wins this Brawl-O-Ween has been my luck with those Halloween-themed loot boxes, Dead Boxes. They gave everyone 10 free Dead Boxes, and that made for some super looty goodness. I scored BOTH Cordelius and Moe! I would have been overjoyed with just one brawler, but TWO?! So good. And as if that wasn’t enough, the boxes coughed up a ton of Brawler Credits, which gave me just what I needed to unlock Chester and start unlocking Draco.

Mushroom boy!

And here’s another Halloween bonus: I earned Vamprimo, Primo’s vampire-themed skin, in one of the dead boxes too! The Halloween skins have been on point, and my collection just keeps growing.

Free skin?! I'll take it!

The biggest question still haunts Brawl Stars like a lingering ghost from Halloween: the mysterious “don’t tap” star. When I last wrote, it looked like a dark, Necronomicon-style book wrapped in chains. Now, the mystery has deepened. The book’s look has changed, morphing into a more traditional Brawl Stars-style book hiding behind shattered glass. The ominous chains are gone, and in their place is a single button that reads, “Turn Back.” Looming over it all is the title, “Angels vs. Demons—The End is Near.”

Is this the Angel version of the book?!

It feels like Brawl Stars is setting up something huge for the Angels and Demons event, tying it all back to that spooky star that’s had everyone curious. Could it be something game-changing? New lore? A surprise challenge? Whatever it is, the mystery is building up, and I’m here for it.

On the leveling front, I’m happy to report that Squeak is now fully upgraded! Next on the list for leveling are Primo, Bull, and Angelo. I’ve unlocked the hypercharges for each of them, so now it’s just a matter of gathering enough gold to max out their skills. Fingers crossed I can stay focused on that goal without getting distracted by the next shiny thing. That’s the genius of Brawl Stars, though—there’s always something new to chase after. Supercell knows exactly how to keep us coming back, which is probably why the game is thriving. According to an article on Pocket Gamer, 2024 might even be the game’s best financial year yet. In the first four months of this year alone, Brawl Stars generated more revenue than it did in all of 2023. That’s some impressive growth!

The Angels and Demons event is just kicking off, and it’s already off to a good start with a new Brawler named Juju available in the shop. Based on the past season, I’m guessing the new event will drop a whole lineup of celestial and infernal skins. If the Halloween event is any indicator, I’d bet we’re in for some good rewards and maybe a few surprises, especially if they tie in with that mysterious star.

Looks pretty cool! I'm sure I'll hate fighting against her.

Meanwhile, the Brawl Stars Championship 2024 is underway! I just tuned in recently, and although there’s no chance of me winning that exclusive Hypercharge, you can still catch today’s final matches and join the action at event.brawlstars.com. They’re offering rewards for voting on match winners, choosing MVPs, and even just watching the event live. The championship has added a whole new layer to this season of Brawl Stars, and it’s cool to see the game’s community come together for these final matches.

Imagine being on that stage!

This has been one of my favorite Brawl-O-Ween events so far, filled with surprises, incredible pulls, and that eerie star mystery that’s still dangling. As Brawl-O-Ween draws to a close, I’m ready to dive headfirst into Angels and Demons, waiting to see what awaits on the other side of that shattered glass.

Whether the “Turn Back” button is a warning or an invitation…we’ll find out soon enough.

Happy Dueling!

Cartwheeling through Halloween -- Diablo IV's Meat or Treat

Wassup Ghouls and Boys! Just hopping back in to give you all a progress update on my journey through the Vessel of Hatred expansion, especially as I journey into the new Halloween “Meat or Treat” event. Dylan and I managed to snag some rewards from it, though we didn’t spend too much time online—really we came to score the free Halloween loot and then jumped into the Infernal Hordes event.

Free spooky horse!

We ran the Infernal Hordes event when our Spiritborn were younger, but we discovered the Infernal Hordes had a bit of extra magic to them because I finally got the boots I was hunting for and completed my “infinite evade” eagle build! I wrote about this build in my last post, Cartwheeling Past the End of D4's Expansion, and now, thanks to a timely gear drop, the build is going great! We were playing on Torment 1, so honestly, it wasn’t the most challenging battle of all time, but hey, it’s fun to roll with my homie.

I’ve heard some rumors floating around about the effectiveness of Torment difficulty levels, with people saying that higher Torments don’t seem to yield better gear. While I haven’t completely confirmed this yet and it's probably hearsay, it’s enough to have me wondering if sticking with the lower difficulties might be the way to go for a bit.

Explosions, stuff, and things!

On a fun side note, I actually stumbled upon a Mythic Unique while trading Obols: the Nesekem, The Herald glaive. Ended up salvaging and reforging it, but no dice—it didn’t produce anything that fit my current build better. It would’ve been cool to keep as a collector’s item, but since it doesn’t really gel with any strong builds, I had to let it go. It’s all part of the Mythic Unique chase, though, right?

So, that’s where I’m at for now. The Halloween event’s been a treat (no tricks… so far), and as always, the search for the perfect gear rolls on.

Driving that Tren to the End of Dreams

My recent move had me hooking up my Playstation 4 again and remembering all the good times I had playing Dreams. Naturally, the next thing I did was to set up my PSVR and put in that CD so I could revisit my old creations. What happened was a bittersweet trip down memory lane because while checking out my worlds, I stumbled upon Tren, a recently released, delightful little puzzle game tucked within Dreams. 

Tren immediately captured my attention with its toy train charm and super chill puzzle mechanics. However, this joy feels a little tinged with a sense of loss. Media Molecule has scaled back support for Dreams, and for the time being, there’s no PSVR2 compatibility on the horizon—a clear signal that this chapter is closing. The Dream of Dreams is still here, but it's a shadow of what it used to be, and only time will tell until the nightmare of its sunset is inevitable.

To be honest, the addition of Tren to Dreams is pretty puzzling in and of itself. It's a fully fleshed-out game within a game making it truly a hidden flatscreen gem inside a VR creation engine. I mean, I guess it isn't as puzzling when you figure Tren is built by THEE John Beech. He's such a cool developer. I loved reading his bio and to think that this, from a former construction worker turned creative director, is all because he was amazing at making Little Big Planet levels back in the day.

Maybe they were thinking that by adding this game people would see that Dreams isn't just a VR game builder but a flat-screen game builder as well? or maybe it was just getting this game out there before the end was here? Maybe it was just too good not to release? I'm really not sure, but if you own Dreams, you should check out Tren. It's pretty amazing.

Gushing in charm

In the end, Dreams was never just a game; it was a toolkit that unlocked creativity for everyday players. Media Molecule designed Dreams as a creative platform for ideas where players could build anything, from games to art. There were a lot of problems with the platform by its very nature: it took more effort and technical understanding than the average player might expect, and achieving real creative freedom meant a steep learning curve. Nonetheless, those who mastered the toolkit produced a bunch of cool stuff. If it ever fully dies, it'll leave a gap in the creative VR gaming landscape that’ll be hard to replace. I don't know if we'll ever get a VR creativity platform quite like it.

I guess what I love most about it is that Dreams’s inclusion of VR wasn’t just a side feature; it was integral to the game's vision. At the time, Dreams was one of the few platforms enabling users to build VR content without traditional game development skills. Unfortunately, VR development is costly, and without widespread headset adoption, the platform always had a niche, but very cool, community with no way for its potential whales to keep it afloat like they do with MMOs.

I suppose Dreams faced another particularly high hurdle since it's also a platform that needs constant updates, moderation, and support for the community. It really feels like for VR developers, breaking even is difficult when the target audience remains relatively small compared to traditional gaming.

Enter 2023 . . . Sony’s PSVR2 didn't warmly hug backwards compatibility with PSVR1, and that was probably the beginning of the end. 

I feel like current creative VR platforms have something to offer but lack that accessible, playful approach that Dreams championed. The spirit of Little Big Planet lived on in this game, and that's part of what made it fun. Sure, platforms like Rec Room and VRChat allow creative expression but really lean heavily toward building social spaces rather than in-depth game creation. For advanced creators, VR-supported engines like Unity and Unreal offer immense power, but they’re beyond reach for most casual users. A lot of people seem to be gravitating to other platforms like Resonite, but  . . . I don't know . . . it feels like Dreams held a unique spot, bridging the gap between professional tools and hands-on play while always oozing with charm.

Dreams will leave its legacy as a trailblazer in user-generated VR content. Its maintenance mode is a reminder that even the most ambitious projects face challenges in balancing creativity with commercial viability. For now, those who cared can look back at our creations, hold to the worlds we built, and hope that one day, another platform will allow us to pick up where we left off. Until then, the memories, the charm of Tren, and the spirit of Dreams live on.

Happy Dueling!