Hello everybody! We hope you are having a blast with all the demos available at the Steam Next Fest (including ours, of course). Let us know if you have already played Delete After Reading, as your feedback is incredibly valuable to us! And now, let us address [b]one question that we get again and again[/b] when talking about our games: what comes first, the story or the game? There is probably no universal answer. Maybe it's because [b]it's not easy to separate the two[/b], and when you think about creating a video game it's inevitable to have some mechanics already in your head. We imagine it must be something like composing a song, where the important thing is not what comes first, but how melody and lyrics work together. We usually start with the story. No, rather, with [b]an outline of the story[/b]. Because in the beginning, it is important that the story is precise enough to understand what it is about but open enough to later incorporate the game mechanics and puzzles we are interested in. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42312862/6b22a0f6cf3278ed11878060951a80e1c5543155.jpg[/img] So, we first usually write a plot (1 or 2 pages). Then we divide that plot into chapters for which we take into account the story arc (introduction, middle, and end) but also the level design in order [b]to get a sense of the rhythm[/b] it will have. Once we have those chapters, we start to see [b]how the puzzles and mechanics fit together[/b]. We usually compile a list of ideas for puzzles (logic, lateral thinking, observation) and classic escape room and point & click mechanics. When we see one that can help us tell the story, we put it in, but if we see that it doesn't work or that it looks forced, we discard it. Once we finally have the first draft of the script, the puzzles, and the mechanics, we prepare a design document for the programmers (usually a spreadsheet) and we make a small storyboard with the help of the art director. That moment marks the end of the design process and lets us [b]focus on pre-production[/b]. But first, we iterate both documents with the whole team. So, having reached this point, how do we know if the story and the game are balanced? [b]We don't[/b]. At that moment all we have is intuition or a feeling. And the only way to know if we have hit the sweet spot will come later when we start testing the game. Wanna know one good thing regarding Delete After Reading balance between plot and gameplay? You can try it now for yourself and let us know, as the game’s demo is [b]still playable during the Steam Next Fest[/b]. Don’t miss this opportunity! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42312862/1cd6a8d25ff9329335e1e3021693afebe7070d33.jpg[/img]