Devlog #3: A Light in the Dark

The feedback from our recent demo was loud and clear. Our team walked away with pages of notes, plenty of head-scratching questions, and more than a few new ideas. From soft-lock concerns to the need for stronger mechanical contrast, it’s been a whirlwind of iteration. Here’s a breakdown of how we’re responding and what’s changing in Truth and Shadows.

Refining the Core: Light, Mist, and Memory

We’ve stripped things back and made some significant decisions. The shadow form as a fully playable third state is officially gone. Instead, we now have two distinct states: light form (Nirvana), which can interact with objects and navigate the world, and mist form (Dharma), which temporarily drifts through shadows and darkness. Players will automatically transition between the states now.

Players can remain in the mist for a limited time, with the screen gradually darkening to reflect their fading presence. Staying in the shadows for too long will cause a full level reset. It’s a mechanic that adds tension, rhythm, and narrative weight. The shadow isn’t just a different way to move, it’s a place of risk and consequence.

Mechanics That Matter

We’ve introduced movable blocks as the first of several interaction mechanics, and added sound effects for movement to bring the world to life. An instant reset button (L) has been added to help testers escape soft-locks, and we’re experimenting with other accessibility features like a future auto-skip for narrative pacing.

Also, the spotlight mechanic is back by popular demand. This time it’s a lot more streamlined. Rotation and controlling where the spotlight aims has been temporarily removed, giving players a clearer experience without sacrificing creative potential.

The New Goal: Memory Shards

To strengthen our storytelling and create a consistent gameplay loop, we’ve replaced exit doors with memory shards. These floating orbs must be collected at the end of each level and trigger brief narrative moments. They now serve as emotional milestones and mechanical goals, tying gameplay directly to story progression.

Level Design and Optimization

Our first playable level is rough but real. It puts the core mechanics into practice and has already taught us a lot. We’ve also started blocking out several more levels, each experimenting with new puzzle flows and layout styles. Alongside that, work is underway on a revamp of the player assets, more environmental effects, and ongoing camera fixes. Our shadow forms also now despawn properly in light outside of niche edge cases. Optimizations and polish passes are happening as we go, and it’s already starting to feel smoother.

Level Design Gallery

Our most polished level so far:

Other level concepts:

New Nirvana Concept: From Mannequin to Meaning

We’re in the process of replacing our current Nirvana model — a smooth, gray mannequin stand-in — with a new design that better reflects the tone and purpose of the light form. While Dharma is already visually distinct and thematically clear, Nirvana still needs that same level of care.

The new concept aims to give Nirvana a more defined silhouette, a subtle glow, and a stronger sense of presence in the world. It’s still early in development, but this update is already helping us push closer to a proper main character.

What’s Next

• Add more realistic interactions with blocks
• Continue designing and testing new levels
• Expand memory shard moments, properly integrating the poetry
• Build the new player prefab and polish up visuals
• Investigate additional shadow form tweaks (wall scaling, ceiling movement, etc)

Final Thoughts

This week was all about listening, refining, and moving forward with purpose. With each build, Truth and Shadows is taking clearer shape, becoming more intentional in both design and story. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer, and we see a bright future ahead.