Art is an expression of humanity. It allows us to convey experiences and emotions that transcend traditional barriers. While games aren’t always recognized as art, they provide arguably the most immersive outlet for developers to share their ideas. This makes projects like the highly stylized adventure game, Lona: Realm of Colors stand out in the indie scene.
Developed by SpaceFox Studio, the Kickstarter campaign for Lona seeks to raise $24,788. The game promises an emotional narrative depicted through two-sided paintings which players explore and switch between. All with the goal of helping the protagonist, Lona strike a balance between the chaotic and dark interpretations of her memories.
In the story, Lona is an artist who attempts to deal with her conflicting emotions by painting them. She is aided by her two animal companions. Each one representing a distinct interpretation of the painted events. Mrs. Schmidt the cat sees only chaos while Mr. Ruppel the crow sees only a dark, highly logical perspective. Players can switch between both views, exploring the paintings for clues and objects that reveal insight into Lona’s memories. They take what they discover and help Lona find balance between the contrasting perspectives.
Every Picture Tells A Story
Right off the bat, this game isn’t for everyone. The mechanics make it more of a hidden-object, searching sim rather than a typical adventure title. Still it seems to have strong narrative leanings and an impressively distinct art style.
When creating the world of Lona: Realm of Colors, the developers were heavily inspired by the work of animator Hayao Miyazaki. This is obvious in both the game’s whimsical tones and its strong female protagonist. This subtly empowering premise of a girl finding balance within herself will resonate with anime fans and gamers alike.
The Kickstarter campaign has just begun, but already has seen support from the backer community. The developers hope to meet their funding goal and release a beta version as early as next summer. They anticipate a full release of Lona: Realm of Colors around August 2018.
