You find yourself in a dimly lit hotel, drawn to a mysterious book in a library. The book opens up to reveal Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, a new game from Swedish developer Simogo. Unlike their previous hit, Sayonara Wild Hearts, this game offers a noir escape room experience filled with puzzles and mystery.
Nintendo Life caught up with Simon Flesser, one of the founders of Simogo, to learn more about the inspiration behind Lorelei and the challenges of developing a follow-up to a successful game like Sayonara Wild Hearts.
Simon Flesser shared that creating Lorelei involved a lot of different tasks, from designing puzzles to writing stories and creating textures. Despite the differences in genre and tone from Sayonara Wild Hearts, the team felt the pressure to deliver something unexpected and engaging with their new project.
The game draws inspiration from films like Last Year At Marienbad, incorporating elements like perspective and unreliable narration into the gameplay. The puzzles in Lorelei are designed to be like a good joke, with a build-up that leads to a surprising solution. The team focused on communication through puzzles, allowing players to piece together the clues and solve challenges.
The narrative themes in Lorelei explore the idea of how an observer can change the context of a situation. The game encourages players to form their own interpretations and engage in online discussions about the story. The use of photographs taken by the team adds to the eerie atmosphere of the game.
Simon also discussed the importance of music in game design, noting that songs often inspire the core ideas of their projects. He mentioned examples of impactful music in games like Super Mario Galaxy and Silent Hill 2. Reflecting on Sayonara Wild Hearts, Simon shared that while there are always things that can be improved in hindsight, the team is proud of what they achieved with the game.
As Lorelei and the Laser Eyes continues to captivate players with its unique puzzles and engaging narrative, the team at Simogo looks forward to seeing how players interpret and engage with the game. With a focus on creativity and innovation, Simogo continues to push the boundaries of game design and storytelling.
