Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow – How a Small Indie Team Created a Captivating Puzzle Game (Exclusive Interview)

Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow is a puzzle platformer game from Frozen Line and Ravenage Games. It was released last June 14, 2023, and since then, many players in the gaming community have praised it for its profound and emotion-provoking gameplay and storyline. Spiel Times had the wonderful opportunity to interview one of the creative minds behind the game. In this exclusive interview, we talk about how a small indie team like Frozen Line was able to create such a beautiful and captivating puzzle game like Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow.

Keep reading to learn more about our exclusive interview with Andrey Maximov, the CEO of Frozen Line.

Spiel Times’ exclusive interview with one of the creators of Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow

How did you come up with the concept of ‘Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow’ and can you tell us about the thought process behind creating the characters like Griffin and Birly?

Since our childhood, we have been fans of video games. After experiencing the incredible titles To the Moon and Little Nightmares, we were inspired to create our own game. Daydream combines the emotional storytelling found in To the Moon with the visually stunning style in Little Nightmares.

When it comes to designing our characters, the American fantasy TV show Sweet Tooth, based on Jeff Lemire’s comic book, served as a significant influence. We admired the character design in the series, particularly drawing inspiration from the protagonist’s deer antlers, which became the basis for Griffin’s distinctive hat. Additionally, the proportions of Griffin’s anatomy, such as the large head, big eyes, and slender limbs, were influenced by the animated show Star Butterfly, which premiered in 2015.

Another profound source of inspiration is A. A. Milne’s timeless creation, Winnie the Pooh. The character of Christopher Robin, representing a strong adult trapped in a child’s body, resonated deeply with us and mirrors the way Birly perceives our protagonist, Griffin. Birly, like Winnie, symbolizes the innocent and vulnerable aspects of a child’s nature. The connection between the child and their toy signifies the internal conflict within Griffin, portraying his endeavor to help himself.

What challenges did you face while developing the game, and how did you overcome them?

The whole process for us was a challenge! We were developing such a large project with a small team of three people. We have not solved this problem in any way, so we have been making our game for 4 years 🙂

The game has been compared to “It Takes Two”. How do you feel about such comparisons? What do you believe sets “Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow” apart?

The comparison with “It Takes Two” is not so relevant because our game does not contain the cooperative mode. We have a strong focus on single-user mode.

We’ve designed our game with a strong emphasis on delivering an emotional and immersive storytelling experience. And this, it seems to me, is the only point of contact with “It Takes Two” 🙂

The game’s visual design has received a lot of praise. How did your team approach creating such a vivid and immersive world?

We just experimented, looked a lot at other games and how they create their worlds, how they tell a story. Observation played a big role in the development. But no amount of observation will help if there is no vision inside. 

We had a desire to tell an emotional story in which the environment plays a big role. All our ideas and concepts sprouted purely from our imagination 🙂

How did you balance the elements of the game to appeal to a broad demographic of both the younger audience and adults?

It was very difficult, we constantly played the game and asked our friends if the puzzles were understandable. 

The game finishes on a resonating note, leaving players in an emotional whirlwind. Can you share your thoughts on how you planned this concluding experience? 

We had an idea for the story and how it should end at the very beginning. So there were no difficulties with it 🙂 The main problem was the implementation of the idea, and we think we coped well with this task.

How do you feel about the game’s reception by the audience so far, and did it meet your expectations?

It was interesting to see how people understood and interpreted the game and its ending. We were surprised by the various interpretations. 

By the way, we received some feedback about bugs, which were quickly fixed, so now nothing will prevent you from fully diving into the world we have created!

Given the depth and philosophy in “Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow,” what do you hope players will take away from the experience?

We want people to understand history, to feel its impact and reflect on the unchangeable nature of time. It is important to treasure every moment in life, love our dear ones, and support them no matter how tough things get.

Can you share any insights on the future plans for “Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow”? Are there any updates or sequels in the works?

So far, there are no plans other than supporting the game, but if our players want something else, we will definitely listen to them!

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Spiel Times would like to extend its deepest gratitude and appreciation to the team behind Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow. Thank you for allowing us to glimpse into your creative process behind such an emotionally and visually captivating game! We look forward to more projects from your amazing team.