So, out of this world-glitzy visuals, how does a game like Dokiwatch so far speak? Well, then brace yourself: the devs have spilled some juicy tea. Game Producer Lauren Soanes and Senior Narrative Designer Joshi Zhang sit down for the talk about the Dokiwatch inception in a newest blog, and let’s just say it is way more magical than we thought.

Well, it is interesting because they say completely not your very own indie something, rather, it is more like a very tedious undertaking, which essentially works to combine the openness of such creativity with the notions of accomplished craftsmanship.

As Lauren describes, the project started on a tiny concept sketched onto an old-fashioned napkin. From that point, it exploded into this vivid, deliciously interactive realm. Now, Joshi? Dude straight-up admitted pulling inspiration from everything-myology, retro anime, and even strange dreams about neon foxes. No kidding.

But here’s the kicker: the team didn’t just throw in a few pretty colors and call it a day. Hell no. Every shimmer, every glow, every cute little animation was fought about, f***ed around with, or sometimes just outright scrapped until it felt *just* right. Joshi let slip that there was, yes, 27 changes to one character design before everyone in the room said, “Yep. That’s the one.” Talk about dedication.

Far more than just a few boring release notes; in fact, it is bursting at the seams with concept design, discarded ideas, and some utterly baffling “what on earth were we thinking?” moments. There’s even a whole section where Lauren admits she almost made the protagonist a sentient toaster before wising up that it was just a little too far out there. (But honestly? We’d play that.)

To anyone wanting to keep digging, this blog also hints at somereally off-the-wall lore bits; at this point, apparently, the world of Dokiwatch is completely run on “dream energy”-and yes, trippy as it sounds. Joshi hinted that maybe some hidden story pieces could be revealed by players based on how they interact with the world. Press X to win? Pfft… More like-wait, did that painting just wink at me?

So, if you’re one of those people who are totally into artsy games that require a pinch of thinking, then probably Dokiwatch will be the next game that you’ll be addicted to. The heart that the devs put into this thing? Well, as it looks, it’s gonna be their devotion shining through above those special effects any day now.