Behind the Scenes with Ravenlok: Voxel Trilogy, Game Pass Triumph, and Beyond

Cococucumber's Voxel trilogy, which includes Riverbond and Echo Generation, is completed with the recent release of Ravenlok. This 3D action-adventure game is set in a fairy-tale-inspired realm where players assume the role of the raven-haired protagonist to save the kingdom from the cunning Queen Dreda, who draws inspiration from Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts with some unique twists. Ravenlok's unique take on 3D pixel art appeals to fans of pixel art games and has garnered success on Xbox Game Pass. Directors Vanessa Chia recently spoke with Game Rant to reflect on the trilogy, discuss standout features such as its art style and level design, and address its popular speedrunning community.

Completing Ravenlok, the final game in the Voxel trilogy, feels incredibly satisfying. After dedicating years of work to these three games, seeing it all culminate in the release of Ravenlok last month marks the end of a chapter for us. The positive response from players has been fantastic, and we're thrilled to see that so many people are enjoying the game. We designed Ravenlok to be accessible and enjoyable for a wide audience, and knowing that it's available on Game Pass has allowed us to reach even more players.

Q: Looking back at Riverbond, Echo Generation, and Ravenlok, what are you most proud of and why?

Throughout our journey, we have come to realize that our skills have grown tremendously. Originally, it was just Martin and myself from the Riverbond team, but we were fortunate to have two talented artists, Danielle and Simone, join us on Ravenlok and future projects. Looking back, we can see how much we have evolved not only in our art style but also in our overall skills and team dynamic.

The pandemic brought us even closer together during the development of Echo Generation. Despite the difficulties of working from home, we were able to collaborate effectively and create a successful game. I am proud of the development arc of our Voxel trilogy, as we have continuously improved our skills and team dynamic throughout the three games. This has been a key factor in our success, and I hope we can continue to build upon it in future projects.

Q: What do you think players are enjoying most about Ravenlok?

Many players are drawn to the game because of its Alice in Wonderland-inspired theme, which captures the imagination. However, the unique Voxel art style is also a major draw. Our interpretation of this style is slightly different, and we put our own spin on characters, especially with boss designs. The art style is something that many people really enjoy.

Players find the game approachable, especially for younger ones. We've received a lot of positive feedback, particularly from parents whose 10-year-olds can play the game independently. It's fulfilling to hear that our design has achieved our goal of making the game accessible to younger players. We're thrilled about this.

We were inspired by fairy tales and wanted to create a fantasy world that would allow us to tell a story that was meaningful to us. After working on Echo Generation, which is set in the real world with elements of sci-fi and supernatural horror, we were eager to explore a different genre. The idea of Ravenlok was born out of our desire to delve into a world of fantasy and fairy tales, and see what we could create from there.

The whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland, penned by Lewis Carroll, is a true wonder for all. Personally, every time I delve into the text, a flurry of vivid imagery floods my mind. It's a work that allows for endless reinterpretation, giving us a great foundation to build upon.

We drew inspiration from various sources for Ravenlok, including Zelda. I believe that the similarities are evident, and it's a fair comparison to make. I personally admire Nintendo's games, and their excellence is something we strive for in our own game. However, we acknowledge that our smaller indie studio has limitations in terms of scope and resources. Nevertheless, we've incorporated elements from not just Zelda but other games as well, both in terms of references and gameplay.

The Ravenlok team drew inspiration from a variety of games during the development process. Among them were Zelda Twilight Princess and NieR Automata, which influenced certain aspects of the game such as the boss fights. Additionally, the team members also looked to the LEGO Star Wars games for inspiration, aiming to create a family-friendly gameplay experience with crossover appeal.

Can you elaborate on the process behind the creation of Ravenlok's captivating level design? The sense of depth and opportunity for exploration is truly impressive. Additionally, the camera movement allows for seamless navigation throughout the environment.

In Echo Generation, we experimented with a tilt-shift effect that added a touch of blur to the foreground and background while allowing players to move forward and backward. This influence has carried over to Ravenlok, where we aimed to create an even more expansive and immersive world for players. While keeping in mind the limitations of camera movement, we designed the game to incorporate well-crafted vignettes that players can observe by looking a little to the left or right.

The game's design allows for a truly immersive experience, with carefully crafted vistas that draw the player's attention towards a specific point in the distance. For instance, when you're gazing out at the witch's house in the middle of a mushroom forest. These moments were created with the intention of providing players with stunningly beautiful views and are a feature we have expanded upon in Ravenlok after the success of Echo Generation. We hope players will appreciate these breathtaking scenes as much as we do.

We are currently working on an update for our camera system based on player feedback. One common frustration among players has been the limited view during boss fights or intense moments, so we are implementing the ability to view 360 degrees with the camera during combat. This feature will be available in an upcoming patch, allowing for a more immersive experience for players.

The voxel art style not only offers a highly stylized look, but also evokes a sense of nostalgia for the 16 or 8-bit era. It's reminiscent of classic games and perhaps even modern ones like Minecraft or Roblox. This nostalgic feeling is particularly beneficial for a game like Ravenlok, which draws inspiration from fairy tales and fantasy. The art style truly complements the game's theme and story.

We wanted to make sure that players had enough time to really learn and master each combat ability before moving on to the next one. So, we decided to focus on the four core abilities that we felt were the most important for the overall gameplay experience and the story we wanted to tell. We did consider other abilities, but ultimately felt that these four were the best fit for what we were trying to achieve with the game.

The player's skills develop throughout the adventure, and towards the end, we realized that we may not need any more skills than what we currently have. The pacing of the skill acquisition aligns with the story, as the main character does not start out powerful but gains strength and abilities as they progress through the game. This is similar to how players level up during gameplay.

The creation of Ravenlok was rooted in the desire to have a classic hero's journey storyline, inspired by works like Alice in Wonderland and Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away. We envisioned a young girl who begins in the real world and is transported to a magical realm, embarking on a transformative journey that leads to personal growth. This served as the foundation for Ravenlok's character development.

The concept behind Ravenlok was initially inspired by the idea of exploring a new and unfamiliar environment. The story follows the protagonist as she moves into a countryside house inherited by her parents, which creates a sense of discomfort and unease within her. This setup serves as a perfect foundation for the fantasy adventure that unfolds throughout the story, and it complements the character's journey exceptionally well.

Some of the bosses in Ravenlok actually started off as just normal enemies, such as the Weeping Fungi. However, during the revision process, we realized that they had the potential to become memorable boss set pieces. As a result, there was a lot of back and forth during the design process to create a series of bosses that would make the game truly unforgettable for players.

The Weeping Fungi initially began as a minor adversary, but through upgrades in both appearance and combat, it evolved into a formidable boss. His elongated arms allowed for a variety of attacks, including a double swipe and a poisonous bubble-filled AoE wave. This creative process exemplifies how character development can evolve beyond the initial vision. As for Xbox Game Pass, Ravenlok has seen an increase in interest and exposure due to its inclusion in the program.

Xbox has proven to be an excellent partner for us, as we've collaborated on the release of Riverbond, Echo Generation, and Ravenlok - the three games in the Voxel trilogy - on Game Pass at launch. Having gained valuable insights from our previous releases, we were able to design Ravenlok with the potential for maximum player engagement in mind. Its success on Game Pass has been phenomenal, with high player engagement and glowing reviews, boasting a global rating of 4.6 out of five on the Xbox store. We are thrilled with the results, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the ID@Xbox program and Xbox Game Pass in the future.

Q: What has the studio been doing since Ravenlok’s release and are you able to say what you might be working on next?

A: Since its release, we have been providing extensive support to the game due to the overwhelming number of players enjoying it. Our team has implemented two updates thus far, in addition to dedicating significant effort towards localizing the game into English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. We have also been addressing minor bug fixes along the way. Moving forward, our focus will be on continuing to provide support for the game over the next month. Additionally, we are excited to explore the possibility of bringing the game to other platforms in the future, although we do not have a set date at this time.

As for our upcoming projects, we have a few ideas in the works. While nothing is set in stone, we've received substantial feedback and interest for sequels to both Echo Generation and Ravenlok. We're excited to further explore these possibilities. And that's all for now.

A big shout-out goes to the amazing speedrunning community for Ravenlok. Since its launch, they have shown tremendous enthusiasm and have been actively engaging with us in the speedrunning channel on our Discord. Their exceptional ability to complete the game quickly and identify bugs has been immensely helpful for us as developers. While it's fun to see them break the game, it also gives us valuable feedback and a comprehensive list of things to fix. We are grateful for the support of SongofSoil, Bagoms, Nobody(B), and all the other speedrunning enthusiasts who have been playing Ravenlok.

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Ravenlok is available to play now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.