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In 2017, Figment was released: an action adventure in which we confront nasty nightmares that serenade us during the boss fights. Now, the release of the sequel Figment 2: Creed Valley is coming up. We had the opportunity to talk to Hans Haave, Communications Manager of Bedtime Digital Games.
The game studio Bedtime Digital Games develops visually and acoustically interesting, surreal puzzle games revolving around dreams or music. In Back to Bed our job was to help a sleepwalker go in the right direction. In Figment we dove into the recesses of the human mind and played as Dusty, the courage of the mind, who confronts nightmares that represent our deepest fears. Figment also takes video game music to a whole new level by integrating the musical element into the gameplay instead of just playing it in the background.
Now, about five years after the release of the first game, Figment 2: Creed Valley is set to release on March 9th 2023 for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and XBOX. A demo shows the new features and because playing together is more fun, we’re especially happy about the new coop mode. We wanted to find out more about the game and had the opportunity to talk to Hans Haave, communications manager of Bedtime Digital Studios.
Teilzeithelden: Viewing the pictures and the footage currently available on Figment 2: Creed Valley has us excited for the game. For our readers as yet unfamiliar with it or its predecessor Figment, how would you describe the game in your own words?
Hans: Figment 2 is a surreal and whimsical take on the human psyche. You play as Dusty, the courage of the Mind. Accompanied by optimism itself, a bird named Piper, it is your goal to figure out ways of dealing with problems as they appear. Naturally, you must face them in musical boss fights.
“The initial vision for Figment was to imagine how the subconsciousness would be to explore if it was a painting you could walk around in.”
Teilzeithelden: A musical game about facing your fears, set within the recesses of the mind – how did you come up with the idea?
Hans: Following our first game Back to Bed, we wanted to elaborate on the idea of a mental dreamscape and we came up with the idea of exploring the Mind as if it was a painting you could walk around in. From there the concept of nightmares infiltrating the mind arose.
The whole musical concept came later on when we were developing the first boss, the Plague – the fear of disease. We had the idea to have him sing a song to the player during the fight. So we quickly recorded a song for him and tried to throw it into the game. We all really liked how it worked and from there we just started to make music a bigger and bigger part of the game and its mechanics. And that initial test song ended up being used in the final game.
Teilzeithelden: Looking at your portfolio, there seems to be a fascination with sleep and dreams as well as music that drives your games. How do you develop game ideas and where do you take inspiration?
Hans: We take inspiration from surreal artists, then unravel worlds from there. At least that was the case for Back to Bed. We just really like the human experience as a concept, what can I say!
Teilzeithelden: Speaking of surrealism, the world of Figment and its sequel is brimming with whimsical elements like centipede bridges, trees with ears and rivers of coffee. How did you develop the world of Figment?
Hans: As I mentioned, the initial vision for Figment was to imagine how the subconsciousness would be to explore if it was a painting you could walk around in. So we tried to imagine how abstract concepts of the mind would look if they were concrete objects – like the Moral Compass or Opinions in Figment 2. So much of the world was developed through these visual metaphors for things we have words for but cannot see.
At the same time we also wanted the place to feel otherworldly and cerebral so when fleshing out the world and its look, we also took a good chunk of inspiration from surreal painters like Dali, Magritte, MC Escher and the Danish artist Wilhelm Freddie that all try to convey dreams and the subconsciousness in their works.
“I don’t think that we should shy away from difficult topics because of what they may invoke, they are essential to us no matter what we do.”
Teilzeithelden: With Figment, and now Figment 2: Creed Valley, you have built whole games around the theme of the fears we face in our everyday lives. How do you think fear and courage impact us in the times we’re living in?
Hans: I believe they’ve impacted us in similar ways since the beginning of humanity. Fear and courage are necessary parts to our lives, without them we’d be vastly different.
Teilzeithelden: Figment juxtaposes childlike characters and colorful world building, nightmarish enemies and adult fears and topics. What was your intention in combining these seemingly contradictory elements into one game?
Hans: It’s all about finding a balance between the narrative and its representation. I don’t think that we should shy away from difficult topics because of what they may invoke, they are essential to us no matter what we do. That said, we still wanted to make the experience entertaining and full of life, hence the universe, and the dialogue between characters.
Teilzeithelden: In the currently available demo of Figment 2: Creed Valley, we confront the Black Hog as one of the nightmares. Is there a deeper meaning to the nightmare designs – for example, why a hog as the fear of the dark?
Hans: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We have to take in account their appearance and musical style for the world around them, the writing around them, if we can make fun jokes and impactful lyrics.
Teilzeithelden: Right at the beginning of Figment we experience a pretty heavy scene, if only through the dialog – can we expect a similar background story from the sequel?
Hans: You’ll have to play to find out!
Teilzeithelden: How do you think video games as an art form can help us deal with difficult topics?
Hans: Games are first and foremost a medium, whether they’re used for storytelling, enjoyment, whatever it may be. So yes, games are a perfect way for approaching difficult subjects, as it creates a more interactive memory with the player.
Teilzeithelden: Besides confronting fears, music plays a big part in the Figment experience. What role, do you think, does music play in our unconscious mind and how does it interact with our fears?
Hans: Music is a pretty unique trait of the human mind. It can change our minds, make us happy, make us sad. It’s a bit like a story but on a more abstract level. And sometimes we can connect to music in seemingly irrational ways – like when some people get relaxed from listening to extreme metal.
I’m not sure fear and music are inherently connected but music can definitely put us in a mental space where we are more easily affected by our inner fears. But at the same time it can also give us a sense of drive or power or even the peace of mind we need to better face our fears.
Teilzeithelden: What is your process to make sure music and gameplay intertwine so closely as they do in the Figment-games?
Hans: It’s a very iterative process. We usually start by thinking about the enemy in terms of themes to develop ideas for game mechanics, visuals and music. Then we create concept art and prototypes for the mechanics so we can get an idea of how everything will look.
From there we write and record demos for the songs so we get a tempo and mood that we can start syncing everything around. We try to develop everything alongside each other so we are sure every iteration of every element moves the boss fight in the same direction.
Teilzeithelden: Speaking of music, the Discarded Opinion Song from the gameplay trailer is not only hilarious, but also truly catchy. Will the Soundtrack of Figment 2: Creed Valley be available for purchase?
Hans: Yes!
“We were very conscious about staying true to the spirit of the original Figment when going into the sequel. However, we also didn’t want to just do the same game again.”
Teilzeithelden: In Figment, huge chunks of gameplay and even the boss fights were designed as puzzles. The trailers and the demo promise a similar experience in Figment 2: Creed Valley. What is your process in developing these puzzles?
Hans: We were very conscious about staying true to the spirit of the original Figment when going into the sequel. However, we also didn’t want to just do the same game again. So we’ve tried to improve as many aspects of the game play as possible (especially the combat has been overhauled) and we tried to use the mechanics to take the game to new places. So while there are a few puzzles that resemble those in the original game, we’ve mostly tried to expand on the experience – for example there’s an entire level where you have to solve a crime mystery by gathering clues and talking to witnesses.
So the process has been to take what was there already and then experimenting with ways that we felt improved it or used it in completely new ways.
Teilzeithelden: Will we go back to familiar places or will we visit as of yet unknown areas of the mind?
Hans: You start back in the outskirts of cerebrum city, after that it’s all new areas.
“We wanted Dusty to represent a childlike version of courage so we gave him the wooden sword and the red scarf. But we also took some inspiration from Indiana Jones for his little adventuring pouch.”
Teilzeithelden: How does Figment 2: Creed Valley compare to Figment – are there any new mechanics?
Hans: Dusty and Piper both got some upgrades. We implemented a directional dodge for Dusty, and his attacks now inch him closer to enemies. Piper is also a fully controllable character now.
Teilzeithelden: We were very glad to hear about the companion mode that will allow players to play the game with a loved one. What will Piper’s role be in the cooperative experience?
Hans: She’s a support character, she can help regain health and damage enemies, also she can whack projectiles out of the air. It’s a drop-in kind of co-op, so if the second player leaves the controller for a while it’s no biggie. We don’t want the second player to bear the weight of responsibility.
Teilzeithelden: The main characters of both games, Dusty and Piper, are just as charmingly whimsical as the world that surrounds them. How did you conceive their designs?
Hans: It was a long iterative process. Dusty was a way more surreal and weird creature to begin with and Piper was a snake around his arm. As we explored the themes of courage and optimism that they represent we started shaping them into something we thought expressed those two things a bit better. We wanted Dusty to represent a childlike version of courage so we gave him the wooden sword and the red scarf. But we also took some inspiration from Indiana Jones for his little adventuring pouch.
Teilzeithelden: We hope you will allow us a peek behind the curtain of game development. When did you start developing Figment 2: Creed Valley? What is the size of the team that has been working on it?
Hans: About five years ago, we started with four to five people, now we are 11.
Teilzeithelden: What, do you think, are crucial qualities a development team must have to successfully create and release a game?
Hans: Knowledge of what lies ahead, in terms of preparing the release on different platforms. Being able to work as a team, have each person voiced differently but also able to make decisions, playing to each other’s strengths.
Playtesting is crucial, making sure that your game is actually fun to play, that it makes sense to people who have no idea about who you are or what your game is about.
Teilzeithelden: Figment 2: Creed Valley is set to release on March 9th. What exciting new projects are on the horizon after the game is finished? Can we expect further games in the Figment universe?
Hans: We aren’t going to stop making games, that’s for sure.
Teilzeithelden: Thank you for your time. We’re looking forward to playing Figment 2: Creed Valley and wish you a successful release.
Article images: © Bedtime Digital Games
Layout and typesetting: Roger Lewin
Editing: Alexa Kasparek
