Portland Maine, U.S.A · December 1st 2021
Paleo Games’ founder explains the motivation behind Hidden Treasures in the Forest of Dreams:
“Back in 2016, I was going through a stressful time. I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue and had very little mental stamina at the end of each day. I didn’t feel up to playing action games or solving complex puzzles. I also didn’t want to give up on playing video games entirely.
This was around the time No Man’s Sky came out. I experimented with this game for hours. I liked the feeling of being lost on an unknown planet. My navigation instincts and curiosity took over the controller. Discovering a beautiful landscape that only I knew existed was the greatest reward I ever earned in a video game.
Over time I found that sentinels, pirates and other dangers were preventing me from fully enjoying the game. As a subset of No Man’s Sky players was complaining about missing gameplay features, I started envisioning a game that delivered a similar pathless experience with even fewer gameplay constraints.”
Explicit and Implicit Goal
The explicit goal of Hidden Treasures in the Forest of Dreams is to discover various plants, monuments, creatures, etc. that are randomly distributed on a procedurally generated terrain. The most noticeable struggle is the player’s exploration speed, which will cause her to wake up when walking fast for too long.
The exploration speed restriction serves the implicit goal of the game, which is to unearth beauty. HTFD is designed to be explored slowly and mindfully to allow the fine-tuned procedural engine to reveal its full potential. That unmistakable moment of awe at the sight of an unexplored pond is the game’s true reward.
Skills that Last
Playing Guitar Hero doesn’t teach how to play the guitar. It may improve the player’s reflexes but the core of the acquired skills doesn’t transfer to the real world.
HTFD leverages and promotes innate skills acquired through evolution. Mindfully surveying our environment for gathering purposes is a hardwired behavior that awakens a meaningful aspect of our evolutionary journey. These abilities fully transfer to the real world: Players may find themselves enjoying the sight of a previously unnoticed stone or flower on their daily walk to the grocery store.
Relaxation On-Demand
Hidden Treasures in the Forest of Dreams is designed to deliver a consistently relaxing gaming experience. It takes an average of 45 minutes to complete a dream and there are more than 4 billion procedurally generated dreams to explore. Each playing session is a reliable escape from the stress of daily life and a bitesize moment of wonder.
The original music score composed by Jordan Guerette highlights the meditative and playful aspects of this ethereal journey.
The game’s formal ending is unlocked when all the types of treasures have been discovered. This long-term goal provides a satisfying backbone to the gameplay experience without causing intra-level tension. Beyond the formal ending, the game can be played ad-infinitum.
A Chill Game for a Chill Audience
In the words of Paleo Games’ founder:
“I have always been the kind of person who mostly strolls around GTA maps instead of playing the missions. I built Hidden Treasures for myself first. Procedural generation enables me to get lost in the game I created while the low-key gameplay delivers the stress-relief that I need.
I play Hidden Treasures almost every day these days. There is no shortage of reasons to seek a safe place to escape from reality. I realize that I didn’t build a game for most gamers. I simply hope that it will get in the hands of those who need it like I do.”
Hidden Treasures in the Forest of Dreams is available now for digital download on the PlayStation 4: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10002571
Press Contact
Julien Tord: julien@paleo.games