Creation diary ▪ Jasmine, Rose, Lavender

I hope that Kyle's gorgeous art and the one thousand words of Florealia managed to convey a sense of beauty, mystery, and slight uneasiness.

This creation diary is the second of a short series in which I explore how the game came to be. 

Jasmine, Rose, Lavender

The unspecified godlike figure met in the game does not have a canon name (or does she? Her name could very well be Florealia!). A choice made by the player determines how she will be called and perceived: does an overpowering, floral scent bring to mind jasmine blooms or roses?

This choice informs her behavior: she will be gentle as Jasmine, yet imperious as Rose.

I originally wanted a third flower with an unforgettable scent to be associated with her: lavender. Unfortunately, due to the word count limit of the jam (1k words), it never made it into the final script.

In her Lavender aspect, the goddess would have been wise and caring; she would have dispelled some of the game's mystery by allowing the player to ask more questions .You can see now why Lavender was cut in favor of the other two!

The idea of having the goddess perceived in three different ways while still being one is inspired by the Triple Goddess: the Maiden corresponds to Jasmine, the Mother to Rose, and the Crone would have become Lavender. This is a concept I'm exploring in detail in Sigh of the Abyss, my main project; my goal with Florealia was to experiment with the way subtle changes can lead to different experiences.

An example: Rose's "how bold of you to compare me to a common flower" feels very different from Jasmine's "how sweet of you to compare me to a delicate flower", but only two words change. If Lavender had made it into the game, she would have said "how kind of you to compare me to a beautiful flower".

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I hope you liked this glimpse behind the scenes. See you in the next creation diary!