Video: Designing Valley, a game where the world dies when you do

Two weeks ago, Blue Isle Studios, the developer of Slender: The Arrival, changed gears to release a first-person exploration game called Valley. It's a pretty big shift for the Canada-based studio, which opted to focus on a slower, more thoughtful game compared to Slender's jump scares and sudden horror.

Today, we decided to take an hour and play Valley with some of the games' developers, in order to explore its design secrets and hear some stories about the game's development. Petar Markovich (below, right), designer and programmer at Blue Isle Studios, and Selcuk Bor (below, left), the studios' sound designer, stopped by to reflect on their work and chat about the game's development.

The conversation covered the game's price and marketing plan, how the design team discovered a fascinating loop for their death system, and Bor's process for creating the game's distinct soundscape. In a world where indie publishing can sometimes feel like a life-or-death situation, Bor and Markovich were able to discuss why Blue Isle Studios chose to take a relaxed approach with Valley's development to make a game that matched their creative standards.

You can watch the full conversation above, or on our new Gamasutra Twitch channel. Be sure to subscribe for more interviews and play sessions with the Gamasutra team!