Enshrouded
Developers Reveal How They Are Building the Strange and Wonderful World of Enshrouded
Posted December 12, 2023Frankfurt am Main, 12 December 2023 – Today, the development team at Keen Games have shared a behind-the-scenes look at how they craft their unique voxel-based game world using their procedural tools and how they then lend a hand to beautify the world to create an immersive and believable experience. Only last month, Keen Games revealed that Enshrouded, their survival-action RPG filled with exploration, building, and combat that rose to the top of the Steam Next Fest charts in October, will launch into Early Access on January 24, 2024.
This insider look at how Enshrouded is being created illustrates how the hand-crafted elements and layouts shine with a little help from procedural generation and randomization. While a lot of algorithms were used, their capacity was supplementary and supportive of the creative process, thereby allowing the team to create more unique and interesting assets for meaningful discovery in-game. Adding to the immersive and wonderfully strange exploration experience on macro and micro levels, players are able to not only act as tourists in-game, but thanks to the custom voxel engine and building emphasis, they can literally play with their environments — tearing through the designs as they see fit.
Aiming to make every area screenshot-worthy.
Carefully planning the areas allows the designers to bring their collective creative dreams to life while weaving a coherent lore narrative for players. Crafted points of interest can be closely tied to the lore of Enshrouded, as well as allowing for better polish, improved game flow, and, dare we say, hidden secrets left for brave adventurers to delve into. This also gives players a better way to relay those locations to fellow adventurers, giving them a shared set backdrop for whatever type of journey they choose to have, time and time again.
Turn left at the 500-meter-high sword, you can’t miss it.
In the video, Art Director Jonas Drinnenberg dives into some of the more technical points to showcase just how important the intersection between the creative and computing elements is. Being forged using the custom voxel-based engine permits a high level of flexibility and precise editing that simultaneously ensures a cohesive visual aesthetic, beyond what traditional methods are capable of. While Jonas creates a “poi” (P.O.I., meaning Point of Interest), you’ll see the balance between intentional and randomized visuals that make Enshrouded an endlessly interesting place to wander. Keen Games knows that come January 24, fans will experience as much wonder and awe as the team did in designing Enshrouded.
Enshrouded is a game of survival, crafting, and action RPG combat, set within a sprawling voxel-based continent called Embervale. You are Flameborn, the last ember of hope for a dying race. Venture into a vast world, vanquish punishing bosses, build grand halls, and forge your path in this co-op survival action RPG for up to 16 players. Endure the corrupting fog that plagues the land to seek rare treasures and frightening creatures within, to reclaim your kingdom's lost beauty and history.
Enshrouded will launch into Early Access on Steam on January 24th, 2024, with full launch and console releases planned for the future. For the latest on Enshrouded, visit the official website, wishlist the game on Steam, and follow the game on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube.
