A new studio made up of creator Michael Nowak and collaborator Trent Garlipp (A Walk With Yiayia) has revealed their latest project, Vivarium, a hand-drawn story-driven adventure game. Inspiration for this game comes from Love-de-Lic cult classics like Chulip and moon, as well as slice-of-life adventure games like Boku No Natsuyasumi, with visuals and audio influenced by anime and manga from 1974 to early from the 80s.
Vivarium is set in the world of a terrarium, where the protagonist, Jenny, resides in a quaint ranch house in this whimsical world. However, appearances are deceiving, as Jenny discovers that the giant tree in the center of the terrarium has died, disturbing the balance of the world in Vivarium. Despite this, a new sprout has taken root in its place. As Jenny helps other characters, solves puzzles, and grows in her experiences, the tree sprout also grows in size.
Vivarium offers players the opportunity to explore a dense, hand-painted world, full of landscapes, corners and secrets to discover. The game’s style is inspired by classic animation, especially that of Japan from the 70s and 80s. Notably, Vivarium uses a traditional hand-drawn cell animation process, reflecting the medium that inspires it. Each frame in the game is created with dedication and love.
Vivarium environments are rendered with rich saturated gouache paintings, with highly detailed original art assets in each area. The game uses subtle post-processing, lighting and color grading effects to achieve a retro-cinematic aesthetic. It features a hand-placed dynamic day and night lighting cycle, as well as effects such as grain, lens focus blur, and a cell drop shadow that replicate the look of traditional animation photographed and printed on film.
Platforms and release date have yet to be announced, but Vivarium promises to immerse players in a visually stunning experience and captivating narrative.
Fountain: Gematsu
