Hi everybody!

It's been calm on the outside, but pretty hot here on the inside We've been hard at work tweaking the game design to make it the best experience we can deliver. And we've been painting the backgrounds and modeling the characters too.

When this game was conceived a long time ago, some assets had been developed for it. Which is great, because we have some concepts and models that we can use as blueprints. But, sadly, even though the models were nice back then, a lot of time has passed and they have become outdated (plus we are perfectionists and want everything to look great ). So we basically have to model and texture all characters from scratch, even if some of them were already made back in the day. But that makes for an interesting topic! And so this time we'll talk about our character modeling process and compare them with the original models.

First of all, we make a base model, which we could use for 3D sculpting in some cases we are able to use the original model for that base. In the sculpting stage we add all kinds of details basically make a pretty model without caring about polygons and such. During this process we are also going back to the original concepts and trying to make the models look as close to them as possible. Here's how a couple of character sculpts look:

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/45276436/a4e37ff497dd4130080ddd2a4dcd647a8cccf691.png"][/img]

Then we need to make a low-polygon model, which will be usable in the game in real-time. Sometimes we update the original model, sometimes we need to make a new one. Here are low-polygon versions of the two characters:

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/45276436/a519362c57fcbff40d957367f36dcc8688e72c2a.png"][/img]

When we have all that, we can then "bake" all the details from the sculpt onto the low-polygon model. Since the in-game model has much less polygons, all those details go into textures (namely, color, normal, metallic, glossiness, ambient occlusion, which all add up to how the final surface looks and feels). Finally, here's a comparison between the original models and the finished ones we have now:

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/45276436/08b427a1171b798b802a6e4ab5aa71a4c8af3c08.png"][/img]

[img src="https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images/45276436/769690a5241068832b17033f6ceb61ce59b1856a.png"][/img]

It's especially important for us to have all the extra details, since we have quite a few close up dialogues and cinematics.

Next time well talk about how our backgrounds materialize (unless a more exciting topic pops up ). Stay tuned, you wont have to wait for the next update for so long, pinky promise! Speaking of, what intrigues you the most about the making of A Vampyre Story? What do you want to hear more about? Let us know and we'll see if we can deliver! Make sure to follow us on Facebook and join our Discord to stay up to date on all the news! We also plan to host some events on Discord, perhaps a Q&A with the team (including Bill Tiller himself)! Stay tuned for more information on that

Ghoulish Wishes,

Autumn Moon Games & Tag of Joy

[ 2025-06-25 18:00:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey all! As we continue to work on the game, we continue to want to share the process with you! There are all kinds of ins and outs that happen under the hood and behind the curtains to make the game look pretty, so we decided to share the more interesting aspects here once in a while. Today let's dive into the secret of how 2D becomes 3D! In this game we paint backgrounds in 2D , but use 3D characters, which gives us the ability to have more camera angles and use character animations in more varying scenarios. So this time we'll tell you about how we turn Bill's beautiful paintings into actual 3D environments, and what perks we get out of that. So, where do we start? Right! First and foremost, Bill paints a pretty scene with all the important objects in separate layers. Then we take the image and try to figure out where a camera would be if it were a real world environment. That includes the camera's position, direction and view angle (or field of view). This is slightly challenging, because the world is painted with all kinds of twisty shapes, which makes it so unique, but also hard to align with the real world rules. When that is done, we go over each object in the scene and recreate their shapes in 3D and project their pictures on them. In the end, the scene looks identical to the initial picture from the camera's perspective, BUT that's where the magic happens . This is what we have in the game engine:
When we have a 3D scene like that, we can actually move the camera when the characters move around or when the players moves the cursor, concentrating their attention on different parts of the screen. This creates a nice parallax effect and makes the world much livelier :
In addition to that, the 3D characters can actually walk around in that newly constructed 3D world. That gives us the ability to have real-time lights and shadows between characters and 2D backgrounds, which really blends them together. All kinds of extra effects become possible and more convincing too lightrays , dust, falling snow, smoke and so on. See how she receives light from the surroundings and casts dynamic shadows on the environment:
Phew, hope that wasn't too heavy on the technicalities! What else is new with us? If you've missed it, check out this awesome video, put together by Tomasz just before the New Year, where Bill talks about our project and our plans for the future, together with many other adventure game developers who share their holiday greetings too! [previewyoutube=X9VVBPvfYa0;full][/previewyoutube] One of Tag of Joy founders, arnas, joined the latest Scene World Magazine podcast to talk about his journey from the fan-made Broken Sword 2.5 to Tag of Joy, Crowns And Pawns and now the upcoming A Vampyre Story: A Bat's Tale! Give it a listen [previewyoutube=ojnuFBgGgvQ;full][/previewyoutube] Also, if you're a console player, Tag of Joy has some news about our previous point and click adventure, Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit! The game is coming to the Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Sonys PS4/PS5 on February 27! Mark the date! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1125910/Crowns_and_Pawns_Kingdom_of_Deceit/ Have a Monstrous Day, Autumn Moon Games & Tag of Joy

[ 2025-02-14 08:38:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

[ 2024-12-23 14:02:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! It's been a month since we announced A Vampyre Story: A Bat's Tale and what a month it was! We have received overwhelming support and we couldn't be happier about it! Thank you all so so much We want to keep you all in the loop and share more about the project, so we've been doing interviews and appearances on podcasts, talking to you on social media and chatting on Discord (which, by the way, you should join! We've got some fun conversations going on there). Here's a more recent podcast you could listen to right now! arnas and ilvinas from Tag of Joy joined the Adventure Game Hotspot podcast and chatted more about A Vampyre Story: A Bat's Tale and how stories end, talking about some of the most memorable endings in movies, books and video games Give it a listen! https://adventuregamehotspot.com/podcast/3024/memorable-endings-and-new-beginnings-with-the-co-developers-of-a-vampyre-story-a There are more fun appearances in the making, so keep an eye out! As for the game itself, we've been hard at work with the development too. The main story of the game is almost done (yay!), and right now we are designing the puzzles and iterating over the general flow of the game. We all love puzzles (you don't say!), and designing challenging yet satisfying gameplay is actually a bit like a huge, complex, mathematical-logic-left-and-right puzzle for us. So, to be able to feel that flow better, we started setting up a very early click-through version, where we could test out the puzzles and other story elements. Even though we're still reviewing the puzzles, characters and locations, some of them are already set in stone, which means that we can already paint them. This is the step where Bill Tiller's magic materializes into beautiful scenes, so here's a little sneak peak of a new background in progress:
We want to wish you a beautiful end of autumn and a great start of the holiday season! Have a Great Day, Autumn Moon Games & Tag of Joy

[ 2024-11-29 14:41:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! We are so excited to be working on a new A Vampyre Story game! It's been quite a journey but we're back stronger than ever. And the support we got on the announcement was overwhelming, y'all are the best! A Vampyre Story: A Bat's Tale is going to be born thanks to a strong partnership. How did this happen, you wonder? Here's a little excerpt from an interview where we sat down and told the tale on Adventure Game Hotspot: "arnas: Well, my brother ilvinas and I (the two co-founders of Tag of Joy) grew up, or rather came of age with games like The Curse of Monkey Island. And when we started following the industry deeper, Bill Tiller was always one of the people whose activities and projects I would regularly check. So at some point Bill posted a very open-ended message about the AVS IP and that hed like to do something new with it. We reached out, he replied, and here we are! We kept it a bit secret for a while, though (which was pretty tough!), until we were sure we are doing this full-speed. Bill: When Crimson Cow gave me the opportunity to buy A Vampyre Story rights back, I jumped at the chance! But I didnt have a team set up or the funding yet. I am no programmer, so I thought maybe fans of my games and also knew how to make graphic adventures might be interested in teaming up on a demo for the game, and then wed use the demo to raise money for the full game. Tag of Joy turned out to be a perfect match! It was really serendipitous." Read the full interview on Adventure Game Hotspot. Thank you for having us, Jack! When we were still secretly brewing this project, we also had a chance to meet up and discuss the game in person in Lithuania! Here's a photo from our meeting:
And now we're diving deep into the development of the game. But let's keep the conversation alive! Feel free to write us in the Steam forums or join our Discord server to chat more Last but not least, your support means so much to us! Make sure to wishlist the game, tell your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors about it. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273370/ Talk soon! Autumn Moon Games & Tag of Joy

[ 2024-11-07 12:02:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

We, Autumn Moon Games and Tag of Joy, are thrilled to announce our collaboration on the highly anticipated supernatural point and click adventure A Vampyre Story: A Bats Tale!

Return to the world of A Vampyre Story in a new gorgeous supernatural comedy adventure! Bill Tiller (The Curse of Monkey Island, The Dig), Dave Harris and other ex-LucasArts veterans join forces with Tag of Joy, the team behind the 2022 award-winning point and click game Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit, to deliver an exciting and fresh addition to the adventure genre! A Vampyre Story: A Bats Tale follows Mona, a Parisian opera singer who is kidnapped and taken to a castle in Draxsylvania where she is turned into a vampire. Fortunately, shes aided by her loyal companion, a wisecracking bat named Froderick. Guide both Froderick and Mona through a landscape of crazy characters, clever puzzles and gorgeous locations, including Dr. Legumes Home for the Sanity Challenged, the Executioners Practice Grounds, the Mortus Labs and many others! It will be up to you to help Mona escape the clutches of a mad scientist and stop his evil plan, find a vampire familiar, and continue her quest to return home. I love LucasArts graphic adventures, Halloween, and the classic Universal Monster movies of the 40s and 50s. So when I created the original A Vampyre Story, I combined all those things I love together. Since its release, adventure game technology has vastly improved, and by partnering with Tag of Joy, well be able to continue the story of Mona and Froderick in a modern gaming experience that also still evokes the feel of a classic LucasArts graphic adventure, says Bill Tiller, CEO and Creative Director of Autumn Moon Games. I couldnt be more excited about our collaboration. With Tag of Joys help we raised enough funding to finally kick off development of the new game, so its really amazing to announce that this is finally happening! My brother and I came of age playing games like The Curse of Monkey Island and have released a modern point and click adventure ourselves, so when we learned that Bill was looking to resurrect his A Vampyre Story franchise, we reached out and suggested a collaboration. We are super excited that Bill agreed, and hes also really friendly and easy to work with! says arnas Ledas, the CEO and co-founder of Tag of Joy. Bills knowledge, beautiful artwork and a very fun IP combined with our teams recent experience in creating a 2.5D adventure makes a perfect mix. The new installment in the A Vampyre Story series welcomes new and returning players alike. The collaboration promises beautiful hand-painted environments mixed with stylized 3D art and visual effects, tons of animation and cinematics, diverse group of characters, funny dialogue and a thrilling story packed with engaging puzzles. Its born from a marriage between the golden age of the genre and the modern era and boasts all the best genes from both! Watch the announcement video on YouTube and wishlist A Vampyre Story: A Bats Tale today! To stay up to date with the latest news, follow us on Facebook and Discord. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3273370/A_Vampyre_Story_A_Bats_Tale/

[ 2024-10-29 10:52:18 CET ] [ Original post ]