Clea 2 will be released on March 25th! As we approach launch day, this feels like a good time to reflect on the original Clea. For the first time, I will dive deep into each chapter and share my design thoughts, things I would change next time etc. If you have not completed Clea, I recommend reading these after a playthrough to avoid spoilers. Okay, let's dive deep into chapter four, the rooms cleasunnies. It is fine, or even ideal, for games to have "stop tests". The designer wishes to check whether you have truly grasped a certain concept. Not out of conceit, but from the belief that, once mastered, this mechanic will boost your enjoyment of the game. So, please prove your understanding. If you cannot, I am afraid you may not progress. I am on a design study run of Doom Eternal, and in the first big fight, a stop test already occurs. The ammo count has been lowered since the previous game. This is to encourage, or even force, the use of your chainsaw to replenish ammo. The first arena is filled with low-tier demons. They only take a shot or two to drop, but there are a bit too many to kill without refilling your shells. Without using that chainsaw, it may be a struggle. However, there are also shells lying around to show there are multiple solutions to this ammo problem. The Chameleon Servant, or Invisible Edmond, is the ultimate stop test of Clea. You may even consider him to be a final boss. So far, players can get by via audio cues produced by the servants. They can hide in closets, then sneak and run as required to outsmart their foes. The Chameleon Servant, however, is invisible. Your existing bag of tricks may not suffice. You can sneak past Invisible Edmond, but what you truly want is for him to be completely out of the picture. You prefer him to be in a distant room, or even another floor. In other words, you wish to manipulate his positioning, to deceive him. At this stage, I have seen many players begin to flush the toilets, or run around on the spot, to trick this invisible servant. It brings me great joy to see players solving the stop test. Once they have, I am more than okay with them dominating the rest of the campaign. It is, after all, something that has been earned, not stumbled upon through sheer luck. Despite conventions dictating otherwise, it is not compulsory for games to have a steady difficulty curve.
Clea's mom randomly appearing through this chapter? That was inspired by the grandma from Resident Evil 7. She often scared me more than Jack did. On a first playthrough, I hope players will feel anxious each time Clea's mom appears. After all, she can decide to lunge at any time. It might have been even more effective if, each time she appeared, she would look more and more out of control. Yet, to have her suddenly strike could be deemed unfair. It is a balance of dread without being cheap.
By the way, the secret room should (hopefully) be the only area in the game with no "get out of jail free closet". If you are chased by a servant into an unfamiliar room, only to run into a dead end, that can feel unfair. This is why closets are usually placed, especially at the end of long corridors, to provide an escape. Also, this is why Chaos Servants cannot react even if you hide in front of their faces. Originally, they would open the closets to end your run. Many players have teased the servants for their inability to do so, but believe me, you would not want the original behavior reverted cleasmug. As for this secret room, since it is a tiny space, I am okay with it demanding a small risk.
This chapter contains the remaining two secret doors. On top of that, one of the keys is partially hidden in the same space. This is here for players who missed the Flower Key for Florine's story. It shows them hey, secret chapters exist. Perhaps there are others you may have missed? When you give players an easy first taste, you can inspire them to hunt down your other nuggets.
If you enjoyed your time with Clea 1, please consider wishlisting the sequel: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1257860/Clea_2/ Your support will give Clea 2 a boost, and if you can tell your friends, that would also be super cool. Thank you for reading cleahappy!