Viewfinder (video game)

Last updated

Viewfinder
Viewfinder video game cover.png
Developer(s) Sad Owl Studios
Publisher(s) Thunderful Publishing
Engine Unity [1]
Platform(s) PlayStation 5, Windows, PlayStation 4
Release
  • PlayStation 5, Windows
  • July 18, 2023
  • PlayStation 4
  • December 12, 2023
Genre(s) Puzzle, photography
Mode(s) Single player

Viewfinder is a puzzle video game developed by Sad Owl Studios and published by Thunderful Publishing. The game was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows in July 2023.

Contents

Viewfinder received generally positive reviews from critics.

Gameplay

Viewfinder is based on mapping the images contained in photographs or other two-dimension works onto the three-dimensional space of the game's world, creating new geometries and layouts. These are used to solve puzzles and access teleporter devices at the end of each level. The player may be required to power the teleporter using batteries, or activation of other power devices, before using the teleport. The player later gains a Polaroid-style camera, and can use images taken in the same manner as other photographs.

Story

The game is presented as part of a simulation used by a handful of researchers that were using the space to try to discover the means to revitalize plant life on Earth, as in the real world, all flora has been wiped out leaving the world without a viable source of oxygen. The player character, who works with a partner in the real world, explores the simulation, working through the puzzles, to try to find clues of the research that was being done, with the help of an artificial intelligence cheshire cat named Cait. The player-character finds that the scientists had failed in their grand experiment, and must force the simulated world to shutdown in order to leave the simulation, destroying the past work. However, as they leave, they encounter a seedling, which they still possess when they leave the simulation, giving hope for Earth's future.

Development

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg January 2020 demonstration video of the Polaroid Effect

Viewfinder started off as an experiment by indie game developer Matt Stark around November 2019. Stark posted a video to social media showing the ability to dynamically take a photograph in a game world and then place that photo to overwrite the world with the contents of the photo. At the time, while the player could explore the placed area from the photo, they could not interact with objects within that world. Later in January 2020, Stark was able to show the ability to interact with items within the photo, as well as using multiple photos. This initial work drew attention across social media, leading Stark to begin considering a game that utilized the "Polaroid Effect" as he called it. [2]

By June 2021, Stark had developed the basis of Viewfinder to establish a studio, Robot Turtle, to build out the game, along with support from another game developer, Robot Teddy. [3] The team took influence from other puzzle games such as Portal , including the means that Portal used to slowly introduce new mechanics to the player. At the same time, they did not want to make the Polaroid Effect too gimmicky and instead have a more cohesive experience for the player. [4] [5]

Robot Teddy was acquired by Thunderful Publishing in October 2021, leading to Thunderful to provide publishing support for Viewfinder. [6] During this transition, Robot Turtle was renamed to Sad Owl Studios.

The game was formally announced for a 2023 release on PlayStation 5 and Windows at The Game Awards 2022. [7] Viewfinder was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on July 18, 2023, [8] and for PlayStation 4 on December 12, 2023. [9]

Reception

Prior to release, Viewfinder won the UKIE UK Game of the Show held at the 2021 Gamescom. [4] [23]

Viewfinder has received "generally favorable reviews" according to review score aggregator Metacritic. [10] [11]

Critics generally praised the puzzle mechanic but considered the game to be on the short side. [15] [18] [22] [19] [17]

Accolades

Awards and nominations
YearCeremonyCategoryResultRef.
2023 Golden Joystick Awards Best Indie GameNominated [24]
Best Visual DesignNominated
The Game Awards Best Debut Indie GameNominated [25]
Best Independent GameNominated
2024 24th Game Developers Choice Awards Best DebutNominated [26] [27]
Innovation AwardHonorable mention
Audience AwardNominated
20th British Academy Games Awards British Game Won [28] [29]
Debut Game Nominated
Game Design Nominated
New Intellectual Property Won
Game Beyond Entertainment Longlisted [30]
Technical Achievement Longlisted
Japan Game Awards 2024Game Designers AwardWon [31]

Related Research Articles

<i>Baldurs Gate</i> Franchise of fantasy role-playing video games

Baldur's Gate is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. The series has been divided into two sub-series, known as the Bhaalspawn Saga and the Dark Alliance, both taking place mostly within the Western Heartlands, but the Bhaalspawn Saga extends to Amn and Tethyr. The Dark Alliance series was released for consoles and was critically and commercially successful. The Bhaalspawn Saga was critically acclaimed for using pausable realtime gameplay, which is credited with revitalizing the computer role-playing game (CRPG) genre.

The BAFTA Games Awards or British Academy Games Awards are an annual British awards ceremony honouring "outstanding creative achievement" in the video game industry. First presented in 2004 following the restructuring of the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards, the awards are presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

<i>Half-Life 2</i> 2004 video game

Half-Life 2 is a 2004 first-person shooter (FPS) game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It was published for Windows on Valve's digital distribution service, Steam. Like the original Half-Life (1998), Half-Life 2 combines shooting, puzzles, and storytelling, and adds new features such as vehicles and physics-based gameplay. The player controls Gordon Freeman, who joins a resistance to liberate Earth from the Combine, an interplanetary alien empire.

<i>Baldurs Gate II: Throne of Bhaal</i> Expansion pack

Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal is a 2001 expansion pack for the role-playing video game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. It adds a multi-level dungeon called Watcher's Keep to the game and completes the main plot. There are several new weapons, a higher level cap, a further refined Infinity graphics engine, and new class-related features and magical skills. The novelization of the game was written by Drew Karpyshyn and released in September 2001.

<i>Baldurs Gate II: Shadows of Amn</i> 2000 video game

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Interplay Entertainment. It is the sequel to 1998's Baldur's Gate and was released for Windows in September 2000. Following its predecessor, the game takes place in the Forgotten Realms, a fantasy campaign setting, and is based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules. Powered by BioWare's Infinity Engine, Baldur's Gate II uses an isometric perspective and pausable real-time gameplay. The player controls a party of up to six characters, one of whom is the player-created protagonist; the others are certain characters recruited from the game world.

<i>The Movies</i> (video game) 2005 video game

The Movies is a business simulation game created by Lionhead Studios for Microsoft Windows and ported to Mac OS X by Feral Interactive. Players run a Hollywood film studio, creating films that can be exported from the game. The Movies was released in November 2005 to positive reviews and several awards, but sold poorly. An expansion, The Movies: Stunts & Effects, was released in 2006.

<i>MindRover</i> 1999 video game

MindRover: The Europa Project, also known as simply MindRover, is a video game for PC, developed by CogniToy.

<i>Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons</i> 2013 video game

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a 2013 adventure game developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by 505 Games for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna. The narrative takes place in a fantasy world filled with fictitious creatures such as orcs and trolls, where two young brothers set out on a journey to find a cure for their father's illness. The game is often mentioned as an example of artistry in video games due to its heavy narrative. It received positive reviews from critics and had sold over 800,000 units by January 2015.

Thunderful Group AB is a Swedish video game holding company based in Gothenburg. It was founded in December 2019 through a merger between Thunderful AB and Bergsala Holding's distribution business, consisting of Bergsala, Amo Toys, and Nordic Game Supply. The former Thunderful had been founded in December 2017 between Bergsala Holding, Brjánn Sigurgeirsson, and Klaus Lyngeled, incorporating Sigurgeirsson and Lyngeled's indie game studios—Image & Form and Zoink—and acquiring the publisher Rising Star Games from Bergsala Holding in July 2018. Thunderful Group has since acquired further developers, the publisher Headup Games, and the consultancy firm Robot Teddy.

<i>Harry Potter</i> video games Licensed video games based on the Harry Potter novels

The Harry Potter video games are a series of video games based on the Harry Potter novel series and film series originally created by J. K. Rowling. Many of the Harry Potter-inspired video games are tie-ins to the film adaptations of the same name. There are multiple distinct versions for individual games.

<i>The Spectrum Retreat</i> 2018 video game

The Spectrum Retreat is a 2018 video game for PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It was developed by Dan Smith from the age of 15, over a five-year period. The game was made noteworthy by the young age at which Smith was able to develop the game and secure a publishing deal.

<i>Baba Is You</i> 2019 puzzle video game

Baba Is You is a puzzle video game created by Finnish independent developer Arvi Teikari. The game centers around the manipulation of "rules"—represented in the play area by movable tiles with words written on them—in order to allow the player character, usually the titular Baba, to reach a specified goal. Originating as a short demo built for the 2017 Nordic Game Jam, the game was expanded and released on 13 March 2019 for PC and Nintendo Switch. Mobile versions were released in June 2021. A free update titled "Baba Make Level" was released on November 17, 2021, featuring 250 new and previously unused levels and a level editor with online sharing. Baba Is You received generally favorable reviews from critics.

<i>Baldurs Gate 3</i> 2023 video game

Baldur's Gate 3 is a 2023 role-playing video game developed and published by Larian Studios. It is the third main installment to the Baldur's Gate series, based on the tabletop fantasy role-playing system of Dungeons & Dragons. A partial version of the game was released in early access format for macOS and Windows in October 2020. It remained in early access until its full release for Windows in August 2023, with versions for PlayStation 5, macOS, and Xbox Series X/S releasing later that year.

<i>Terra Nil</i> 2023 strategy videogame

Terra Nil is a strategy video game developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital. The game was released for Windows, iOS and Android on March 28, 2023; the mobile port was released as part of the Netflix subscription service. Ports for macOS, Linux, and the Nintendo Switch were released later in 2023.

<i>Cocoon</i> (video game) 2023 video game

Cocoon is a 2023 puzzle adventure game developed by Geometric Interactive and published by Annapurna Interactive. The player controls a beetle that can hop between worlds, solving puzzles to unravel the universe's mysteries. The game was released on September 29, 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

<i>Thirsty Suitors</i> 2023 video game

Thirsty Suitors is an adventure video game developed by Outerloop Games and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game is about a young woman, Jala, who returns to her hometown for her sister's wedding and must navigate her relationships with her family and former paramours. The game was released on November 2, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Ports to Android and iOS published by Netflix is in development.

<i>Lego Bricktales</i> 2022 video game

Lego Bricktales is a puzzle adventure game developed by ClockStone Studio and published by Thunderful. Lego Bricktales was released for Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 12 October 2022, and for Android and iOS on 27 April 2023. A virtual/mixed reality version was released for Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro on 7 December 2023. Lego Bricktales received generally positive reviews.

<i>Venba</i> (video game) 2023 video game

Venba is a narrative cooking video game developed and published by Visai Games. The story begins in 1988 and follows an immigrant Indian couple settling down in Canada and adjusting their day-to-day lives in the new environment. The player controls the titular character, Venba, an Indian woman who moves with her husband to Toronto, where they eventually have a son. The game draws heavily from Tamil culture and South Indian cuisine. The game was released on July 31, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

<i>Football Manager 2024</i> 2023 video game

Football Manager 2024 is a football management simulation video game developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. It is part of its Football Manager series. It was released on November 6, 2023.

The 20th British Academy Video Game Awards were hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts on 11 April 2024 to honour the best video games of 2023. Held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, the ceremony was hosted by comedian Phil Wang for the first time. Nominations were announced on March 7, 2024, with epic fantasy roleplaying game Baldur's Gate 3 earning a leading eleven nominations. Charity SpecialEffect was honoured with the BAFTA Special Award for their work in making gaming more accessible to people with physical disabilities. Baldur's Gate 3 received the most wins at the ceremony, with five including Best Game.

References

  1. Saver, Michael; Pung, Julia; Stanton, Devon (January 4, 2024). "Made with Unity: 2023 in review". Unity Technologies . Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  2. Bolding, Jonathan (January 4, 2020). "Take a picture, then walk into it, in this must-see game tech experiment". PC Gamer . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  3. Wallace, Chris (August 21, 2021). "UK-based Robot Turtle wins Europlay 2021 with Viewfinder". MCV . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Wallace, Chris (September 23, 2023). "Picture Perfect: Behind the scenes of the Europlay-winning, upcoming game Viewfinder". MCV . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  5. Clayton, Natalie (June 2, 2021). "Viewfinder's mind-bending photography puzzles are shaping up nicely". PC Gamer . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  6. Batchelor, James (November 4, 2021). "Robot Teddy acquisition and new investment arm make Thunderful "a 360-degree" games firm". GamesIndustry.biz . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  7. Yin-Poole, Wesley (December 4, 2022). "Everything announced at The Game Awards 2022". Eurogamer . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  8. "Viewfinder launches July 18". Gematsu. June 8, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  9. "Viewfinder now available for PS4". Gematsu. December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Viewfinder (PC)". Metacritic . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Viewfinder (PS5)". Metacritic . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  12. Bloodworth, Daniel (July 17, 2023). "Review: Viewfinder". Easy Allies . Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  13. Hilliard, Kyle (July 17, 2023). "Viewfinder Review". Game Informer . Archived from the original on September 17, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  14. Barbosa, Alessandro (July 17, 2023). "Viewfinder Review - One Perfect Shot". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Donnelly, Joe (July 17, 2023). "Viewfinder review: "A breath of fresh air"". GamesRadar+ . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  16. Lloret, Alberto (July 17, 2023). "Análisis de Viewfinder, una de las sorpresas del año que juega con la fotografía y la perspectiva como nunca has visto". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Ogilvie, Tristan (July 17, 2023). "Viewfinder Review". IGN . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Valentine, Robin (July 17, 2023). "Viewfinder Review". PC Gamer . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Morley, Grayson (July 17, 2023). "Viewfinder is puzzle game heaven". Polygon . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  20. Tailby, Stephen (July 17, 2023). "Mini Review: Viewfinder (PS5) - Unique Puzzler Is a Snapshot of Great Puzzling Potential". Push Square . Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  21. Bell, Larryn (July 17, 2023). "Viewfinder review: Now you're thinking with photos". Shacknews . Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  22. 1 2 Packwood, Lewis (July 17, 2023). "Viewfinder review – the magic of stepping into a picture". The Guardian . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  23. Scullion, Chris (August 25, 2021). "Viewfinder wins UKIE's UK Game of the Show award". Video Games Chronicle . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  24. Harris, Iain (September 29, 2023). "Voting for The Golden Joystick Awards 2023 is now live – here are the nominees in full". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  25. Jackson, Destiny (November 13, 2023). "The Game Awards Nominations: 'Baldur's Gate 3,' 'Alan Wake 2' And Nintendo Reign Supreme". Deadline. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  26. Sinclair, Brendan (January 16, 2024). "Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3 top GDC Award nominations". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on January 16, 2024.
  27. Bankhurst, Adam (March 20, 2024). "Game Developers Choice Awards 2024 Winners: The Full List". IGN . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  28. "Bafta Games Awards 2024: Baldur's Gate 3 and Spider-Man lead nods". BBC News. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  29. "20th BAFTA Games Awards: The Nominations". BAFTA. March 7, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  30. "The 60 Best Video Games of 2023". bafta.org. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. December 14, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  31. "【日本ゲーム大賞2024】年間作品部門大賞は 「ゼルダの伝説 ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム」 (任天堂株式会社)". PR Times (in Japanese). September 26, 2024.