Wonderfall: 1920 Paris Rebuilt
Indie dev shares Wonderfall's environment creation using archive photos
A small French studio is working on Wonderfall, a narrative adventure game set in a reimagined 1920 Paris. The city is being consumed by a force called Entropy that turns it to sand, providing a unique backdrop for the game's story.
The developers have been using archive photographs by Charles Marville, who documented the streets of Paris in the 19th century, as reference for their environment work. They study the buildings, proportions, and textures in these photos and then rebuild them in 3D.
The studio has published a blog post with side-by-side comparisons of Marville's photos and their in-game counterparts, offering a glimpse into their creative process. This process may be of interest to other developers and players who appreciate the intricacies of game world creation.
The studio is open to answering questions about their workflow, references, and other aspects of their game development process. As Wonderfall progresses, it will be interesting to see how the combination of historical reference and fantastical elements comes together to create a compelling narrative adventure.
