Step into a mesmerizing world where ethereal lights dance amidst swirling mists, captivating your senses and drawing you into an otherworldly realm. SELINI, the enchanting new game developed by Cymban Games, has been making waves in the gaming community with its stunning visual aesthetics and immersive gameplay. From the moment I laid eyes on the game’s breathtaking look and feel, I knew I had to learn more. Unable to resist the allure of SELINI’s atmospheric beauty, I reached out to Andreas, the creative mastermind and developer behind Cymban Games, to secure an interview for our blog. Join me as we delve into the captivating universe of SELINI and uncover the inspiration and secrets behind its magical ambiance.
What inspired you to create a game like SELINI?
It was actually my son! One night he asked me a very simple question: “Why do we have to play all these games on your phone? Why don’t we make our own game?”
It was a life-changing question for me. Right after putting him to sleep, I immediately went on YouTube and searched “how to make a video game.” And here we are…
What kind of research and preparation did you do before starting development?
Literally zero! I had very little knowledge about making games and I wasn’t even a gamer when I started. All I knew was that I wanted to tell an important story through this medium. The fact that I had no real idea how hard games are to make ended up being a great advantage, because I never limited my dreams or scope based on technical considerations. I just blindly shot for the moon from day one and had to catch up with the “preparation” along the way.
We love the name “SELINI” — it has a nice ring to it. How did you come up with it? Does it have a particular meaning?
Before naming the game, I needed to find a name for the studio. I fell in love with the name Cymban, which coincidentally means “universe” in Greek. Since the studio’s name signifies the universe, why not begin with a game called SELINI, which translates to “moon” in Greek, representing Earth’s lunar companion?
What are some of the key gameplay mechanics players can expect, and how do they work together to create a compelling experience?
SELINI is a non-linear exploration platformer (metroidvania) centered around mystery and simplicity.
Regarding mystery, apart from the atmospheric elements, the game deliberately avoids any form of guidance. There are no texts or speeches, not even in the menus. Players must interpret the world on their own and devise their own exploration strategies.
As for simplicity, the game relies on established mechanics within the metroidvania genre to convey ideas and actions. I eventually realized that overly innovative ideas didn’t suit SELINI. The focus is on delivering an enjoyable experience through well-polished “raw materials,” rather than adding unnecessary complexity.
How did you approach designing the art style and aesthetics, and what challenges did you face?
The global fog is a very important element. It works as the foundation for building the entire world. It’s relatively easy with fog to create depth and quickly achieve results that enhance the ambience. One of the biggest early challenges was learning 3D modeling.
The original 3D models helped give the game its soul and identity. However, as a solo developer with no budget, if I wanted to finish the project on my own, I needed more efficient solutions. So I bought generic assets from Unity’s Asset Store and also worked with artists on Fiverr to create more original content. This turned out to be one of the wisest decisions I made — it skyrocketed development speed.
What was the most difficult aspect of developing your game, and how did you overcome those obstacles?
Most people think the hardest part must have been developing mechanics and systems, especially since I come from an artist’s background with no coding experience. But creating mechanics and systems was actually the easiest part, because with technical problems you at least know where to look for solutions.
The most difficult part was the narration. You create a protagonist that moves, jumps, etc., and place them in a moody environment with fog and beautiful ambient sounds — so what? By itself, it means nothing. The real challenge emerged after the core mechanics were working: how do you keep someone engaged to the point where they not only want to keep playing but are also happy to pay for the experience?
It was a huge slap in the face when I realized this. These issues were revealed — and solved — through testing. Testing is extremely important!
Your game features striking lighting effects. Can you talk about your lighting design process, and the pipeline you’ve chosen (HDRP/URP/custom)?
With the fog as a base, I usually start by creating levels inside simple boxes. For some reason, it already looks kind of cool at this stage — the fog can do miracles.
Once the level is complete from a design perspective, it’s time to make it beautiful.
First, I check for potential light sources in the background for good silhouettes and shadows. I avoid directional lights (sunlight), even outdoors, and try to light everything locally for more control.
Then I use an asset gallery to add world details, modifying them in Blender to give them character and adapt them to the environment. This stage is important because you can guide the player’s attention by framing areas with light or shadow.
This phase is also the most demanding in terms of time and energy. I’m exhausted at the end of the day when I polish a level.
Something worth mentioning: most of the coloring is done with lights, not materials. There are no more than ten materials in the whole game (mostly gray tones), and lights color them according to the needs of each level.
When I started SELINI back in 2016, URP and HDRP didn’t really exist. I’m using Unity’s built-in renderer and don’t plan on switching for this project.
How has Unity helped you in developing your game?
Honestly, I can’t compare it to other engines because I don’t know much about them.
What I do know is that Unity made me a game developer from nothing, and the huge number of tutorials and the community played a major role.
For the first three years, I found answers to everything I needed with a simple internet search. At some point, though, I realized things had become serious — because there were no tutorials that could answer my new questions. That’s when I understood I didn’t need tutorials anymore.
What development tools and software did you use, and why did you choose them?
If it were illegal to have more than one asset from Unity’s Asset Store, the one you should keep is Playmaker.
Playmaker is a visual scripting plugin for Unity and a lifesaver for non-coders like me. I’ve been doing this for years now, so I’ve learned how to write code too, but I still use Playmaker because it makes building systems fast and efficient.
Blender has been a huge part of development for 3D modeling and animations.
More recently I’ve been using Krita for creating 2D menu sprites.
I want to point out that most of these programs are free to use.
I’m still amazed by this every day, and I tell myself: “You have no excuse not to go for your dreams.” The tools are free. It’s crazy.
Alright, we have to ask — how many Steam wishlists has SELINI gathered so far? And more importantly, what secret marketing tactics have you been using? Subliminal messages? Hypnosis? Dancing in the streets with a “Wishlist My Game” sign? Inquiring minds want to know!
SELINI’s Steam page was dormant for years. Right now, we’re close to 7,000 wishlists, and more than half came in the past year, when I had to become “noisy” across the internet.
The good news is that the game is growing rapidly, but there’s a lot of effort behind that.
How can someone support your project?
SELINI recently had a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising funds for a PC and Nintendo Switch release.
It’s common now to continue a successful campaign on another platform.
I decided to continue with Indiegogo InDemand, where people can support the project with discounted copies and digital rewards.
Here’s the link to support the game on Indiegogo:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/selini