The classic point and click adventure may be a genre that people consider to have peaked a few decades ago, but it remains popular to this day. Developer imaginarylab is returning to it once more with Whirlight – No Time To Trip, after releasing Willy Morgan and the Curse of Bone Town back in 2020. The game is not coming out until next year, but we caught up with the developers to find out more.
The point-and-click adventure genre has a rich history. How are you approaching modernizing the genre while retaining the charm of classics?
In our opinion, the key elements of point-and-click adventures have always been an engaging storyline and well-rounded characters. Therefore, we sought to create a story that would be captivating, with twists and an intricate plot. We also focused on the protagonists and other non-playable characters, ensuring they had strong personalities. As for more modern elements, we emphasized the game’s graphics and ease of access (for instance, it can be played using just a mouse).
What were the main inspirations behind the story and setting of Whirlight – No Time To Trip?
We were certainly influenced by the adventures of the ’90s, particularly Day of the Tentacle and Sam & Max Hit the Road. However, films also played a role, especially Back to the Future.
The demo for Whirlight – No Time To Trip has recently been released. How has the feedback from players been so far?
After releasing the demo, we were thrilled with the players’ reactions. It was met with great enthusiasm, and we received a lot of positive feedback. There were no issues reported that made us think about major changes, but rather some features to make the game more enjoyable.
The soundtrack is designed to ‘capture the essence of each era and setting’. Can you tell us more about the music composition process?
We wanted a style that was minimalistic but could still convey the game’s mood in every situation (regarding the demo: dream, laboratory, and pier). Our collaborators made several attempts before finding what we were looking for, adapting the sounds to the era in which the game is set. Additionally, there will be surprises in this regard, as music will play an important role in the progression of part of the plot.
How does Whirlight – No Time To Trip compare to your previous projects in terms of scope and your approach to adventure game development?
Our first project was Willy Morgan and the Curse of Bone Town. We learned a lot from this initial experience, on a technical and organizational level, but also, thanks to player feedback, we understood our limitations and flaws. We started from those (particularly the linearity of the plot and its length) to design Whirlight. So, Whirlight is a much more complex project in many respects: technically, we’ve adopted solutions that allow us to speed up development, but on the other hand, we also have much more work to do because an intricate plot requires a lot more effort.
As the game’s release on Steam in 2025 approaches, what are your biggest hopes and expectations for how players will receive Whirlight – No Time To Trip?
Of course, it would be wonderful if, years from now, it was still remembered, but we are content to simply entertain those who play it.
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