Lost Child of Willago

In the Beginning...

In another time and place, there is a quaint little village where rabbits have built up their homes there for a number of generations. Traditions and hard labour have kept order in their society as they deal with looming external threats.

Within, you may find:

Species/Racial politics

Medieval scale warfare

Wonders of magic and science

World Lore

This project covers a small subset of the adventures Melanie Ansley has published in her story series "The Book of Theo". This game features the character 'Rozmari' and her adventures, prelude to the main book series timeline.

The timeline is separated so that one may enjoy both the books and the game production while feeling like they are in extension without spoiling each other.

Rozmari's written story covers a beginning and end to her journey, but is a bit more vague on the substance in the middle. That is where the player may step in to Rozmari's world and experience a journey through her eyes.

Development journey

The process of developing a video game is a bit different from writing a novel. I'm not as much designing a story as I am setting up an experience for the player to enter into. Video games have a number of kind of gooey parts that need to fit together to be a whole experience. One change in one thing might mean 10 other things need to be updated.

Here's a breakdown of some of the components...

Scripting, Programming Design

How objects function, how the move, how the player interacts with the world, how the game goes from start to finish.

Artistic Assets

How characters look and move, how the world looks, atmospheric sound and immersive cues.

Game Design

What type of player experience best communicates the intended narrative, how do I want the player to think or feel at different parts? What sort of interaction should the player have to keep an immersive, engaging gameplay at an accessible skill curve?

Literature turned into experience

The Book of Theo world is an optimal setting for a classic medieval fantasy themed RPG. The basic lore and world design allows for an expansive gameplay and narrative design. The design is integrated to not be a 1 to 1 experience equating a written chapter in a novel.

FAQ

What platforms will be available on release?

The initial target will be PC, Windows 10-11 to be available through distribution on the Steam Web Store. Optimal control scheme will be with a mouse and keyboard, so I do not expect integrating support through IOS or Android. I am open to prioritizing other platforms depending on popular interest.

When are you planning to release the game?

I can't give a definite answer, but as of December 2025, I would like to spend at least another 8 months in development past where it currently is.

What sort of gameplay can we expect?

I want to optimize the player experience by having mechanics that require a low barrier to entry for a larger player base. I want to avoid integrating base combat stats, and allow gameplay to flow based on narrative adventure. I want to emphasize that death and injury are not cheap and are not a simple metric where you lose health and can quickly rest or drink a potion and recover.

Why do you make so many games with anthropomorphic animals?

People know people too well. I can stretch the definition of what an animal should look like to different styles without a player being distracted that it looks unusual or unexpected. I think animals are fascinating and I did grow up on Cat Warriors and Lion King. I don't appreciate much of the 'furry' culture that includes prolific sexualization in unhealthy contexts, nor do I like the idea of having a 'fursona' alternate identity.

How can I be part of the project?

Use the contact form to let me know that you would like to hear more! I am going to be needing testers who are willing to give feedback, and would be open to discussing things along the way.

When will we get more details?

I will release a schedule intermittently, and I would like to keep updates running every 1 or 2 months depending on how much other factors of my life are going.

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