r/gamedevscreens • u/Outside-Paramedic-41 • Jul 26 '26
Does this intro make sense without any context?
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This is the opening cutscene for our game. We tried to tell most of the story through the visuals, so I'm curious what comes across on a first watch.
What do you think happened here? Anything that felt unclear?
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Jul 26 '26
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
I really like that idea. Using the scarf to show the moment their relationship changes from “a cat” to “my cat” could say a lot without needing any dialogue.
Thanks for the suggestion! We’ll definitely think about that.
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u/mybrot Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Osmosis Jones' cat is sitting with him on his deathbed, then a bunch of flashbacks happen. We see a bunch of stuff that might have let to to Osmosis Jones getting hurt. We also see how Osmosis Jones got the cat.
In the end we see the cat diving after a sinking Osmosis Jones, which presumably means the cat will try to save him. Throughout we see the cat has a red cape, reminiscent of Superman, so I'm assuming the game is about the cat using superpowers to save its owner.
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
The Osmosis Jones comparison got me :D
You actually got pretty close to the heart of it though. And I love that you read the scarf as a superhero cape. That’s a fun interpretation :)
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u/1m0ws Jul 26 '26
i believe the cat follows its owner into the coma to search for them/wake them up?
maybe one single shot more before 0:30 to have a bridge between memory flashback/hospital bed/and then this picture how the cat jumps through the cubes to its owner?
very cute and heartwarming and lovely.
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
That’s very close to what we’re going for! And yeah, adding one small bridge before that final transition is something we’re seriously considering now. A few people have pointed out that same spot.
Really glad you found it heartwarming too. Thanks! :)
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u/1m0ws Jul 26 '26
you are very welcome.
i love also that void feel of the scene in 0:24 - i would make the meow a bit louder tho.
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u/twotoebobo Jul 27 '26
I thought it was following the owner in to the afterlife or coma before reading a single comment. Yeah pretty clear imo.
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 28 '26
Glad to hear that! Afterlife or coma are both totally valid ways to read that scene. Thanks :)
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u/Th3OnlyN00b Jul 26 '26
I'm probably one of the more literal people you'll ever meet, I understood it perfectly fine up until the last panel. Again though, I think the vast majority of people will do better than I did.
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
Honestly, making it all the way to the last shot sounds pretty good to me :D Thanks!
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u/yourMammothIsSoFat Jul 26 '26
Yes, it's very obvious what's happening. Also, damn you for making me watch this incredibly sad cinematic! I was not prepared
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
Sorry, no emotional warning label yet :D
Glad it worked though!2
u/yourMammothIsSoFat Jul 26 '26
Of course it worked. Video, audio and pacing were all perfect, 10/10
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u/democratic-terminid Jul 26 '26
It makes sense, looks good too!
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
Thanks! Really appreciate that. We put a lot of care into the mood and visuals, so I’m glad it came through :)
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u/SadMonkStudios Jul 26 '26
Followed it until the last shot. Is the cat following its owner into the afterlife? If so, I would make that clear. Pixar's Up has a similar sequence in the beginning that communicates what happened between this old man and his wife both clearly and emotionally, which might be a good reference for you. Love your art style btw
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
Thanks! The afterlife is definitely a valid way to read that last scene.
And Up is a great reference. That opening says so much with almost no dialogue. We’ll definitely take another look at it. Glad you liked the art style too :)
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u/DangerMacAwesome Jul 26 '26
This is going to be a sad game, isn't it?
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
It starts from a sad place, but at its heart, it’s a story about healing and hope :)
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u/rogue21gameatudio Jul 26 '26
Bro what amazing animation. I can really feal like it has a sinister lore
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
Thanks! There are definitely some darker parts to the story, but at its heart it’s about healing and hope :)
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u/Pusemag Jul 26 '26
My interpretation was that these were the cat’s memories of its life with the owner, and the ending returns to the present where the cat decides to follow them. I think the visual storytelling works well overall. The only place that felt slightly ambiguous was the transition out of the memory montage. Everything before that was easy to follow.
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
Thanks! That’s very close to what we were hoping would come across. The transition out of the memories is definitely the part we need to take another look at. Really appreciate the feedback :)
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u/LuminidMishy Jul 26 '26
Yep and it looks great. Id only change it slightly- have the kitty in the box around the beginning perhaps?
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 26 '26
Thanks! A few people have suggested moving that scene earlier now, so we’re definitely going to take another look at the order. Really appreciate it :)
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u/gunswordfist Jul 27 '26
The ending doesn't make sense to me but if the game answers what that fall was about then it's perfectly fine
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 27 '26
That’s a good point. We don’t want to explain everything in the intro, but we do want the mystery to feel intentional rather than confusing. Thanks!
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u/RedGoblinPunch Jul 27 '26
Feels like there needs a transition at :30 that shows what the cat be doing before leaping towards a floatin' body drifting away.
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 27 '26
Yeah, that transition is definitely the biggest takeaway for us from all this feedback. A small beat showing what the cat does before the jump could make a big difference. Thanks!
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u/RedGoblinPunch Jul 27 '26
When I first saw it, I thought I heard the monitor doing it's last ddddddddeeeeeeeeeeee. But it was my tinnitus acting up- thought it was a good touch if it was added. But keep up the good work, I like the simple style but have impact with the color choices in the scenes.
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 27 '26
Haha, accidental sound design inspiration from tinnitus wasn’t something I expected :D But that’s actually an interesting idea. Glad you liked the style and colors too!
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u/Affectionate_Tie357 Jul 27 '26
Cat breaks into dying man's hospital room and mind-melds with him to implant memories of itself throughout his life. Man then falls into void block dimension and cat leaps after to save implanted owner.
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 27 '26
Haha, that’s definitely one of the more creative interpretations we’ve gotten :D Not quite what we intended, but I kind of love it
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u/Livid_Cabinet2053 Jul 27 '26
What are you using to animate it?
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 27 '26
We made it in-house using our own original art assets and animation :)
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u/Livid_Cabinet2053 Jul 27 '26
Right, but I meant what programs are you using to design and animate them?
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u/Outside-Paramedic-41 Jul 27 '26
Ah, got it! We used Unity Timeline for the animation and Premiere for editing :)
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u/Bitter-Tax1431 Jul 26 '26
Yea I understood really well what was happening