A Memoir Blue is an atmospheric journey starring a swimming champion named Miriam who, on the day of her greatest achievement, begins to reflect on long forgotten memories.
The story of the game is based on a childhood trip I took with my mother. My childhood memory was that we had taken a wonderful day trip to the nearby seaside town, but when I was growing up I realized my mom had taken me with her as she was running away from home. .
While the game was built around this personal story, it quickly spread to a larger scale world that players could explore in more detail. Real events are always at the heart of the game with some creative additions to help our players understand what Miriam feels like as she progresses on her journey.
Some of the scenes depicted are taken directly from my memories as a six-year-old. One of the things I remember very well was the train my mom and I took at the start of our trip.
We also visited a scenic lake where my mom hired a boat for the two of us to take in the views as the breeze blew our hair.
Finally, after our fateful day trip, we moved into a tiny apartment so small that we could only fit one reading chair in it. But when I was a kid I had fond memories of this place and was happy to call it home.
Another interesting aspect of A Memoir Blue is that its story is told entirely without words. Unlike other popular storytelling games, A Memoir Blue uses expressive character animations and songs for dialogue. We’ve taken great care in designing every movement and melody to communicate a visual story to players.
The song featured in our trailer is an example of how we specifically use music to convey the feelings mother has for our main character.
Another special trait that we use to show the separation of time is the use of mixed media. 2D animations represent memories of Miriam’s past while 3D represents the present as our main character re-examines past events. We created these traditional 2D animations in multiple passes, first sketching a rough pass, then cleaning up the line art, and finally assigning the colors. The end of the trailer features a breakdown of each of these stages.
A Memoir Blue is our studio’s first project. Our mission is not only to tell stories, but to share experiences that will appeal to a player’s heart as well. I hope you enjoy delving into Miriam’s unearthed past by letting go of the ordinary and immersing yourself in a world of deep blue.
