Making a Cozy Fantasy Game in Unity | My Process

Crimson Hollow is a hand drawn isometric RPG set in a magical town, hidden from the outside world. Join the community and watch as this game develops!
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Wishlist on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/24...
Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=63972238
Discord Community: / discord
Official Website: www.crimsonhollowgame.com/
Instagram: / crimsonholl. .
TikTok: / crimsonhollow. .
Twitter: / _crimsonhollow
Business Inquiries: [e-mail]
Credits
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The Roaring Newt Diorama
• Crimson Hollow, but in...
Song: "Setting Out at Night" by Rauhdex
/ @rauhdex
All Other Songs:
/ @gwriterstudio
Musician's Patreon:
/ gwriterstudio
Chapters
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00:00 Intro
01:27 Groundwork
02:33 Photoshop
05:14 Unity
08:14 Community
#cozygames #gamedev #gaming #indiegame #artist

[@Lyndseybug]

I genuinely have been looking forward to this game coming out! I have had it on my wish list for quite a while now. You are doing amazing with the development of this game, and I know I will be getting it as soon as you publish it! Thank you for your hard work and dedication to such a beautifully drawn and thought out game.

[@crimsonhollowgame]

Thank you so much for your support!

[@imaadhaq540]

Hi! I'd recommend making it so the non-hand-drawn animations (rigged sprites and models like the trees and presumably the character) are at a lower frame rate, like 12fps. It'd make them fit in better with the hand-drawn animations and make the game lean better into its hand-drawn aesthetic

[@werewolfhours]

Every time you do an update, I am more and more blown away. This looks so good!

[@hamzahgamedev]

Courtney your game looks so polished already! Your devlog series has inspired me to make my own cozy game and I am so happy YT recommended your channel.! Can't wait for the game to release! All the best! 🔥🔥

[@crimsonhollowgame]

Thank you! I'm so happy you are inspired. Best of luck on your cozy game. We got this!

[@tonyquinones241]

I love the customizable homes!! So many options! 😮

[@crimsonhollowgame]

Thanks Tony! ❤

[@kitkatwitch]

I would love to see a video about testing the gameplay loop for fun. So far its the most beautiful indie game on KZbin, but we haven't seen any gameplay besides walking and talking. What is the loop that players actually play?

[@crimsonhollowgame]

Thank you! Gameplay is a work in progress but centers around collection, crafting, and questing. Stay tuned for updates on this 💜

[@MarcosCodas]

I totally agree. Fun is the thing I struggle with the most and I’ve had to let projects go because I could not achieve playable fun.

[@anarchoyeasty3908]

@@MarcosCodas That's why a fun gameplay loop needs to be the first thing you focus on. You can always change the story and the art to get your desired vibe, but you can't make an unfun game fun.

[@MarcosCodas]

@@anarchoyeasty3908 I wouldn't say it needs to be done a certain way, otherwise it doesn't work. But certainly, I found it a lot harder to do, to add fun, than to add anything else.

[@roqeebbakare2558]

I don't know how this sounds but seeing your art makes it feel like I am eating chocolate.

[@advancenine]

Holy freakin amazing. This was fun to watch. I've been wanting to get an insight into your design process for awhile and now I'm even more blown away by your insane talent. I can't wait to play this game!

[@crimsonhollowgame]

Thank you Ryan! I’m loving Nightstones 💜

[@theroaringnewt]

Thank you so much for a second shout-out! Your kindness is heartwarming! As I said previously, I love your style and your idea with this game. My video was a way to send you my best wishes for a project which is bound to be successful. Since the awesomely positive feedback received from your community, I'd love to make another video in the near future. Let me know if you have suggestions! Once again, thank you! Best regards!

[@magmaticbee9777]

This is incredibly impressive! Keep going, but dont forget to take breaks too. Patience is important ♡♡♡

[@lluucasiscool]

i can't wait this game looks so cool 🤩

[@angelfernandez9606]

I love your design process and drawings, and you talk in a well structured way, immediately after seeing this i felt like grabbing my wacom and start designing my own things

[@yeriarts_]

Your environmental design is genuinely so beautiful and lively. I can’t wait to play it, thank you for creating something with so much passion.

[@Kubi-vr2wi]

Every new devlog you upload there is always something new and mind-blowing, especially compared to your first one to this new one.

[@haxpaxed]

I work for a game publisher and we've released games that don't even look half as good as this - well done Courtney! I'm so excited to see more! :)

[@josephdilascio9352]

Ok, so i'm a seasoned professional app dev and am making my first unity 2d game for fun and making my own art w ipad/procreate. Lady you are an absolute wizard! holy s%* I am really struggling w finding a streamlined workflow to output art assets. I feel like it will take me 30 years to make my game. You are an inspiration , even if I get little depressed/jealous seeing how good you are. Can't wait to play it!!

[@madrededios77]

Wow you've really mastered your art pipeline! Very impressive stuff on the cottage customisation!! 😍

[@Rookie_Pyro]

So cool that you've been committed to this project for so long

[@Draconicrose]

Dang, it's looking absolutely beautiful and atmospheric!

[@isolatedxilence4586]

When this releases, this would probably be the first game I'll purchase

[@MarushiaDark316]

Loving the progress you're making. Everything looks gorgeous. One thing to note, which you might have already fixed by now, is at the base of the waterfall, it would help to see more ripples in the river itself to help make it feel more alive. Anyways, keep up the awesome work.

[@realdevfrog]

The art in this game so polished and cozy :D I especially loved how you showed your process for animating the foliage and waterfalls, it looks amazing >:)

[@afrancis7475]

This is a masterpiece, can't wait for more devlogs!

[@ELC2024]

Hey Courtney, thanks for the update, we are all rooting for you, best of luck

[@dayful4413]

Love the detail your putting in!! the game is looking stunning already~ genuinely love seeing your process through everything

[@SunaKokaru]

If possible, when mining or farming etc, I like the flow of when you water a plant you can go right to the next one, if possible to be able to hold button to do an action is a lot nicer on my hands that having to click however, you do you! You have a great foundation, it’s on,y a suggestion . Your work looks beautiful as always, definitely going to make the house for dnd, it is really a cool design, excited to see your progress further, I got this!

[@Baelfyr]

Amazing work. Its good to have pipelines that allow easy customisation with colours and shapes from the get go. Btw, if you aren't already aware, Adobe have changed their terms of service (TOS), everything created within their products, including photoshop, can be used by them with a free unlimited world wide license to take your work, change it, use it how they want, and a bunch of other scary stuff. If you are worry about this, I suggest spreading the word, and finding alternatives to photoshop.

[@pokepoke1889]

I love this so much the cozy feels are so nice. I love the idea of sitting in a soft winter park or going fishing

[@Tombuxtondrums]

Currently making my own game and whenever I hit a rough patch I go back to your videos and it inspires me to keep going. Can't wait for the game to come out! Amazing work! :)

[@meganoverby4321]

Your game took a breath of life when you added the movement to the environment! I'm looking forward to the day I can play this!

[@TheBelgiumeseKid]

Your work looks great! You are correct that you can change how the SpriteRenderer color is applied to the base image, but it requires some shader knowledge. There's several ways to combine two colors (in this case, the base image color and the SpriteRenderer color), which is called the "blending mode". If you make a custom shader with Unity's ShaderGraph (no coding required), throw it on a custom material, and use that for your sprite, you can change the blend mode completely. Some examples of other blending modes are Overwrite (completely replace the sprite's color with the other color), additive (add the two RGB values), multiply (multiply the RGB values), etc. I noticed you have a hover effect that applies an outline and an overlay color to the hovered object. Is this not implemented with a shader? If you are manually drawing the texture for these for every object, you could consider switching that approach and saving some time! LMK if I can help with anything :)

[@cpuccino]

Dude it's crazy that everything's hand drawn. I thought for sure you were doing 3D with some insane shaders. Would be cool to see more dev logs. This might be one of the best looking games of this genre I've seen. Keen to see more updates.

[@Gaabizitinhaa]

i'm so excited to play your game!!!! it looks amazing and so cozy, and I specially enjoy seeing the behind the scenes

[@Mister_Peppers]

This looks amazing! I saw a post about it on reddit and skipped right over it. Seeing it in video though, completely spun me. Wish listed.

[@Dwill495]

I've just been getting into Game Dev-ing to help me find a creative outlet and your videos have been really motivating. Am pumped to play your game when you release

[@laurenvdk]

i commented this on your last devlog, but i thought i'd say it here too, because i think it's really important! my one criticism of this incredibly beautiful game (that i'm super excited for!!), is the lack of body types. i know very little about game development lol but i think adding just one larger body type option for character customization would do a world of difference, as well as having some plus-size or even just not quite as skinny NPCs. thanks!

[@yeahnah27]

This game looks o GOOD AWRGH I need it now, sooner, please!! Love it!!

[@olucasfiuza]

This is already one of my favorite games! Love love love the work so far ❤

[@pandaavintage2698]

Amazing work! I'm so proud to see how much work you've done!

[@kenguyii9108]

Your game looks so beautiful! I would love to visit a world like that! 😊

[@a.j.nunnaurbiz6535]

This game has been on my Steam wishlist since July of last year! Thank you for taking the time to update us on your progress! The game looks absolutely beautiful!

[@ericajcruz]

You're so impressive! All the effort and organization being rolled up into this exquisite game...thank you for being you. I'm looking forward to the next update! Keep going! You got this!!

[@TsharaMC]

What would make the home customization even more interesting is if the town NPC's react to your choices. Have a dark or light home? Some NPC are more wary wile others are more welcoming. Depending on there alignment.

[@SproutTheHealer]

I love the feel and look of your world. I enjoy cozy games alot and from the moment i saw you were making this game i knew i had to add this to my collection. Looking forward to showing the world how nice this one is!

[@Scipio0404]

This looks sick

[@ladyspartacus6715]

Every update you do has me more and more excited! The art being hand drawn and so beautiful really just sets this game apart from a lot of the cozy games on the market. I really am so excited and fyi the cottage options look amazing!! I do one request for the windows, if possible, could we get some colorful stained glass options? I love the look of stained glass windows and the way the light passes thru them! Especially when you see them on a cute little cottage! Anyways, looking forward to the next update! All the best, Courtney! ❤

[@crimsonhollowgame]

I can’t guarantee it will happen but is certainly possible. The window glass color is currently kept as a separate game object so that the lights in home turn on at night. Which means I can change the window color pretty easily 💜

[@ladyspartacus6715]

@@crimsonhollowgame Thank you for always hearing out our suggestions. Even if you don't do stained glass this is still such a super beautiful game and the houses are just so cute!!

[@ELF_Productions]

You have made lots of progress there. I love doing assets with no saturation to recolor in unity. Only problem was i usually needed another layer for highlights if i wanted to keep white highlights but recolor the rest. Unity can do overlays with screen and additive and multiply using the shader graph but i havent figured it out properly as yet.

[@jerseycow7494]

It looks gorgeous, and your development of it is fascinating to watch! Thank you. Definitely will wishlist

[@Aryana.Nemesis]

Your game looks great! And thanks for sharing this. 👍

[@Spirited282]

So great to see your progress, look forward to the game.

[@realSkyEyes]

Customizing your house, YES! This looks so incredible and detailed. Can't wait for more!

[@Dr.Droneddd]

this looks so awesome, wishing you all the success

[@fantasycraft-forge]

This is so inspiring! I've always wanted to create something like Crimson Hollow, but with a classic medieval fantasy theme (like very old fantasy). It must be incredibly time-consuming (which is why I'm sticking with animation only 😁 ). I absolutely love watching your process videos - they're incredibly inspiring. Awesome work! Wishlisted! 😍😍

[@mx_problematique]

Been following since nearly the beginning, and each new video makes me more excited! Your art is soooooo beautiful

[@beauwalker2767]

Lovely aesthetic you have going for your game. It's interesting to see how other GD work. Fantastic job with the game design so far!

[@avacado4706]

OH MY GOSH ITS LOOKING AMAZINGGG

[@LordOfTheCapybara]

Been following your journey for some time now, and I get more and more excited with each new update--will most deff purchase upon release!! Sending all my love and support to your dedication to create something wonderful and incredible. As far as I'm aware, game development is not entirely linear, so I hope you are in awe of your abilities as I am :D

[@EddyV101]

I want to be your friend. I've been trying to make a solid game for 4 years now. So many drawings and so many ideas all over my home.

[@gothBFexe]

the art for your game is already so beautiful, holy crap!

[@esmaarts]

This is so impressive. I love the cottage designs. Your videos are inspiring. ☺️

[@mushykins]

i love learning about your process. i hope you do more of these style videos!

[@TokwaTyphoon]

honestly i'm excited for this

[@bubblewubble4632]

your art style is sooo beautiful

[@daniel_thorson]

I've been following this since day one. Keep up the great work! This is looking awesome!!!

[@a_francy]

You are doing such a great job! I love how you are showing us every single step😊 I'm sure this game will win over many players once it's released.🤩

[@arsk95]

love this game, thank you for showing the progress u have made. Hope see more stuff ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@rebekahmarinos2260]

You are doing such an amazing job!!

[@arnaudmulton3161]

Hobbyist game developer here, with no talent for graphics, i'm in love with your art style and your game's atmosphere :) Keep it up, it's gonna be awesome

[@brieoshiro]

Dude I can't wait to spend soooo many hours of my life playing this! It's so pretty :)

[@sagetm]

been following every video as they come. looking good :)

[@Smabverse]

The game looks so 🔥

[@GojoSan-xe5lm]

Hi i really like the video and i just wanted to point out things that I noticed and ideas now i don't know if this ideas have been already implemented or thought of 1. 7:33 the Stream or River wasn't moving only the water fall was hope you add that 2.Can you add footprints and let say you step on other materials they also refect on others surfaces example Water, Blood, Mud water refect on snow and dirt blood on all surfaces and so on etc 3. Can you research into Hades Character models i think it would fit and look lovely but with a slight difference would be good i know it would be hard to do cause you mostly are a artist that draws stuff and you might have to pay a animator to do these increasing the strain on your personal budget so it just idea you can keep in mind 4. Maybe you can check the persona series for social sim mechanics as a reference or inspiration i think most mechanics would fit the game like dating and Personal social stats the problem is how you can implement this maybe it can be a main or side optional mechanic i am talking about the personal social stats obviously the dating aspect would be a optional thing 5. Hope you add minigames To Hollow: Now i know the ideas are a daunting task and increases the work strain but i think it will benefit the game and most people would love this sidenote i think even Hades 2 has a mechanic where you could go in a pool and talk to romanceable npc's especially the game that has the same acesthic as yours so yea have a good day and thank you for reading.

[@CuppaTeeh]

Been following the journey, motivated me to jump in and stop just writing ideas 🌑

[@user-nw8kk6hq7r]

You are amazing! Your single-mindedness inspires me with determination and I stop being afraid of doing a lot of work on projects alone. Hello from Russia!

[@kingbling7571]

the art makes something inside me fuzzy idk what to say but i feel very calm and comfy whenever i see ur art, i swear if the sound and ambience if correctly done this will be the best cozy game

[@crimsonhollowgame]

Awe this comment made ME feel fuzzy! Thank you!

[@thisisloop]

the lanterns light could flicker to add more movement like the wind for the plants and trees

[@KarstenDB]

Wishlisted, very excited for this ^_^

[@Luci-tx8mx]

It looks so beautiful and amazing!!!! 💝💖

[@DeepDrinks]

Looks amazing!

[@Barbleder]

I’ve been watching since the first video came out! Keep up the good work!

[@sherlinmoon7614]

I wish to be transported in this bloody world. I literally would move there I swear it!! Dx 😭💔🔥 I love this sooo much! 🥺 I’m gonna be playing this so much hehehe!! ;3

[@davesantleman8948]

This is beyond stunning, I cannot wait to play this game... just take my money!

[@Listoric]

Hey, I love yout work and style and I'm looking forward to hear more about the gameplay as well. The art is already gorgeous and I love the atmosphere and details you already brought to life. I did notice one thing, that almost feels like a perspective illusion, but might just be weird geometry. If you pause the video e.g. at 5:11 you can see a full view of the cottage. I can't make sense of how the roof is connected to the pillars below. It reminds me of the "elephant with 5 legs" illusion somehow. It's difficult to point out in writing what's off, especially as a non native speaker. But I'll give it a try nonetheless: The roof seems smaller and / or off center. The overhang is more pronounced on the left and bottom edges of the roof, while the right edge almost seems flush with the basement. Also the pillars connection points with the roof seem off. The center front pillars need shadow between them and the wall to pronounce their distance to the wall, but also their connection to the beam above, and that connection to the roof, seem somewhat off. As said, reminds me of the elephant. I think you noticed that yourself, as the window in the front of the second floor is centered, as should be the roof above. Bt the spiky top isn't right above the window, it's basically to far to the left. The spike seems to be straight above the center base, while the window is centered to the overhang of the second floor. I hope this somehow makes sense. What you do with that information is up to you of course, but I just needed to mention it as it drove me crazy deciphering the 3D of the building as I do love creating and customizing my builds in survival games as well. Enshrouded and Valheim just invite to create mediaval, viking, fantasy themed buildings. Keep it up and I'm looking forward to your next video!

[@BurterButterbeans_Studio]

wowww! This is looking incredibly gorgeous! New subscriber and wishlister here 💖💖💖

[@user-me4my6vz1c]

Great job! Your game looks wonderfully good! Your art pipeline thought me a lot. one thing I would like to mention is I think there is an inconsistency with your animations. I'm talking about the seamless wind animations of the tree and plants vs the hand drawn waterfall animation. I would recommend changing one of them with the other to make the game aesthetics seem seamless and more consistent, but it's just my opinion :)

[@pariarafati21]

You are a real artist🔥

[@beatrix_weber]

So perfect!!!

[@roadracerdave7645]

been following your devlogs since day 1 and seen every single video. i wish you'd provide more background on yourself as a an ex-teacher and how you even started on this journey to learn how to program and make a game with 0 experience/background! that's the part i'm really intrigued by

[@BDJones055]

Wishlisted!

[@crimsonhollowgame]

Thank you for your support!

[@kaidynj2535]

hey this is pretty cool, keep up the good work!

[@kozinskiandrzej4]

Comment for visibility. Great work as always

[@devoutburrito]

It's susprising how there are so many cozey gamers don't know about thiss yet!

[@matthewventures]

Whoa looks great!

[@crimsonhollowgame]

Thanks Matthew!

[@thehamburgergod5543]

The fan animations going to be crazy!

[@RialuCaos]

If you wanted a more accurate way to change colors, you could look into implementing a Palette Swap Shader. Different colors tend to have different values for highlights/midtones/shadows so it doesn't always look right when you merely use different tinting, but I think it seems to be working well enough in your case.

[@stick4077]

just waneted to say I love the devlogs, keep up the good work!

[@pedrovaz5075]

I’m so hypped for this game 😍😍😍

[@rauhdex]

This is so impressive!

[@crimsonhollowgame]

YOU are impressive! Thank you so much for allowing me to use your incredible music in the video.

[@rauhdex]

@@crimsonhollowgame anytime :)

[@jaybee2530]

This is incredible! The art style is just so beautiful. How do i learn to draw like this? I would love an in depth tutorial. Either way, i 'm looking forward to this game!

[@SamoylovaAlisa]

very interesting! 👍