THE PLANETS SUITE

How music inspired a puzzle game of grand chromatic scale

When we ask developer Lucas Govatos what influenced the striking visuals of Epitasis, his firstperson sci-fi puzzle adventure, we expect to hear certain answers. Sure enough, Govatos namechecks The Witness and No Man’s

Sky. What we don’t expect is that the candy-hued locales are also the product of a kind of artistic synaesthesia. “My main inspirations are electronic artist Tycho, and also Boards of Canada,” he tells us.

“Both have a unique style that takes you somewhere else entirely,” Govatos says. “Music is the main thing I head to when I’m in need of both inspiration and motivation to work on art.” Travel, too, has helped him lend Epitasis its vividity: “I went on a trip to Costa Rica for a month, and it had a large influence on trying to bring in the colourful, lively style of the country.” Navigating the non-linear universe via space-bending portals, however, is designed to be meditative. Players piece together, at their own pace, the mystery of a fallen alien civilisation, solving laser puzzles and reactivating long-forgotten technology.

Epitasis is about halfway through development, with Kickstarter backers providing feedback, and Govatos plans to continue making fine mechanical adjustments right up until release next summer. But for him, the game’s magic lies in its aesthetic. “Art has been a big focus of mine, not just for this project, but in my life, so creating something beautiful was – and still is – a high priority. There aren’t many sci-fi exploration games with supercolourful vistas, and there should be more.”