PAX East 2020: Bonfire Peaks Grabs Your Gaze And Your Emotions

Pursuing titles with the core objective to overcome obstacles, i.e. puzzle games, illustrate to only perform to a certain extent due to the capped potential the concept provides to the player. Even with larger titles that incorporate puzzles for the base progression of the storyline only utilizes the gameplay element to subject filler between pivotal segments of the experience. However, among the masses that does not fully employ a wider experience for the genre; the same cannot be said for Bonfire Peaks.

Solely developed by Corey Martin, the upcoming indie title on the surface holds the same materialized ambition to uncover solutions for the obstacle at hand. But there are also subliminal themes that hold close to the creator which the player is subjected to potentially pick up when progressing. At PAX East last weekend, I got a hands-on demo with the game and took some time to speak about the core elements that defines the newest title from Martin.

The objective is simple – reach the burning bonfire and kindle your belongings in the growing blaze. Booting up the demo will introduce the mechanic which shows to be simple enough. But commencing the following trials steadily grow in difficulty as they would be expected. Elements like knocking over unfixed crates, disintegrating platforms, crate stacking, and even positioning are evident traits for the gameplay.

Dividing each level is a hub world of bonfires scattered throughout a plateau of abandoned ruins. When completing a puzzle, a crate will appear next to you which is only one piece to scaling that segment of that area. Once accomplishing every bonfire of that environment, you can build your own path to the next portion of the experience.

Talking with Martin about the project, one aspect that instantly grew my attention to pursue Bonfire Peaks is the graphical design of the game. Asking where his influences spawned from for the game, he shared that his ambition to implement voxel art is something that many other game makers do not offer – instead striving for high-detailed pixel art that we witness with most titles that use the medium.

Reflecting on Martin’s previous work, it is acknowledged that he has utilized voxel art with previous projects like One Matter and the later Alms Crown. Martin reveals that the initial titles were just bases to test the waters for the look, but Bonfire Peaks will be where he plans to push the boundaries of the design and make it “as pretty as possible,” hence the volumetric lighting and particle effects.

Other aspirations that are executed into the title is the expansion of the levels: Bonfire Peaks is the most open of Martin’s work. Additionally, there is a larger objective at hand to burn your belongings in contrast to titles before. Noted, the aim at hand is a reiteration of Alms Crown, but to a greater extent providing a more engaging experience with intuitive gameplay elements and the inclusion of the motive to ascend the hub world ruins.

Another aspect that grasped my interest is the game’s soothing soundtrack. Martin has a repertoire of music branching before his involvement with game development, and working on the OST is actually a new provocation with his musical experience: sharing that his prior tracks are rhythm-based and would not complement the atmosphere for a puzzle games. He adds that ambient music is a different pace that suits Bonfire Peaks more.

Redirecting our discussion to fan reception and the impact of the player’s input, Martin explained that the game stands unique based on the type of player: some will enjoy the journey to figure out the puzzles while others quit early when running into a wall. His intention for the title is to test the mind, as you would expect for most puzzle games alike. Howbeit, there is also an undisclosed film of personal investment that is available for the player to unearth, but he doesn’t expect each user obtain the connotation from playing.

Reflecting to another project released by Martin, Hiding Spot, the game’s self-explanatory objective for the player to create enclosed crevices projects his issues of social anxiety by literally hiding from the world. Which then forms a story when transitioning to Bonfire Peaks, the concept to burn your virtual baggage illustrates the next passage to finally let go of the emotional burdens he’s been holding in the new journey.

Ending our talk, I referenced Pipe Push Paradise seeing that the game broke from the PC platform to Xbox, PlayStation, and even Switch. But regarding Bonfire Peaks, he explained that, for now, he is aiming for Steam. He does, however, shed some insight of a potential mobile version, but he is unsure if that would become a reality to properly run the game on smart phones.

If Bonfire Peaks grabbed your interest, make sure you head over to the game’s Steam page to add it to your wishlist!

Bonfire Peaks is listed to arrive sometime later in 2020 for PC.