Final Form Devlog #5 – New Art, New Track and Big Changes Ahead

This time, I’ve got new art to show, a whole new direction for the tile system, and some quick updates from beyond Final Form.

Before we dive in:

• I got a pop filter! Let me know if the audio sounds cleaner.
• I showcased our jam game EmPop at a “serious games” event—and it was really well received. You can try it here. Turning it into a full game will be one of our next projects.
• I’ve also announced The Gaijin Card, my PhD game project. I’ll share more in a separate video this fall, once my academic year kicks off.

Alright - back to Final Form! Let’s start with something visual - new art!

As mentioned in the last devlog, I’ve partnered with an artist (Artstation link in description), and here’s the result:

• HUD

• Runes – before vs after

• Characters – before vs after

The shift from “funky” to something more grandiose really changes the tone. I think it fits the narrative of a god-game much better - hope you agree!

Speaking of things getting grandiose - let’s talk about the new tile system. Hell, it’s big.

I’ve been completely overhauling it to move away from the old vertical progression, where everything pushed toward Tier-3 tiles, and into a horizontal, adaptive, and constantly evolving structure.

Some key changes:

• The old 22 terrain types are turned into 28 biomes and 64 features.
• A new geometric rule: neighbouring tiles now affect how terraforming works.
• A new “element” - currently called “human.” It includes roads, villages, and other industrial traces, and it can mix with other types (like “human + terra” = quarry).

All in all? 1600 unique tile combinations. But if you set aside geometric rules, you’re working with about 150 terrain types.

It still sounds massive, but the point isn’t complexity. It’s freedom and fluidity. The terraforming logic itself fits in just a few simple rules. You don’t have to memorize tile lists or plan every detail. It’s about giving you more tools to explore, shape the world, and solve challenges in multiple ways.

Next time, I’ll dive into how we’re actually implementing this monster of a tile system - and what makes it work. It’s going to be a challenge, but a fun one.

Thanks for watching/reading - and see you in the next devlog!