Every now and then, an indie developer will come up with an idea that turns the whole concept of games on its head. Tala & The Flower Seed is the embodiment of this. It’s made by Matthew Petrak, an artist and animator from Melbourne, Australia. His studio is called “The Garden Well,” and everything he makes is just as rustic and homey as its name suggests.
Tala & The Flower Seed is The Garden Well’s latest project. The protagonist, Tala, lives in a tiny world of mushrooms, pebbles and flowers. She’s drawn in a style that makes you think of elementary school paper cut-outs, with dark lines on a soft brown-paper color, complete with hatching and cross-hatching for depth. The backdrop for her adventure, though, is real: It’s photos from Petrak’s backyard.
Through animation, he’s brought them to life. By adding a door, a window and a chimney, he’s turned a mushroom into a bakery, and a stack of rocks into a humble home. The world is populated with little people, like Tala, who go about their business, and are willing to help her for a price.
With less than 72 hours left to go on its Kickstarter page, Tala & The Flower Seed has successfully hit its $11,410 goal. Petrak posted an announcement in response, saying, “Thank you all so much! Seeing so many of you really connect with this little world I’ve created fills me with such joy, and I’m so happy to have the project funded, especially after the rollercoaster emotions that comes with running failing Kickstarter first – but I get to make a game now!”
If you want to try the game for yourself, head over to the Kickstarter page for more details and a playable demo. To see more from this studio, visit The Garden Well’s website, here.
