A new indie developer has hit the scene in Canada with some name power behind it as former BioWare, Inflexion Games & Timbre Games developers announce their new studio, Studio Reset. Alongside the announcement of the newly formed studio, they have also teased their first project.
Founded by Kaelin Lavallée, Kris Schoneberg, and Francis Lacuna, whose gaming credits include Mass Effect trilogy, Dragon Age, The Long Dark, Anthem, and more, Studio Reset is more about smaller scale games than those big blockbusters.
“Studio Reset is smaller by design,” said Kaelin Lavallée, Producer and Creative Director at Studio Reset. “We are not trying to recreate blockbuster development at a smaller scale. We want to build original worlds with focus, intention, and a team that can stay close to the work, the creative vision, and the players we are making it for.”
There first project is exactly that. While not yet ready to share the name of the game or anything too specific, their first game will be a classic adventure mystery, but with their own twist. The studio says you can expect bold 3D visuals, multiple investigators, intuitive clue-solving, mature themes, and meaningful replayability.
Parallax Deduction & No Moon Logic
At the heart of the title’s gameplay will be what Studio Reset is calling Parralax Deduction. This mechanic is inspired by the idea that something can appear different depending on the viewer’s position. No two investigators are the same and therefore can interpret the same evidence in a different way.
“We’re interested in mysteries that trust the player,” said Kris Schoneberg, Design Director at Studio Reset. “A good mystery should make you feel clever, not confused. With Parallax Deduction, we want players to understand that perspective is part of the evidence. Who is looking at the case matters, because each investigator brings their own expertise, history, instincts, and blind spots.”
It sounds great in theory, but it will be interesting to see how they pull it off. Will this mean the mysteries can be solved in different ways? Are there right and wrong outcomes? It does sound fascinating.
Additionally, Studio Reset wants their first project to avoid the trap many puzzle games fall into. How often have you not really known how to figure out a puzzle and just guessed? Studio Reset wants to ensure that is never the case with their approach to the puzzles by following the clues. If you advance the puzzle, it’s because you the player indeed figured something else rather than by sheer luck.
Studio Reset currently has financial backing from the Canada Media Fund and will look to share more about this project in the coming months. With this financial backing, the team is forging ahead while still in its early stages. They want to build something sustainable and meaningful in the industry and Canadian development landscape.
“We want Studio Reset to be known for games about strange places, hidden stories, and the curious characters compelled to uncover them,” said Francis Lacuna, Art Director at Studio Reset. “Visually, we’re building toward a world that feels beautiful, uneasy, and familiar in the wrong way. The kind of place where the ordinary starts to feel like it is hiding something.”
We’re certainly excited to see whatever Studio Reset cooks up when the time is right. For now we welcome a new indie studio to the Canadian scene.
