Lyara Precision Platformer Now on spawnd

Meet Bolha Game Studio, the team behind Lyara, in our Dev Q&A 🦋

Q: How did you balance challenge with player frustration?
A: Game design isn’t an exact science. We always create levels by thinking about what we want to teach the player at that specific moment, taking into account what they’ve already learned. However, a level’s initial version is never the same as the final one. The most effective way to reach a satisfying result is by playtesting with players and observing their reactions. Little by little, the learning curve is adjusted, making it possible to introduce bigger challenges in later stages.

Q: What was the most complex mechanic to develop in Lyara?
A: Each environment focuses on a different core mechanic to keep the game dynamic. In one of the worlds, there’s an ability to switch between day and night, which brings different challenges during development. Levels are presented in pairs, with one design during the day and a completely different one at night. As a result, the entire environment and lighting also change. This was the most demanding part of development for us, as we had to combine engaging gameplay while maintaining two distinct scenarios.

Q: Voice acting is a big differentiator. How did you decide to include it in the demo?
A: The narrative isn’t just a complement, it’s the soul of the game. It tells a very personal story. From the beginning, we wanted to convey that feeling, so we included unique animations and an original soundtrack to support it. Still, the words were just text on the screen. In our search for something that could truly move the player, we decided to include voice acting. With a limited budget, we had to find a solution that worked with minimal cost. That’s when we decided to have the protagonist voice all characters, narrating her own story, which fit perfectly with the narrative.
Ana Diebs’s performance as Lyara, telling this journey directly to the player, tied the entire experience together in an incredible way, giving the protagonist a strong personality and sharing a bit of how she feels.*

Q: Which players do you think will feel at home with Lyara, and which ones might struggle?
A: We believe games should be for everyone. We like to include a solid gameplay challenge so there’s no room for boredom (even though we know hardcore players will probably be better than us developers🤣). But even with that challenge, we aim to offer accessibility options to help players who don’t want such a demanding experience. Lyara has much more to offer than just gameplay, so we’re confident that more casual players will be able to enjoy the beautiful art and an emotionally powerful narrative.

Huge thanks to all the team members of Bolha Game Studio for this Dev Q&A! 🧡
Add Lyara to your wishlist and play the demo on spawnd! 🎮