Such was the case for Benny Chan, 31, and Eshan Jayatilaka, 32, founders of Cellar Vault Games, when feeling burnt out after their latest project.
To get out of this funk, they devised an internal game jam: working on a new idea for a week, to see what they could make.
“Benny sent me an image of a joss paper mansion for a funeral. I was drawn to the vibes, and what got me hooked was how the image was incredibly detailed, the camera showed these 3D shapes and things which looked like cut-outs of paper. And I thought, that’s an incredible environment for storytelling,” Jayatilaka told FMT Lifestyle.
Inspired, the duo picked up this unique paper-model aesthetic, and designed something playable around it. Their first efforts, Jayatilaka admitted, were less than inspiring.
Chan and Jayatilaka persisted on the project, however, and in 2020, released a demo: “Paper Ghost Stories: 7pm,” about three children and their adventures in a local apartment block during a day of the Hungry Ghost Month.
The demo stood out for its local flavour and setting, and distinctive paper cut-out look, and they decided to develop it into something more elaborate.
This led to “Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open,” a bigger and bolder expansion of the world in “7pm.” In it, players are introduced to main character Ting (who also appeared in the demo), a spirited young girl who can see the supernatural.
“Someone at a convention described the game as ‘Haunted Paper Mario’,” Jayatilaka said, referring to another game with a unique art style. “And I liked that a lot!”
Ting has lived with her “gift” for so long that she is unaware of how unusual it is. She has regular encounters with the supernatural, particularly through her best friend Xiu, who died years ago.
As the game progresses, Ting encounters various characters: some living, some dead, and plays little minigames to further the plot. Soon, however, she has to confront a mysterious entity that threatens her mind and soul.
Further challenges arise from her troubled home life, especially from her critical and restrictive father. All Ting wants is a peaceful life: will her abilities prevent her from having one?
Apart from its distinctive look, what stands out most about this game, is how Malaysian it looks and feels.
Characters speak in smatterings of other languages and dialects throughout the story, eat lok-lok and Nyonya kuih, and deal with local customs and supernatural beliefs.
“For Malaysian and Singaporean audiences, I hope the game helps them feel seen. Let’s see more games set in Southeast Asia, let’s see more people speaking in languages we use every day,” Jayatilaka said.
“And for international audiences, I think it’s cool when they go, ‘oh, I’ve never seen anything like that before.’ There’s this novelty that comes with discovering new stories, things from other parts of the world.”
Most of the game’s supernatural content, Jayatilaka explained, was based on stories he or the team had heard. Malaysian and Chinese myths and culture formed most of the background of Ting’s story.
Despite its whimsical look, parts of “Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open” can be dark at times, and certain chapters pack quite an emotional punch.
“We wanted to explore this idea of being confronted with injustice. Do you let the world just steamroll you over, or take things into your own hands?” Jayatilaka said.
The game took about two years to complete: not bad for a small local studio, with only five people on staff. Jayatilaka jokes that everyone now wants to take a good rest before starting on anything else.
There may be more to come, however, from this peculiar, papery world: Jayatilaka imagines an anthology of stories.
“’Third Eye Open’ centred a lot on Buddhist mythology. But in Malaysia, we have such a mix of beliefs. There are ghosts in Hindu culture, Malay culture. There is a rich amount of source material, and we hope to be able to explore other kinds of stories in future,” he concluded.
‘Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open’ is available on Steam. Follow Cellar Vault Games on Facebook and Instagram.