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Filipe Rodrigues, founder of Subtales Studio and developer of the game Gloomy Juncture, shared with the Watermelo portal details about his development journey and the plans for the release of his new project, a neo-noir psychological thriller with a point-and-click core. The game, set in a decaying urban environment of the 90s, was born from a blend of personal experiences and artistic influences that Filipe has carried since childhood.

According to Filipe, Gloomy Juncture was inspired by his own life experiences and his passion for psychological thrillers such as Hitchcock's Vertigo, Scorsese's Taxi Driver, and Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream. "This is a deeply personal project, inspired by my own experiences and my love for psychological thrillers," Filipe explained. He highlighted that while the game's setting may seem nihilistic, his goal is to explore complex and universal themes such as mental health, obsession, violence, guilt, and human struggles.

The gameplay of Gloomy Juncture centers around interacting with the environment and solving puzzles that increase in complexity as the narrative progresses. "I've incorporated a variety of puzzle types, from traditional logic puzzles to large-scale environmental challenges that require careful observation and interaction with NPCs," Filipe revealed. He emphasized that each puzzle is unique, ensuring that players remain engaged and challenged throughout the experience.

Additionally, the game is fully voice-acted, with a narrator providing internal monologues, which helps build tension and offers subtle hints without breaking player immersion. "The narrative advances as players solve puzzles, delving deeper into the protagonist's psyche and the disturbing world around him," Filipe noted, emphasizing the importance of the point-and-click mechanic in creating an immersive psychological thriller experience.

Filipe also faced several challenges during the development of Gloomy Juncture, particularly related to the art style and the creation of visual assets. With a background in software engineering, he had to learn 3D modeling techniques and how to transpose images into game scenes, often using an innovative process of hand-drawing characters and transforming them into 3D models. "It was a process of trial and error, but I'm learning every day," Filipe said about the creation of the game's visual assets.

Regarding the current state of development, Filipe mentioned that two parts (or levels) out of the five planned for the game are still missing. "I hope to finish by the second quarter of 2025. After that, I'll do the final polishing, record the voice acting, and conduct QA," he stated. He plans to release Gloomy Juncture in 2025 but acknowledges the challenges of balancing development time with participation in game festivals, which are his main form of marketing.

Although Filipe is aware that he is creating a challenging and niche game with a peculiar art style and controversial themes, he remains committed to his purpose. "I'm developing a slow gaming experience that challenges players intellectually and emotionally, with no instant gratification," he explained. Filipe believes that even if the game doesn't achieve widespread commercial success, the satisfaction of having created something meaningful would be a sufficient reward.

Finally, Filipe emphasized the personal significance of Gloomy Juncture in his life. "Even if Gloomy Juncture ends up being a commercial failure, I would do it all over again because I've never been happier in my life," he concluded, demonstrating his deep connection to the project and his passion for game development.