We’re working on a review for A Sketchbook About Her Sun, so I got in touch with Team SolEtude to talk a bit about the game. Come check it out!
PS4Blog: Good afternoon! Thank you for joining us at PS4Blog.net. Could you please help us get started by telling our readers a bit about yourself and your work?
Hi, and thank you for having us! We are an independent game studio based in Milan, Italy. The team was founded by Rinkaku, our writer. At first, it was just a bunch of friends from school that came together and made games! Since 2019 we have expanded, always striving to tell meaningful stories while exploring the visual novel genre, with themes such as loneliness, memories, and love.
PS4B: A Sketchbook About Her Sun is ready to go on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. How would you describe the game to someone who’s never heard about it?
A Sketchbook About Her Sun is a really different game compared to what we previously worked on – it’s more of an experience. We had the opportunity of collaborating with the amazing Red Ribbon for their (then) upcoming album Planet X, and as soon as we heard it, we knew that it couldn’t be just the background music of a game. Because of that, we thought long about what would enhance the soundtrack, and a story took shape in our minds: that’s how A Sketchbook About Her Sun was born. In short, it’s an interactive musical experience that tells the story of Lucia, a broken-hearted girl trying to overcome her feelings for someone.
PS4B: How long did it take to develop the game? Were there any hurdles or challenges to overcome during the development and porting processes?
The development process started in February and ended in June of 2021. We had to work with Red Ribbon’s deadline for the release, so there was a bit of trepidation as we really wanted to make a polished game – but in the end, it all went pretty well.
As for challenges, the design aspect was something we discussed at length since we knew it didn’t fit perfectly within the video game box and it wouldn’t be understood by everyone. We still chose to go through with it and respect our original idea because a big value for our team is to experiment and give space to stories that are important to us.
PS4B: Any chance Homunculus Hotel could also make its way to consoles?
We would love for all of our games to be available to console players, especially Homunculus Hotel, and we’re working hard on making it possible!
PS4B: And now it’s time for us to go. Is there something else you’d like to add before we end this interview?
Thank you for the awesome opportunity, and a giant thank you to all of our console players for giving us a chance! We’d love to interact with you more, so please come have a chat with us on Twitter!
