Skin Deep

Skin Deep

93 ratings
BEHIND THE SCENES: Test_Scout
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69.851 MB
10 Mar @ 5:52pm
4 May @ 5:37pm
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BEHIND THE SCENES: Test_Scout

Description
This is an unreleased map of mine from the early days of Skin Deep's development. Inside you'll find no 'gameplay', just an environment to explore with development commentary nodes. I talk about the design process behind the level, the reasons why it never made it to release, and how the game evolved over time.

I hope this map offers some insight into what working on Skin Deep was like, and encourages people to try making their own levels for the game. There's a fair amount of "cut content" here, so I'm going to ask politely: please try to keep an open mind when reading the notes, and remember that what matters in a game is not what could have been, or what might have been, but what shipped. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it!

-- Suzanne
Popular Discussions View All (5)
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5 May @ 3:24pm
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11 May @ 1:06am
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10 May @ 7:48am
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28 Comments
(AB) vehemently 20 Aug @ 6:33pm 
Thanks for sharing this! One of the coolest part of the Blendo milieu is reading about development. I may have to work on something in Skin Deep myself...
spraecann 15 Jul @ 4:54pm 
oh hey! i remember seeing this in the announcement trailer
smurphy 4 Jun @ 4:55pm 
This was super fun to check out. Very interesting to see where the game might have been heading at some point, I admit I'm rather taken by the idea of wide open, more systemic interconnected levels. But I'd rather the game actually released. Also just the thought of designing AI around it making is me sweat.
Thoreaufare 15 May @ 10:03pm 
Pretty cool, I appreciate you releasing this. It's interesting seeing this level design, reading the dev notes, and then comparing it to the final game.

This unreleased level gives me more System Shock 2 vibes, especially with the more believable ship layout and greater emphasis on actual ship components. I could see it working if there was more of an emphasis on gunplay or ranged abilities and a bit more persistence between the areas.

That being said, all of the changes described make total sense and the final game is better for it. While the levels in the final game are much tighter, that definitely serves the gameplay better as it allows you to close the gap to the enemies and also more easily escape. Which is good because it encourages players to be more creative rather than play conservative and just try to plink from afar.
Shonky Dodger 15 May @ 4:31am 
I'm getting weird colour glitches - the whole screen switches between green, red, and blue tints, or completely black, depending on the camera angle and player position. Any ideas why?
emotionalshawtyy 12 May @ 8:38pm 
Damn, the first trailer I saw was on this map. It’s what made me fall in love with the game! Kinda heartbreaking that it never got an official release. I’m really enjoying the game though, taking it slow and savoring it in small doses.

I recently started working on my own game, and now I totally get how much effort and heart goes into crafting an experience like this. Because of that, I’ve learned to be more empathetic, I think. A while ago, I probably would’ve just gotten mad that this map didn’t make it into the game lol, but honestly, now stuff like this inspires me to keep going with my own project.

Thanks a lot for sharing this experience with us.
Hope you at Blendo Games keep creating awesome stuff. Blessings to all of you! :rockparty:
Snave 10 May @ 12:51pm 
Thank you to the author for releasing this and including the commentary. It's a pleasure to climb around the environment and enjoy the sights and sounds. As per the author's note, I will not whine too much about what we didn't get. I enjoyed playing Skin Deep very much as it is, and I feel fortunate that it was released. But as a big fan of spaceships and exploration, it hurts to see something so beautiful and so unrealized. The layout, the contrast, the believability, it's all so good. I suppose its existence alone is encouraging--as long as there are creators with this kind of aesthetic and ambition in their hearts, we'll see more games like it eventually. Thanks again.
Warzone 9 May @ 9:20pm 
I'm sorry for rushing you, but I'd like to see the level without the funny colors-
Though, it is both hilarious and interesting, the total darkness one makes it hard to appreciate the decor.
Loved the game, I am curious to see if modders can't take some of the bits left on the cutting room floor [Admittedly, out of a hunger for more levels in general. But it's really cool to see these bits in general too.]
juicebytappy 9 May @ 3:39pm 
Cool! Thanks for letting us see
Cheesesnack 8 May @ 6:36pm 
It's so cool to get an inside look like this, thanks for putting this up!