Anthony and Nicholas Vaccaro, co-founders and owners of Synersteel Games, are working on a maiden voyage calledValley of Shadowthat occupies the center of a triple Venn diagram around fantasy, narrative puzzle, and autobiographical genres. Even amongindiecreators, the Vaccaros are putting more of themselves into their passion project than most. Rather than simply telling the story of an intimate family tragedy, Synersteel aims to create an experience that grapples with trauma and ultimately allows the player to heal from those wounds.
Valley of Shadowis by no means the only example ofa game that examines trauma, but few games foreground the healing process as part of the player’s mission, rather than presenting closure as a byproduct of the narrative. Instead of “time healing all wounds,” players have to put in the work associated with recovery. Anthony spoke with Game Rant about the unique challenges of developing a game that wrestles with real-world demons through fanciful mechanics.
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Real Healing via Fictional Mechanics
Like many games, both independent and AAA,Valley of Shadowwent throughseveral distinct development stagesbefore arriving at its current incarnation. The Vaccaro brothers began development on an open-world title late in 2017, with the aim of creating a colorful fantasy RPG.
“I didn’t realize I was grieving the family trauma until well into the development process of this open-world title. But everything I was putting into this - creatively, artistically, and narratively - was going into this other direction that was darker, and deeper, and more real than that colorful, open-world game.”
Anthony’s brother, Nicholas was a countervailing influence, pushing him to incorporate spells from the titles that influenced them growing up, includingclassic RPGs likeMorrowindandFable. The net result was an environment and tone that spoke of grief, paired with mystical puzzles. Starting with light-hearted open-world aspirations, the game had become something intensely intimate and somber. At that point, the player’s overarching goal became clear: as Anthony, you needed to overcome the same trauma that helped him shape the game.
But Anthony still needed to find one more piece of the puzzle: namely, how he could translate puzzle solving to an explicit healing experience with video mechanics. Ultimately, it came down to one of the most fundamental mechanics in gaming: collectibles.
Excavating Memories
Many games use collectible artifacts as opportunities to present players with lore (literally in the case of theUnchartedseries), butValley of Shadowfeatures genuine (albeit digitized) autobiographical artifacts as a key part of its narrative. That simple framing transforms the gameplay loop from “solve puzzles to get shiny things,” to “solve puzzles to piece together my past,” which is one strategy for re-establishing continuity in the wake of trauma.
“So, you’re bringing back things to the hub world, and over time those things became real artifacts. Photographs, and VHSs, and snippets of memories, and childhood trophies, the things that are supposed to go in a home. So it very much adheres to the tropes of video game mechanics, but in a very real scenario.”
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Anthony has likenedValley of Shadowto an artist’s rendition of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which often involves patients intentionally interacting with the memories surrounding their trauma to gain a sense of closure. The magical elements involved aren’t an after-thought for flash; it represents the fanciful tropes that shaped the Vaccaro family’s childhood. It is a force of empowerment and escapism in the face of trauma.
A Guiding Presence
Apart from family members present in the artifacts,Valley of Shadowfeatures only one other character: Emma, Anthony’s therapist, who is voiced by Anthony and Nick’s sister Maria. The player is experiencing a treatment method known as CBT+, with Emma serving as a guide to help Anthony navigate the process. Again, games have used interviews to structure narratives before -Persona 5’s interrogation interludes spring to mind - butValley of Shadowuniquely leans into genuine therapy techniques. EvenIt Takes Two’slovable, yet loathesome Dr. Hakimis more antagonistic than a traditional marriage counselor.
After years ofmad doctors and sadistic researchersfilling video game narratives, it is refreshing to see a title that holds therapists - and therapy as a whole - in a favorable light. Re-framing therapy as something heroic and perilous, rather than sedate and dry, is a novel conceit.
Valley of Shadowis currently scheduled for release in 2023.
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