Creative Vision / Rationale / How Did You Incorporate the Theme
i interpreted the theme as representing 'connection' or 'reaching out', and how creating such a gesture- even something as small as well wishes, or a hope of a safe return- binds two souls together. i felt the theme was ethereal, and the colour palette immediately made me think of two beings in the sky, with this gesture being a transcendent, gentle-yet-powerful moment of ambition and love.

as i was reading wind, sand, and stars at the time- i drew parallels between the theme image and the stories of the author searching for his lost pilot companion, Guillaumet. in my game, the hands serve as a symbol of the search effort, reaching out into the sky. I felt that i could feel Antoine De Saint-Exuperys desperation to reach his friend, so I wanted to illustrate that emotional journey within a narrative framework inspired by thatgamecompany titles.

to tell this story, I created a minimalist aesthetic inspired by a number of sources. i wanted the game to look a little like a faded map, with its world made of lego. i also wanted to create that feeling of an intrepid adventure, with all its little moments of anticipation, navigation, peace, freedom, and surprise.

there were a lot of happy accidents along the way, and i wanted to remain faithful to the timeless, toylike spirit of the webgames of my childhood- with all their pixels, polygons, and clunk. a detailed breakdown can be found here: https://eyes8.itch.io/saint-ex-2025/devlog/1306625/creative-direction