The Collage Atlas is a 2020 adventure game developed by John William Evelyn and published by Robot House Games. It was initially released via Apple Arcade for iOS, but it was delisted in 2023. Evelyn ported it to Windows in 2024.
| The Collage Atlas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | John William Evelyn |
| Publisher(s) | Robot House |
| Engine | Unity[1] |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editPlayers explore a hand-drawn picture-book landscape, revealing hidden phrases.[2]
Development
editJohn William Evelyn developed The Collage Atlas himself. He had created amateur Adobe Flash games when younger and returned to game development while working at media agencies. After making tie-in games, he decided to work exclusively on game development.[3] The themes explored – agency and powerlessness – came from a difficult period in his life, which he did not see explored to his satisfaction in others' works. The game started as an app that was meant to accompany a book, but he refocused on the game after receiving encouragement at EGX[1] and seeing agency as a theme more appropriate for a video game.[4] Evelyn created the visuals over the next five years by designing models in Unity, illustrating printed versions, and scanning the completed art back in as a texture.[1]
The Collage Atlas was initially released via Apple Arcade for macOS, iOS, and AppleTV[3] on October 16, 2020.[5] Despite player interest and a grant from the UK Games Fund, Evelyn said he had trouble finding a publisher.[6] When Apple showed interest in the game, Evelyn said everything else fell into place, and he acquired a publisher.[3] Evelyn's contract with Apple expired in 2023, and it became unplayable. Evelyn saw this as a video game preservation issue. He ported The College Atlas to Windows and released it on Steam.[1]
Reception
editThe Guardian and Multiplayer.it both praised the art, though both felt the writing does not live up to the artwork.[7][8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Castello, Jay (2024-05-19). "The five-year journey to make an adventure game out of ink and paper". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ Warr, Philippa (2016-09-23). "Explore The Papery Theatre Of The Collage Atlas". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ a b c Forde, Matthew (2020-11-25). "How John Evelyn ended up making a hand-drawn, first-person adventure for Apple Arcade". PocketGamer.biz. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ Stockdale, Henry (2024-04-28). "How The Collage Atlas' creator drew a pen-and-ink world into life over four years". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ "The Collage Atlas". TouchArcade. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ Klepek, Patrick (2020-10-16). "All the Beautiful Art in This Video Game Was Hand-Drawn By One Person". Vice. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ MacDonald, Keza (2020-10-23). "The Collage Atlas review – a gentle wander in sketchbook dreamscapes". The Guardian. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ Melani, Giorgio (2020-11-02). "The Collage Atlas, la recensione: un viaggio speciale su Apple Arcade". Multiplayer.it. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
