Studio Reset is based in Edmonton, Alberta, and is a new indie studio made up of former BioWare developers, Timbre Games, and Inflextion.
The studio was founded by Kaelin Lavallée, Francis Lacuna, and Kris Schoneberg, who have worked on franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Long Dark, Anthem, and more. Now, they want to create “story-rich games built around mystery, perspective, and player discovery,” with a focus on sustainability and intention.
Studio Reset is already hard at work on its debut game, which is described as a neo-noir supernatural mystery set in a stylized Canadian city.
“Studio Reset is smaller by design,” said Kaelin Lavallée, Producer and Creative Director at Studio Reset. “We are not trying to recreate blockbuster development at a smaller scale. We want to build original worlds with focus, intention, and a team that can stay close to the work, the creative vision, and the players we are making it for.”
The studio has created Parallax Deduction, an idea in which what you see can differ depending on your viewpoint, and the studio will use it to develop the story of its new game. You’ll search for clues and, with Prallax Deduction, can use it to see different perspectives when solving a case. If you look at your phone’s wallpaper and move it around, you can see a parallax effect in motion.
“We’re interested in mysteries that trust the player. A good mystery should make you feel clever, not confused. With Parallax Deduction, we want players to understand that perspective is part of the evidence. Who is looking at the case matters, because each investigator brings their own expertise, history, instincts, and blind spots,” says Design Director Studio Reset, Kris Schoneberg.
Additionally, the studio aims for a “no moon logic” approach to puzzle design and clues. As an example, “moon design” is a puzzle in which the solution can be arbitrary, prompting the player to guess or overthink it based on clues. Studio Reset wants to do things differently: if a player discovers a hidden motive, opens a locked path, or connects strange details, the solution must feel like it was uncovered through reasoning from observation, context, and deduction.
While the Studio Reset’s project is in early development, it has support through the Canada Media Fund.
