### The Five-Year Journey to Craft an Adventure Game from Ink and Paper
**Image: John William Evelyn**
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“I couldn’t walk away from the pen and ink thing,” says John Evelyn, the visionary creator behind **The Collage Atlas**, a dreamlike storybook adventure that recently made its debut on Steam. What sets this game apart is that the entire world within it is meticulously hand-drawn, from the tiniest flowers and insects to massive buildings and the clouds that gracefully drift above them. As players explore this enchanting environment, they slowly uncover its surreal narrative, with the world dynamically transforming in response to their presence.
“I had been drawing for many years before that […] and I’d always draw with ink straight away, without any kind of prior pencil work or sketching,” Evelyn explains. He revels in the spontaneous details and happy accidents that often emerge from this approach. To him, it’s akin to improvisational music— “actually, sometimes it goes horribly wrong!” he confesses humorously, but emphasizes that the satisfaction when everything aligns perfectly is unparalleled.
The journey to create **The Collage Atlas** was not a short one. Over five years, Evelyn dedicated himself to this project, immersing himself in a labor of love. The game’s unique, hand-drawn aesthetic required an immense investment of time and patience, but the result is a visual and narrative experience that stands out in the world of adventure games.
Creating such an immersive world with traditional ink and paper techniques is no small feat. Evelyn’s process eschews preliminary sketches, diving straight into the final medium, which allows for a certain rawness and authenticity in the artwork. This method, while risky, can lead to unexpected and delightful details that would be lost in a more controlled approach.
**The Collage Atlas** is more than just a game; it is a testament to the beauty of imperfection and the power of dedication. Each playthrough reveals new intricacies and hidden wonders, much like how life’s improvisational moments can lead to unexpected richness.
For those looking to experience a truly unique and artistic adventure, **The Collage Atlas** offers an escape into a world where every stroke of ink contributes to a living, breathing narrative landscape.
*Continue to uncover this dreamlike world and its stories, now available on Steam.*
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Feel free to immerse yourself in the comments and share your thoughts on the intersection of traditional art and modern gaming.
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### Related Articles
– *Exploring the Art of Hand-Drawn Games*
– *Behind the Scenes of The Collage Atlas*
– *The Revival of Traditional Art in Digital Worlds*
source: https://www.theverge.com/24155754/the-collage-atlas-interview-steam-hand-drawn
