Haiku Adventure is a magical realist adventure game which allows players to inhabit intricately composed landscapes that celebrate Japanese woodblock traditions, and explore the transformative tricks of perception contained within the formal constraints of haiku poetry. Exploring an immersive world and discovering lines of poetry will allow players to compose three line haiku which re-imagine and transform the world around them.

The game concept is inspired by an appreciation for the craft of ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints and their depiction of the environment and natural phenomena. The game will bring this beautiful medium alive, allowing players to explore the depth of the printed composition.

The use of haiku – often characterised by a strict syllable structure and metaphorical imagery which transforms the reader’s perception of a moment – offers a perfect format for both creating puzzles and delivering narrative. The game expands upon these re-interpretations and re-imaginings of the natural environment, making manifest the shift in perspective offered by these art forms.

We will be drawing on our love of point-and-click adventure games from Monkey Island and Grim Fandango to Machinarium and Botanicula.