The five-year journey to make an adventure game out of ink and paper

John Evelyn, creator of "The Collage Atlas," has crafted a unique adventure game entirely from hand-drawn ink illustrations, now available on Steam. The game, which began as an app accompanying a picture book, unfolds a dreamlike story where the player's interaction with the environment reveals deeper themes of agency and impact.

After nearly five years of development and an initial release on Apple Arcade, Evelyn faced challenges with the game's permanence in digital platforms, leading to its recent launch on Steam. Despite considering leaving game development, Evelyn was inspired to start a new project, "The Wings of Sycamore," a spiritual sequel exploring themes of recovery and joy through flight.