How Eternal Stands Leverages The Industry Expertise of Yellow Brick Games

Subtitle: How Yellow Brick Games' deep industry knowledge is shaping the success and innovation of How Eternal Stands, setting a new standard for game development.

For any studio, the debut of a first game often acts as a statement of intent, and for Yellow Brick Games, their upcoming title Eternal Strands is no exception. Founded by industry veterans like former Dragon Age creative director Mike Laidlaw and Ubisoft Quebec’s Frederic St-Laurent, Yellow Brick Games brings decades of combined experience to the table. With Eternal Strands set for release on January 28, the team's expertise is clearly shaping the game’s development process, ensuring its narrative and gameplay stand out in an ever-evolving industry.

In a recent interview with Game Rant, Laidlaw and St-Laurent detailed how their extensive industry experience has been instrumental in maintaining a clear, unified vision for Eternal Strands. They emphasized how the team's past involvement in major franchises provided both the creative direction and logistical know-how necessary to keep the project on track, even in the face of challenges. With such a well-rounded history, Yellow Brick Games' approach to game development is now setting new benchmarks for quality and innovation.

Consistent Vision: A Key to Eternal Strands’ Success

One of the standout features of Eternal Strands is its ability to maintain a consistent vision from its inception to its completion. Laidlaw points out that the game's original design elements—such as the large creatures, physics-driven mechanics, and climbing features—have been integral since the earliest planning stages. The team's collective experience has allowed them to identify which elements would resonate with players and how to ensure these ideas remain intact through the development process.

Even though the game underwent one major evolution during development, Laidlaw believes this shift ultimately benefited the game. By expanding the player's toolkit and supporting the game’s goal of emergent gameplay, the changes helped enhance the core experience. The team's expertise was key in navigating these adjustments, keeping the game aligned with its original vision while embracing necessary evolution.

How Yellow Brick Games Kept Eternal Strands on Track

The formation of Yellow Brick Games coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the studio to adapt quickly. While this presented challenges, Laidlaw believes that the experience of the studio’s veteran team helped the project remain focused. “Having veterans in the team meant that we had a bit more discipline in terms of project management than some indie studios might have had,” Laidlaw explains. This organizational strength helped Eternal Strands weather the storm of unexpected obstacles, including the switch to remote work and the rapidly changing development landscape during the pandemic.

Now that Eternal Strands is gold-certified, the studio’s hard work is about to pay off. Laidlaw reflects on the journey, acknowledging the challenges the team overcame, especially during such an uncertain time. “Fred and I have both been involved kind of from the beginning, so there’s a sense of thinking and hoping that we have managed to stick the landing on what was not just a leap of faith, but given COVID and everything, it felt like a backflip of faith,” Laidlaw shares.

With a demo on the way and the official release fast approaching, Eternal Strands is poised to be a groundbreaking title, showcasing how Yellow Brick Games’ collective industry expertise has shaped a project that’s both innovative and deeply grounded in strong development principles. The game’s success is a testament to the power of experienced hands guiding an ambitious vision in the face of adversity.