Lost Twins 2 News

🎮 Couch Co-Op is Here – We Need Your Feedback! 🛋️👾



Our game now features Single Player AND Couch Co-Op! With this exciting new addition, we’d love to hear what you think. Your feedback will help us fine-tune the experience for both solo and co-op players!

💬 Feedback Form
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSezHQDbuj-EujYgcFc8etaTv2gtM3PSxFQ_OjII2X7xyaS01Q/viewform?usp=header

🐞 Bug Report: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdcPdJPHQfxUS9fmb74VqkXefaHe2d3QZAArL86wRv63-k7YQ/viewform?usp=header

We have also made a discussion thread for sharing feedback.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1752540/discussions/0/591764421283493598/

Your input is super valuable—thanks for helping us make the game even better! 🙌

Hi guys!

Welcome to another devlog. Today, we’re diving into the creative process behind the UI animations of our game. Our goal was to make the UI feel organic, engaging, and visually unique, aligning with the game’s hand-drawn aesthetic. To achieve this, we designed UI animations that give players the sensation that each button and UI element is being "sketched" into existence.

The Vision: Wisp-Inspired Animation for UI Elements
Our concept for the UI animations was simple yet effective: create smooth, fluid animations where each UI element appears as if it’s drawn by a wisp (which is the main element of our game), gradually revealing itself in an elegant, hand-sketched manner. The goal was to avoid overwhelming players with excessive motion but instead offer a subtle and pleasant visual experience that enhances the UI without cluttering it.

The Tools: Spine for Animation
To bring this vision to life, we used Spine—a powerful 2D animation tool that’s perfect for creating smooth, dynamic animations for games. Using Spine, we created each UI button animation by utilizing a combination of bones and path setups to create the fluid motion of the wisp drawing the UI element.

Here’s a breakdown of how we achieved the desired effect:

1. Wisp Motion Path Setup
Each button’s animation starts with the wisp moving along a defined path. We carefully designed these motion paths to be smooth, curving gently to reflect the natural flow of the "drawing" process. The wisp follows these paths, simulating the motion of a hand sketching the button into existence. This gave the appearance that the button was slowly coming to life from thin air, adding an ethereal, dynamic touch to the UI.

2. Bones for UI element Reveal
Once the wisp finishes its motion, the UI element itself starts to form. The final element is revealed by manipulating bones in Spine, allowing us to scale the button from 0% to 100% in size. The bones system lets us control each individual part of the UI element so they can appear in perfect harmony. The scaling transition adds an extra layer of smoothness, and the gradual reveal feels very natural and organic.

3. Smooth Transitions and Timing
To maintain fluidity and smoothness in our animations, we paid close attention to the timing and easing of each motion. Rather than abrupt starts and stops, we used easing functions to ensure the wisp’s movement and button scaling felt gradual, enhancing the hand-drawn aesthetic without feeling jarring. The elements don’t pop into existence; they unfold with a sense of grace, fitting perfectly into the game’s overall visual style.

4. Final Touches with Image Sequences
After finalizing the animations in Spine, we exported the UI animations as image sequences. This allowed us to have control over each frame of the animation, ensuring that the wisp and the UI elements were rendered precisely as envisioned. The image sequences are efficient for integration into the game, while also preserving the quality and smoothness of the hand-drawn aesthetic during runtime.

One of the key challenges we faced was ensuring that the animations didn’t overwhelm the player. We didn’t want the UI to feel like it was constantly moving or distracting. Instead, the animations serve as an immersive introduction to each UI element, allowing the player to enjoy the process without it taking focus away from gameplay. The wisp's motion is subtle, and the elements grow into place in a way that feels seamless and non-invasive.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

In the end, our goal was to make the UI not only functional but a part of the visual storytelling. By using wisp-inspired animations, Spine's bone-based animation system, and image sequence exports, we created UI elements that feel alive and connected to subtle nature of the game. These animations enhance the user experience, making the game world feel more immersive and visually cohesive.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to refine the visuals and animations for our game!

Best regards,
Playdew Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1752540/Lost_Twins_II/

Hey Adventurers!
We're back with another exciting devlog! This time, we’re diving deep into the dynamic audio implementation for an interactive element—the Collapsible Gate. Get ready to explore how sound enhances immersion and gameplay!

How the Collapsible Gate Works
The Collapsible Gate is designed as a dynamic obstacle that blocks the player's path until they interact with a button. When the gate is closed, only debris remains on the ground, representing the collapsed structure. Once the gate is opened, the debris reverses its motion, seemingly reconstructing itself into an energy force field that maintains the active state of the gate. Players must press the button to collapse the gate, clearing their way forward.

The Audio Challenge
To create a compelling and immersive experience, we needed to craft an audio system that responded dynamically to the player’s interaction. The challenge was to seamlessly integrate two key sound elements:

1. Debris movement (falling and reversing to its original state)
   
2. Force field activation and deactivation
   

Our talented sound engineer meticulously designed sound effects for the debris and force field, ensuring a realistic and impactful auditory experience. However, we aimed for more than just great sound—we wanted real-time responsiveness, making audio a living part of the gameplay.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Making the Audio Dynamic
To achieve this, we developed a value-based system through programming logic that dynamically adjusts sound effects depending on how the player interacts with the button. The button press state determines which sounds play and when.

1. Quick Button Tap (Minimal Interaction):
If the player briefly steps on the button (e.g., just passing over it), the press value moves from 0 to around 0.3.
In this case, we only play the force field deactivating sound, followed by a subtle force field reactivation as the button resets to its default state.
The debris collapse sound does not play, since the gate does not fully deactivate.


2. Full Button Press (Gate Fully Collapses):
If the player stands on the button or places an object on it, the press value reaches 1.0.
The force field fully deactivates, and after a calculated delay, the debris collapse sound plays, syncing perfectly with the animation of debris hitting the ground.
This approach ensures that the audio matches the visual representation of the collapsing gate, creating a seamless experience.


3. Quick Re-entry (Button Press Interrupted):
If the player steps off the button and quickly steps back on, the press value moves from 1.0 to around 0.7.
Instead of replaying the full collapse sequence, the system plays only the force field activation followed by deactivation sound, skipping the debris reverse.
This prevents audio clutter and maintains a natural flow, avoiding unnecessary repetition of sounds.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Why This Approach Works
By implementing a value-based dependency system, we ensure that the Collapsible Gate's audio adapts fluidly to player interaction. This provides us with several advantages:

• Increased flexibility – If we adjust the speed of the gate’s activation or deactivation during development, the audio system adapts automatically without requiring changes from the sound engineer.
  
• More natural audio transitions – Sound effects are no longer rigidly tied to fixed animations but instead respond to real-time player actions.
  
• Optimized performance – By eliminating redundant audio triggers, we reduce unnecessary processing overhead, ensuring smooth performance.

Thank you for your continued support! We’re excited to keep pushing the boundaries of immersive gameplay. Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to follow us on social media!
See you in the next Devlog!

Best Regards,
The Playdew Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1752540/Lost_Twins_II/

Hey everyone, and welcome to this week’s devlog! Today, we’re diving into the process of creating swimming animations for Ben. Since our previous animations were focused on ground movement and jumping, adding underwater mechanics brought forward animations for swimming for the characters.

For our water levels, we needed to create swimming animations that felt smooth and natural. Since this was our first time animating underwater movement, we started by gathering references of real swimming motions to ensure accuracy.

Ben and Abi were rigged in Spine 2D using bones and IK controls, allowing for flexible movement. We created four main swimming animations:

• Swim Idle – The character treads water in place.
  
• Swim on Water Surface – A movement animation for floating and swimming at the top of the water.
  
• Swim Underwater – A deeper swimming motion for submerged movement.
  
• Pushing a Box in Water – A unique animation for interacting with objects underwater.
  

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Each animation was designed in loops, using different frame sizes to maintain fluidity while keeping the maximum frame size under 100.

One of the biggest challenges was ensuring a seamless transition when the character jumped into the water. Initially, we noticed a slight jerk when switching from a running pose to a swimming pose. We resolved this by using Unity’s animation mixing feature to create a smoother blend between the animations.

Aligning the character’s hands with the box edges was another tricky task. The arm and hand positions needed to match the box’s movement precisely. To solve this, we repeatedly tested the animation, taking screenshots of the box in Unity and importing them into Spine. This allowed us to fine-tune the arm rotation and positioning for a more natural interaction.

Since our past animations focused only on ground and air movement, implementing swimming mechanics was an exciting new challenge. Through careful planning, testing, and iteration, we successfully brought Ben and Abi’s underwater animations to life. We can't wait for players to experience them in action!

Thanks for following along, and stay tuned for more updates!

Best regards,
Playdew Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1752540/Lost_Twins_II/

Hi guys!
We’re back with another exciting update on Lost Twins 2! And this time, we’re diving into a feature that many of you have been asking for—couch co-op!

Now, you and a friend can team up, solve puzzles together, and explore the whimsical world of lost and found as a duo. But making co-op a reality wasn’t as simple as flipping a switch. It was a journey filled with challenges, surprises, and plenty of learning moments. So, how did we bring this feature to life? Let’s take you behind the scenes and share the story of how Lost Twins 2 became an adventure best shared!

From Solo to Co-Op: A Structural Overhaul
When we first set out to build Lost Twins 2, it was designed entirely as a single-player experience. The puzzles, progression, and core mechanics were all built with one player in mind, guiding them through levels in a carefully crafted, linear fashion. But as we brainstormed ways to make the experience even more engaging, one idea kept coming up—couch co-op. And let’s be honest, solving puzzles is always more fun with a friend!

Turning this vision into reality, however, meant reworking the game’s very foundation. We had to redesign core mechanics, rethink puzzle interactions, and adjust level structures to ensure a seamless two-player experience. Every element was put under the microscope to make sure co-op gameplay felt just as intuitive and rewarding as solo play.

Early on, we experimented with both characters moving using the same controls—leading to some hilarious (and chaotic) moments! While the overhaul was no small feat, it opened up new creative possibilities that we hadn’t initially considered, making the game richer and more dynamic than ever.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Old-School Co-Op Controls: A Nostalgic Touch
To make co-op accessible to as many players as possible, we embraced a classic approach to controls. Players can share a single keyboard, with one using WASD and the other using Arrow keys—a setup that brings back memories of old-school co-op games and adds an extra layer of teamwork (and friendly chaos!).

During development, our team had countless laughs testing this setup. Watching teammates huddle around a single keyboard, debating over puzzle solutions and navigating tricky sections together, perfectly captured the collaborative and sometimes chaotic spirit of co-op play.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Seamless Switching: From Co-Op to Solo and Back
One of the most exciting features we implemented is the ability to seamlessly switch between co-op and single-player modes within a level. We didn’t want players to restart just to experience both modes—so whether a friend joins mid-session or steps away, you can switch on the fly!

This feature came with its own set of challenges, from ensuring puzzles remained solvable to handling smooth camera transitions. But after extensive testing, we’re thrilled with how natural and intuitive the experience feels.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Bringing couch co-op to Lost Twins 2 has been an incredible journey. It’s added a whole new dimension to the game—where collaboration and communication are just as important as clever thinking. Watching players laugh, argue, and celebrate victories together has been the ultimate reward for all our hard work.

We can’t wait for you to grab a friend, partner, or sibling and experience the joy of playing together. Whether you’re solving puzzles side by side or seamlessly switching between solo and co-op, we hope this feature brings you as much fun as it brought us during development!

Thank you for your continued support—see you next week!

Best regards ,
Playdew Team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1752540/Lost_Twins_II/