Ben Retan

I recently worked on level design for one of the more indie games we have been developing as part of our Lucas Labs effort. It’s a reverse-platformer in the sense that instead of controlling a character moving through a world, you are instead placing pieces to help the character avoid obstacles. It was a really interesting an fun project to work on and I hope Lucas continues to develop titles like this outside the Star Wars IP.

LucasArts today announced Lucidity, a new game under development from the LucasArts team that re-imagined The Secret of Monkey Island®. Set for release on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PC via digital download on October 7, Lucidity is an addictive puzzle platformer set in the surreal dreamscapes of a little girl named Sofi.In Lucidity, players take a trip into the imagination of Sofi, a young girl who is filled with a persistent desire to explore new worlds and overcome all obstacles in her way. In this challenging puzzle platform game, players are tasked with keeping Sofi safe as she drifts deeper into the strange new world of her dreams. Through quick reaction and placement of randomly generated puzzle pieces, players must create a path through beautifully detailed dreamscapes to keep Sofi in perpetual motion and deliver her to safety.

“Lucidity comes from our effort at LucasArts to form several small internal development teams and give them the creative freedom to make games that surprise, amaze and inspire,” said LucasArts President Darrell Rodriguez. “The re-imagining of The Secret of Monkey Island and the development of the all-new Lucidity are just the beginning of this effort.”

Well I’ve left Austin and moved to San Francisco to work for LucasArts as a Systems Designer. I loved living in Austin and I’m sorry to have to say goodbye to all my friends here but unforunately with all the lay-offs that have been taking place recently, the job market is very competitive and there are just more opportunities available out on the west coast. Wish me luck!