Signals

Signals is a strange one. It's a very short, quick experience. This is a hack that would not exist at all if it were not for the big overarching project outlined in the First Step Forward recollection.

The idea of a bunch of mini hacks spread throughout the experience was going to allow us to slowly have things get stranger and stranger, like finding out more about a cult you were tricked into. First Step Forward was to be the introduction - a nice, friendly, bright challenge where everything seemed very normal. Signals was going to be much further down the line, offering more of a challenge and giving the idea that something isn't quite right anymore.

This was one of the mini hacks that Light started working on. It was originally just going to be three or four levels. Saela took a "break" from working on Epiphany and started adding to it as well, rounding it out to six levels, making the overworld, and overall adding that level of polish he always brings.

Some of the level designs for this hack were meant to play on some of the better known oddities in SMW behavior. Bean and wiggler wrap, turn block bridge warps, etc. The overworld is straightforward but cryptic. All the levels are named after odd conspiratorial or cosmic events. Again, it was supposed to be playing off this large metaphysical concept that we have an outline for, but we highly doubt will ever go anywhere.

Besides removing a few small secrets that were meant to be hints to the overall project, nothing was actually changed in Signals prior to it being released. Unfortunately, much creation history of Signals is buried in the ether of so many other things that were going on at the same time. Memory is a little more hazy on that one. Regardless, we still feel like it's a fun, quick hack and are happy with how it ended up.