Proteus

In Proteus, the player awakens in the sea off the shore of a peaceful island, and simply explores the island in different seasons, enjoying the procedurally-generated sights, the way their surroundings shape the low-key soundtrack, and the simple graphical style.

Mac

PlayStation Network (PS3)

PlayStation Network (Vita)

Linux

Overview

Proteus is an ambient, exploration based game in which the player explores a procedurally-generated island. Heavy emphasis is placed on the audio component of the game. The player's proximity to various objects, animals, and geological formations affect the soundtrack and audio score.

The game was released via Steam for PC and Mac on January 30, 2013. PlayStation 3 and Vita versions will be cross buy and are due out Autumn 2013.

Aesthetic

Visuals

Much out of the ordinary occurs in Proteus' skies.

Proteus employs a stylized, pixelated visual style. Gameplay takes place on a single island, but under certain circumstances time moves forward by a season, causing the terrain to shift between Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Occasionally the player is exposed to psychedelic effects that link up with the audio experience.

Although the game is 3D, much of the objects the player sees are made up of 2D planes. Animals, the leaves of trees, and the sun and moon "billboard" towards the player so that they always appear to face the camera.

Audio

Winter in Proteus carries a different musical theme than Summer.

A primary focus of Proteus is the sound design. As the player moves throughout the island, he or she encounters many objects, animals, structures, and geographic features. Each of these influences the game's soundtrack. The soundtrack is credited to David Kanaga, but it is unclear what this means, as the soundtrack is always procedurally-generated by the things surrounding the player in the environment. The player experiences the island in each of the four seasons, each with their own emotional tenor and theme. For example, spring is a loud, colorful vibrant time, whereas in winter, the music and sights are much more subdued, giving the impression that the island is 'sleeping'.

Reception

Proteus is the IndieCade 2011 winner for Best Audio, an IGF 2012 Nuevo Finalist, the Amaze 2012 "Most Amazing Game," and an official selection for Lunarcade 2011.