Overture
Why This Matters
Overture is the prologue to your cultural history – the moment your city enters its La Belle Époque. It’s where the moral compass of your Zois is set, where the artists find their voice, and where the streets themselves begin to hum with possibility. It begins with a dream from the night before, with a puppet show that makes a child cry, with a lie told kindly, and a truth whispered too late.
New City: Verne
Before Bliss Bay and Dowon, there was Verne:
A place shaped by stories, fears, and applause.
A city learning to dream together.
A place where music, theatre, tales, and wonder were the tools that shaped who Zois became.
Where balconies leaned in to listen, and the boulevards remembered every step.
You might want to put on one of the OSTs while reading: Lies of P – Overture, Lisrim, Fascination, Why, Nightwish - Imaginaerum
Imaginarium: A Living Cultural Heart
At the heart of it all lies the Imaginarium – a sprawling district that blends the modern city with timeless artistry. Here, glass pavilions stand beside puppet theatres, ponies trot past the streets, and circus tents glow under the evening lights. Every corner is alive with music, movement, and stories waiting to be told.
- Grand Piazza – The central square, framed by café terraces. Seasonally, it transforms into a place for festivals.
- Lantern Mile – Cobbled street for seasonal parades, with embedded lantern sockets, and low balconies for viewing. Begins at the Parade Gate, winds through the eastern districts, and ends at the Grand Piazza.
- Lantern Walk – A boulevard lined with sculptures and paintings, leading to the Grand Tent. Each installation tells a fragment of a larger story.
Royal Palace
- Knight’s Gallery – A vaulted corridor lined with full-scale knight statues in marble and bronze.
- Ballroom – A chandelier-lit hall with polished parquet. Players enter in formal attire, extend invitations, follow ceremonial steps, and take part traditional dances, incl. the special Yule Ball.
- Clockfront Balcony – A high terrace facing the inner courtyard and upper galleries.
- Watchtowers – Narrow stone towers with spiral stairs and open viewing decks.
- Inner Courtyards – A series of marble-paved courtyards framed by arched galleries and porticoes, used for ceremonial arrivals, seasonal gatherings, and transitions between wings.
Circus
- Grand Tent – A space for seasonal spectacles, from aerial ballets to breathtaking performances where light, movement, and music carry the story.
- Illusion Court – Magicians and illusionists.
- Parade of Tents – Smaller, travelling tents that pop up in different districts, each with its own theme and moral.
- Animal Carousel – Themed hand‑crafted rides.
- Backstage Alley – Open to visitors between shows, revealing prop workshops and costume racks.
- Costume Atelier – Public viewing of costume design and repair in progress.
Grand Opera and Ballet Theater
- Main Hall – Full orchestra pit, tiered balconies, acustics. Hosts operas, ballets, and large-scale theatrical productions.
- Rehearsal Wing – Practice rooms for soloists, ensembles, and chorus.
- Theater Wing – Dedicated space for rehearsals of dramatic and musical stage productions.
- Ballet Hall - Dedicated dance space with sprung flooring, mirrored walls, and lighting grid, used for ballet auditions, choreography trials, and casting sessions.
- Black Box – Flexible space for experimental works.
- Dressing Rooms & Atelier – Storage and tailoring for opera, theater, and ballet costumes.
Puppet Theater
- Main Stage – Marionette, rod, and shadow play performances.
- The Puppet Arcade – A row of artisan workshops where puppeteers craft with unique articulation, motifs, and costumes. Players can commission new stories, alter endings, and watch as their choices ripple through the city.
- Story Booth – Interactive sessions where children choose plot branches.
Memoria Library
- Reading hall – A quiet space near the Lantern Walk, with low shelves, soft lighting, and memory alcoves.
- Memoria Courtyard – An enclosed outdoor space behind the library, with stone benches and climbing vines. Children read aloud, retell dreams and stories. Some are shared. Some are kept.
Stellar Observatory
- Ridge Rotunda – A quiet observatory on the southern ridge, with a rotating dome and telescopes. Children and other visitors observe constellations, track seasonal star shifts, and log visible celestial bodies.
- Astrum Courtyard – A flat outdoor platform where children talk about dreams, invent star names, and share stories linked to the sky.
Ballet Pavilion
- Main Stage – Sprung wooden floor with mirrored backdrop and adjustable lighting grid.
- Rehearsal Studio – Barres, mirrors, and piano accompaniment for daily practice.
- Costume Atelier – Storage and tailoring for tutus, pointe shoes, and performance attire.
Pony Pavilion
- City Stable – A modest pony shelter near the Imaginarium, with walls and fencing.
- Grooming Corner – Zoi help brush, feed, and walk ponies as part of daily routines.
- Parade Gate – Ponies are dressed and guided into lantern parades or storytelling routes.
Greenhouse
- Glass Hall – A pristine glass conservatory with white scrollwork, arched windows, and terracotta pots.
- Seed Table – Zoi can plant, and water seeds beneath sunlit panels and wrought-iron beams.
- Greenhouses are now available in Build Mode, unlocking seasonal crops essential for regional Italian cuisine: zucchini, fennel, eggplant, bell peppers, basil, rosemary, radicchio, Amalfi lemons.
Vineyard
- Terrace Rows – Sloped vines behind the city, with stone paths and low walls.
- Harvest Circle – Families gather to pick grapes, press juice, and mark the season.
- Crush House – A stone-built press room with oak barrels, tiled basins, and grape-stained floors — used for communal winemaking and seasonal rituals
Transport
Train to the City
A single steam line arriving into the town’s station from the outer countryside.
- Station is built in limestone and cast iron, with enamel timetables, brass benches, and vaulted canopy arches.
- Locomotive is a coal-fired engine with riveted boiler, flared smokestack, and brass gauges; each arrival signaled by bell and plume.
Tramway
Ground-level electric rail system that links the town’s districts through market lanes and civic boulevards.
- Platforms are paved with limestone and bordered by cast-iron posts, with enamel maps and brass benches under wrought-iron shelters.
- Cabins feature lacquered wood interiors, frosted glass windows, and brass fixtures; each departure signaled by a bell and overhead spark.
Aerial Tramway
High-altitude, steam-electric cable car network that connects the city’s districts.
- Platforms are built from riveted iron and polished limestone, with brass railings and gas-lit archways. Each station has stained glass signage and mechanical clocks.
- Cabins are brass-framed gondolas with frosted glass panels, velvet benches, and overhead steam valves that release aromatic vapor during ascent.
References from Lies of P are used here and elsewhere – a game that set a standard of quality not only for the Korean gaming industry, but for all souls-like games. Its setting is outstanding, and there’s value in how it holds together: Lies of P: Overture - Announcement Trailer
Living/Destination Point
Hotel
Upon arrival in the city, the hotel is always accessible. It serves both as a residence and as the gathering point for all achievements, NPCs, and functions available in the city.
- Main Hall – A vaulted reception chamber with central desk, twin staircases rising on both sides, and a second-level gallery.
- Upper Gallery – A wraparound corridor overlooking the hall, with locked doors.
- East Chamber – A wood-paneled room with archival desks, sealed cabinets, and balcony access. Used for document handling, private meetings, and restricted entry.
- West Chamber – A mirrored salon with velvet seating, low chandeliers, and curtained alcoves. Used for receptions.
- South Room – A quiet sleeping chamber with carved bedframe, layered curtains, and wall sconces. Used for rest before ceremony, private recovery, and timed awakening.
- North Passage – A narrow mirrored corridor with marble busts, faded frescoes, and access to the courtyard.
Street Events
Artisan Market
Along the Lantern Mile, from the Parade Gate to the Grand Piazza, the Artisan Market appears, offering a variety of handcrafted items: wooden toys, puppets and figurines, painted ceramic animals and utensils (e.g. ladles, dishes), woven baskets, hand-crafted bags and accessories, fresh-baked bread and pastries…
Carnival Parades
- Floats – Inspired by Acireale and Sciacca. Giant papier-mâché platforms with moving figures, satirical scenes, mythic allegories, and moral symbolism.
- Masked Groups – Performers in costumes representing emotions, professions, and civic archetypes.
- Street Theater – Comedic sketches, improvisation, and direct dialogue with bystanders along the route.
- Music – Live orchestras, and occasional themes borrowed from operas or puppet shows.
Cavalcades and Pony Rides
- Cavalcades – costumed parades through the city, each with its own theme and moral message.
- Story Routes – take children on guided pony rides through the park, stopping at storytelling stations where they make choices that shape the ending.
Seasonal Festivals
The Imaginarium thrives on cycles. Each in‑game season brings new events such as festivals.
- Spring: Inspired by Festa dei Ceri and spring processions. A celebration of creativity, rebirth, and civic storytelling. Includes puppet marches, pony blessings, and debut performances.
- Summer: Inspired by Acireale’s summer carnivals and Ferragosto rituals. A carnival‑style night parade with masked performers, satirical floats, and street theater.
- Autumn: Modeled after Italy’s harvest sagre and oral traditions. Citizens share stories, vote on moral endings, and honor local memory through performance.
- Winter: Inspired by Taormina’s winter opera and wordless ballets. A season of light, movement, and introspection.
Food
- Market – Cherry clafoutis, fresh fig jam on toast, poached pears with vanilla, soft goat cheese with honey, spiced apple compote.
- Fish Market – Anchovy tartines, bouillabaisse, poisson à la bordelaise, sardines in lemon marinade, saumon à l’oseille, sole meunière, steamed bread with herbs.
- Clockspire Tearoom – Almond biscuits, pear compote with clove, and steam-whipped milk in porcelain cups.
- Craftsmen’s Square – Baked apples, cassoulet, pissaladière, gnocchi with butter and sage, polenta with mushrooms.
- Imaginarium Café – fruit compote, gelato, milk with violet syrup, Ratatouille, sweet crêpes, Minestrone.
- Opera and Ballet Hall Buffet – Aged cheeses, Pastis, Tarte Tropézienne, Risotto alla Milanese, trippa.
- Piazza cafés – Castagne arrostite, goat cheese toast, Pane toscano with olive oil, ricotta crostini, Fougasse with rosemary, petits gâteaux, tapenade, fresh fruits.
- Night Quarter – Fougasse with salt crystals, onion tart, red wine, tapenade.
Clothing
Clothing and accessories in Victorian style, available exclusively in Verne boutiques, including dresses, skirts, pants, hats, caps, bonnets, collars, gloves, shawls, parasols, fans, shoes, and more.
References: Recollections - Victorian Era
Toys
Handcrafted playthings from the 1800s, made of wood, tin, porcelain, and velvet — designed for quiet rooms, nursery shelves, and parlor floors.
- Building Blocks – Painted wooden cubes with letters, animals, and floral motifs.
- Music Boxes – Carved walnut cases with winding keys and miniature ballerinas that turn to lullabies.
- Tin Soldiers – Hand-painted figurines in parade formation, stored in velvet-lined trays.
- Porcelain Dolls – Delicate faces, glass eyes, and stitched gowns.
- Miniature Theatres – Fold-out puppet stages and shadow screens with paper actors, candlelight backdrops, and velvet curtains.
Core Gameplay Features
Moral Footprints
Direct plays, circus shows leave a moral footprint on NPCs, influencing their behaviour, relationships, and even career paths.
- Choose scripts from a library of classic tales, or commission new ones.
- Decide the moral tone of each performance: hopeful, cautionary, bittersweet, or ambiguous.
- Watch as citizens who attend your shows begin to act differently in the world.’
Every citizen has a hidden moral profile that evolves over time.
- A child who sees a play about forgiveness may grow into a more empathetic adult.
- A cynical journalist might soften after covering a joyful parade.
- A corrupt official could be swayed by a biting satirical puppet show.
Dream & Imagination System
1. Dream Generation
- Zois generate dreams after key emotional triggers: performances, arguments, praise, fear, or solitude.
- Dream carry emotional weight and may influence the Zoi’s mood, desires, and fears.
- A joyful dream may increase curiosity or social behavior.
- A fearful dream may suppress certain roles or trigger avoidance.
- A confusing dream may lead to retelling, or symbolic anchoring.
- Zois can retell dreams aloud, especially fearful or confusing.
2. Imagination Play
- Children act out scenes from their imagination using props, drawings, and symbolic gestures.
- These sessions may reflect recent dreams, personal fears, or invented stories.
- Imaginative play can reinforce emotional patterns or help reshape them.
3. Symbolic Anchoring
- Children may link their dreams and imagery to real situations, objects, or locations.
- These symbolic anchors influence their mood, alter behavior, or trigger spotaneous fear.
Careers and skills
WIP
References:
- Carlo Collodi – The Adventures of Pinocchio (1881)
- Nightwish – Imaginaerum Movie (2012)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)
- Cirque du Soleil – Drawn to Life (2021)
- Lies of P + Overture DLC (2023, 2025)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
- Once Upon A Puppet (2025)
Notes
- This thread is a work in progress and will be updated and refined based on ongoing comments.
I really like that this setting makes it possible to embrace children’s fairy tales and fantasies while preserving a mature classical aesthetic. And one of the key factors was that their colleagues at Neowiz and Round8, near Seoul, crafted a richly blended European setting that looks incredibly stunning and evocative, which brought real recognition to their game development.