Stop What You're Doing and Watch Double Fine's PsychOdyssey Right Now | Push Square

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I had always planned to watch PsychOdyssey. I'd been aware of it since the start of 2023, and only heard good things about it, but it just kinda faded into the background. Recently, though, when me and my partner were stuck for something to watch, I remembered this documentary and suggested we give it a shot. Having now seen all 32 episodes, I can safely say it's the best thing I've watched in ages. If you've any interest in how games are made, you need to watch PsychOdyssey. It's practically required viewing.

Created by 2 Player Productions, which previously documented the creation of Broken Age in a series called Double Fine Adventure, this is a similarly comprehensive look at the development of Psychonauts 2. The series begins by recounting how the original Psychonauts came to be, then kicks things off proper just as work begins on Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, the PSVR stopgap. From there, PsychOdyssey runs chronologically through every step of Psychonauts 2's production, from the very first notes in Tim Schafer's notebook all the way to the finished game.

It's an astonishing achievement. Filmed in Double Fine's San Francisco studio over seven years, it's by far the most insightful look at how a game gets made. You see countless meetings about level design, characters, and art; numerous staff members joining and leaving the studio; troubles with funding; extremely WIP footage of the game at every stage of its development; demoing at E3; and so much more. Every step of the journey is captured, and it's a fascinating fly-on-the-wall perspective that's all too rare in the industry.

I loved it from start to finish. What I love most about PsychOdyssey is that it's more than just a making of Psychonauts 2. Obviously