In the world of Twisted Tower, players are plunged into a terrifying amusement park on a mission to save their beloved. This journey isn’t a walk in the park; murderous animatronics are on the prowl, determined to stop you under the command of the eerie Mr. Twister, the park’s enigmatic overseer. If you’re eager to experience this spine-chilling adventure yourself, the demo is available on Steam, showcasing an array of weapons designed to fend off these formidable foes.
From the moment you step into Twisted Tower, you’re armed with a toy hammer—a playful nod to the classic “test of strength” carnival game. But as you venture further into the sinister setting, you’ll uncover a variety of toy-themed guns, each crafted with different functionalities that are surprisingly effective against the animatronics, all without breaking the carnival theme. Thomas Brush, the game’s art director and project lead, in a chat with Game Rant, shared interesting insights. The inspiration for these weapons came from old toy guns discovered through Google Image searches, a foundation for designing the protagonist Tiny’s arsenal.
Elements such as rubber bands, marbles, cheap wooden handles, plastic tips, painted tin, and darts were examined to give Twisted Tower its authentic carnival vibe. Nonetheless, Brush acknowledged a challenge—these toy-like designs did not initially pack the punch typical of other game firearms. To address this, the team at Atmos Games turned to strategic sound design to ensure combat retained the intended impact.
The sound approach was simple yet effective. They opted for traditional FPS gun sounds, integrating subtle toy noises in the final moments or during reload sequences. Take the Miss Rubber Band pistol, for instance—it fires with the sound of a typical firearm, but when reloading, you hear a rubber band stretch, adding a whimsical touch. Reflecting on the weapon design, Brush commented:
“The challenge was making sure that these weapons felt substantial despite their playful appearance. They may be cobbled together from tin and rubber bands, which doesn’t scream powerful. But, thanks to sound design, this was remedied effectively. Rather than make the guns sound overtly toylike, we embraced authentic gun sounds with just a hint of toy characteristics, like a rubber band snap during reloading, which was perfect for the Miss Fire rubber band pistol.”
This careful blending of atmospheric horror, akin to BioShock, with the quirky, whimsical aesthetics reminiscent of Disneyland or Tim Burton films, has crafted a truly unique gaming experience. While Twisted Tower doesn’t have a release date yet, eager players can dive into the Steam demo to experience its cleverly disguised toy arsenal full of surprises.
