Dreadful Dev Diaries are developer diaries shared by DreadXP. From November 2022 to May 2023, four diaries featuring MANGLEDmaw Games developers were uploaded on YouTube covering the development of Amanda the Adventurer.
"Introduction to Amanda the Adventurer"[]
"Introduction to Amanda the Adventurer" is the first developer diary of Amanda the Adventurer, uploaded on November 3, 2022. Artist Reece Themen showcases changes to the Amanda and Wooly rigs and a test animation of the Entity walking through a hallway.
"Animation in Amanda the Adventurer"[]
"Animation in Amanda the Adventurer" is the second developer diary of Amanda the Adventurer, uploaded on December 23, 2022. James Pratt gives a behind-the-scenes look at animating Amanda and Wooly.
"Fear Through Music"[]
"Fear Through Music" is the third developer diary of Amanda the Adventurer, uploaded on March 2, 2023. Composer Patrick "pd" Flattery shows how he distorts the Amanda the Adventurer theme.
"Amanda the Adventurer Post Launch"[]
"Amanda the Adventurer Post Launch" is the fourth and last developer diary of Amanda the Adventurer, uploaded on May 30, 2023. James Pratt goes over three pieces of cut content.
Rewind button[]
Wanting to fully utilize tape interaction, MANGLEDmaw Games came up with the pause button alongside a rewind button for the TV. Some ideas for the rewind button's function would be rewinding a part where Amanda said something in reverse to decipher it, and going to a certain part in the tape to trigger changes in the attic. Interacting with that change would cause a difference in the episode.
However, questions arose, such as what would happen if the player rewound past a part where they answered Amanda's question. These constant questions interfering with the tapes' functions led to the rewind button being cut. Going to a certain part in a tape to interact with something in the attic would be implemented in "What's a Family?", where the player pauses on the weather warnings to interact with the Say n' See.
Walkie-talkie[]
Before Blabbot, a walkie-talkie with similar functions was planned. Rather than using a number pad, the player would have to tune in to a frequency found in a specific spot in a tape to get an answer from the walkie-talkie. James figured that explaining its use already made it complicated and not fun to do. Since the walkie-talkie could be picked up, there was fear that the player could lose it somewhere in the attic.
James reached out to Micheal Arcadi, who suggested a toy such as the Speak & Spell, leading to the creation of Blabbot.
Fridge cipher[]
In the Amanda the Adventurer demo, a cipher appears in "In the Kitchen", reading "Pause! Turn on oven now!" This is where the oven drawing would be in the full release. This cipher type was originally going to be a major part of the puzzles, with a key for it being a crossword puzzle obtained in the safe (which would become the flower color key). Unexpectedly, the cipher in "In the Kitchen" was solved by fans before the full release.
The cipher was cut because many aspects using it would have to be translated into 13 languages, including the crossword puzzle, objects in the attic, and clips for the tapes. MANGLEDmaw did not find this reasonable to do at the time, and this would be cut late in development. While James explains that "we definitely intend to put [the cipher key] to good use," a paper with the cipher appears behind him, reading "Trust me".
| Media | |
|---|---|
| Amanda the Adventurer: Pilot Episode • Amanda the Adventurer (Soundtrack • Credits • Endings) • Amanda the Adventurer 2 (Soundtrack • Credits • Endings) • Amanda the Adventurer 3 (Prologue) | |
| MANGLEDmaw Games • DreadXP | |
| Achievements • Dreadful Dev Diaries • HamFan ARG • Merchandise • Play My Way • Puzzles • Steam Community Items • Tapes | |