Panache Digital Games has kicked off a new developer diary series for 1666: Amsterdam, the project creative director Patrice Désilets revived at Summer Game Fest after more than a decade in limbo. The series is called Behind the Shadows, and the first episode, “The Vision: The Real City That Became a Myth,” gets into how the team turned the real Amsterdam into the game’s mythologized version of the city.
The big takeaway from the episode is that the entire studio traveled to Amsterdam in 2024 to study the city in person, from its streets and canals to its architecture, sounds, and atmosphere. Rather than work from online references alone, the full team wanted to get a feel for the city’s scale and rhythm firsthand. Désilets framed the trip as a way to put the team inside the project, telling them to “come into your game” and experience it the way he had.
The diary also touches on the game’s exploration systems, including the ability to enter houses, move across rooftops, and navigate the city alongside a feline companion. That last detail connects back to the reveal, where Désilets introduced a companion named Aaron, a character from the game’s 1999 timeline who sees the world through the eyes of a cat. Senior level designer Maxime Fortin explained that players can enter homes through a window with their cat and find different opportunities depending on how they choose to approach the city.
The episode was filmed at the historic Château Ramezay in Old Montreal, and Panache is positioning Behind the Shadows as an ongoing series with regular looks at the game’s development. 1666: Amsterdam is still headed to Early Access on PC in 2026, with console versions planned for later. The free prologue that launched alongside the reveal is available now on Steam and the Epic Games Store, so there’s an easy way to sample the world while the diaries roll out.
