Did you know that in mid-late 2022 through early 2023, some developers proposed a redesigned Craftbook UI for the game? Functionally, it would be the same, but visually rearranged.
The Craftbook is the central menu for the level editor (and now the Wardrobe too!).
Originally, this idea was inspired by The Sims series and their UI style for placing things in "Build/Buy Mode". Rather than a vertical list on the side of the screen, it would be a horizontal list at the bottom.
Ultimately, this idea was scrapped for several reasons. It was deemed too low a priority, too high an effort, and would introduce edge cases we hadn't planned for. It would also be slightly more frustrating to navigate using a controller and not work in our then-new standalone Wardrobe plans.
The concepts also featured a new style of settings sliders, which never made it to proper development before being replaced with something different.
The last update on the idea was a very crude implementation of this layout in a new development branch. Though it never progressed past this point.
This is a solid example of the many ideas we explore to improve the game and our ideal vision of what it should look and feel like. This is always a long iterative process for game development, but as an indie team, it can sometimes take a bit longer! Trial and error is key to a great final formula...
Today's implementation of the Craftbook is a refined version of our very original concept for it. It expands and collapses nicely and is still easy to navigate. It also allows players to see a lot of content at once without it obstructing too much of their view of the level.
It also works quite well in the Wardrobe by being tucked on the side and not covering Stuffy as you customize.