If you've been around since 2020, you might remember an early concept: The Seven Layers of the Void.
Back then, it started as a rough sketch. An abstract collage of landscapes, tied loosely to a dream of building a universe across seven games. I never wanted to feel beholden to it, but the idea lingered, and it stuck.
Now, years later, it's becoming more real. Not just a worldmap, but a framework—a quiet blueprint that's helped shape the design, themes, and direction of everything we've created since—and it's something I'd like to keep honoring.
So here it is: a collection of fragmented records, half-legends, and maybe-prophecies ...courtesy of Hyphen's Institute notes.
Is any of this even true? We'll find out. Over the next few years, of course.
Layer 1•The Realm of Ideas
The Garden of Consciousness
The topmost layer where beliefs take form, and thought is capital. Home to the Institute freshmen, the Windfall siblings, and the Voidpet Garden app.
GEOGRAPHYA secluded metropolis of floating forums and crystalline towers, shrouded in mist. Subways run themselves, and elite prep schools float above the clouds. Reminiscent of major cities in the American Northeast - namely New York.
SOCIETYA democratic philosopher kingdom where ideas are debated and refined. Overseen by a council of enlightened minds who've sealed their land away from the rest of the Void. With the free market left untouched, the realm became fertile ground for a capitalist oligarchy.
LEADERS•Cogito: the Rationalist. Sentinel of Judgement. a.k.a. Superego.•Invidere: the Epicurean. Tamer of Envy.•Esse: the Existentialist. Guardian of Estrangement.•Bool: the Nihilist. Keeper of Mischief.•String: the Materialist. Master of Curiosity.
NATIVE RESOURCES•Void Matter: An energetically quantifiable substance used as both currency and a power source. It responds elegantly to imagination, and is abundant up here.
Layer 2•The Realm of Places
The Daydream Fields
Where cities and streets form mafia families. Home to the Teraloft family and various clans.
GEOGRAPHYA sun-drenched stretch of golden beaches and rolling hills, interspersed with swaths of ethereal wildflower fields. The terrain is surprisingly alive, full of feral Voidpets, abandoned orchards, and forgotten trails still cut through the sprawl. Reminiscent of the American West Coast.
SOCIETYA sprawling patchwork of rival crews and memory-born clans. Territory is everything—claimed not just by geography, but by shared culture, history, and myth. Alliances shift fast. Backdoor deals and betrayals are common, and respect is earned in whispers and standoffs. Most groups operate communally, and power runs through families.
LEADERS•America: A.k.a. Erica the Beautiful. President of the United Streets. Known for her bleach-blonde hair, sun-scorched tan, and signature look: fur coat over a bralette, utility shorts, a gleaming sidearm she wears like bling. She lives in a museum-mansion and rewrites history to her liking with a gold pen. Her main Voidpet: Liberty, the Determination.
NATIVE RESOURCES•Adrenaline: A volatile mineral found in the flower fields, crystallized from conflict and bloodshed. Known as Big A on the streets, it heightens speed, sharpens instinct, and powers up Voidpets and humans alike in territorial standoffs
Layer 3•The Ordinal Realm
The Lucid Woods
Where citizens are numbers, and mathematical rules define nobility. Home of the Voidpet Dungeon app.
GEOGRAPHYSnow-capped mountains and ancient forests, carved with geometric precision. Labyrinthine caves spiral beneath the surface, and the entire landscape functions as a living dungeon—endless, cold, and recursive. Survival here requires constant calculation; one wrong step and the terrain swallows you whole. Reminiscent of Sierra Nevada and the American Rockies.
SOCIETYA cult kingdom with a strict social hierarchy, and a religion based on reincarnation. Long ago, power followed standard inequality—higher numbers ruled. But under the new order, status is determined by absolute value: the closer to the origin, the greater the power.
LEADERS•Zero: The Absolute Sovereign. Commonly seen in a hoodie and snowboard, running an infinite dungeon from his chalet-palace. Delivers judgment like snowfall—cold, quiet, and rarely leaves a body intact. His signature Voidpets: Gluttony & Down Bad.
NATIVE RESOURCES•Civic mass: Though the land is frigid, rocky, and barren, it teems with inhabitants–far more than any other layer. And the strongest among them are unimaginably powerful. With no native resources to mine, the kingdom sustains itself through annexation, justified as neccessary growth.
Layer 4•The Sensory Realm
Vivid Valley
Where colors, sounds, and sensations live in harmony.
GEOGRAPHYA world of colorful canyons, shimmering dunes, and crystal-lined caves. The sky pulses with auroras by day and glows with starlight by night. Reminscent of the red rock canyons, signature to the American Southwest.
SOCIETYOnce a gentle, nomadic art collective built on shared beauty, healing rituals, and gardening. After the annexation, the Valley’s culture changed. The parties got loud, constant, and more intense. What were once laid-back spiritual festivals are now high production raves, full of curated personas and pounding bass. The vibe is different–but its not like they have anywhere else to go.
LEADERS•Black: High Priestess of Paranoia. Once robed in soft silks, she now wears mesh, leather, and spikes. Whether it’s a mask or a glow-up, no one asks.•White: High Priest of Wonder. Formerly barefoot in linen, now sporting holographic cargo shorts and a sparkly bandana. Known to cooperate unusually well with Zero.
NATIVE RESOURCES•Serotonin: A gentle herb used for healing, mood regulation, and emotional balance. Once cultivated through song, touch, and light. Now few know how to grow it. Most prefer imported Dopamine from other layers.•Ghost mushrooms: Color-changing fungi that can be found in the wild. Said to be the source of the Vivid Valley's uniquely colored Voidpets, along with two potent cousins- Cosmic Truffles and Dream Reapers.
Layer 5•The Realm of Concepts
Dream Oasis
Where logical laws and constructs roam free.
GEOGRAPHYA glittering city of lights and illusions, nestled deep in a lawless desert frontier. Casinos, neon corridors, and canvas outposts dot the landscape. Time feels suspended here. Reminiscent of Las Vegas fused with the mythos of the American West.
SOCIETYOfficially, the Oasis is a wild frontier of anarcho-capitalism. Unofficially, everyone answers to the boss— after he shifts into a gigantic beast and settles disputes by sheer force. He doesn't wear a crown, but no one’s ever pressed the issue twice. Still, for all the neon grandeur, something about the realm feels indebted... like its freedom was signed over long ago, and no one remembers the clause.
LEADERS•Dominion: A burly, humanoid dragon rocking a gold chain, often found mid-chew on a raw cut of steak. His authority isn’t enforced; it just is. He speaks rarely, laughs loudly, and has never once paid for a drink. Favorite Voidpet: Porkchop, the Glee.
NATIVE RESOURCES•Dopamine: A mineral facilitating euphoria and pleasure. Extremely abundant in the soil due to concentrated populations of the earth-type Voidpet, Glee.
Layer 6•The Realm of Horrors
Nightmare Basin
Where your deepest fears come to life in an ocean full of titanic monsters.
GEOGRAPHYA fog-veiled coastline of ghost-lit yachts and haunted marinas, descending into an endless black tide. The sea hums low and wrong, and the locals are a bit too friendly. A mixed homage to various American ports of call, from Cape Cod to Miami.
SOCIETYA maritime kingdom of preppy pirates, country club merchants, and haunted adventurers. Crews run their own harbors, but swear fealty when it counts. The dress code skews yachtwear: pastel polos, button-downs, and boat shoes. Everyone’s polite until the screaming starts.
LEADERS•Fear of Death: A.k.a. Dee, the Admiral Queen. Always in a white blazer, black pearl necklace, and oversized sunglasses—no matter the weather. She speaks with the voice of a siren, and her nails? Immaculate, always. Voidpet: Pearl, the Abandonment.
NATIVE RESOURCES•Nightmare Fuel: A crude material that can be refined into a variety of useful products. It can only be obtained from slaying Nightmares.•Soul Relics: Strange artifacts found deep in the sea. They're said to contain memories from another world... that's much more boring.
Layer 7•The Realm of Fragments
The Subconscious Depths
Where non-sensical fragments of the mind take form.
GEOGRAPHYAn uncanny sprawl of endless yards and looping cul-de-sacs, tinged with polite, liminal dread and broken logic. A nod to midwest Americana. Ohio-core.
SOCIETYAn endless hierarchy of middle managers and passive-aggressive forms. Everyone works—either in an office they can't leave, or a farm that no one seems to run. Most don't know what they're producing, only that it's due by end of cycle. No one's sure who's in charge, but everyone has a boss.
LEADERS•Matt Q: Or just Matt. The Manager. Wears a perfect smile, like nothing’s ever gone wrong in his life. His smartwatch blinks with unread notifications he never checks. He smells like printer paper, artificial rain, and something familiar you can’t place. He never raises his voice. He’s never had to. His Voidpet? Apathy.
NATIVE RESOURCES•Anhedonia: A rare mineral inducing apathy and indifference.•Produce: The best farm-fresh food in the Void. Though the locals don't seem to care for it, unfortunately.
The seven layers started as a fantasy exploration of the mind, but slowly came to life—shaped by the landscapes I knew best. Over time, they anchored themselves in a satire of American cities.
Each realm reflects a different face of American power structures. We begin with New York—my hometown—where elitism, academic pressure, and corporate ambition are just part of the air. Then we move west, into places where reputation is currency and industry writes the rules. Then to the Rockies, where nature is law, and survival is oddly intertwined with status. And eventually, we end up in Ohio.
Voidpet was never meant to be emotional. It was meant to make you think about emotion—where it comes from, who benefits from it, and what kind of systems it builds when no one's looking.
This world asks: what if emotions aren’t just reactions to our environment—but also the blueprints behind it?