Sources

Official & primary

• Double Fine: PsychOdyssey (32-episode, ~22 hour development documentary by 2 Player Productions; the primary source for everything about how this game was made)
• PsychOdyssey EP27, "Villains of Crunch Mode"
• Double Fine: Basic Braining Episode 2, Psychic Powers
• Double Fine: Basic Braining Episode 5, Enemies
• Steam page
• Xbox Wire: Getting Psyched for Psychonauts 2 with Tim Schafer

Talks

• GDC 2022: The Art Direction of 'Psychonauts 2', Lisette Titre-Montgomery (art-and-design improv process, bespoke per-level art, boss art jams)
• Same talk on YouTube
• Game Maker's Notebook: Lisette Titre-Montgomery interview

Developer interviews

• TheGamer: Double Fine on Psychonauts 2, accessibility, and depicting mental health (Tim Schafer and Lauren Scott; the accessibility and consultation quotes)
• TheGamer: Tim Schafer on cut concepts and the future of Double Fine (level idea cards, Bob's Bottles, Compton's Cookoff, Amnesia Fortnight)
• NME: "Tolkien's to blame for Psychonauts 2's nightmarish teeth doors" (the hospital-plus-casino collision method, and the discipline of limiting it)
• GamesRadar: designed as the "complete opposite" of an FPS (leave the level better than you found it)
• Stevivor: Tim Schafer and Lauren Scott on accessibility
• Screen Rant: how the Sensorium level visualises synesthesia (2D shaders versus depth perception, rainbow bridges, the Panic Attack quote)
• GameSpot: Psychonauts 2 hands-on preview (enemy design intent, powers)
• PC Gamer: Tim Schafer on Psychonauts 2 and LucasArts remasters

Design analysis

• PC Gamer: Psychonauts 2 is a masterclass in level design (true surrealism, levels as exposition, Ford's Follicles hairdryers, the Cardiology-Department-as-bookmaker example)
• Game Developer: In praise of Compton's Cookoff (multitasking, timer, risk/reward, the Amnesia Fortnight origin)
• Epilogue Gaming: Anxiety and judgement, a dive into a Psychonauts 2 world
• Cultured Vultures: how Psychonauts 2 sets the standard for mental health representation (Bob's Bottles)
• Medium / SUPERJUMP: Psychonauts 2, mental illness and therapy
• GamesRadar: mental metaphors as a way to combat negative feelings
• Radiator Blog: PsychOdyssey recaps and viewing guide

Accessibility

• Can I Play That?: Psychonauts 2 accessibility and assist features revealed (the full feature list)
• GamesRadar: accessibility features revealed
• TheGamer: invincibility mode proves that how you beat the game is up to you (invincibility improving exploration, not just combat)

Reception & criticism

• Metacritic (89–91 across platforms)
• GameSpot review: Mind Over Matter
• PCGamesN: the game Psychonauts always should've been
• bit-tech review (the collectibles-versus-compulsion criticism)
• TheSixthAxis review (damage-sponge enemies, combat pacing)
• God is a Geek review (four-power slot friction)
• NME: deals with mental health in a tender and respectful way
• Game World Observer: key takeaways from Psychonauts 2 reviews

Development & business history

• Wikipedia: Psychonauts 2 (engine, funding, dates, reception, awards, sales)
• GamesBeat: Psychonauts 2 ends crowdfunding campaign with $3.8 million
• Game Developer: Fig plans payouts for Psychonauts 2 investors after Double Fine joins Microsoft
• Game Developer: Double Fine releases documentary on Psychonauts 2 development
• Video Games Chronicle: Double Fine has released a 22-hour documentary
• GamesRadar: devs praise the documentary for showing how hard game development really is
• PC Gamer: Psychonauts 2 made with "no crunch" so far

Wikis & mechanics reference

• Psychonauts Wiki: Psychonauts 2
• Psychonauts Wiki: PSI-Powers
• Psychonauts Wiki: Pins
• Psychonauts Wiki: Intern Credits
• Psychonauts Wiki: Emotional Baggage
• Psychonauts Wiki: Mental World
• Psychonauts Wiki: Collective Unconscious
• GamesRadar: 9 Psychonauts 2 tips (rank, Psitanium, pins)
• GamesRadar: what is Psychonauts 2 Psitanium
• Twinfinite: how to get and equip Pins
• Game Rant: how to increase Raz's Intern Rank (the rank-102 breakdown)
• Hardcore Gamer collectible guides: Half-a-Minds, Memory Vaults, Emotional Baggage

Story reference

• Game Revolution: story, ending and spoilers explained, who is Maligula
• Screen Rant: full story and ending explained
• Psychonauts Wiki: Aquato family

Images

See docs/public/images/psychonauts-2/CREDITS.md for per-image provenance.