Hello, everyone! Development of South Words Hero has been progressing steadily, so I wanted to share some updates and give previews of what to expect in the coming months.
What even is this game?
South Words Hero is an action-adventure game that changes depending on what you name your character at the beginning of the game. Your name is your ability set, in the literal sense that you rip letters out of your name and whack monsters with them, hide behind them like they're shields, and use them in creative ways to solve puzzles.
This means each playthrough will be a bit different and personalized, since your name can only have a fraction of the letters in the alphabet. Many challenges can be solved in multiple ways, and some details about the world actually change to fit what you can and can't do. The game also features a strange and self-aware story, with details that vary depending on your name, your choices, and other factors. I'm hoping to facilitate an experience where it's fun to try again and again, and compare experiences with friends, in order to find secrets and "spot the differences."
What I'm working on now
The plan is for the game to consist of five chapters, each chapter taking you somewhere new and culminating in a dungeon and boss fight. I've already built many pieces of later chapters, to get a feel for the direction I want to take the story and gameplay. However, the most effort so far has gone toward Chapter 1.
Most of the game systems, like letter abilities, combat, dialogue, and inventory are starting to feel pretty solid at this point. Much of my time now goes toward building additional rooms and areas, filling them with interesting encounters, and allowing alternate solutions to support any possible name (Sometimes even building entire alternate rooms).
Demo coming soon
With all the focus lately on the first chapter, my goal is to get a demo to you all as soon as I can. I expect the demo to be about 30-60 minutes long, but with enough optional content keep going a bit longer if you want. Some things that will be included in the demo:
- Custom character creation
- Monsters to fight, and puzzles to solve
- A peaceful town, a quirky dungeon, and other nearby areas to explore
- A taste of the main story, and an introduction of most of the major characters
- Optional secrets and minigames
When the demo gets a bit closer to completion, I may reach out to the community for help with early testing and feedback. If you are interested in testing, please wishlist the game if you haven't already, and I'll share more details about it in a future update.