Hello survivors!
It’s been a while since we’ve taken a look into the development of Dead Season. Today, we'll explore some of the key concepts behind the game, look into the inspirations that have influenced its development, and highlight some aspects that set the game apart from other zombie experiences.
Embracing Humanity in Chaos
In Dead Season, survival hinges on the actions of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Unlike many contemporary games where you play as soldiers or highly trained fighters, Dead Season focuses on a regular group of individuals that are constantly put into life-threatening situations. These characters are not battle-hardened or prepared for the chaos—they are scared and unprepared, trying to survive in a world gone mad.
So within Dead Season, I wanted to replicate the idea of fear and vulnerability of facing the infected, making it clear that these creatures are dangerous and terrifying, and not easy to overcome. As you traverse the world with these individuals, you must navigate through each mission with caution, resourcefulness, and strategic planning to stay alive. The experience is about feeling the intensity of being hunted and learning to adapt in order to survive.
Escape By All Means
At the heart of Dead Season lies the strategic challenge of completing objectives and escaping danger. Across all 16 levels in the campaign, rather than focusing on killing everything within the level, your mission is to complete objectives and do what you need to do to get out as quickly as possible. This ranges from either boarding up doors and windows, finding gas for your getaway car, or simply getting to the exit before it is too late.
Inspirations Behind the Game
As a huge fan of the zombie genre, I drew inspiration from a lot of different media, including games, comics, and movies. These influences, like from Left 4 Dead, Resident Evil, and Dawn of the Dead (2004), have shaped Dead Season’s design, art, and atmosphere. Out of all, one of the biggest inspirations comes from my love for zombie board games. Those board games combine strategic gameplay with a focus on completing objectives as quickly as possible while surviving against hordes of zombies.
Some of the inspirations came from my favorite zombie board games.
So, when it came to finding a video game that combined turn-based tactics with the feel of those zombie board games, I couldn’t find any! And so this heavily inspired the design philosophy behind Dead Season. I wanted to create a unique experience that captures the essence of zombie board games in a turn-based tactics video game format, offering players the same strategic depth and challenges that I love in board games.
And that’s all for today’s dev blog! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my deep dive into the inspirations and key themes in the game! I’m still combing through the feedback I received so far from the demo and playtest – thank you so much to all who tried out and have given me feedback – and making progress on the game.
Thank you for your support and enthusiasm,
Pavel
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2666550/Dead_Season/
