Wandering Monolith is a game primarily focused on gameplay, but that doesn't mean we've completely forgotten about the lore of the world we're creating. From the beginning, we knew we wanted the player to take on the role of the antagonist. We also wanted to integrate gameplay elements with the lore so that both aspects form a cohesive whole. And thus, the titular Monolith was born.
The Monolith exists somewhere between a living and non-living entity; it serves as a catalyst for negative forces and energies. Using its powers, it can materialize towers that represent these energies and help fend off the resistance of the defenders of the worlds it invades. When the Monolith targets a world, its defenders have only 30 days to repel the invasion. If they succeed, the Monolith will leave their world, at least temporarily. However, if they fail, the life force of their world will be drained, and the world itself will be destroyed in the process. With each new world, the Monolith grows stronger, but the desperate defenders will put up even fiercer resistance. Wandering through time and space, the Monolith can strike at any moment, and all living beings must remain vigilant—no place in the cosmos is truly safe.
One aspect we wanted to develop in our game was the combat system. We decided to create interactions similar to the "rock, paper, scissors" mechanic—based on elements. Initially, we considered using classic elements like water, fire, etc. Ultimately, inspired by cosmic horror, we decided to use the energies that govern this universe, energies from which the Monolith itself is composed. The neutral element in our game is Corporeal, which represents the tangible aspects of the world—their fragility, commonality, and universality. The remaining elements form a ring of interactions, where each element has one weakness relative to another. The elemental interactions are as follows: Void -> Celestial -> Spectral -> Oblivion -> Abyss -> Void.
The emptiness of the void eclipses and diminishes the brilliance of celestial energies.
The radiant power of celestial forces disperses and reveals the nature of spectral entities.
The elusive and intangible spectral entities navigate and elude the grasp of oblivion.
The concept of oblivion gradually consumes and diminishes the depths of the abyss.
The consuming darkness of the abyss absorbs and nullifies the emptiness of the void.
Although we could have easily leaned toward a sci-fi setting, we decided to maintain a dark fantasy and cosmic horror theme. You won’t encounter modern technology in our game, but you will find vast amounts of magic, ancient structures, and strange creatures like golems and shadows that inhabit countless worlds.
Through the lexicon included in the game, you’ll be able to learn more about the world you're destroying, thanks to the descriptions of the enemies you encounter.
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