A Storm is Coming...

Every time I sit down to write an update I conclude that the time spent on it would be better used working on the game itself.

But I do realize that people need to know what's happening with the game. So here it is!

In short: I am still alive, and the game is progressing really well, check out the screenshots and videos below!:D

The Playtest

The most important news is that there was a closed playtest a couple of months ago!

Around 1,500 people requested access.

Exactly 600 people got access to the first version of the demo.

Around 300 people played it.

And around 50-100 people provided feedback.

Currently there are another 5,000 people in queue, I'm sorry but you will have to wait for the next iteration, I promise it will be better and worth the wait!:P

The Feedback

• The current version of the game is simply not scary enough

• There is too much empty space (map is too big, walking simulator vibes)

• Nobody noticed the monster, he was too subtle haha

• The story was too complicated and confusing

• The intro sequence was quite boring and prolonged

• The new dialogue system requires actual voice overs to be recorded, which is quite expensive and complicates a lot of stuff

• The physics interactions aren't intuitive - I tried to improve them from Clap Clap, but they are still too difficult to use

• I was overly ambitious in so many aspects - tons of effects, characters, massive maps, I also planned 3 chapters in the full game etc...

It might look like a ton of bad news. But it's actually not!:D I learned A TON working on this iteration of the game. The feedback I got is pure gold. The next iteration of the game is going to be sooo much better.

The New Version

I had two options:

• try to address the feedback and release a mediocre game

• or scrap a ton of stuff and do a major pivot

I decided to scrap a massive amount of work. It was risky. It was stressful. But I truly want to provide the best possible experience that I can muster. Here's some of the things that are changing...

Story Overhaul

I've decided to simplify the story massively. At the moment the synopsis looks like this (W.I.P.):

"When an ambitious archaeologist discovers a map to a forgotten island, you — the ship’s mechanic — are dragged into a voyage into the unknown."

I believe that now it's super clear about who you are, what you do, why you are there and where you are going.

Everything is communicated in a single sentence.

Visual Overhaul

(I apologize for the poor video quality; the videos are heavily compressed because I post them on my discord community)

In the previous iteration I was using a ton of custom made assets, but also assets that I bought and modified to speed up development.

This ended up creating a ton of optimization issues and also the visuals didn't look like they came from a singular mind no matter how much I tried to modify stuff. Just too many issues.

So, I decided to go all in and make everything myself. Here's a few quick screenshots/videos!

The Island

I got heavily inspired by the old King Kong The official game of the movie, or whatever its name is haha So I decided to completely overhaul my colorful island to a darker one. Here's the new look:

The Ship

Here is a quick screenshot of some of the new models that will be used to recreate the ship level. The textures are a lot more detailed this time around and everything is just so much more cohesive.

The Labyrinth

This went through quite a few iterations - from a cave tunnel system to what it is now. I really like how it turned out. Cob webs, cockroaches, moths, ice cold walls, the only bit of warmth comes from your torch.

Monster AI Overhaul

In the previous iteration I was relying a lot on scripted events for scary/spooky moments.

Moving forward, there will still be some scripted events, but the bulk of the horror will be unpredictable due to the new monster AI who has a mind of his own and does what he wants to do.

Here's a sneak peek:

Nothing in the video is scripted and the frantic camera movement came from my genuine fear:D

Puzzles

I've also started designing some puzzles. The goal will be to have relatively simple, yet interesting and tactile puzzles that provide a breather between the intense sections of the game.

Here's an early look into the gear system I've been working on:

There's actually a ton more to show, but I'd rather spend that time working on the game!:P
I'll try to write up more updates soon, but no promises this time!

Thank you for being here! <3