Adventure games usually involve collecting items and adding them to your inventory. Beyond key items for puzzles, depending on the game, you may find consumable items and resources too.
This is especially true for horror. How many games have you searching every nook and cranny for flashlight batteries that inexplicably run dry in about 5 minutes each?
For Abject Abyss, I knew exploration needed rewards. What would be the point of finding a secret area if it was empty? It took a bit of brainstorming but I settled on a few different ideas.
POWER CELLS
I know what you're thinking, and no, this is not a battery.
I decided against putting a typical horror flashlight in Abject Abyss. Instead, the player can find a small extendable glow rod as their mobile light source. It emits a dim glow around them, but the light doesn't penetrate very far ahead.
Fuel for your light source is a good idea for a consumable item, there's a reason so many do it. But I wanted the glow rod to be an endless source of light, in return for its diminished range and power compared to a flashlight.
But I figured I could still give players a pick up that related to it.
The result? Finding an improved power cell for the glow rod permanently boosts its brightness and range.
That's a pretty good upgrade, so it's also very rare. You'll only encounter two or three of these in a playthrough.
STIM PENS
The classic sci-fi healing item. Inject yourself with liquid goo and watch as those wounds start closing up!
There is some lore in the game about how they work, but mechanically this is just a different flavor of med-kit.
It's not a full heal, You'd need a few of these to get from 'barely breathing' back up to max health, but they are also the most common consumable you'll find.
SUPPLEMENTS
Bottle'o pills. Using one of these will also give you a solid bit of healing (though less than the stim), but the real benefit they offer is a permanent increase in vitality.
it's a small incremental increase, but if you're a good explorer finding all of them, it really adds up towards the end. Especially considering how much more dangerous the enemies get.
Of course, extra health only matters if you're taking damage. It'd be better to stay hidden from danger, or if needed, to run.
Which brings me to the next item:
ENERGY DRINKS
Yep, it's an energy drink! (Zero sugar too, for those worried about calories.)
Like the supplements, these offer a little healing (the least of the bunch) but also a nice permanent stat increase.
You might've been able to guess which; speed. If a monster gets you in their sights, having chugged a few cans might the deciding factor in whether or not you get away.
IS THAT ALL OF THEM?
The rest of the items are more directly tied to story, puzzles, and progression. These are all the little extras you might find if you're being observant.
I'll be back in the new year with another update. Until then, I hope you have a great holiday season!