Welcome to my facility.
This development update is long overdue, owed to fans of walking sims, horror films, or detective stories.
I apologize.
And thanks for giving this a look. I’ll be honest. This update is so late because I just want to spend all my time making this game! So, I've made myself a promise: keep Steam updated. Here's why I've been so excited as I'm working on this every night so you can play it, and why you should be too.
I’ve been developing this game every night, after my day job. Every line of code, every system, every shader, is being designed for a new horror experience. Below is an overview of where the game’s visuals has been this year. It's still work in progress.
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The inspiration for this game comes from my love of cinema and narrative.
I wanted to make a game about surveillance that feels like you’re part of a movie, with a script that reacts to your choices.
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I spent months figuring out the design and overall story structure. The result is a game with a narrator who can respond to everything important that you’ve done. Your story unfolds beat by beat, in a semi-open world that changes based on your actions. | ||||
What clues did you find?Are you focusing on investigating your brother’s fate, or are you digging into other areas of the story? The narrator responds in context to your actions.
Your story is unique to you. | ||||
I created a new movement system that uses character perspective, not player perspective.
A twist on the classic tank controller.
Forward is whatever direction the character is facing. This works in first or third person perspective. Left or right, strafe. Look input makes your character look around, rotating when you look too far. Your flashlight shows you what you're looking at. Keep it charged. When using your camera, you are focused on it. The character is grounded and responsive to the game’s world. | ||||
| You are actively investigating and the character is aware of things around him. Is there an obvious clue in front of your character? He will look at it as long as it won’t break his neck. If your flashlight is out, he will point it at anything important. He is trying to tell you what he can. Character actions are the main forms of UI and guiding hints. | |||
The goal was to make it immersive.
There is no HUD or glowing objects. No quest makers. You have your flashlight and a camera you found to investigate your lost brother. You're not a fighter or a reporter, but you may end up fighting for your life and looking for other stories. The building is being designed to have a natural flow, with in-game maps of the facility to guide players. Like maps at malls and campuses. The next facility is inspired by research into architectural blueprints and interior design. | ||||
This current level is my testing grounds for designing the systems. A majority of the current game assets are still placeholders. This is not the final facility. Far, FAR from it. Getting the final art assets will come next year. I’m currently designing the story, the clues, and what I’ll need for those assets. Everything is being tested here. And at any point during your investigation, you may find that the Promethean has snuck up on you. | ||||
There are currently 3 storylines in development, played in a parallel episodic format.
The first storyline will be finished for launch. The other two are close behind.
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One storyline is the fate of your brother. Second is the history of your digital camera and its creator. Third deals with other survivors and another monster in development. The way that the narrative works, you can bend the story, going from one storyline episode to another. The progression depends on what clues are stored on your camera as you end a level. Investigate and photograph what you want. Until you get to the climatic episode. | ||||
However, your main antagonist, the Narrator, has control over the facility’s trans-dimensional research. He can use it against you. Between episodes, you are flown back through the level as furniture rearranges itself. Between episodes, pathways that were blocked may be opened. Doors that were open may be barricaded. Clues available are unique to each episode. And I'm currently working out how other survivors will play into the story. As you explore, you may find someone still hiding out in their lab. | ||||
You get to play the detective in a horror movie that bends as you play.
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You found a camera on entering the facility. It's history is tied closely to the facility's downfall and the fate of its past inhabitants. The camera was an experimental device created by Dr. Chen, the head of the HLRG's trans-dimensional research. It was stashed when she realized it the camera was interacting with local matter in unforeseen ways. Her camera revealed that reality wasn't entirely there. It interacts with the world in interesting ways. Only when you're looking through it. | ||||
No quick time events or dialogue menus, no HUDs or quest markers in the way. The story plays out every step you take, every decision you make. Find the story before the Promethean finds you. When you're running from the Promethean, either hide or find something to pick-up and toss. Anything that isn't nailed down. I just finished refactoring the throwing system to allow picking up hierarchical instance meshes, along with a throwable object pool manager. Everything realistically throwable littering the place will be throwable. | ||||
So, the game is currently slated for release around this time next year.
There’s a version of this game that is possible to complete by that point.
But there’s also a version of what this game could be, with a release one year further out.
I’ll know by January which version I’m aiming for.
And with that, we'll call it a log. I plan to get another update done before the end of the year. Thanks for reading and stay turned.
