Tag Archives: games

State of the Art – May 2018

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Welcome to State Of The Art, May 2018 edition! This monthly progress report is written by Frank DiCola and is focused entirely on how the game’s visuals have improved in the past month.

It’s hard to believe the past month was just 30 days – everything feels so long ago, from our hilarious April Fool’s Day post to my trip to PAX East. As we wrap up production on the game, I find we have more work to do, not less. Not what I expected, but Jack and I are up to the task!

Missed last month’s State of the Art? The April edition is right here.

 

 

 

SPOILER WARNING: This post contains screenshots, GIFs and videos of later sections of the game. If you want to experience them in all their majesty for the first time on your mobile device when the game launches, don’t read on!

 

 

 

 

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More Gorgeous Menus

The GIF above is a little teaser of what I have for you in this update: two more Worlds have been polished and are now App-Store-ready. As I hinted at last time, I completed World 5 (the Hills) and World 6 (the Summit). Check out their Level Select menus! I know it seems weird to show these off, but I always love how they come out. It’s so cool for me to get an opportunity to visualize the game world from a different perspective. This 2D view allows you to appreciate the scale of Obe’s journey as he climbs to the top of a massive mountain towards the game’s end.

 

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The Rainswept Hills

These two Worlds posed a unique challenge to me because they take place in the wilderness. Up until this point, I tried to stick with my modular tool-set for as much of the game’s artwork as possible. However, sometimes you just can’t do that. When it comes to mountains, valleys, and rocks, they demand a jagged unevenness that just can’t be achieved by cookie-cutter pieces. Every Level in this World has a custom ridge that is 100% unique!

Jack will kill me if I show off every Level in this World, so I’ll have to settle for my two favorites. Level 5-2 has always looked great, but now that it’s raining like hell the Level has really come to life:

Then, towards the end of the Hills, we transition to a snowier climate. Obe is getting to the top of the mountain. He sees a cottage at the edge of the cemetery where he can rest for the night. Here is the last Level in this World:

I love doing weather effects because they really challenge me to think of how every tiny thing in the scene ought to change. Leave a comment and let me know what you think of “the Hills!”

 

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The Forgotten Castle at the Summit

Obe is making his way through a blizzard to a lonely, abandoned castle at the top of the mountain. Once again, I got the opportunity to polish the weather effects here and I think they look incredible. I can’t show off everything, so here’s a quick look at two different Levels.

The first is Level 6-1, “Pass.” Obe is making his way through the snow as he attempts to cross this old bridge. Thanks to Jack’s terrain setup, Obe will actually use different animations depending on what terrain he is standing on. Notice how he interacts differently with Buttons and bridges.

In the shadows, another kingdom is revealed. Are we looking into an alternate dimension? Perhaps the shadows are a window to the past? The future?

Level 6-4 takes place inside the castle. Now, a snowstorm rages outside as a lonely sentry patrols the entrance.

This World does some amazing things with shadows, so I don’t want to give too much of it away. It looks a million times better than where I left off a few months ago, so I appreciate the chance to come back and punch it up.

 

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Next Up: Cutscenes, Cutscenes, Cutscenes

Rather than move on to the final World of the game, I’m going to take the next few weeks to animate the game’s remaining story cutscenes. World 7 needs a bit of love right now, so Jack is going to spruce it up a bit before I make my glorious return to polish. Cutscenes are tough because every minute of animation is roughly 40 hours of work ( ! ) so I’m going to be nerding out in my room for a few more months, it seems. Two of the cutscenes have been animated and shown off at festivals, but they need sound. The other eight have not been started, although their scripts were written long ago.

At some point I may enlist Alba and Noah to help me input the sounds into the animation, because I think we can cover more ground that way. But as far as character animation goes, it’s just me and the keyframes. Some people at PAX East asked me if I ever use motion-capture for these short films. The answer is: No way! We don’t have a crazy setup like that at Game Revenant (read: at my apartment or Jack’s apartment). It’s all animated by hand, baby.

Wish me luck as I make my descent into animation hell. See you next month!

 

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We hope you enjoyed this update about the game’s artwork. Have a question about aesthetics that wasn’t mentioned here? You can find out more about our game at WhereShadowsSlumber.com, ask us on Twitter (@GameRevenant), Facebook, itch.io, or Twitch, and feel free to email us directly at contact@GameRevenant.com.

Frank DiCola is the founder of Game Revenant and the artist for Where Shadows Slumber.

Where Shadows Slumber at PAX 2018’s Indie Minibooth

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I’ve just returned from an exhausting trip to Boston for PAX East, where I had the pleasure of demoing Where Shadows Slumber at the Indie Megabooth. In this blog post, I’ll briefly describe what the application process was like, how the show went, and my thoughts on the whole setup.

 

 

 

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Applying to the Indie Minibooth

Those who have followed our development for the past year may remember that we went to PAX East last year, as part of the Indie Showcase for 2017. It was an honor to be included in that amazing contest! Reading that old blog post is funny, because it shows you just how far we’ve come in the past year. At that time, the cutscene in our demo hadn’t even been animated yet! (Which is completely my fault, lol) It’s amazing to think that now, a year later, the game is nearly complete.

Anyway, we knew we wanted to return to Boston because the crowd at PAX East is huge, but we had a predicament. How do you get an affordable spot at the show? We didn’t want to be relegated to the fringes of the expo hall, which is where they usually place you when you buy a booth on your own. We obviously couldn’t be accepted into the Indie Showcase a second time, (although we are totally going to try for PAX West’s competition) so what were our options?

We heard about the Indie Megabooth because of last year’s PAX – they were right near us, and the space was impressive. We decided to apply via their website, and on November 6th, 2017 we submitted our application for their booth at PAX East 2018 and GDC 2018. The application was essentially a pitch for the game, complete with images, video, and a build their judges could play.

Although we were denied for GDC 2018, we got an email on February 1st of this year notifying us that we were accepted and we needed to reply as soon as possible. We paid the $1,200 fee toward the end of the month, which covered everything from booth space, shelving, promotion, and electricity at the show. All of this was very secretive, which is why we didn’t mention it on this blog or on social media. They wanted the roll-out to be all in unison, so they told developers not to spill the beans that they had been accepted.

I decided that since the space around the Minibooth was so limited, it wasn’t worth bringing a ton of stuff in my car. Instead, I took the train up to Boston on Friday and began to set up for the show!

 

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The Setup

The setup for the Minibooth is a vertical kiosk with a table, and a monitor on top. Our setup looked like the image above: just enough room for mobile devices, Where Shadows Slumber pins, and drop cards. The monitor was playing a 10 minute looping video reel I created prior to the show.

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Here we are on Friday night, setting up for the weekend. Minibooth was created to be a more affordable way to attend events, so it’s set up in kind of a strange way. The Minibooth arcade had 10 games on Thursday and Friday, and then we moved in to take their spot on Friday night so we could take over for the weekend shift.

I don’t know how this is decided, but I do remember choosing our preferred days on the application form. Personally, I think the weekend spot is way better and I do sort of feel bad for the Thursday/Friday crew. But I guess the logic is that Thursday and Sunday are both slow, and Friday and Saturday are both crazy, so everyone gets one of each. I feel like we got really solid traffic on both days, but Sunday definitely died out at around 3 pm. Hopefully everyone got their moneys worth!

 

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They Threw Us A Party!

This was a nice perk that I didn’t even expect, but there was an Indie Megabooth mixer just a few blocks from the convention center on Friday night. The timing worked out well, since both Minibooth groups were in town at that point. I still kind of feel like an outsider at these events, so I can’t pretend I did a whole lot of “networking” – still, I appreciate the effort to get a nerd like me out of his shell! There was even free food and an open bar. What more can you ask for? [ ^_^]

 

 

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Let The Show Begin!

The two days of the Minibooth were exhausting, in a good way. Standing on your feet for 8 hours straight two days in a row is not exactly what I’m used to as a nerdy computer artist. But it was for a good purpose! The traffic during these PAX shows is always really consistent. There was never a dull moment, which is exactly what you want. This is probably due to the good reputation of the Indie Megabooth, but it also didn’t hurt that the Megabooth is in the center of the giant convention hall next to two giant avenues. We never felt “out of the way” or like we were in an obscure part of the space.

No one found any errors that we didn’t already encounter at SXSW, since we brought the same build. (The shows were too close together to worry about rebuilding) I also made a point to not really ask for feedback, and instead pitched the demo, our beta, and this blog. It’s good to know going into a show what you’re looking to get out of it. This one was purely about promotion.

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(Chris put a grip tape line down between our booths because the crowd was out of control!)

These shelves were super useful, because the customers couldn’t see them and they made good use of the limited space. I might buy some for Game Revenant to use during future shows. Typically when we go to conventions, Jack is the Charger Master and we’re constantly rotating a few devices between a few limited charging stations. (At SXSW, we actually used the MacBook as just a power brick LOL) I was nervous about handling this show on my own at first. However, having power provided for us – along with my power strip and these shelves – made it a breeze! The devices were always topped off and no one had to be turned away.

 

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It’s Over!

Overall, the Indie Minibooth seemed like a great investment of time and money, and I highly recommend it. (I even recommended it to other developers while I was at the show!) The caveat is that it will cost you a non-trival amount of money to secure the Minibooth spot and get a hotel, so plan accordingly. If you want your indie game to succeed, you need to take a financial risk like this eventually.

If you found out about this blog because you met me at the Indie Minibooth, welcome! Take a journey backward through time and check out all of our other posts. We’ve been posting a blog every week for over a year, so if you’re curious about anything related to this game, chances are good that we’ve covered it in-depth already. It also goes without saying that official announcements about the game’s release date will be posted to this feed, so be sure to smash that follow button if you have a WordPress account.

Hope to see you all next year at PAX 2019!

 

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Thanks for reading this blog! Stay tuned for more updates and announcements related to Where Shadows Slumber. You can find out more about our game at WhereShadowsSlumber.com, ask us on Twitter (@GameRevenant), Facebook, itch.io, or Twitch, and feel free to email us directly at contact@GameRevenant.com.

Frank DiCola is the founder of Game Revenant and the artist for Where Shadows Slumber.

Easter: SXSW Feedback, Release Date, and More!

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Hey everyone! We have a new Easter tradition at Game Revenant, where we go over some of the feedback Jack and I received when we were at the South By Southwest music festival earlier this month.

Overall, the reception to the game was really positive – but we’ve been trying to iterate quickly on some of the ideas you guys have been giving us. So without further ado, here’s the top three pieces of feedback we received at the show, and our responses!

 

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Feedback #1: The Stakes Are Too Low

Jack and I envisioned Where Shadows Slumber as a relaxing puzzle game made in the mold of mobile classics like Monument Valley, Lara Croft: GO, and Valley of War Adventure Run. Because of that, there are no enemies in the game, or any way for Obe (the protagonist) to die. We didn’t want you to have to restart a puzzle in the middle of a Level just because you couldn’t react to something in time. In the image above, this Walker won’t damage or hurt Obe because he’s just there to serve as an obstacle in the puzzle.

However, our fans have made their voices heard loud and clear: the stakes are too low in our game! There is no tension. There is no excitement. There needs to be violence. There needs to be a way for Obe to die. With precious few months of development time remaining, we are dedicating considerable resources to this piece of feedback. Our response?

Response #1: Obe Can Die In Terrible, Confusing Ways!

Now, thanks to some quick redesigning and a few late nights programming, Obe can die randomly in the middle of gameplay if he steps on Death Spikes. (Development name, subject to change) Here’s what they look like in-game:

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“How will I ever get past this important intersection?”

One of our more controversial ideas is Secret Death Spikes. The idea is that they’ll be scattered all over the map, so the player doesn’t know where they are. Then, when a Player steps on one, Obe’s flesh is ripped apart and his head is sent flying:

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That’s how they gecha…

We’ll push this build out to our internal testing group and see what they think! Now, you might be wondering what happens when you die. Philosophers have been trying to sort that one out for millennia! But in Where Shadows Slumber, you’ll lose one of your precious lives and restart the Level.

How do you get more lives? Read on!

 

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Feedback #2: This Game Won’t Make Money

Jack and I also envisioned Where Shadows Slumber as a straight-up pay-once premium title that doesn’t utilize any exploitative monetization schemes to bilk people out of their hard earned cash. Our belief was that if we were very honest with the community, they would reward us by purchasing the game at a fair market price and leaving a positive review on the App Store.

The feedback from the community has been monolithic: don’t do this! Trusting people to seek out fair trades in the marketplace is a fool’s errand. People are morons! Obviously they’ll never pay for a thing when they could not pay for a not thing. It’s so obvious!

Response #2: Loot Boxes Will Make Money!

We’ve become convinced that the premium model is no longer viable, and that modified premium models (such as a try-before-you-buy model) are not viable either. The people have spoken: they want free games with micro-transactions, in-game advertisements, and timers! 2018 is here, and we dare not defy the calendar year.

“Our goal is to make sure people can pay enough money to basically not even have to play the game.”

For this reason, shiny loot boxes are being added into the game and Where Shadows Slumber is officially going free-to-play! Loot boxes can be earned in-game by logging in once per financial quarter, but they can also be purchased via the main menu if you’re in a hurry! Inside every shiny loot box, you’ll have a chance to get an array of dizzying prizes. Just look at all of the cosmetic skins you can equip Obe with:

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Left to right: Classic Obe, Spanish Inquisition Obe, Breath of the Wild Obe, ISIS Obe

But we won’t stop at just cosmetic items. Loot boxes aren’t fun unless they have a satisfying, tangible effect on the virtual world. We’re partnering with Electronic Arts to bring their popular Star Card system from Star Wars: Battlefront II into Where Shadows Slumber! People just can’t stop talking about about about about about about about these Star Cards. That’s how fun & satisfying they are!

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Actual percentages included above, pursuant to Line 3 of Section 15 of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006

Star Cards in Where Shadows Slumber will allow you to power up Obe to make him the incredible puzzle-action hero of your dreams. If you don’t get a Star Card from a loot box, don’t feel bad! You can use the colorful Shadow Dust you’ve stockpiled to upgrade your Star Cards. Powerups include running faster, more lives-per-day, auto-skipping Levels, auto-skipping cutscenes, auto-skipping the credits, and even giving Obe a gun during cutscenes!

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“Go ahead. Make my day.”

Why lootboxes, you ask? Here’s a quote from Jackson H. Kelly, our Chief Monetization Officer: “Our goal is to make sure people can pay enough money to basically not even have to play the game. We want to take the stressful, mentally challenging experience of solving a puzzle, and turn that into a swift, painless transaction.”

When asked what could justify such a sudden change, he said “People like paying for things at a cash register more than they enjoy playing games, so we’re going to encourage that.”

EA could not be reached for a statement.

 

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Feedback #3: Why Isn’t The Game Done Yet?

Jack and I also envisioned Where Shadows Slumber being released on the App Store and Google Play sometime during our lifetimes. However, due to the time constraints placed on this lil’ indie team (not to mention all of these exciting changes) we have not been able to get the game out the door just yet. However, fans are understandably frustrated. (see above) They want a release date to be announced! Today, I am proud to announce the date Where Shadows Slumber will be available for purchase on the App Store…

Answer #3: We’re Launching On Nov. 24th, 2067!

Just imagine. 2067. The “future” – at least, that’s what they used to call it. Now they just call it The Rinks. A beautiful array of orange cyber leaves crunch under your cyber boots as you walk down the idyllic cybewalk to the home you grew up in. Some punk kids skate by, chatting in a language that’s a mix of English, North Korean, and Blockchain. You walk through the front door (literally) to find your “family” huddled around a cyber television, tuned to the color of a dead sky. It’s Thanksgiving Day, 2067. What will you talk about with the androids that replaced your family? The ongoing war between Earth and Mars? The debate over the effectiveness of flying autonomous self-driving cars vs. self-automating driving flyers?

Never fear – there’s a brand new game available on the App Store called Where Shadows Slumber that you can download free of charge! Running on sleek, state-of-the-fifty-years-ago technology, Where Shadows Slumber is a free-to-play lootbox collecting game where one wrong move will rip the flesh from your cyber, cyber bones.* We hope you enjoy playing it as much as we enjoyed spending our entire lives creating it!

*Puzzles sold separately

 

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Got More Feedback?

Jack and I are suckers for feedback. We just love hearing it! We just can’t get enough of your sweet, sweet, comments, haha, ha. My multiple chins and I are standing by, ready and willing to answer any and all emails, tweets, and creepy text messages you send me. Rest assured that if you contact Game Revenant with some feedback about Where Shadows Slumber, I will do my best to respond in 1-2 business years.

Thanks for reading this special edition of the blog, and Happy Easter by some strange coincidence!

 

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Happy March 32nd, ya filthy animal. Our regular blog posts will resume on Tuesdays, as always. You can find out more about our game at WhereShadowsSlumber.com, ask us on Twitter (@GameRevenant), Facebook, itch.io, or Twitch, and feel free to email us directly at contact@GameRevenant.com.

Frank DiCola is the founder of Game Revenant and the artist for Where Shadows Slumber.

Help Us Test Where Shadows Slumber!

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Hello everyone!

This week’s blog post is a quick announcement to let everyone know that the South By Southwest (SXSW) build of Where Shadows Slumber is available for testing. We brought 13 Levels to SXSW last weekend, and now you can play them on your phone!

(Do you want to join our open beta? Android users can sign up on their own by going to our Google Beta page. However, iOS users should email me at contact@GameRevenant.com to be added to our list!)

 

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What’s New In This Build

If you tested our previous build, you played the first 13 Levels of the game. The Worlds we showed off were the Forest, the Jail, and the River – in that order! This time, we took the River out (I’ve been working on it all week) and replaced it with the City. The City is actually World 4, so if you notice a spike in difficulty, that’s why. Like last time, this build is 13 Levels, with the 5 City Levels at the end. The first 8 will be the same. Sorry about that! Testing isn’t all glitz and glamour – sometimes it’s about playing the same thing over and over again until you find every last bug.

The City World is really cool – as you can see in the images posted here, it’s an impoverished desert city under heavy guard. The shadows from Obe’s lantern cascade over crumbling walls and the silhouettes of soldiers as you make your way to a palace on top of the city. All the while, a sandstorm is raging and Obe’s clothing flaps furiously in the breeze.

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There’s one more surprise – we have cutscene animations now! They don’t have sound just yet, so your phone isn’t broken. (Don’t put that in the survey, we know already!) You’ll see both cutscenes right after you beat the third Level. There’s two in a row, for story purposes. Sorry about that. This won’t happen too often, but sometimes the story requires a climax at the end of one World followed by a brief intro to another.

There won’t be too many more beta tests, so please take this opportunity to download the build and try it out before we remove it from the store. To prevent people from getting full copies of the game or getting the experience spoiled, we may not release the full game to our open beta audience. Please test it and give us your feedback!

 

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“Which one of you is ‘Grongus’?”

What We’re Looking For

Please fill out the survey for this build! You can find it here, as a Google Form. Answer all of the required questions and as many of the optional ones as you have time for. We go through this feedback in detail as a time and it really helps us.

There are plenty of bugs we already found at SXSW, and we’re sure you’ll experience them too. Thanks for testing!

SURVEY LINK: https://goo.gl/forms/fkQHZBtnPnR8boWL2

 

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Thanks for testing our game! Feel free to share your thoughts on the most recent build in the Comments section. You can find out more about our game at WhereShadowsSlumber.com, ask us on Twitter (@GameRevenant), Facebook, itch.io, or Twitch, and feel free to email us directly at contact@GameRevenant.com.

Frank DiCola is the founder of Game Revenant and the artist for Where Shadows Slumber.