It has been roughly a month since the announcement on STEAM of Cult Vacui, and I wanted to use this devlog to keep you updated regarding the latest developments and share with you some thoughts.
First thing first: thanks
To begin, I would like to thank you for the reception received after the announcement.
As a solo developer i spent spend months working on design and graphics without having the slightest idea if this project could interest to anyone.
This on a personal level can create a lack of motivation,
because is not clear if the effort could justified this effort or not...
After sharing the first information about the game,
many people were enthusiastic, both for game's horror and esoteric themes
and the pixel art graphics.
At the moment Cult Vacui has almost reached 400 wishlists,
this number may not seem exciting to many developers,
but from my point of view it is a very good sign!
How the development is going?
As written in the previous devlog I started implementing the puzzles of the game.
I noticed very soon that although I have a well-defined design document, while implementing there is something missing...
I get assailed by questions such as:
-how can I suggest to the player what to do? is this puzzle clear enough?
-How many interactions should I anticipate for a hotspot?
-is this dialogue interesting? are the motivations of the characters clear enough?
These questions I believe are essential to ensure the best possible experience for the player.
Although I want to optimize these aspectsat the best,
I am also convinced that i will have to initiate extensive beta testing...
Cult Vacui has a nonlinear game design
and it is difficult to get an overview and understand right away what works and what doesn't..
What I developed.
-I Set up the main menu, save/load and options.
-I Set up the time management popup, which is one of the main game mechanics.
-Detective notes interface (narrative notes scattered throughout the game).
-In the game you will find survivors who will help you in your activities.
I developed an interface to see how many of them you saved and who they are
Conclusions:
So far the development is going well, there are no particular problems.
This month I would like to concentrate more on finishing the puzzles.
The narrative part is sketched out, I am setting placeholder dialogues, which will be revised later...
I need to be in a different mindset and devote the right amount of time to write properly.