Hey guys, while the development of our first game Silver Chains is nearly done we want to tell you a bit about the origin of the game!
From an early age, our team members were interested in the output of the gaming industry and always dreamed of becoming a part of it. Having reached adulthood, we made our dream come true and started working in a mobile game development company. We worked with joy and dedication, yet the desire to make something on our own did not abandon us. Using the experience we gained and having joined together as a team, we struck out on our own and began developing our own project—one that eventually became Silver Chains.
Our game development company is named Cracked Heads, as we are not afraid of risks and are willing to smash our heads to achieve the result. We started in 2017. Our office is located in Yakutia, at the extreme North-East of Russia—the coldest place on Earth, where temperatures can reach far below zero. This harsh climate and the remoteness from the rest of the world do not prevent us from following our dreams.
We pondered the choice of our game’s genre for a long time. After many long discussions and discarded ideas, we ended up with a horror game. This genre does not lose its relevance; it was interesting for us to work on a game like that. During the course of development, we were inspired by such games as: Outlast, Resident Evil 7, Silent Hill, etc. But instead of making a clone of already established games, we set out to create something of our own, inspired by the classics yet maintaining an original style.
Having chosen the genre and drafted a rough script, we searched for a good publisher. After a while, we found the perfect option—in the form of Headup. We were very impressed with their past projects, and, after discussing the details, we began our cooperation.
Based on our gaming experience and all the horror films we have watched, we came to a conclusion that good horror is not that which scares you the most, but that which leaves a deep and lasting impression. The kind which leaves its mark on your feelings, and you cannot get it out of your head as you lie in bed. Using all the lessons that we learned from our game, we sought to rely more on the atmosphere, the visuals, and the plot.
The house is dead and abandoned, frozen in time, along with its inhabitants. You can feel the stillness of time with its atmosphere of possession, spiritualism and occultism. Sometimes, solitude and isolation are even worse than the presence of monsters. While creating the house, we wanted to make it so bizarre that it would make you feel dizzy. To make you memorize all the rooms in order to understand what your next step is going to be.
As we were creating the monster, we knew that it had to be a family member. Of course, you could have seen an image of a monstrous mother before. An insane creature, driven by the sole purpose of finding and murdering the protagonist. From time to time, the mother makes different sounds, growling and wheezing. She is very dangerous, so the moment you hear her approaching, you’d better hide or run away.
In addition to her pursuing the player, there are ghosts that sometimes appear in unexpected places, such as windows, corridors, or doorways. They only appear for a couple of seconds, filling the role of a scare. The ghost children were the most important part to create. They needed to look terrifying and repulsive yet invisible and mysterious. These children serve as messengers of the past, leading the protagonist toward truth. Thus, we have told the story of the past by means of the ghosts’ appearances.
Every gamer needs a little help sometimes, but our game is not going to handle everything for the player, just like the games of old. We want our players to feel excited after solving a puzzle on their own. And we hope you will enjoy this game. Therefore, when we designed our puzzles, we did not intend to make them too complicated, but they require a lot of attention from the player. Noticing, recalling and applying what you know is what you need to solve them.
Experiencing horrors from first-person has a benefit of its own—we can see through the character’s eyes and hear his thoughts. It also creates a kind of intrigue about the protagonist, since we never see his face. So, what kind of characters should be at the center of the story? They need to be uncommon yet also easy to empathize with. The horror genre demands an emotional reaction to its dangers. The player must be able to identify with the protagonist. But the protagonist should avoid that which is obvious, there is always a secret.
Developing the game took us several years, and we can now say with confidence that we are content with the job we did. But, we will only be truly happy when gamers all over the world can appreciate the fruit of our labor.