Hello, this is ZERO ONE SOFT.
The Steam store page for <Camp Dawn> is now officially live.
We're still in an early stage, but we've opened this Steam page and started posting dev logs so we can share how the game is being made, get your feedback directly, and turn it into a better game.
Every wishlist add and every comment on our Steam page gives us the strength and direction to keep developing. We'd love your support.
What we want to cover in this first dev log is the design intent behind Camp Dawn.
Camp Dawn is a survival game set in a zombie apocalypse.
In a world left in ruins by zombies, your goal is to survive the dangerous environment and the threat of the infected.
Destroy → Scavenge → Craft
This is Camp Dawn's basic play loop.
Smash the objects and items in front of you and materials drop. Use the materials you've gathered to craft better tools and weapons. And upgraded tools let you break through sturdy obstacles you couldn't break yesterday.
But at some point, a thought comes to mind.
"What am I even breaking this for?"
Players don't close the game simply because the farming process repeats.
When the "reason" and "purpose" to keep farming disappear, players lose their way in front of a loop with no goal.
So we set ourselves a single goal.
Give this loop a "reason."
And the way we chose to do that was by adding narrative to the game.
After the zombie apocalypse, a father travels by campervan to bring his daughter to Camp Dawn, a safe haven.
Smash the same vending machine, for instance, and the weight of that repetition changes the moment you know it becomes your daughter's dinner.
When story gives a loop purpose, repetition becomes immersion. That's the structure we designed.
At the heart of the journey to Camp Dawn are the contrasting perspectives of two characters.
One is the perspective of James, the father; the other is the perspective of Lily, his five-year-old daughter.
For James, this journey is a desperate fight for survival.
For Lily, this journey is the most exciting trip of her life, her very first trip with Dad.
Once these two perspectives were set as our axis, the systems followed.
Travel → Arrive at Stage → Destroy · Scavenge → Craft · Upgrade → Complete Mission → Move to Next Area
As you explore different maps, you'll smash objects and turn the materials you collect into survival gear at the campervan's workbench. You can also upgrade your weapons for survival.
This is how we at ZERO ONE SOFT took our first step with <Camp Dawn>: blending the satisfaction of destruction-and-crafting survival gameplay with a warm, weighty narrative about family.
Right now, our team is making revisions across every front to raise the completeness of each stage and the story. We'll do our best to give you players an experience with fun and a lasting impression you won't forget.
Thank you for reading this long post. We'll see you in the next dev log.