Survive, explore, fight! Czech game from a solo developer

😦 Am I supposed to finance a 2D game? 😦

The reality is that such a game requires greater precision, more ideas, and more skills to capture the player's attention. Animation is difficult to do right because you are working with a limited number of pixels, and EVERY one of them is visible. In a 2D world, you are limited to only two directions. Therefore, you have to come up with a lot of clever tricks to make the game look believable and as visually appealing as possible. I put a lot of effort into that. In practice, this means that you can walk in front of and behind objects. Objects are reflected in water, cast shadows, etc. I try to focus on details such as the reaction of grass to the wind, the movement of the player, waves in the water, rain where you can see the drops breaking on the ground, and many other small details that give the game the right feel. All of this takes a lot of time.

🍂 Information about the game 🍂

Hellpress is a 2D survival game with horror elements set in a crumbling world full of danger. The game is based on exploration, environmental storytelling, and resource management. You are tasked with accompanying a child named Simon and keeping him safe at all costs. The child is completely dependent on you, takes up valuable space in your inventory, and reacts if you neglect him. 

The game does not hold your hand! There are no markers on the map. There are no useful user interface elements. Your only guide is the world itself and your own ability to observe and adapt. In this aspect, the game differs from others and tries not to follow the crowd.

Key features:

• Minimalist UI - The screen stays clean and keeps your attention on the environment. Atmosphere is important.
• Real exploration - The map does not show your location. You will have to really immerse yourself in the world and get to know your surroundings.
• Sensitive environment - The world adapts to your actions. Leaving dead bodies behind will attract more predators, and the area will once again be filled with enemies, etc.
• Escort and care system - At the heart of the game is a child that you must protect and carry. The child takes up space in your inventory, requires care, and reacts if ignored, potentially attracting threats by crying or showing fear. Well, just like in the real world.
• Inventory management - Space is limited. You will constantly be deciding what to take and what to leave behind, healing supplies, ammunition, or upgrade components. After this game, you'll be happy to clean out your closet.
• Tension with every action, diverse enemy types, a trading system, a structured world, puzzles, difficulty modifiers, and much more!

❓ Why I started creating my own game❓

I have been playing games since I was a child, and it is still one of my biggest hobbies. I have always dreamed and strived to one day have my own game on Steam, achieve my own vision, and share the result with others.

This dream is gradually becoming a reality thanks to my other hobby, programming, which I have been doing for five years and am good at (trust me). I have been working on this game for about six months, and there are only two things missing to complete it: time and money.

💵 What I will use the money for? 💵

There are a few things I can afford on my own, but these are mostly monthly packages, which slows down the whole process considerably. I intend to use the money mainly for things that I simply cannot do myself, either because I am not good at them or because they are not my field of expertise. The game focuses on atmosphere, so I want to make the most of that, mainly in an audiovisual style!

I will try to buy as many high-quality soundtracks as possible that best capture the environment of the location the player is currently in. This also applies to audio tracks for effects, characters, etc. The money will also be used for animations to make it come alive! Last but not least, I will purchase additional environmental asset packs to make it look nice. And of course... marketing, without which no game will ever succeed. Those trailers won't make themselves, and neither will I (my editing skills are at zero).

The money raised from you, our sponsors, and people who believe in the success of this project will greatly help speed up the entire development process. But beware! Under no circumstances do I want to release the game in a poor and unfinished state. NO early access, no alpha or beta versions, or similar nonsense. The game will be released in its entirety and completed within the next year. 

Every penny counts, and I will be very happy if we can see this through to the end together!

🌏 Background of the world​ 🌏

Midar's Guide to the New World - 27 AC - Excerpt from a field manual used in the surviving territories.

Page 1 - Barely 27 years after the Collapse, the world is once again teetering on the brink of chaos. Fear and hatred of the Caascal are growing. The oppressed and persecuted form the Rebel Alliance in a desperate quest for justice, a move that sparks the first war of the New World.

Page 8 - 28 AC. The Rebel Alliance calls for peace. The Council of Nations responds with strict conditions:

• No Caascal may ever hold high office;
• All Caascal must be educated in new state schools and use their abilities only for permitted purposes;
• Caascal will be publicly registered and monitored. Any Caascal who steps out of line will be declared an enemy of the New World and become a wanted target;

In return, the rebels demand:

• All Caascal will be recognized as legal citizens of their native states;
• The Rebel Association will be officially recognized as the Voice, with full authority over the training and assignment of Caascal;
• The continuation of Echo research without any interference from the outside world;
• Both sides agree. This fragile peace becomes known as the Resonance Agreement.

Pp. 38–59 AC. The annual summit of the Council of Nations is approaching, and a young Caascal named Kairo is preparing to set out on a journey again near the ruins of Riada...

Explanatory notes:

• Collapse - a catastrophe caused by a mythical monster from the depths of the sea, which wiped out 90% of the world's population and rendered many areas of the known world uninhabitable.
• Midar's Guide to the New World - A chronicle written by the mysterious writer Midar, which records all important events after the Collapse.
• Caascal - People who were gifted with mysterious abilities by the monster from the depths, each with a different ability, some with more than one. In response, these people began to worship the monster, and the masses consider them fanatics. However, the Caascal have never exhibited aggressive or fanatical behavior, and people fear them more because of their new abilities. The Caascal claim that it is necessary to accept this gift and not look back on a past that will never return. Instead, they try to survive and help other people in the New World with their abilities.
• New World - This is the name given to the world after the Collapse.
• Rebel Alliance - An organization of Caascal who have banded together to wage war against the nations of the New World in response to their gradual oppression and killing.
• Council of Nations - An organization composed of all the nations of the New World and all remaining habitable territories. Representatives of these nations meet each year to agree on new international laws and set the direction for the New World.
• Voice - Guilds operating independently of nations, usually owning small territories within a nation. Either with the permission of the nation on their territory, or by force. Some nations prohibit selected guilds from operating on their territory, while others allow them. The Caascal became the Voice after the first war of the New World.
• Echo - Technical name for the abilities of the Caascal

⌛️ Current progress⌛️

The game is currently in full development. What has already been created:

• Complete character control, including animations
• Inventory and looting system
• Shopping and interaction with other characters system
• Shooting and ammunition system
• Life and stamina system
• 3 boss fight arenas (graphically)
• Ship controls
• Motorcycle controls
• Camera system
• Game saving system
• Post-processing effects system

What needs to be done:

• Entire map
• Level design (unlocking locations, how they are connected, where you can return, where you can't)
• Enemy scripting (graphics already completed)
• Difficulty balance (so you don't have to restart the game 10 times a minute)
• Optimization (so your PC can run it)
• Item placement on the map
• Main menu
• Teaser trailer
• Official trailer
• Gameplay trailer

Well... there's just a lot to do.

👽 About me 👽

I currently teach at an elementary school and am finishing my master's degree at university. In my free time, I enjoy programming and playing games. My primary project right now is the creation of this video game.

Help me show the world that Czechs can shine on the indie video game scene and show what we are capable of! I will be very grateful for any help and will appreciate every dollar!