Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this game idea for a while now, and I finally got something to show for it. I’m calling it “The Monster Abyss” for now, might change it later.
Started out with just a basic concept, you know? First-person, survival horror, the usual. I wanted to make something that felt really dark and creepy, with a bunch of puzzles to solve. You’re basically stuck in this messed up world, and you gotta figure out what’s going on while trying not to get killed by whatever’s lurking around.
First thing I did was just map out the basic layout. I decided to go with two levels for a demo. I spent days just sketching out ideas, trying to make the environment feel as immersive as possible. It’s all about the atmosphere, right? Then, I started building the world. It’s pretty rough, but it gets the job done. Lots of dark corners, weird sounds, that kind of stuff. I even added some text fragments that you can find, which kind of give you hints about what happened to the character you’re playing. I kinda like the storytelling through exploration thing. It feels cool to discover stuff, not just to be told things in some cinematic.
Next, I threw in some puzzles. Nothing too crazy, just enough to make you think a bit. I didn’t want to make it too hard, but also not too easy. Finding that balance was kind of a pain, but I think I got it. Also figured, hey, let’s add some monsters. Can’t have a horror game without monsters, right? The designs are still a work in progress, but they’re spooky enough for now. They just kind of wander around, and if they see you, well, it’s not pretty.
So, I’ve been testing it out, fixing bugs, and all that. It’s been a lot of work, especially since I’m doing this mostly solo. Then I saw something online, in some developer blog, about a monster attacking a base, and I thought, “Hey, that’s a cool idea!” So I might try to add something like that in the future. Maybe like a safe zone that you have to defend or something. It got me thinking, what if there were RPG elements? Maybe down the line.
I also stumbled upon some other stuff, like “Abject Abyss,” which is apparently another horror game. It’s interesting to see what others are doing, gives me some inspiration. And there’s this “Abyss World” thing by someone called Badorkbee. Seems like a cool project. It’s always good to keep an eye on what other people are creating, right?
Oh, and I read something about this wrestler, Christopher Joseph Park, also known as Abyss. He was almost in WWE, supposed to fight The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Crazy, right? He ended up staying with TNA. It’s funny how these things work out. He’s a producer now.
Anyway, after weeks of tinkering, I finally got a playable demo. It’s not perfect, but it’s something. I let a few friends try it out, and they seemed to like it. Got some good feedback, which is always helpful. They said it was pretty scary, especially with the whispers and the overall vibe. Mission accomplished, I guess.
What’s Next?
- More Content: I’m thinking of adding more levels, maybe some new mechanics.
- Refine Gameplay: I want to polish up the gameplay, make it smoother. Fix some bugs that I found during my playtests.
- Better Monsters: The monsters need some work. I want to make them more unique and terrifying.
- Story Expansion: I want to flesh out the story a bit more. Maybe add some more of those text fragments or even some voice recordings.
It’s still a long way to go, but I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got so far. It’s been a fun ride, and I’m excited to see where this goes. Just gotta keep at it, one step at a time. And hopefully, people will dig it when it’s finally done.
