Dev Update #14: Road to the Demo

Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days

Texas, 1980. Walton City has fallen to a zombie outbreak. Lead a band of desperate survivors from refuge to refuge by scavenging, crafting, and fighting in a relentless struggle for survival. Plan wisely, stick together, and — above all — keep moving if you want to make it out alive.

[img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43342513/e2f934fd0320159e4ba20a5928fce9d3157d638e.png[/img] Howdy all! We're popping our heads up briefly from behind the mountains of work to check in. We're currently furiously preparing our first demo for PAX Australia in October. This demo will focus on the scavenging aspect of the game, which is only a small piece of the larger puzzle, but it'll be the first time that any players have gotten their hands on gameplay, so it's a big moment for us. It's always a significant transition to go from being something we're working on ourselves to something we're sharing with the world. It's exciting! It's terrifying! It's exciting again! We want to make sure any players attending PAX in Melbourne will have some surprises in store, so we're inviting you now to take a little peek at the screen (if you will), while keeping a few key things behind closed doors... _______ Our concept team have been focused on mapping out potential areas in our demo levels for the players to explore. These may or may not make the final build, but a key point of focus is how these environments might feel at different times of the day. And, of course, evoking a constant lingering sense of dread. (This ain't cosy gaming, folks.) [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43342513/ea10d1fdf108d7c41bf7ad23e48e5b7e730fe44b.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43342513/6866ff75b9ae20c84377b96e111bc7fd053c0582.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43342513/3fddaa95890435436586504b71659dc99dffce6d.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43342513/4af68c199c67dba60e481685007e7fa127dc300a.jpg[/img] Our art team have been bringing our undead to life (as it were). With the game set at the height of a heat wave, they've been toying with how the creatures might sweat, the areas of the body that might be most in pain, the visible signs of trauma that hint at what these people may have been through as they succumbed to their fate. With creatures who used to be human, there's fun to be had in exploring the balance between player disgust and pity. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43342513/e4e83c3768b5607ba3a3d4b32f5fa495a04dd25f.png[/img] But of course, a game has to be fun. And there's nothing quite as satisfying as landing a solid hit. Our combat animation team have been working towards crafting the perfect wallop. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43342513/710edfd9732d1bab25f8230878966ac31135a4ec.gif[/img] And, with the help of some talented motion-capture performers, the classic crowbar finisher. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43342513/610dda21a12f1745f9d04d1713099176e7aca9c1.gif[/img] The team have even elevated the humble blood splatter into a higher art form. (Bird's eye view for peak effect.) [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43342513/c23d88e157aa2b53b1e3baf890cc9a8be4691dc2.gif[/img] But back to work! We've got six weeks to put all these elements together and get this demo done and polished and in the hands of our players. So there's no time to waste. Over and out. ___ Harriet Community Manager Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days Facebook: @intothedeadgame Twitter: @intothedead