- DevDiary #14: The Demo will be here! - 13 June 2022
Hello, space travelers! We thought that that day would never come. But it is near! Just around the corner. The demo of our Cryospace game is one of the many that you may play during Steam Next Fest which starts today, the 13th of June, and ends on the 20th of June. So, what should you expect? It will be the beginning of Cryospace, only a few first levels. It means that you will see only a glimpse of what we are preparing for you in the final product. The beginning of the Cryospace is much easier than later levels. It's primarily a plot hook that we've been baiting players with. Here and there you will find clues that will later allow you to solve the most important puzzle of the game - what happened on the beautiful interstellar ship. And that means that you may walk around the destroyed halls of Ascendency more than once to find all clues. You will also experience some resource managem…
- DevDiary #13: And the story goes… - 6 April 2022
Hello Spacewalkers! As April begins, we have another episode of DevDiary for you. Something cool and chilly to start this spring with (it’s even snowing in Poland when we’re writing this - yes, at the beginning of April. Wonderful April Fools’ day, my darling Spring. Truly amazing… not). This time we would like to tell you a little bit about the setting of our game. And by setting we mean the world of the game - not only the spaceship where the action takes place. As you know, we were inspired by many works and different media - from science fictions books of the 50s/60s to the Alien(s) movie franchise of the 70s/80s. That’s why we are creating retro sf mood and look. You know, crude inventions, wire connections, and almost no high-tech as we are seeing it. This is not to say that in our setting computers, Artificial Intelligence, or cybernetic implants do not exist. Everything - and mo…
- DeviDiary #12: So, you wanna know a little bit about combat... - 10 March 2022
Hello there. It’s great to have some hints about what we may tell you about “Cryospace”. That’s why we’ve decided to tell you something about combat. First of all, once again we have to emphasize that our game is not a hack and slash experience. We are doing our best to create an oppressive, dangerous, hostile environment for our player’s character. There will be levels where our hero may need to fight, however, the best possible options will be mostly running, hiding, and trapping enemies. Melee weapons Remember: You are not a soldier. Not a fighter. Just an ordinary maintenance guy. And this is a survival horror game. So your best friend may be a melee weapon - crowbar or pipe. Crowbars and pipes may not be the most efficient weapons, but at least you can find them here and there. What’s even more important, using them allows you to remain almost completely silent. Remember that on ou…
- DeviDiary #11: Breathe deeply and turn on the lights! - 8 February 2022
Hello, you poor souls who decided to book a trip on “Ascendency” - the deadliest spaceship in the galaxy! Today we will tell you a little bit about three important mechanics of our game. Oxygen The first one is oxygen or O2. As you know, this is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. Of course we, humans, do not breathe O2 per se. Oxygen is the essential component for breathing gas and uptake of O2 from the air is the essential purpose of respiration. That’s why we use O2 / oxygen as an abbreviation for breathing gas. There are a few places on our wracked spaceship where breathing gas is still available. But in most cases, you have to rely on tanks. So looking for tanks and careful monitoring of oxygen levels is essential. But there are a few “buts” :) First of all, oxygen consumption depends on the activities performed. When you run, your oxygen usage is much highe…
- DevDiary #10: Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live. - 4 January 2022
As you know from the previous DevDiary, the best strategy for surviving the CryoSpace is running. That way you will live - at least till you have oxygen. We’ve also mentioned that there are different kinds of enemies. Their origins - who created them and why, for example - is one of the riddles that you may solve exploring this huge, almost totally destroyed ship. Today we would like to share with you some arcane knowledge concerning strange creatures roaming the derelict floating through space… From idea to animation At the core of our game lies the story. That storyline also affects the design of different enemies. Look for example at their arms and hands. You have certainly noticed that we created zombie-like creatures with some metal parts. At the beginning of the design, they still have hands - kind of human. But then we get back to the storyline and: BAM! no more hands. Think abou…
- DevDiary #9: Please remain calm and just fight those nasty monsters! - 7 December 2021
As you know, our slightly destroyed colony ship travels through space. And on a board, there are a few nasty things. These creatures are scary, dangerous, and stupid (at least, most of them). And there are lots of these things… On the other hand, our hero is mostly alone, with a small number of resources - not only oxygen but also ammunition or even weapons are lacking. However, that does not mean that he is helpless - not at all. There are different ways to eliminate monsters. Of course, the shooting is the most obvious method of elimination. But you have to remember that each bullet is very valuable and that noise the hero is making may attract more enemies. Foes are also very tough, so shooting should be the last resort, not the first one. Hack’n’slash tactics will not work in our survival horror game. A careful hero will check all rooms and corridors - of course, if he has enough ox…
- DevDiary #8: Glory of the UI - 3 November 2021
We all know that a user interface (UI) is “the space” where interactions between humans and games occur. HUD, on the other hand, that’s a head-up display: a transparent display that presents data without distracting gamers. We have been working on it for several days. Where on screen and how to show the valuable information. What kind of “resources” should be on HUD? What color and style should it have? Check out a few of our ideas! We took inspiration from classical hack n slash games, like Diablo, and also classical survival horrors like Resident Evil. We make some tweaks and then look for space designated for NPCs, because sometimes our hero will have some company. In terms of style, we are looking for something really simple and useful. That’s why not many colors and a few elements. If you look closely, you will find some inspirations from famous movie series we all love and admire.…
- DevDiary #7: What we do in the shadows (and in the open) - 5 October 2021
A long and tiring month is behind us. We implemented a huge chunk of mechanics into the build. The most important - oxygen. And some lesser ones, like PC energy or batteries for the flashlight. Monsters We are also expanding enemies’ “portfolio” - currently, our graphics specialist is creating some scary variants of monsters. Simultaneously, our animator works on the movements of a new creature that entered our space dungeon. That lovely fellow will be one of our favorite pets :) Enviro We also put a lot of energy into some environmental designs and tests. We were making some difficult decisions concerning hiding some loot on levels, creating places that may work as traps, building some puzzles and movable elements, and refining the look of our scary space wrack. Demo Now we are almost sure that we will be ready to show you the playable level at the beginning of 2022. Are you ready to p…
- DevDiary #6: Low gravity - 8 September 2021
Every player knows what zero-g is and how it works. Although the term is not exactly correct (it should be "zero G-force"), it basically means the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight. Weightlessness. Low gravity affects a lot of things - shooting with a missile weapon, movement, and health. All this must be taken into account when deciding on a low gravity environment. There is a bunch of games that explore weightlessness - Shattered Horizon, Zero Gravity, Zero-G or Deadspace - and its effects. There are also other stories that explore the idea of artificial gravity. There are a few ways to create that one. It may be created by an inertial force that mimics the effects of a gravitational force, usually by rotation. Famous examples of artificial gravity, or rotational gravity, you may see in the great science fiction movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968, produced…
- DevDiary #5: Scary shit - 3 August 2021
Are you aware that we have only a few types of scares? Of course, most of them are used in horror movies, but a few are also common elements of horror or survival horror games. There are some obvious things like loud or unsettling noises - you know: building the atmosphere... The most famous is of course jump scare. Kind of a lazy one. The monster (or monsters) suddenly appears and jumps onto heroes. Like in “Alien” or “Aliens” or “Alien 3” or “Alien 4”... We have a few ideas related to jump scares - like hidden attacks. When something bad happens out of nowhere. A classic example is the (in)famous chestburster scene from “Alien”. There is also a “reversed jump scare” - the hero or heroine is walking through the dark old deserted spaceship looking for the monster, and BANG: here is Jonesy! (Supposedly the origin of this idea is connected to legendary film producer Val Lewton - check “Th…
- DevDiary #4: Do not fear fellow passengers, everything is under control... - 6 July 2021
Finally, we have our prototype ready! It wasn’t easy. There were some obstacles. A bunch of hindrances. For example, we have to rethink controls, as CryoSpace is a little bit different than “Ruiner” or “Diablo”. We are creating survival horror, not hack and slash - for gods’ sake! So, we have had to iterate. More than once. But now we are totally, completely, and finally sure that our ideas, the first gameplay test, paper projects will work in the final game. Now we are heading for Vertical Slice. We will prepare more detailed models, environments, and animations. And we really enjoyed that one the last time We’ve made some great discoveries during that initial stage. For example, we now know that enemies require a bit more attention. They should be much scarier. And maybe more “alien”? These “things” are very important not only to the gameplay but also to the story itself. We are reall…
- DevDiary #3: You Are Not Alone… - 1 June 2021
It is true - in space, no one hears you scream. Because there is no oxygen there. The lack of air means that the sound will not propagate. So you will die there quietly... But on our “Ascendancy” you will find a little bit of oxygen. It won’t be easy to discover enough of it to support everyone alive. At least at the beginning. There is another problem with air on the ship - someone may hear you scream. Or rather, enemies will hear you scream. And will come for you. Or after you. Like famous zombies from “The Walking Dead” comic series. We are quite sure that you want to know more about those strange creatures that persecute our hero and his friends. But you have to wait a little bit more. For today we may tell you only that: There will be different kinds of enemies in CryoSpace. Not only humanoid zombies. What do you think - what else is lurking on the “Ascendancy”? Aliens? Demons? Bio…
- DevDiary #2: a tomb or a colony ship - 18 May 2021
Abandoned spaceship slowly traveling through the void. Looks more like a tomb than a colony ship. But there are a few people still living there. And some other nasty things. Of course, there is our hero - Kelvin, just an ordinary maintenance guy; not a soldier, nor a fighter. There are others, sleeping in cryo-chambers, like Lena. Or Bernard, Clarisse, Thalman… You, as a player character, may meet them all. Talk with them. Help them. Rescue them. Or, maybe, kill? Because you have to survive. This is the most important quest of your life. So, prepare your stuff and get ready... You need a suit to breathe. Oxygen to survive. Energy to fight. Or run. And hide. Weapons to kill… those things… But first of all - you need the will to survive! *** As you can see, we are currently working on many things - graphics, models, some animations. Our concept artist, Mateusz, is preparing some great ill…
- DevDiary #1: The Stars Our Destination - 5 May 2021
DevDiary #1 Every journey starts with the first step… And the first step for CryoSpace is... one of the best hard science fiction books of the mid of Twenty Century. “The Stars My Destination” by American writer Alfred Bester - first edition 1956. The story is set in the 24th or 25th century (that one varies between editions of the book) when humans have colonized the Solar System. In this novel, you will find many ideas that a few decades later evolve into cyberpunk. But that is a completely different story. The book is set in the world where "jaunting" - personal teleportation - is possible, at least on Earth, not in Space. At the beginning of the novel the life of the main hero, Gully Foyle is at a dead end. Why? Because he is the only survivor on the destroyed spaceship. He has to fight for survival, crawling through the derelict, looking for oxygen. Normal uneducated, unskilled, un…
