Hello wonderful people from the internet!
Welcome to the fourth installment in our progression blog series! These posts are our way of sharing our development journey with you and keeping you closely updated every step of the way.
After a few fully packed weeks while working on our latest prototype, we took a little breather last week to recharge and tackle our next big milestone in September. Our very first public playtest for Enu which will be available on itch.to! And there’s plenty planned between now and then.
Now is the perfect time to get involved in the development process and help shape the future of Enu.
What is the current state of play?
We’ve successfully completed the playtest … and survived it, too! We’re quite happy with the current state of Enu. It’s already fun to play and so far we really like the way the rotation mechanic shapes the learning curve of the game. Even though players had some struggle with orientation and some core mechanics were still missing, the foundation of the game is largely stable, which is a great place to build from.
So, what’s still missing? A lot! But we’ve got a solid plan in place, which you can check out in the graphic below. With our next major milestone coming up in September, we have time to both add new features and refine what’s already there. There are many systems still to be developed and integrated, we need to tackle the current present problem of „lost orientation“, the art style needs an overhaul, and the world itself has to be brought to life with content and atmosphere.
Here is a rough rundown of how things are planned for the upcoming weeks. Check it out and let us know what you are most exciting about to talk about and give input on 🙂
Game Design
We had built a special level for the previous playtest, tailored specifically for that test. This will change for the upcoming milestone. In particular, this week we will focus on developing the world description. But what exactly does that mean? Simply put, we will describe in detail how the world, its inhabitants, flora, fauna, and everything else looks and behaves. This will help us create an environment for the next playtest that’s closer to the final product.
Although there’s still a lot to explore in level design, we’ve already learned a great deal from the last playtest, especially how the level behaves very differently when enemies are present. We also want to create the first version of our town hub and see how well we can capture the intended vibe of that part of the game.
Art
Enemies are the next big milestone for our Art Department and an exciting one! They’ll bring the world to life and add the much-needed variety that keeps players on their toes. Every enemy encounter should feel unique and memorable, not just like another obstacle. That’s why we’re now diving into fresh concepts and designs to ensure each confrontation stands out.
We’re also working on concepts for distinctive environmental assets to help players orient themselves more easily within the game world.
Audio
Bringing the world alive is a big point of the upcoming milestone and audio plays a big part in that regard, so plans for a possible collaboration with a great composer is shaping and we cant wait to start working with them.
Programming
Now for the most exciting part: we’re expanding and refining our architecture and codebase. Our current structure is working really well, and our aim is to make it even more efficient and easier to maintain. The key principles guiding us forward are Scriptable Objects and Component-Based Design.
That said, we’ve also identified a few areas of messy code that require cleaning up or even a full rewrite. That’s basically what we’re doing this week, to prepare for the introduction of new features within a better, cleaner and more maintainable framework.
That wraps up this week’s progress update! There’s still a lot ahead, but we’re moving forward steadily and excited to see everything taking shape. Each step brings us closer to our vision, and we’re looking forward to sharing more as development continues.
Thanks for following along, whether you’re keeping up with our updates, sharing your thoughts, or just cheering us on. Your support keeps us motivated, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next!
