The alpha demo for Cold at Heart is now available!


Inspiration

Cold at Heart was made for the McBacon Jam 3 contest, in which the four of us, Luiishu, Ratty, LockeZ and myself, came together as a team to make a game. The theme of the contest was Inspiration. In other words, what has inspired you on your game making journey?

It was something different for all of us, and in many instances, it was a few things that were brought together. For one, the colony itself was inspired from a movie that is a favorite of Luiishu's, the atmosphere of the colony, taken from the same movie. For another, Metroid, as showcased in Ratty's amazing battler and face art, as well as Luiishu's atmospheric soundtrack. For me, my inspiration primarily concerns the story: Dreams. Quite often I'll have a vivid dream which, upon awakening, I realize could make a good premise to a game. In this instance, it's the story of Cold at Heart itself, heavily inspired from a dream I had, with many of the same events.

Another big inspiration for me concerned the sprite and tileset art. The style I have is inspired heavily by our own Pizza's amazing artwork on this site. Watching his examples has aided me in developing my own style.

Working with this team on this project has been an incredible experience. Ratty contributed through his dynamic and amazing face and battler graphics, setting the stage for our enemy encounters with his unique craftsmanship. Luiishu headed up the level development, with his top-tier mapping and design, bringing to life the haunting atmosphere of the colony. LockeZ provided his excellent consultation, aiding us in further developing our game mechanics throughout the process. The contributions of this team are far too many to list.


Continuing the project

We are determined to continue this project. Even now, far more has been crafted beneath the demo, with areas and resources not yet in the demo. A plethora of work has been done on this game, and rest assured, it will see completion. Feedback is welcome throughout this process. Even now, I am aware of some issues concerning the Alpha demo. I would greatly appreciate your feedback and subscription to this game, as more updates are soon to come!


What this project means to me

Finally, it is difficult to express what this project means to me. Our team consists of some of the greatest developers of this site, all with their numerous contributions and accolades. For me, as a somewhat newer member to this site, this was a big moment for me, where I could take advise and apply it from these great team members.

This is the first major showcasing of my sprite tile set art in a game. While I have applied some before such as my work in Transcendence, this is my first step into actual 32x32 design for VX Ace. The character sets, sprites, managing different sets and a palette have all been a major elements of design to learn. Furthermore, taking on the combat system was a challenge: how do I make a dungeon crawler that feels solid? My previous project, Dungeon Crawl: Party of Four!, was a project I learned a lot from: I heard what people liked and disliked about the system. I took what I learned from that project, and applied it in the making of this game's battle system. Whether people enjoy it or not, well, it's all up to you to say! I hope it feels fun and solid to you all!

Thanks for reading! Check out the alpha demo, and subscribe to this page for future updates. I hope you all enjoy our project, Cold at Heart!