Brandish your thoughts and brave the uncaring sands
Another human recon mission to the desert planet of Sabbath has failed. The ship has been lost, and the crew has succumbed to the harsh conditions. All that's left is you, and the wild dunes.
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To survive, one must find food and water. One must evade or kill hostile lifeforms. One must avoid getting sick, and escape getting caught in the fierce sandstorms. There may yet be a possibility of contact, if one's mind can remain healthy for long enough...
Desert Rose is an immersive survival game created in 48 hours for a pre-accelerator company's game jam contest. This entry was the winner, and it came with a bit of funding (R$30.000)! Me and my partner were unable to pursue any long-term projects due to monetary constraints at the time, so we had to let it go. You can read the article (in Portuguese) about us here.
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Though rough around the edges due to time constraints, the game is pretty playable, has interesting concepts and a unique atmosphere. Feel free to experience it yourself!
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Core Design
Survival games are often very systems-based, so busy with complicated interfaces and intricate crafting systems that the actual feeling of "being alone in a hostile place" is totally forsaken for a more streamlined game flow. That's where Desert Rose comes in - a simple game laser-focused on the emotional toll of a true survival experience.
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Meters and interface text are gone, completely replaced by visual representation and a "bark" system - the character may get sick, hungry or thirsty, but the only way you'll know is from his frequently uttered thoughts. Some are useful, some cryptic, some just flavor. If the character is hurt, you may be able to tell by the blood trails. There is no unit of accurate measurement, so the player is forced to make assumptions and face anxiety more often.
Additionally, there are constant threats from nature urging risktaking to progress - sand storms and sharks are hard to shake off and plan around.
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This project is fairly small, so my work can be more easily experienced by simply playing the game.
Click to download and play Desert Rose.
(1920x1080 fullscreen. ALT+F4 to quit.)
