For the past 12 months or so we've been working away on our next game: 'Salvage'.
Run-down
Salvage is a single player science-fiction game focussing on survival, exploration, looting and navigating the dangers within the world. You play as a deep space salvager, who moves from derelict spaceship to derelict spaceship, in the hopes of finding valuable items you can trade to survive. It is a harsh world where people struggle to survive, in the vastness of space, fuel and food are limited resources.
Story
The story is still being developed, however the primary gameplay loop will always be sandbox travel from level-to-level, or ship-to-ship. Though there is no focus on combat or weaponry, that does not mean there are no dangers. With mother nature, environmental hazards, foreign lifeforms and illnesses, you have enough to worry about.
Demo
This demo (we hesitate to even call it that), is simply a presentation of what has been accomplished in the past 12 months. It is still unfinished and it is only one small slice, of a whisper, of the essence of the final game concept. it is just one level, and would take the average player about 10 minutes to complete.
The gameplay loop.
The core gameplay loop will be:
Starting in your own small craft, you search for a derelict spaceship
You find one that seems to match your current abilities and preparations (small ship, minimal dangers reported)
You travel there and start the level
You have limited Oxygen, meaning you'll want to get in and out quickly
You navigate hazards and find loot along the way
You escape back to your ship, then find a nearby trading hub to sell your loot.
Goals
The goals for development are:
2024:
Finish the player's ship
Finish the first level
Finish the first trading hub
This is as far forward as we want to plan, but we are excited by the idea of eventually having a dozen hand-made levels with the possibility of some random-generation. However we believe strongly that a hand-crafted world is usually far more interesting and nuanced than a randomly-generated one.
Credits
I (Radicals) have worked on Salvage in my spare time, as I work another job full-time. I'm doing the programming, level design, UI and sound. But I look forward to getting some help in some of these areas.
I have been assisted by a friend of mine who has created the amazing interior environment/3D assets for this first level, you can find their portfolio here.
Another artist has helped create the loot-able items in the level, they are on Fiverr here.
Inspirations
Being a lifelong fan of the 'Alien' movies there is a tremendous amount of visual and "feel" inspiration from them, particularly 'Alien' and 'Aliens'.
In terms of gameplay inspiration, I took inspiration from one of my favourite games: 'The Long Dark' as well as other looting games like 'Escape From Tarkov', 'Dark and Darker', 'DayZ' and 'Alien: Isolation'.
Concept art
A salvager emerging from a jammed door, exploring a lonely corridor.
A salvager collecting some hidden documents, being stalked by an unknown entity.
Screenshots
Playthrough Video
You can view a narrated playthrough here, be warned - it contains spoilers!
Thoughts
This game has a large scope for a small studio. With only one part-time developer and 2 artists, this project will likely be years-long and will be a work-in-progress for a long time. We are very excited to keep expanding this world and hope that you can join us for the journey.
Download & Play
You can download and play the demo here.
We will update this blog seasonally, so once every 3 months with progress.
Feedback
Feedback on the game is always welcome! There is an anonymous form and a bug tracker here, though it requires a Google login (to prevent spamming).
You can email us at:
radicals.radgames@gmail.com