Game Culture — pixel art game

Village elder, help us! Build your village and lead your Pips to fight off hundreds of events in dotAGE, the merciless town builder. dotAGE is a turn-based roguelite village sim. Will you fulfill the Prophecy?

You are the Elder. You had a vision of a doomed future, so you took a handful of Pips, your fellow villagers, and led them to an empty valley to start anew. They need your guidance to survive the events foretold by the Prophecy, so make sure your Pips work hard!

History:

Digital Boardgame: classical town-builder gameplay in a turn-based fashion, with a claustrophobic map reminiscent of European-style board games.

Endless Content: dozens of buildings to research, with full production chains from raw materials to finished products.

The Prophecy Looms: the complex Fate system will throw more than 500 events at you to fight off. From simple coughs to earthquakes, from tornadoes to plagues, from volcanoes to inondations, from taxes to kittens, from diseases to furious murders.

The world changes: life becomes harder and harder as you play, keep an eye on the current levels of Fear, Sickness, Heat, Cold, and Cataclysm!

Cute yet merciless pixels: the cute pixel art details all the harsh realities of these Dark Ages. Don’t get fooled by the happy colors! 

All different playthroughs: Play a different game and a different story each time thanks to the Fate system and a dynamic research tree

Listen to the Montpellier Codex: real medieval music rearranged in a retro game style is waiting for you

An Apocalyptic goal: reach the end of these dark times and fight the Apocalypse to win the game.

dotAGE is developed by CKC Games - Michele Pirovano. All assets used in this blog belong to the rightful owner.

Contact Michele Pirovano via their website: https://www.michelepirovano.com, or their email: info@michelepirovano.com. Check their Twitter here.

Embark on an epic journey as Brocula, a vampire awoken from a 500-year slumber in a world unrecognizable to him. Stripped of his wealth, he must navigate the daunting maze of capitalism, taking on part-time jobs at the local garage, coffee shop, and restaurant to earn a meager living. But that's not all—his ancestral castle, now in ruins, poses another challenge. Work tirelessly to repair the dilapidated fortress, all while facing the bureaucratic hurdles of reclaiming its ownership from the town's mayor.

Engage in a captivating gameplay loop that revolves around money and societal struggles. Tend to your crops, cultivate a flourishing farm right next to the castle, and sell your harvest for profit. Immerse yourself in the art of fishing, honing your skills to reel in a bountiful catch that can be used for cooking delicious meals.

Yet, as a vampire, your responsibilities extend beyond mundane chores. Manage your cult, restoring the once-forgotten church and conducting regular sermons to gather the lifeblood you crave. Venture into the treacherous depths of the everchanging forest, an enigmatic dungeon teeming with monstrous creatures and valuable treasures, ripe for the taking.

Experience the rich tapestry of Brocula's world through stunning visuals showcased in our screenshots and cinematic trailer. Will you rise against the perils of capitalism, reclaim your heritage, and forge your own destiny? Unleash the immortal within and embark on an unforgettable quest!"

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Brocula is developed by Prateek Jadhwani. All assets used in this blog belong to the rightful owner. 

Contact Prateek Jadhwani via their website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-jadhwani/, or their email: info@brocula.com.

Check the presskit here! 

Wishlist Brocula on Steam and watch the trailer here:

Now, now, who doesn't love bugs? We at Mega Cat Studios adore and preserve the life of bugs as much as we can! And this upcoming pixel featured game we have for you will definitely make you love bugs more! 

We had the fly-some moment to interview the team behind Bugaboo Pocket! A story-driven virtual pet game starring bugs from land, air and sea! Tuck your bug in at night and greet them in the morning with realtime gameplay. Spoil them with minigames, food and furniture. Discover how even the smallest action impacts your pet!

Get ready to flap your small wings as we discover the story on how this game is made! 

How was this game born?

We started making Animal Crossing scenes during the pandemic so we could go on virtual dates. After that, we started brainstorming our own game ideas. A digital pet game about bugs had a message we believed in (bugs are good!) and also was something we could realistically finish.

What was development like?

Since we are also life partners, we talk about the game on and off throughout the day. We have a whiteboard in our office where we sketch out ideas. Every aspect of the game’s production is a collaborative effort.

We spent a lot of time figuring out which bugs we wanted to include in our games, and some were excluded simply because they were far too spindly for the pixel art style I was shooting for. Our native resolution is fairly low so we needed to choose bugs which could be clearly read. 

What did you learn about yourself through this game?

We both come from technical backgrounds but we’ve never created a game on our own. Over time, we’re slowly gaining confidence in our game design abilities in addition to honing our technical skills.

I’ve always pushed for highly polished art at every point of production because I feel it keeps us motivated. That said, it’s a huge time sink and I’ll likely go about things differently next time around.

What makes this game special?

There aren’t many games that show bugs in a positive light (which is changing thankfully)! We showcase real world bugs that normally would not be protagonists and when you play the game you actually learn about their life cycles, habitats and food sources.

We have also challenged ourselves to go above and beyond what a classic digital pet game offers. Our game has a storyline, objectives, death mechanics and so much more!

What games influenced this one the most?

Since we’ve been together, we’ve introduced each other to so many games we normally wouldn’t have tried on our own. I have a vast knowledge of retro games, and Sarah plays a lot of modern indie titles. Both have greatly influenced us.

Bugaboo Pocket is inspired by digital pet games like Tamagotchi and Neko Atsume. Our minigames are inspired by classic twitchy arcade games. We’re hoping to appeal to both types of fans with our game.

 

Any fun stories or wild moments during development?

We’re always doing low-level research by observing the bugs around us, going to natural history museums and watching documentaries. We even went to Japantown in San Francisco and bought an insect guide book filled with beautiful photography to use as reference. One night, we walked along the beach to watch active sand fleas. I was able to get some pretty amazing footage, but paid the price after receiving some pretty wicked bites. Worth it.

Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?

Oh, absolutely! I’m incredibly biased here given that I spent a great deal of my childhood in arcades, but I do feel like those twitchy games of yore helped develop my cat-like reflexes. 

What's your favorite memory as a gamer?

I mentioned it briefly before, but a more recent memory I have is of Sarah and I going on virtual dates early into the pandemic. At the time, it was really our only option. We had just met and desperately wanted to go, well, anywhere. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, I created a huge park for us to explore together and even built a seaside Taco Bell. (Nothing screams romance like Taco Bell.)

I also have a much older memory from childhood which I still remember vividly to this day. One Christmas Eve, my father called me downstairs to see “a special on TV about the Sega Genesis”. I ran downstairs and watched as footage of Sonic the Hedgehog played. I started to grow suspicious as the footage began to loop. Sure enough, it was just the in-game demo. Needless to say, that was the year I received my first 16-bit system.  

Who will enjoy this game the most?

Digital pet fans and bug lovers will really enjoy playing this game. Our game also has a gay storyline so hopefully queer players will enjoy Bugaboo Pocket too.

Bottom Line, why must someone play this game?

You should play this game if you want to experience a fresh take on the digital pet genre and/or if you’ve always dreamed of having a pet bug. You’ll see beautifully animated bugs, some of which have never been depicted in pixel art before.

How do you want this game to be remembered?

We’re hoping that this game might help some people get over their fear of bugs or at least have a newfound appreciation for them. We also want bug lovers to feel validated with a game that’s made with them in mind.

What's next?

We’re working on a public Steam demo! Out later this year.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Love bugs, don’t be afraid! They are your friends.

Check the announcement trailer here:

Follow Bugaboo Pocket on their Website, Twitter and Tiktok to get the latest updates from them and Wishlist the game on Steam!