Concept for Debut Game from Outmode

So I decided to throw together some concept art for an idea I’ve had for a bit. Put this together with Midjourney, and it actually came out pretty close to what I had in my mind (well, much better). Was planning on publishing a smaller game with my engine, Degine, within the next few months. Timeline is tight, but I think I need a concrete game to build while I build the engine, so I know the features actually work (and I’m not just wasting time on theory). Was looking at doing something similar to Space Harrier, or those old kind of rail shooters (maybe with a touch of Rez). And, yes, I’m old enough to remember playing Space Harrier on the Sega Master System in 1988 *with* 3D glasses, and it was frigging sick!!!

To give an idea of the design process. My initial target is for the Leia Lume Pad 2 3D Android tablet. I needed something that would take advantage of the 3D, and a flying game with fast motion is exactly that. Also, the inspirational games were also in 3D, so I know the model works. Secondly, I needed something that could be done in a few months. These types of games are generally procedural generated. You have a main character, maybe 1 or 2 enemy variations, and a looping background. Perfect for a solo indie on a budget. Not sure I can really do a ton of levels, so it may just be a single detailed environment, and sort of an endurance high score type of thing. Getting something out the door in March is the goal, though I’ll see how impossible that is (not sleeping for 3 months is on the table).

That said, I still need to finish the engine, Degine. Graphics are at a good point, finishing the shadows now. Was doing some research into real-time global illumination, but I doubt that will run on mobile, and I’m pressed for time. Scripting with Lua is working, but there is no API yet, so everything is hard-coded in C++. Last big integration will need to be physics, JoltPhysics seems to be the best option, just need to spend the time to get it in there. Granted, this will be like a bare-bones MVP duct-taped version of the engine, but I think it’s important to get it out there. Public release of the engine will likely be later in the year, as I will need time to refactor it, remove the hacks, write documentation, etc. Trying to 10x it here.