Hauntibles

Trailers are probably the most important way indie developers can introduce their games. They're extremely vital, which is why I came out with one so early. But looking back, I think the messaging in this first video wasn't as clear as it could have been. Good trailers highlight, they don't summarize. They show you why the game is fun and worthy of your time. My first trailer focused too much on the game's origins, and not enough on what makes the game interesting. I also think it relied too heavily on motion graphics, which went against the real-world vintage textures found in the game. So, I'm filming another trailer. This one requires a lot more production, and I've spent the last few days assembling a collection of spooky props. These objects were sourced them from my neighbor's basement, Target, Ikea, and a few I've picked up at rummage sales. Props in the trailer relate to various elements of the game, highlighting all the coolest featur...

Antiquing with a spooky twist. Beware the haunted lobstah! So many of my favorite ghost stories, such as "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacob, start with someone obtaining a haunted antique. There's just something about these old relics that sparks the imagination.  HAUNTIBLES is chock full of these haunted collectibles or "hauntibles" as I'm calling them. They're mostly sourced from archival research I've done, and the game is designed in such a way that I can easily update it with new hauntibles as I discover them. Hauntibles have already been covered briefly under the Cabinet of Curiosities post, but I wanted to delve into a bit more detail 'cause I love them so much.  A batch of procedurally generated beetles! Here's where it gets a little technical. In order to use these objects in the game, I cycle them through a bit of code (which I'm calling the "pattern buffer" because I'm a Star Trek ner...