Sleepy Sentry
People love stories. Whether it's films, TV shows, books, or video games, the thrill of a good narrative grabs all of us sometimes. But there is something missing. Now, I'm not saying we don't enjoy Game of Thrones as much as the next geek, or that there is something wrong with the way Stephen King tells a story. But one aspect of storytelling that used to be a core part of the process has gone almost entirely missing in the last century: the concept of interaction. When a story is written down or captured on film it becomes codified, and no matter what the audience feels or thinks about it the story will only ever happen one way. Interactive storytelling is the art of giving the audience the power of choice that they have mostly lost, and its applications in gaming are what originally brought Sleepy Sentry together.
Our team was first assembled at the University of Turku for a game development course project, and we quickly discovered that we shared a passion for both games and the stories told through them. In the several years we've worked together, we've published two small mobile games, but this time we've decided it's time to think bigger and play to our strengths. That's why during the summer we started work on Stirring Abyss, our upcoming PC game combining roguelike strategy gameplay and interactive storytelling, and we are extremely excited to share our vision with the world. In Stirring Abyss, player choice matters, and the story is dynamically generated to create a different experience for every game.
The game takes place in the most mysterious and dangerous locale on our planet: the depths of the ocean floor. The player takes command of the survivors of a submarine that suffers an accident; they find themselves stuck in a strange ruined city, trying desperately to repair the ship and escape. With limited access to vital resources such as oxygen, light, and fuel, the player must guide the crew in exploring the environment and making crucial decisions in text-based story events. Risk and reward play a crucial role, as time runs short but the dangers of braving the depths alone are great. Graphically, Stirring Abyss will feature beautiful hand-drawn environments depicted from an isometric perspective.
The three of us have a ton of enthusiasm and love for games, as well as skills in programming, game design, graphics, and writing. We've been playing PC games since we were old enough to climb on the chair, and as much as the scene has changed, what makes a game great has remained largely the same. We truly believe that we have the capacity to create great games, but one thing is certain: we could always use more feedback. Check us out on social media and don't hesitate to let us know what you think, and sign up on our newsletter to keep up with the continuing development of Stirring Abyss!
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Original Author: Juha-Matti Santala