Hello! This is my initial dev log to introduce me, the project, an update about the current state of it plus the future plan for release.

I am an indie developer currently finishing off a Masters course in Computer Science for Games and I started creating "The Shadow Upon The Holm" as a means of learning how to create games using Unreal Engine. Coming from primarily a Unity background, this was a difficult challenge learning a new engine and how to leverage the tools within it. I always find that the best way to learn is to have a set goal in mind and so I set out to create a short horror game in order to scare my friends.

The Project

"The Shadow Upon The Holm" is a short, atmospheric game about trying to find a missing colleague and uncover the mystery of what is happening on the holm.  Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, I aimed to create a game that could easily be told as one of his short stories and so the game is intentionally short.  Based on any reception and feedback I receive I hope to use this as something to build upon into a fully fledged game.

It is created using Unreal Engine, made predominantly using custom Blueprints I have created and the First Person Story Adventure Template  and all art assets such as characters, buildings, props, materials, textures particles etc contained within the game are from various asset packs from the Unreal Marketplace or from the websites Mixamo and Turbosquid. The reason for me using so many assets is that I come from a programming background and I am nowhere near talented enough to create the amazing assets I have used in the game. There will be a full section crediting each pack and their author in the credits section of the game.

Current State

The game is currently in a playable state for the actual level but is currently in a testing phase to smooth any kinks and uncover any bugs that need fixing plus some changes based on the feedback I have received. I still need to implement the main menu and the various screens for options, instructions and credits in order for it to be finished.

The game has:

• First person movement and controls using WASD + mouse or a gamepad
• Interaction with objects and doors with keys needed for locked doors.
• A flashlight that can be turned on/off
• An atmospheric map with a forest that feels alive and different locations to discover
• 2 endings based on a players decision at a key point in the game
• A hidden secret within the map that may benefit the player
• 'Something' that uses AI behaviour...

As the game is intentionally short, there will be no demo unfortunately as I can not justify releasing a demo and then the full game where there will be the smallest of differences.

Future

I am aiming for the game to be completed and made available by the end of March. This however depends on the feedback from testing, how long the changes  needed (if any) take to implement and also my current studies for my Masters degree. If I were to estimate a percentage completion of the project then I would say 70%.

This game will be free to download.

Thanks for reading this log and I hope you look forward to and enjoy playing my game!

Jarvo