Hey everyone! I’m excited to announce that the first demo of Into The Deep is now live and available to download on itch.io, as well as playable directly in your browser.
About the Game
Into The Deep is a turn-based tactical adventure game that plunges you into the dark depths of a lost dwarven city. You’ll lead a brave group of dwarves through dangerous catacombs, fighting to reclaim their home from an ancient evil.
This is my first game, and it began as a learning project in early 2024. Now, I’m finally able share a playable version with all of you! The game still has a long way to go, but I want to gather feedback from players as fast as possible, because I’m completely unable to say if I go the right direction without help. In Germany we have a saying “I can’t see the forest through all the trees”. And that sums it up quite well.
What’s in the Demo?
This demo focuses on giving you a feel for the core gameplay mechanics. It’s centered around tactical turn-based combat, where your squad of dwarves must outsmart enemies in strategic battles. While there’s a lot more planned (like story and progression systems), this demo gives you a glimpse of the core of Into The Deep.
You’ll have access to:
Two playable levels that showcase the tactical combat system.
A few initial abilities for the characters Amos and Rocky.
The chance to experiment with different weapons, skills and strategies
Three enemy types
What’s missing?
Quite a bit! There’s no story or progression yet, and a few key features—like camp upgrades, more levels, and new characters—are still in development. But your feedback at this stage is incredibly valuable!
What’s Next?
Here’s a preview of what’s coming up:
Camp Expansion: Upgrade your camp to unlock better gear and recruit new characters.
New Characters: Amos and Rocky will receive more unique skills, and a third dwarf will soon join the team.
More Levels: New, more challenging levels are in the works.
Items, Skills, and Loot: More equipment, abilities, and loot are on the way, including some exciting new headgear and abilities.
Regular Updates
I’m working on the game daily, and I plan to release updates on a regular basis. You can expect to see new features, improvements, and bug fixes rolled out frequently. Keep an eye on this page for the latest news and changelogs!
Join the development journey!
I’m still learning as a developer, and I’d love to hear what you think. Your feedback will directly influence how the game evolves! There’s a feedback form in the demo (though currently not working due to a Trello issue), and you can always join my Discord to chat, share ideas, or report bugs.
Thank you all for your support! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts and seeing where this journey takes us.
Hey everyone! I’m excited to share that the Into The Deep demo will soon be available on itch.io. You’ll also be able to wishlist it on Steam!
About the Game
Into The Deep is a tactical sidescroller inspired by games like Steamworld Heist and XCOM. This is the first game that I plan to finalize and release, and I’ve poured a lot of time and passion into it. I started it as a learning project, and now I’m eager to see how players will respond. I learned a ton! I would have done many things different if I would start again. But it works! I’m really looking forward to it and to start my gamedev journey with it.
What to Expect from the Demo
In this early demo, the focus is on the core gameplay mechanics and the overall feel of the game. Although the story and progression aren’t included yet, I’m eager to hear your thoughts on the gameplay. You’ll experience turn-based tactical battles, leading a group of dwarves in strategic fights against their fallen brothers and other dangers lurking in the dark.
Join the Development Journey
As a new developer, I greatly value your feedback. I’ve included a feedback form directly in the game, and I would love to hear your thoughts on how to improve the experience. Whether it’s about the gameplay, controls, or overall vibe, every bit of feedback will help shape the future of Into The Deep. Also: I need to know if there is any demand for a game like that.
To stay connected, join my new Discord to chat, share bugs and features ideas, and keep up with the latest development updates. I’m committed to being as transparent as possible, and I’ll regularly share progress on Discord and my Development Trello.
The Mission of this devlog: To provide players with the power to hack various objects in the game world, unleashing a multitude of actions, from disabling cameras to causing explosions. In short: Causing Mayhem. So, let’s get right into it.
Drawing Inspiration from Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs, a game that allows players to hack into an interconnected city, served as my primary muse. I was captivated by the idea of giving players the ability to manipulate their surroundings and devised a plan to bring this level of interactivity into my own project. Also I am very inspired by its clean and functional UI.
Conceptualizing the System
My system revolves around a few core components:
1. HackableSO (Scriptable Object): At the heart of my system lies the HackableSO, a Scriptable Object representing objects in the game world that can be hacked. Each HackableSO carries critical information such as descriptions, sprites, battery costs (if applicable), and most importantly, a list of HackableActionSOs.
2. HackableActionSO (Scriptable Object): These Scriptable Objects hold the logic for actions that can be executed on a HackableSO. Actions like “Disable Camera” or “Trigger Explosion” are defined as HackableActionSOs. They encapsulate the execution logic for their respective actions.
3. Drag-and-Drop Interface: My system makes it possible to include as many interactions to one hackable as I want. Just to select a HackableSO and attach HackableActionSOs to it. Done.
4. Runtime Execution: When a player decides to hack a HackableSO, all the associated HackableActionSOs spring into action, executing their designated functions.
Code Examples
Here’s a sneak peek into the code that brings my dynamic hacking system to life. I’ll focus on the two key Parts: HackableSO and HackableActionSO. These just get called via a hacking ability like that: hackableSO.Execute();
C#
// HackableSO.csusingSystem.Collections.Generic;usingUnityEngine;[CreateAssetMenu(fileName="Hackable", menuName="Scriptable Objects/Hackable", order=0)]publicclassHackableSO : ScriptableObject{// ... (other variables)publicList<HackableActionSO> hackableActions;List<HackableActionSO> instances=newList<HackableActionSO>();publicvoidInitialize(Transformposition, GameObjectgameObject, ObjectHackableobjectHackable) {// Initialization logic for HackableSO// Instantiate HackableActionSOs and add them to the 'instances' list }publicvoidExecute(Transformposition, GameObjectgameObject, ObjectHackableobjectHackable) {// Execution logic for HackableSO// Loop through 'instances' and execute associated HackableActionSOs }publicvoidDeinitialize(Transformposition, GameObjectgameObject, ObjectHackableobjectHackable) {// Deinitialization logic for HackableSO }}
In this code snippet, HackableSO is responsible for initializing and executing HackableActions. It maintains a list of instances of HackableActionSOs to ensure that each action can be executed independently.
C#
// HackableActionSO.csusingUnityEngine;publicclassHackableActionSO : ScriptableObject{publicvirtualvoidInitialize(TransformsenderTransform, GameObjectsenderGO, ObjectHackablesenderObjectHackable) {// Initialization logic for the action }publicvirtualvoidExecute(TransformsenderTransform, GameObjectsenderGO, ObjectHackablesenderObjectHackable) {// Execution logic for the action }publicvirtualvoidDeinitialize(TransformsenderTransform, GameObjectsenderGO, ObjectHackablesenderObjectHackable) {// Deinitialization logic for the action }}
Meanwhile, HackableActionSO serves as the base class for all hackable actions, providing methods for initialization, execution, and deinitialization, making it easy for me to create custom actions.
Example for a HackableSO Configuration
Here is an example for that Hackable Action that just instantiates Objects like particle effects and sound.
C#
publicclassInstantiatePrefabAndSound : HackableActionSO{publicboolstopAfterSeconds;publicfloatsecondsToStop;publicList<GameObject> ObjectsToInstantiate;publicList<AudioClip> audioClips;publicoverridevoidInitialize(Transformsendertransform, GameObjectsenderGo, ObjectHackablesenderobjectHackable) {// Additional initialization logic can be added here }publicoverridevoidExecute(Transformsendertransform, GameObjectsenderGo, ObjectHackablesenderobjectHackable) { foreach (vargameObjectinObjectsToInstantiate) {vargo=Instantiate(gameObject, sendertransform.position, Quaternion.identity);go.transform.parent=sendertransform;go.SetActive(true);if (stopAfterSeconds) Destroy(go, secondsToStop); }foreach (varaudioClipinaudioClips) {// Play sound onceAudioSourceaudio=senderGo.AddComponent<AudioSource>();audio.clip=audioClip;audio.spatialBlend=1;audio.Play();if (stopAfterSeconds) Destroy(audio, secondsToStop); } }publicoverridevoidDeinitialize(Transformsendertransform, GameObjectsenderGo, ObjectHackablesenderobjectHackable) {// Additional deinitialization logic can be added here }}
So, I’ve spent the last few days sorting through the mess in my project and rolling back to an earlier state from my trusty git repo. Gotta admit, the motivation’s been taking a hit with all the rewiring and development work looming ahead. But you know what? Today was a different story. Managed to wrap up all those loose ends and finally jumped back into the development phase where the real fun is. Feels awesome to just let loose and work on some simple, quirky mechanics again.
I was just thinking about my Reddit thread asking for ideas about indoor stealth mechanics. Instantly, my brain went, “the Box!” Seriously, the simplest and coolest idea. Spent about an hour or so putting it all together: rough animations, particle effects, an Ability class, and the interaction event that kicks it all off. And guess what? It’s like the perfect little chunk of joy.
After my rant about relying too much on premade Assets, I’m making progress on my new custom character controller. The first and maybe most important Part of stealth locomotion is the Crouching/Sneaking ability. So I opened up Etras Starter Assets, inherited the base ability class and wrote my solution from scratch.
I set myself the challenge when writing the component and for future components that it must be immediately understandable even to outsiders. That was kind of really fun. Also:
Simple, decoupled one-purpose components are so nice.
I’ve found myself in this situation again. This is just a rant about myself. What was initially a beautiful project, designed to be a lean prototype, has once more spiraled out of control. That means dealing with dozens of assets all intricately connected, expensive plugins, overloaded integrations, and a web of dependencies. Coupled with a switch from URP to Build-In Render Pipeline mid project due to compatibility reasons. The project is fine per se. I have no big problems and it still is maintainable. But it feels bloated with redundant files and piles of stuff I will never use again.
So, here we go again, launching attempt number three – a fresh start. My goal is to bring my vision to life without getting bogged down in micromanagement. That’s why I’ve decided to kick things off with my first devlog. Hi there!
Introduction
I’m Tobias, and this marks the very first devlog of my journey as a solo developer. Over two decades in the game industry have taught me many things… not programming, though. Instead, I’ve learned how to navigate office dynamics and human interactions in that environment. You might be thinking, “Office? Do you mean the room where I keep my gaming rig?” Nope. I’m referring to a place where a diverse group of people must coexist and where 90% of problems are dumped on just 1% of the employees – the IT department. This is where our protagonist, Peter Struggle, comes into play.
Game Concept
Meet Peter, the lone IT employee in a company plagued by mountains of daily main and secondary tasks. His mission: to minimize open tasks by the end of the day. However, every interaction with a fellow employee adds a new task to his list. Players face a choice: take the risky but quick path, potentially piling up tasks, or opt for stealth and diversion to keep interactions, and subsequently tasks, to a minimum. When Peter has zero tasks left, he gains bonuses that can be used to enhance his skills and tools. The gameplay draws inspiration primarily from games like Splinter Cell and Hitman, incorporating casual graphics and humor to fit the scope of a solo developer, mixed with popcultural references to IT Crowd, The Office, Severance, Mr. Robot and Silicon Valley.
Third Person Controller
Ah, the allure of Feature Creep strikes once more. But I started out on the right foot with the versatile, community driven and beautifuly barebones “Etra’s Starter Assets” controller – a free gem that I can’t recommend enough. It’s a straightforward and remarkably efficient controller, complete with some useful extras.
So, I started integrating Peters abilities – crouching, shadow detection, sneaking, interaction UI, and even an extended interaction component. No issues there. Integrating Rewired? Smooth sailing. Implementing Final IK? Mission accomplished. Even integrating movement via behavior trees was a breeze. The true power lies in the asset’s well-structured simplicity. No mysterious scriptables or confusing dependencies. If you need component X, simply add it wherever you want. Need to disable an ability? Just call .enabled=false. Need an extension? Use the event system. The Unity way.
The temptation of the Unity Summer Sale – The sunk cost fallacy strikes back
But then the summer sale came. After buying and trying out “Invector,” I thought I was through with character controllers. I have a strong aversion to bloated assets that weigh down entire projects. However, the highly praised Opsive Third Person Controller caught my eye during the Unity Summer Sale. What could possibly go wrong? After all, it’s the best-selling asset around, and the Opsive Behavior Tree is a seriously awesome asset. So, I took the plunge and made the purchase, despite some lingering doubts – even after watching this video:
“It feels bloated, but also like something is missing.” I cannot agree more.
So, after spending days of reading documentation, watching tutorial videos, and trying to piece everything together, I found myself filled with buyer’s remorse. I was saddened by the fact that I had abandoned my beautiful custom controller for this massive monolith of an asset and lost the speed and traction, that I started with. Integrating it with other packages, even official integration packages, became a real headache. I was overwhelmed. I felt frustrated spending hours on simple tasks like incorporating my sound manager system or getting a feel for the locomotion and camera movement. In the end, I used the old approach, placing function on top without utilizing the built-in functions of the character controller. Unfortunately, it felt like adding a fifth wheel to a car – an awkward and unfitting addition. I always have the feeling that it could break any second.
This is just an example for a general problem I have with some premade assets. The Opsive Character Controller is a very good asset, the developer is awesome and the support is stellar. But in a fast iterating prototyping phase, it just slows me down. Others may find the “completeness” of the asset comforting, but for me its ballast. I just want to have a blank slate that I can hook some components on or remove them, without breaking everything. But this is something I learned the hard way. Keep it specialized. There is no “one size fits all” solution in game dev.
What I definitely will use the Opsive Character Controller for in my prototyping phase is the awesome integration with the Behavior Designer or AI Navigation in general. Its just flawless and setup in under a minute. And thanks to the extended animation system, it just looks good from start.
I have already prepared some Behavior Trees and Character Sheets that I can reuse 1:1. What would a stealth game be without “Wait, who’s there? Oh, it was just the wind”. Only that in my game it will sound more like “Hey Peter! I have a problem with my PC. Can you help me?”
Modular Asset Packs
As the owner of quite a few modular asset packs from Synty and co., I am naturally often tempted to load everything I have directly into the project. That’s obvious. You want to “quickly and easily” click together a few levels. I noticed that using pre-made graphics tempted me to focus on too many details already. Therefore, I decided to work only with prototypes from now until the basic systems are finished. This should help me to concentrate on the essential issues of the development. I will go back to a basic tool for prototyping and level design: Greyboxing with Probuilder. Simple and easy. This way, questions of believability should only arise later, when it comes to the final level design. For now, it’s about “finding the fun”.
The Office Scene I tried to fit in all my mechanics made of prebuild modular Assets.
I found it challenging to find a balance in level design that emphasizes stealth mechanics while providing a believable environment. Normal office buildings consist of long corridors and individual offices with little open space. Many of the stealth game mechanics I want to incorporate require the player to have a good overview and not be constantly surprised by enemies running out of offices or the like. Using premade assets led me to “work around” the mechanics to find solutions for the assets I have. I think that is a big game design mistake I made. But maybe I will go in further detail in a later post about stealth mechanics.
New Beginnings – Have you tried to turn it off and on again?
And so, the first entry of Struggle Peter’s devlog begins with “Embracing the Awkward.” Back to the drawing board. Starting a new project. Salvaging the old one. And before putting in assets, really thinking about “Do I really need this in my folder?”, “Does it serve my vision?”. I’m more motivated than ever to bring my Project to life. It’s a learning project. Not a big one. All the problems I encountered, I encountered countless times before. Maybe this time I learned my lesson. Maybe. Man, I love this.
Notion is a big help to stay organized.
My Plan for the future of the project
Stay agile at all costs
Stick to the MVP
Delivering fast working increments
Let people test
Reduce Micromanagement
Have a playable version ready in one month
Post iterations on itch.io
Managing expectations
I started this project to learn how to develop and release a simple game
Even with my experience, I’m still a beginner and nobody expects my first real game to be perfect
Keep track of and report the progress, even If I am the only one who will ever read it (this blog)
Always try to clean up the mess after a long coding session.
Organize so that it is also quickly understandable and readable by others. Even if it is the future self. He kinda forgets everything all the time.
Keep Notion as my Game Design Document and Vision Board, its excellent for that
Mark MVP Features to keep organized
Don‘t buy assets until it‘s clear where the project is going – ignore FOMO
Understanding and integrating new and unknown assets take a lot of time. I dont have a lot of time.
Assets that I feel comfortable with and will add to the project to boost productivity