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Mirror Forge
Dreadful Dev Diaries: Mystive Dev #02
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1807200/Mirror_Forge/
Dreadful Dev Diaries: Mystive Dev #01
Wishlist Mirror Forge Now!
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Exclusive Offical Trailer is up!
I'm more than excited to share the Main Trailer for Mirror Forge - my Silent Hill / Stranger Things inspired Horror Game on Steam. Check it out:
This trailer showcases pieces of the story, atmosphere, gameplay and introduces 2 new game mechanics which were not present in the Steam Demo. Let's take a look at the new core mechanics that will drastically change the gameplay and the level design of the full game:
#1 Dimensional Travel
The first mechanic introduces unique mirrors in the world of Mirror Forge which can be used as "wormholes" to travel between realities/dimensions. This mechanic will be utilized in several ways:
• Running from an enemy (a chase sequence)
Instead of being trapped at the end of a hallway or a labyrinth, click that Mirror as soon as you reach it to get away from the hands of death.
• Puzzle Items
Solving a puzzle in one dimension might require an item from the very same room where the puzzle is - but in a different reality. Check the other dimension to find the item you're looking for then head back and finish the puzzle.
• Surpassing Obstacles
A door suddenly shut behind you, you're locked in a room with nowhere to go. Use the mirror. Check if that door is unlocked in the other dimension.
#2 The Seal of Nur
Use a mythical artifact of power originating outside the Multiverse. Little is known about its abilities, but one thing that's sure is that the "Seal of Nur" blasts an energy wave that reveals "Moments Frozen in Time". Throughout the entire game, there will be faint flickering sparkles at some places which hide mysteries. A sound cue of whispers will draw you to them.
Once you use the artifact on these sparkles, they turn into figures of light - memories stuck in space and time when the Mirror Forge exploded. They are optional but will provide lore content and backstory via audio and subtitles, as well as Steam Achievement Progress.
Multiple Endings
Mirror Forge is planned to have multiple endings depending on player choices throughout the entire game. It means that when presented with a "subtle" choice at some point in the game (not necessarily the end), it may affect the end you're getting.
The Third NEW Mechanic
This mechanic hasn't been introduced in the trailer and I aim to keep it secret and a surprise all the way until the release of the game on September 29th. It's an optional mechanic, not related to the main story - however, it'll be vastly present throughout the entire game in the form of collectibles.
Moreover, these collectibles when picked up will appear in the "Legends Room" - a separate level resembling a trophy/achievement room.
4100+ Wishlists and Rising, Steam Next Fest ended and IndieWay Starting Out
So far, Mirror Forge has been covered by over 250+ content creators on Twitch, Youtube, and Facebook Gaming. Thanks to the amazing support of the Horror Community, it has amassed over 4100+ Wishlists and the numbers continue to grow!
The Steam Next Fest went amazing and now, I'm looking forward to the IndieWay Event on the 25th of March where once again, Mirror Forge will be introduced to new horror fans, journalists, publishers, and more.
There are a few other festivals/events down the road until the release, although it's still too early to talk about it.
Be Part of the Horror Community! Join the Dimensional Terror!
I'd appreciate it if you take the time and click the "Add to Wishlist" button.
If you wish to test your fears, exploratory skills, and puzzle-solving, feel free to try the free demo on Steam too!
Being a Solo Dev, definitely is the journey of my life
For those of you guys who follow me on my Social Profiles, you know that I'm a solo dev and besides my 8 years of experience working as a 3D Artist and Digital Marketer on various projects, Mirror Forge is my first fully solo project effort. I'm so grateful that so many people supported me during this journey.
There's a long way to go until September 29th (the release of Mirror Forge), but so far, the development and polishing, and bug fixing are skyrocketing way better than I expected. I even think I will have the time to finish it ahead of the planned date and have enough time to dedicate to even more details in the months to come.
Mirror Forge - Silent Hill Inspired Horror Game (Demo Stream)
Spoiler Alert!
If you haven't played the Mirror Forge Demo yet and are considering doing it, avoid this video. It contains a full playthrough of the latest version update of the Mirror Forge demo.
Meanwhile, check out the appearing entities in the demo
All of these entities appearing in the demo are symbolically designed. Feel free to check the demo and analyze their meaning or watch the playthrough on the official Steam page of Mirror Forge.
26.02.2022 (Saturday) Developer LIVE Event on Steam
Time: 10:00 AM (Pacific Time)
Developer Live Chat
Join a Developer LIVE Chat
Let's talk about the Mirror Forge Demo, Frequently Asked Questions, Gameplay of the demo and the full game, discuss the plot of the game and check some pieces of the upcoming Full Game.
Share Ideas, Suggestions, Feedback
We have done this a dozen times before via the official Mirror Forge website and the email newsletter, but this is a first-time opportunity to join a Live Chat and discuss the full game.
Developer Explanation of the Events/Levels and Characters in the Demo
We'll do a playthrough of the Mirror Forge demo and as a developer, I'll be discussing every visual aspect of it, the background story, the events and character lore.
When and where?
The Developer LIVE will take place on the 26.02 (Saturday) on the Mirror Forge Steam Page.
Time: 10:00 AM (Pacific Time) OR 06:00 PM (GMT Time).
Mark your Calendar. Join us!
Huge Demo Update Based on Overall Feedback
Let me say it like this: It is so amazing working with Horror Fans!
Hey there peeps! As many of you know, the Mirror Forge Demo was released on the 10th of February. Since then, there have been so many streamers, players and content creators enjoying the experience that I feel overwhelmed and blessed at the same time.
Thanks to you guys, Wishlists are EXPLODING like never before! I feel blessed and so happy about the immensely positive feedback from the Horror Community.
This major update wouldn't have been possible without you
Although the majority of players enjoyed the demo to its full extent (maybe I should rename myself to LongDemoDev instead of MystiveDev), there were some who encountered some issues and bugs and needed to reload in order to continue.
I did my best to be on every single stream I found on Twitch, Youtube, Facebook Gaming and checked the majority of the Youtube videos, carefully observing your gameplay. What's most amazing are your communities - you have such amazing people who support you and I am so glad that you loved the game. The Positive Feedback was so overwhelming.
With That Said, Here are the fixes of the Mirror Forge Demo 0.7:
- Added "C" along with "Ctrl" for crouch
- Steam Achievements are working now
- More frequent Journal Updates for easier world navigation
- Replaced drawer/file cabinet/locker sounds
- Fixed the collision near the wardrobe where if a candle dropped would put it inside the wardrobe
- Added Blocking Volume which prevents putting batteries in slots before you place the valve
- Added more subtle lights to guide the player
- Replaced the position of the number for the keypad to make it easier for players to find it
- Changed a roaring sound in the last level
- Changed the first jumpscare
- Changed a jumpscare in the last level
- Added an extra moment in the last level (optional)
- Fixed several sounds which bugged and followed the player throughout the demo (eg. The Industrial sound which many thought it was a soundtrack)
- Fixed the Ambient Music Slider in the Options Menu
- Fixed an issue where the Mouse Sensitivity would constantly change when pressing Escape
- Reduced the volume of footsteps
- Fixed the "Press V to activate lighter" notification which seemed to not work after reload
- Increased the Flashlight light cone and slightly reduced its intensity
- Slightly reduced the light intensity of the lighter.
- Fixed collisions in several places which caused the player to get stuck for a moment and die
- Fixed a moment in the first part which although quite rare, sometimes it would make the world disappear and the character falls.
- Increased the duration until the electronic door opens after the lever, for safe loading of the next zone
- Changed the material of the see-saw
- Completely removed the particle fog in the Abstract level as it caused a severe FPS drop.
6 Days Until the Steam Next Fest
Releasing the demo earlier was probably the best thing that could have ever happened. Thanks to everyone who reached out to me or gave any kind of feedback at the end of their streams. It helped a lot in supercharging this demo and getting it ready for the Steam Next Fest.
I'll continue to monitor your streams, plays and regularly check mail for any kind of issues at least until the end of the festival. After the 28th, I'll probably move on back to the development of the full game.
Thank you, Everyone, Stay Safe and Enjoy the Horror!
Demo Final Touches, Voice Acting & More Silent Hill
Demo coming at your Doorstep Subscribers!
During the past few days, I haven't been much active on my Social Pages and it wasn't because I was celebrating the festive spirit of Christmas or getting ready for New Year's eve. In fact, it is a crunch period for me trying to get out the best version of my Silent Hill inspired Psychological Survival Horror game - Mirror Forge.
Subscribe for a Closed Pre-Alpha Demo here!
A few months ago, I gave a promise. A Closed Pre-Alpha Demo for all my email subscribers to test it out before the Public Demo version on Steam. For those of you who did not know about it, you can go to the official website of Mirror Forge and subscribe to get access to it. By subscribing, you will become part of the testing team of Mirror Forge and you'll contribute to its development by:
Reporting if there are any bugs in the demo
Share ideas/suggestions on ways to improve a particular level or story element
Share your overall opinion
Moreover, you will get access to download High Quality 4K Resolution Wallpapers, access to lore about characters and places in the In-Between Alternate Dimension and first-hand download access to the original soundtrack (once it's ready).
That's right! We're going together to the Steam Next Fest, Yay!
I am so happy to share with you peeps that Mirror Forge has been accepted on the Steam Next Fest, starting from the 21st of February. It is a massive, widely popular online festival directly on Steam where players, streamers, influencers, journalists partake in gaming activities and will be able to play a Public Demo of Mirror Forge. Moreover, there will be various LiveStreams such as Talk to the Developer and Developer Play where together we can enjoy the experience!
Do you see why it's important for the closed demo to be ready by mid-January? With your feedback, I'll have enough time to establish an amazing, unforgettable experience for Horror Players and Silent Hill lovers!
For the past week, I've been dealing with...
Some demo optimizations such as merging of objects, LODs, occlusion culling and constantly checking the Profiler in the engine to ensure that the game runs at a smooth frame rate and is optimized enough to be a cool experience. Although the visual part was generally going great, I stumbled upon the Weirdest Bug EVER:
Exported my game to see how it goes and it turned out - I can interact with everything (everything works like doors, levers, puzzles, keys etc.) BUT only if I crouch. Ehm, what!?
So, focusing completely on dealing with this, I swept through the code of the player character and found the culprit after two days of searching (got you, you little bug!). After fixing this issue, I managed to implement another feature which in my opinion was quite necessary for players to know which items are interactable and which aren't. I added a spatial widget above every interactable item to ensure the player doesn't get frustrated clicking everything across the level.
Amazing Voice Actors!
Meanwhile, I reached out to a few amazing voice actors. My goal now was to focus ONLY on the Demo and polish it as much as I can. And for that, I needed two voice actors for the characters that appear - one for the main character, the second for the little girl I showed you in my last article. At the moment of writing, I'm waiting for their voice-overs and getting the character morphs and crude animations ready, so I can implement the voice acting as fast as possible and tweak the lip-sync once it's ready.
I'm so grateful and happy to share that...
Out of curiosity, I checked Mirror Forge's game exposure, marketing data and wishlist ratio in a certain timeframe as opposed to my last game - Alan Sharp on which I worked as a 3D Lead Artist back in the day before the studio split up. Thanks to your support, Mirror Forge has 4x times more Wishlists on Steam so far!
Told you I'm Silent Hill Obsessed
🤣So, going back to the Game Design. After testing out the demo and I found out that it can be completed from start to finish, the last bits that need now to be done are a bit more focus on the UI and some Visual Details to make it more immersive. My main focus will be that in the next few days to ensure the best experience for you.
But, before that, I got this amazing idea to try it out on an open level (a small town) in Mirror Forge and see how it looks. The image above shows that level and it includes an abandoned playground. So, I thought what if I add some fog to it and make it more Silent Hill-like? And it turned out that this was an amazing idea. The scene instantly became more dramatic and mysterious!
Never-ending Ideas, Oh My! But, it'll have to wait at least after the Public Demo...
Okay, here's a funny one. Yesterday (while taking a bath!) I just came up with a few amazing ideas that I will Most Definitely implement in the full game. I thought about them for quite some time, thinking maybe I should add them to the demo - but there were several issues regarding this: the release date of the demo is so close and implementing these ideas might cause bugs, issues with optimization and etc. and I did not want to risk it being so close to release.
The First idea was a completely new story-based NPC character (friendly) who symbolizes our main protagonist's loneliness and read here - suicidal thoughts because of everything that happened to him. I fleshed out this character on paper and found out that a whole new level will be required in order to pull this off.
The Second Idea I got was the Use of Mirrors as a Feature. To be able to use certain (strange) mirrors to travel between dimensions (and I just found out that Silent Hill: Origins had a similar feature, but I did not mind). Using such a feature can be quite interesting, especially with puzzle solving.
But, as I said, both of these ideas will be left for a later date after the demo.
Don't forget to Wishlist Mirror Forge on Steam
Devlog #3 - New Level, In-Game Cutscenes & NPC Horror Players Asked for!
New, Bone-Chilling Hospital Maze Level
Hello, there peeps! I've made this new devlog about my progress on Mirror Forge this last week and I'm happy to say that the development includes several new updates which I'm so happy to share with you!
I've just finished modelling, level designing and polishing a new, creepy Hospital Maze level tightly connected to the protagonist's past
My main focus was to establish a good mix of both psychological and survival horror and I think I did it (as always, the feedback from the Horror Community during the closed Demo in January will be crucial to improving the gameplay feel). This Hospital Maze consists of several rooms too which resemble spaces you would find in a hospital, BUT there is more. This level represents a collide of multiple alternate realities and space-time convergence. Nothing looks as it seems to be. The player will be able to find rooms caught in anomalies, parts of them resembling an abandoned hospital, while the other part being machinery, pipes and factory environment or hellish scapes filled with cages, metal, walls made of flesh etc.
Oh, the Horror...
In one room, the player can see a strange anomaly on the wall as another reality leaks into this one: a human hand coming out of the wall as if the poor soul got stuck inside it. In a second room, a strange environment of fleshy walls, chains and a baby fetus. And to make it even more peculiar, it seems that most of these converging realities are like they have been pulled out of our main protagonist's tormented mind. To Make it Clear: Yes, these are Alternate Realities and IT IS NOT happening in the character's mind. But, what is strange - it seems like there is some malevolent force that changes the space-time continuum all around the player and it mocks the character with terrible events of his past. Could it be that there is such a powerful, unseen being that is able to shape reality just to torment Thomas - our main character?
An In-Game Cutscene & New NPC For the Story
I had very long thought about whether should I have In-Game Cutscenes in Mirror Forge. The main reason being In-Game Cutscenes take a lot of time to be done right: bone animations, facial animations, lighting, cameras, sequence editing, music/sound etc and as a solo dev I thought it would take too much time to do and prolong my development.
I had a chat with several horror gamers and Youtubers on Discord who play similar games (there was a particular streamer who even offered to check it out and give me his opinion about the gameplay feel). I concluded that In-Game cutscenes are necessary in Mirror Forge in order to properly tell the story. And I was like: Okay, let's do it.
One thing that quite surprised me was how fast I managed to finish this cutscene (in a few days!). I already have some experience with In-Game Cutscenes and sequences in Unreal Engine 4 during my 8 years of game development, but I did not think that it will go as smooth as it did.
For this cutscene, I modelled, sculpted, textured, rigged and animated an Unnamed Mysterious Little Girl that the main protagonist finds in one of the rooms of the Hospital Maze. This girl ECHOES with Symbolism and the very cutscene speaks about Thomas's past. I had so much fun working on it and I can't wait for you to check it out (yes, it will be available in the Demo).
The Silent Hill Nurse-Like NPC
Last week, I shared an idea on my social channels and it went like crazy! Horror gamers providing suggestions, tips and hints about the level design of this new NPC I planned for the hospital maze. Yes, you guessed it. A Silent Hill Nurse-Like NPC.
I recently finished a rough look of it, although it's still in the works and hopefully, I'll manage to show it to you peeps in the next Devlog, stay tuned!
So, my main consideration was: How this NPC will affect the gameplay?
My idea was to have a horde of these Silent Hill Like Nurses roaming the maze corridors. They appear shortly after a particular event and serve as Obstacles for the player doing specific tasks. These "nurses" cannot see the player (unless you get really close to them - like in front of their face), however, they can hear your footsteps. So Running through these corridors is out of the question.
But, you can always pick up some physics-based objects and toss them around to make noise and draw their attention :))
And, what's next?
The next thing would be to polish and add some details to these Nurse-like NPCs, polish their animations and do a few tests to see how the AI performs and whether it has a heavy impact on performance. I'll need to clean up the code a bit probably.
And lastly, here we come to the end of this level and the final cutscene which ends The Demo. I'll be working on this next cutscene which shows a huge chunk of the background story of our protagonist and hopefully, we'll do the general wrap of the demo.
Wishlisting Mirror Forge on Steam as a
Solo Dev means a Lot to me
As always, if you're a lover of Psychological/Survival Horror games with an immersive storyline, a huge fan of Silent Hill, PT & Stranger Things, then I'd be most grateful if you ring that Wishlist Button. Wishlisting Mirror Forge helps push the Steam algorithm and is immense support.
Devlog #2 - Woke up to a Silent Hill Nightmare & Got Inspired for a New NPC
Nightmares are terrifying, right?
We all had them in our lives. Nightmares can be pretty scary, making you sweat like crazy and wake up screaming in the middle of the night. Some of them feel so real. Well, yesterday I had a most peculiar experience.
I dreamt of being in a dark hospital hallway. I couldn't see what was on the other side. All I remember was that I had some sort of light (probably flashlight) on my shoulder. It was cold. And as I turned around, all I saw were creepy silhouettes moving unnaturally towards me. I felt terrified.
I woke up around 5:00 AM. It happened to me before too, although it wasn't a nightmare. But, dreams have been inspiring me or showing me the direction for my games for quite some time (even came up with a game idea back in the day which I shared on my social profiles). But, when I opened my eyes I tried to remember the dream. And then, I realized. It was Silent Hill. Those things that were coming towards me were the bubblehead nurses! LOL! Was I James Sunderland in my dream?
Affected by too much Horror content or my subconsciousness is guiding me?
I couldn't shake it off. I thought - was I too affected by horror content? After all, I dived quite deep into searching Silent Hill and their symbolism for my upcoming Psychological Survival Horror Game Mirror Forge. Was it the horror movies I watched trying to find some plot twists and story ideas? Or maybe, just maybe, my subconsciousness is telling me that adding a similar NPC - slow-moving, creepy and lurking dark hallways will be a great addition to Mirror Forge?
New levels & A Spider Baby
During the past week, I focused on polishing some of the environments for Mirror Forge, connecting those tiny bits here and there to keep the consistent flow and engaging gameplay. Added two new puzzles, several sound triggers to spawn atmospheric sounds and creepy atmosphere and two or three jumpscares. But, there was this particular narrow space that somehow felt like it really required a jumpscare. I made the player go through it a couple of times, so I had to find a way to create an amazing jumpscare that would scare the bejesus out of them. After all, by testing out, I realized that the tension has been built quite nicely and a jumpscare there would be the icing of the cake. But, it felt like I needed a new type of NPC. The other three I did somehow did not relate to the story and the symbolism I was aiming for.
Welcome Spider-Man, I mean... Spider-Baby
While replaying some bits of the game, I've noticed several things I have added during my development to breathe life to my main protagonist - Thomas Jackson. At one moment, he sees a group of spiders in his apartment and says: "God, I hate spiders". Then, we know that before the game's main plot, he got drunk and smashed his car in a tree. As a result, his girlfriend fell into a coma and they lost the baby. And I thought: "Wait! That's it. A spider-baby!".
The symbolism of this spider-baby is pretty clear. It symbolizes Thomas's hate for spiders, his guilt and sorrow for making her girlfriend lose their baby and the metallic parts - a reminder of the car and the car crash that happened.
Going back to that terrible nightmare
Coming back to the nightmare I had. Inspired by it, I decided to set up a new level resembling hospital corridors that seem like a labyrinth. It would be here where I would place a horde of these slow-moving, new NPCs inspired by the Silent Hill nurses. The only thing was, I still haven't come up with the design for it. So, I guess it's time now to reach out to my Horror Community and ask for ideas! We've set up such amazing communication that engaging with them has been an absolute pleasure!
Exploding Wishlists on Steam and Email Subs in just a single week!
Two things I'm so happy about and inspire me to work hard on Mirror Forge is the fact that together with the Horror Community are the exploding wishlist numbers and email subscribers in just a single week of the Steam page being released. There's no greater thing to motivate a solo indie dev. As a solo dev, Wishlisting Mirror Forge on Steam means the world to me, even if you aren't going to buy it after release. Simply by wishlisting, we supercharge the Steam algorithm and it helps bring Mirror Forge in front of the eyes of horror fans. I'd be most grateful if you decide to Wishlist it right away.
Horror Fans Brainstorming and Contribution
You can be part of the Creation Process.
Get Access to an upcoming Closed Pre-Alpha Demo, lore about the alternate dimension, multiple Free 4K wallpapers, original soundtrack, insider videos & devlogs, plans for future discounts, news about upcoming updates, DLCs and more simply by subscribing to the official website:
https://mystivedev.com/mirrorforge