Neofeud Steam Cards Now Available + Neofeud 2 Trailer & more!
Here's a teaser trailer for Neofeud 2, which I'm still working as fast as transhumanly possible on! :)
[previewyoutube="ey7OKHABtYQ;full"]
The majority of the backgrounds are completed at this point and a good portion of the character designs. I've been focusing more on fleshing out the story / plot of the game itself of late.
And at long last, Neofeud Steam trading cards are now available! Go from Nano-Augmented Hobo to Cyborg Wage Slave to Neofeudal Monarch-CEO and finally Six Billion Dollar Baller! :D
In addition, I'm currently experimenting with creating a Neofeud card game using the art I've spent years painting. Maybe something in the vein of indie cyberpunk card game 'System Crash', which I really liked and am still playing during downtime. https://store.steampowered.com/app/673850/Neofeud/
Finally, Neofeud is on sale again for the next week! :) As mentioned previously currently funding development of Neofeud 2 (basically covering my family's bills) with revenue from Neofeud 1, so every sale supports completion of the sequel, along with the other Silver Spook projects!
If you had a chance to play Neofeud and have a minute to leave a review, even just a couple sentences, I would greatly appreciate it!
Neofeud in "Top 25 Cyberpunk Games" + Neofeud 2 update
Woohoo, Neofeud was included in the Top 25 Cyberpunk Games list by GamersDecide! (Up there with Deus Ex, what an honor!)
Next up, here are some previews from Neofeud 2, which I am currently hard at work on.
I am, at least for now, developing this sequel to NF1 as a solo-developer - doing the art, writing, programming etc. - as with the first game. I am planning to bring folks on toward the end, however, particularly for voice acting of the many characters.
Also, if you were thinking about picking it up, Neofeud is on sale for the next week! :) I'm currently funding development of Neofeud 2 (basically paying my rent, food, etc.) with revenue from Neofeud 1, so every sale supports completion of the sequel!
Finally, if you had a chance to play Neofeud and have a minute to leave a review, even just a couple sentences, I would greatly appreciate it!
Silver Spook Interviewed William Gibson!
The future is unevenly distributed, but the author of Neuromancer et al. and godfather of cyberpunk has graciously fenced some atemporal sci-fi-continuum to Silver Spook. Huge thanks, Bill.
Podcast will be coming here: https://www.youtube.com/user/twiliteminotaur
Or if you prefer hallucinating to marks etched on paper or electrons, my Neofeud Short Story Collection is also up here:
https://silverspook.itch.io/neofeudstory
Yes, the next Silver Spook podcast will feature my conversation with William Gibson..... WHAT!?!?
The fact that I got Gibson on the podcast at all is utter mindfuckery for me, and the reality has yet to sink in. I pretty much can't top this interview for potential guests in the cyberpunk pantheon.
Also, I believe I may have the only recording of Gibson saying, "Mother fucker", and with full 70's-Ramones-punk attitude. :)
Neofeud 2 Updates + Silver Spook Live At The AGS Awards This Saturday!
My latest art from Neofeud 2: Novus Ordo Seclorum, currently in progress! If you'd like to support this one-dev cyberpunk adventure game being completed, consider picking up Neofeud 1, gifting it to someone who has it wishlisted or helping me out on Patreon. :)
Thanks to my Neofeudal Royalty Patrons:
Minxilla, Ian Ruotsala, and Noirjyre
As well as the most illustrious and cyberpunkal Lords Patrons:
Mechanical Bat Studios, Alfonso De Lozar, and Brian Ballsun-Stanton.
Here's another area of Neofeud 2, with some more of the hustle and bustle of life, or at least flying cars, in this "greenscraper".
Next up, I will be livestreaming from the AGS Awards this Saturday!
As I mentioned previously, Neofeud has been nominated for seven awards including Game of The Year, Best Writing, Best Art, Best Characters in the Adventure Game Studio Awards. As such, I will be livestreaming the AGS awards this Saturday March 24th at 20:00 CET from my Youtube channel with live commentary. The ceremony itself, which is a streamed event from an AGS-based client, will have characters from Neofeud present in the virtual "audience" and will also feature music from the Neofeud soundtrack. I hear the voting was extremely close, so it's anybody's competition! :)
Finally, here are the most recent Silver Spook Podcasts. In the first I interview Joshua Nuernberger, creator Gemini Rue, the best-selling Wadjet Eye Game of all time, and winner of numerous awards including PC Gamer Game Of The Year (adventure). Gemini Rue is also an amazing dark sci-fi/neo-noir adventure game and among my favorites.
And here I speak with long-time friend of the adventure gaming community and de-facto virtual "town crier" for the Space Quest franchise, The Space Quest Historian:
We discuss the history and present of adventure games, the relationship between Youtubers/Streamers and game creators, as well as the Space Quest Historian's thoughts on Neofeud after playing it. (Thanks to the SQH for doing a Let's Play of Neofeud on his channel!)
Neofeud 50% Off On Steam + Nominated AGS Game Of The Year!
If you haven't picked up Neofeud yet or known anyone who might be interested in it or you want to gift it to someone, Neofeud is on sale now till February 20!
Neofeud was nominated in the 2017 Adventure Game Studio Awards for:
Best Game
Best Writing
Best Character
Best Music and Sound
Best Background Art
Best Character Art
Best Voice Acting
Thanks everyone who voted! I'm really honored to be up for any awards in this awesome engine that was used to produce such great games as Primordia, Technobabylon, Cat Lady, and the Blackwell Series. It's great to be among good company this year including Captain Disaster and Legend of Hand as well! I'm however very thankful that Wadjet Eye Games and Wormwood Studios didn't release anything in 2017 to give Neofeud a better chance! (You can find out more about Wadjet Eye and Wormwood's upcoming releases in the Silver Spook Podcast, though!)
Speaking of the Silver Spook Podcast, I just recently finished having a very deep and insightful conversation with Sophia Park @sophiapark_ of @aether_int about her awesome and thought-provoking cyberpunk game "Localhost" in which you must convince artificial intelligences to let you delete them as part of your job. Look out for it on the next Silver Spook podcast! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIOX1fY9Ow52-RXrTxm0FKg?view_as=subscriber
Next up, for Valentines Day, here's what Neofeud might look like as a Sukeban Games' VA-11 HALL-A style cyberpunk bartending game. Who should get together in Neofeud 2? Happy waifu shipping!
Here is a more updated (almost) finished version of that earlier artwork from the sequel to Neofeud, in the works! This particular scene is now more-or-less finished up, although it will probably go through another phase of modification when it gets implemented in the AGS game engine.
Finally, to learn more about the latest Neofeud 2 artwork, the "Anarcho-Holonistic" concept I'm mulling over the sequel, as well as the art process I used to create this sort of surreal art, have a look at this livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT92sh8tIP0
Latest Neofeud 2 + Wadjet Eye, The Nameless Mod Podcasts!
First up, here is some of the latest progress on Neofeud 2 (Tentatively Titled: "Novus Ordo Seclorum"), which I am currently working on as quickly as possible!
"Anarcho-Holons"
"Death Is The Path To Life"
These are high-concept artwork, however they will also likely be modified as in-game assets as well. Such is the case with my particular gamedev workflow, where art is sometimes dictated by the story I've written, but often the digital paintings evolve the story itself, organically. Also, any one of these paintings that I do in around 6000x4000 resolution might take me a week or more.
Next up, I've had a great time chatting with several other cyberpunk and adventure game creators recently on the Silver Spook Podcast, including Dave Gilbert of Wadjet Eye Games (Blackwell, Primordia, Technobabylon, Gemini Rue, etc.), James Spanos (Primordia, The Cat Lady, Downfall, Until I Have You), and the creator of The Nameless Mod for Deus Ex, Jonas Waever.
Episode 14 - Dave Gilbert - Wadjet Eye Games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfkKvs42v-4
Episode 16 - James Spanos - Primordia, Cat Lady, Until I Have You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR6Q0eR07OA
Episode 11 - Jonas Waever - The Nameless Mod for Deus Ex
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdWMP4L2xvo
You can get all of the podcasts on my Youtube Channel, and subscribe for the latest! https://www.youtube.com/user/twiliteminotaur
Also, here are audio files of the podcasts for those who requested that:
Finally, the Adventure Game Studio Awards for 2017 are now open! Neofeud is one of those games that was made with AGS in 2017, so feel free to nominate it for any awards you feel it should be consider for. :)
https://t.co/xQbmCWW4wI
Neofeud, A "Top 100" Finalist, Featured on Funhaus!
First up, Neofeud is still 40% off in the Steam Winter Sale for one more week! If you haven't picked it up yet, you've got until the New Years firework retina-burn wears off and the red firecracker paper biodegrades. :)
Next, Funhaus, a Youtube comedy channel with over *1.3 million subscribers* just did a short play / comedy video with Neofeud! The video has only been out for a few days and it's already got over 200,000 views! It's mostly sillyness, but as a one-guy team with zero budget this is a huge Christmas present, especially considering a bunch of those 200,000 viewers commented "This looks awesome!", "I just bought Neofeud" or "Why haven't I heard of this before!?" so thanks for that, Sir Lawrence!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPz_EHMuHx8
I also spoke to Lawrence Sonntag (the guy playing the game) briefly on Twitter and he gave it a thumbs up. An actor, podcaster, producer and game journalist, Mr. Sonntag is a very cool guy that you might consider following to spot indie gems. :)
I will be doing some livestreaming gamedev and hanging out Friday 12/29 at 2 PM EDT on my Youtube channel. (I usually stream on Saturday but I'm having a belated holiday family-invasion at our place this weekend!) Here's the latest stream, where I play a bit of Neofeud and do some developer commentary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2kGlC3FTF0
While Neofeud didn't quite beat Cuphead in the Indie Game of the Year competition, Neofeud did make it to the Top 100 Indie Games of 2017 (out of over 10,000)! And in the top 3 point-and-click games!
Finally, check out Steam Shovellers, a great game journalism site that does an excellent job spotting the hidden gems in the massive number of Steam releases. :) Steam Shovellers will be playing Neofeud on Twitch on New Years Eve afternoon, Eastern Time, and I will probably drop in for a bit, so go hang out!
Neofeud Is 40% Off In The Winter Sale!
Happy Cyberpunk Holidays! May your dystopian reality be slightly less grim for the next few weeks. :)
In addition, here is a screenshot from my latest work on Dysmaton, the next Silver Spook Games project:
https://www.patreon.com/neofeud
NEOFEUD IS A TOP 100 FINALIST! VOTE NOW!
NEOFEUD MADE IT TO THE TOP 100 INDIES OF THE YEAR! Thanks everyone for your votes and support! Neofeud can now use your vote again in the final round for ultimate indie of the year on IndieDB!
http://www.indiedb.com/games/neofeud
In addition, I just had a great talk with @PeaHeadGames creator of Neon Sword, cyberpunk RPG where you can use commerce or violence as your weapon of choice!
Some of Neon Sword's Game features:
-Explore the neon bathed Quaid City.
-A living breathing city with a diverse population.
-Buy real estate and influence the city around you.
-Collect different and unique clothing items.
-Kit yourself out with entire arsenal of hardcore weaponry.
-A deep branching storyline.
-Save the city or run it into the ground it's your choice
This next Silver Spook Podcast will be coming soon here: https://www.youtube.com/user/twiliteminotaur
You can support future SIlver Spook Games and Silver Spook Podcasts, where I help great indie game makers and other creators get the word out about their games, over here: https://www.patreon.com/neofeud
Finally, here are a couple more reviews recently published on Neofeud:
This first one is in Spanish (sorry) and I wish I was fluent so I could read this great Neofeud review in its native language, but thankfully there is Google translate!
"A much more complex world than what is shown in Blade Runner, which inspired it, and this game also poses itself as a more in-depth and realistic reflection of the dilemma insinuated by the replicants."
"From the point of view of music and dubbing Neofeud has nothing to envy of major titles."
The reviewer also compared Neofeud with Neil Blomkamp and District 9, which is a high complement for me, since I consider D-9 as one of if not the greatest sci-fi film of the past few decades.
https://nerdando.com/2017/12/04/neofeud-unavventura-cyberpunk-profonda-e-retro/
And one more review from Save Or Quit:
"Neofeud is a carefully crafted story that plays out like an interactive detective/mystery movie from the 80’s... This is a game for players who like to enjoy a good science fiction story set in a world that feels familiar and possible in the near future."
http://saveorquit.com/2017/12/03/review-neofeud/
Neofeud for "Indie of the Year"!
Hey guys, it's that time of the year! If you liked Neofeud, please consider voting for it for 2017 "Indie of the Year" on IndieDB!
Here is some more background on myself and the game:
"The art, writing, programming and music* of Neofeud was created by one person, Christian Kealoha Miller, also known as 'Silver Spook'. He also performed half of the voice acting. Christian is a Native Hawaiian, born and raised in Hawaii. Neofeud is a Dystopic Cyberpunk adventure game in the vein of Blade Runner, but with an overlay of Game of Thrones-like political intrigue, and 1366x768, hand-painted, stylized visuals.
The art, stories and gameplay of Neofeud are a reflection of my experiences as a STEM teacher for the underserved youth of Honolulu’s inner city. Teaching robotics, programming, and sustainability is an often difficult, stressful, and even Kafka-esque endeavor -- being in one of the richest, most beautiful places on Earth, yet dealing with families with working parents, who are living out of a van, or sleeping on the street. It is hard trying to keep the kids out of gangs, off of drugs, and on a path towards better opportunities, such as the ones I had growing up in a slum area of paradise while going to an upscale private school. I made Neofeud to be a fun and engaging game in and of itself, but I also wanted the player to think about the society in which we live, as well as the one which we may be heading toward if nothing is done."
Here's a roundup of some of the articles this year on Neofeud:
Read the rest of this article from Native Hawaiian Print Pubication, the Ka Wai Ola.
"A Diamond Of Storytelling In The Scrap Pile... The characters of Neofeud are developed so much more than characters in nearly any other game I’ve recently played" --Sprites And Dice
"'Cyberpunk-Fueled Noir.' Reminiscent of Beneath a Steel Sky and I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream... The art, gameplay, music and story come together to deliver a solid game." --Indie Ranger
“An ambitious, atmospheric cyberpunk scenario and essentially the work of a single person (voice acting excluded). Oh, and it might also be one of the best adventure games I have played in a while... The world building is something else. It has a thickness, a density to it." --IndieGames.com
"This spectacular and complex story will take at least 12 hours to play through, and the writing is excellent and enjoyable." --3rd Strike
"Science fiction at its most raw and visceral... Neofeud doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable subject matter. It gave me chills and made my stomach roll... It made me uncomfortable to listen to and watch…but that is the entire point. I can’t turn a blind eye in the game, and I certainly can’t turn a blind eye in real life." --Steamshovelers
"An immersive cyberpunk adventure game... Echoes of H.R. Giger and William Gibson... [Christian Miller] knows what makes a quality game." --Brandon C. Hovey
"I loved the quirky but fantastic hand-painted visuals, the gruff, cynical humour." --Gaming Respawn
Here's one of my favorite Neofeud reviews from Steam user Jungle.James who really went deep into the larger ideas explored in Neofeud, and seems to have really 'got' what I was aiming for with this cautionary tale:
Neofeud is the most visionary game on Steam evocative of the creator's passion, sparing what Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain could have been. Never have I seen a game produced by such a small studio translate a vision so well.
It is a point and click adventure game wherein each line of dialogue is voice acted, and each scene has a MSPaint charm while expressing pure imagination, for example a chateau's ceiling where there is a painting of nearly infinite patterns, reflecting the royal's fascination with the godhead of technological transcendence.
In sum, Neofeud considers the following:
- UBI controlled slums filled with transgenic and outdated synthetics / androids deemed non-sentients and refuse.
- DRM cigarettes.
- Hypermodernity through a Baudrillardian simulation and simulacra of "consensus reality" interested rulers.
- The sythesis of the contemporary prison and military industrial complexes.
- Scepticism of the motives from those like Elon Musk who promote optimal adjustments to capitalism or late stage capitalism. Authenticity in social movements and how they're frequently co-opted; references to Public Enemy vs Kanye West.
- What dwells in the abyss that is the coming convergence of science, technology, and society.
If any of those topics interest you on a philosophical, economic, or social level and would like those topics paired with often times silly voice acting (for the better overall end results), please play Neofeud.
edit: A lot of soul went into this project, and it shows.
And here are a few more interviews I did surrounding the game:
And here is one final review by Fitz (Talos voice actor and a cool creative guy generally) on the also cool site of CaptainD (I am a Patreon of his!):
"The soundtrack -- created by Silver Spook himself -- consists of various flavors of electronica; an obvious choice, given the futuristic setting. And indeed it fits in perfectly. It's minimalistic when it needs to emphasize the dreariness of the slum world. Action sequences, in turn, are punctuated by a pounding beat -- whereas a distorted piano plano creates a watercolor-like backdrop to some of the game's most powerful moments of existential reverie. As mentioned already, the game is a full talkie. It's something that's expected of a modern game -- but the workload and the quality are actually impressive."
If you liked the Proto-J, here I am performing a short story set in the Neofeud world called "Proto-J", performed entirely in the voice of the character that I play in-game.
And finally, here is a hangout with a bunch of the folks who helped make Neofeud possible, including my long-time patrons Deborah Dunaway and Scott Smigiel. Deborah also voice acted several characters in the game. Chris R. Smith and Brandon C. Hovey, two great voice talents are also present. The other major voice actors and actresses who couldn't make it were Amayirot Akago and Mrs. Silver Spook / Holly The Robot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHxTBDl2WE8
(*I created 43 out of the 45 songs of the Neofeud soundtrack, the other two were by Scott Smigiel. he created many more, but due to changes I made later in the game, I only ended using a couple -- my bad. However, the tracks themselves were great, and you should go and check his stuff out!)
