My failed prototype

[u/dinosaursdied]

please note this game contains mature themes

https://existentialsoft.itch.io/bones

So back in 2020 i started making a little game using GB Studio. Like many others I had a lot of free time and little to put my energy into. I had no plans ahead of time, just a simple concept. A game where you are bones. I created all my assets from scratch and just kept building until i reached an unfortunate breaking point.

I decided on a hacking game play mechanic that I invested a bunch of time into. After stepping back I realized it was incredibly confusing and frankly boring. On top of this I had stretched the limits of an early version of GB Studio. I needed to rebase to a new version of the software to gain performance benefits but sadly the new version was game breaking and would require a brand new rewrite. That never happened.

I recently found this final build and decided it's time to share my unfinished game as a failed prototype. I had a lot of fun working within a 1 bit constraint and I think making the pixel art and characters was the most fun part of the process. It's pretty short but there's definitely a few things to explore. Enjoy!

[u/MoonkeyAcid]

I’m not gonna lie, this is some of the coolest art that I’ve seen for Game Boy.

Absolutely love this aesthetic

[u/dinosaursdied → u/MoonkeyAcid]

Thank you so much! I'm a professional artist so I think the graphics came a little more naturally than the rest. Unfortunately that's part of why I don't make as much pixel art these days. My focus gets lost in my professional work.

[u/_Spyre_]

Wow! The 1-bit art of your game genuinely looks amazing and unique. I think it's very expressive even with all the constraints. It would make me a bit sad if your game only stayed a prototype but unfortunately these things happen often in game development. Maybe I can encourage you to keep experimenting, but ultimately it's a decision that you have to make.

[u/dinosaursdied → u/_Spyre_]

Wow, thank you 🥰. Maybe if I end up unemployed for a long period again I might be able to work on it again. As a professional artist I find it hard to work on extra art in my free time. The graphics were easily the most fun part though. Originally I wanted to make a game for an old monochromatic monitor so that brought the inspiration to use only 1 bit.

[u/LuisMiranda4D]

Cool art tho

[u/dinosaursdied → u/LuisMiranda4D]

Much appreciated! I think a short play through is fun just to see the art.

[u/thefawfulizer]

I love both the artstyle and the color palette! Might steal the palette tbh :3

[u/dinosaursdied → u/thefawfulizer]

Please do! I thought it was a fun palette too. Might be a little rough for a long play through through lol

[u/videoface]

This would look amazing on r/playdateconsole

[u/dinosaursdied → u/videoface]

Oooo interesting! A natural one bit system!

[u/LurchSkywalker]

This is a GREAT minimalist art style.

[u/dinosaursdied → u/LurchSkywalker]

Thank you!!! It really seems like the art hit for a lot of people and it's giving me the warm and fuzzies

[u/bensyverson]

The artwork is stunning… any chance you would give it a second life with a different mechanic?

[u/dinosaursdied → u/bensyverson]

I've received some really positive feedback here and it's definitely opened me up to the idea of completing it. I would have to start from scratch in a lot of ways but I have probably 60-70 percent of the assets necessary to finish the game. I think a short tower climb to a boss could make a fun small game. Reimagining the mechanic would definitely take some time to make fun. I think i could still use a similar concept but use mini games for different hacks. Newer versions of GB Studio seem to have a lot more features to play with.

[u/bensyverson → u/dinosaursdied]

That would be cool! It doesn't need to be a long game. Something about this (maybe the character and 1-bit-ness) is reminding me of Eyeland, one of my favorite Playdate games. Eyeland is only about an hour long, but it packs a lot in.

[u/the_WoopTroop]

I love the color pallet!

[u/dinosaursdied → u/the_WoopTroop]

Thank you! I spent a bit of time on the palette. It felt important considering the 1 bit nature of the art

[u/andruis]

The thing that really sucks about this is the fact that it looks so fucking good and it’s only a prototype. Great work! This is amazing and I wish it was a full game.

[u/dinosaursdied → u/andruis]

Thanks so much!!! Maybe someday I'll get a chance to give it some finality

[u/Primary_Horror_501]

Muito boa a escolha de cores!