Introducing My Cosmic Horror Platformer
Welcome to the very first devlog for my upcoming 2D pixel art game! This project has been brewing for a while, and I’m excited to finally start sharing its progress. In this first entry, I want to introduce you to the core of the game: its inspirations, the themes it’s exploring, and some early development milestones.
The Premise: Emptiness
You wake up as an android aboard a massive, eerily silent space station drifting in the void. The station, once bustling with life, is now abandoned and its corridors shrouded in mystery. As the only android of your kind on board but with no memory, it’s up to you to explore the station, uncover its secrets, and piece together the events that led to its desolation.
Inspiration: A Blend of Psychological Horror, Mystery and Emotion
Every idea begins with a spark. For this project, that spark was ignited by a combination of films, books, games and personal experiences that left a lasting impression on me.
One of the most significant influences is the original Alien film. Its masterful depiction of isolation, suspense and the terrifying unknown shaped my approach to atmosphere and storytelling. Much like the Nostromo’s claustrophobic corridors, I want to create a world that feels both vast and suffocating—a place where survival feels uncertain and the unknown is a constant threat.
Another key influence is Solaris by Stanisław Lem. Its exploration of humanity’s struggle to comprehend an alien intelligence resonated deeply with me. The way Solaris blurs the lines between reality, memory and the unknowable has inspired me to craft a narrative that challenges perceptions and draws players into a similarly disorienting and thought-provoking experience.
These works, along with other stories of psychological complexity and cosmic mystery, have shaped not just the narrative but the atmosphere and emotional depth I hope to capture in this game.
First Milestone: The Evolution of the First Scene
This week, I completed the first scene of the game—the opening level. It sets the tone for the entire experience: dimly lit corridors, flickering monitors, and the eerie hum of a station that feels like it’s watching you. Drawing and designing this scene was both a challenge and a joy, especially balancing the unsettling atmosphere with subtle environmental storytelling.
Phase 1: The Beginning
This unfinished scene was created during the early days of my pixel art journey, sometime in 2015-2016. As you can see, it doesn’t quite look like pixel art—and that’s because I initially tried to draw it at a 1080p resolution. Little did I know how critical resolution is in pixel art! Frustrated with the results, I shelved it and began experimenting with other settings, styles, and lower resolutions. But the idea stuck with me. Over time, the dark, empty space station where everyone on board had mysteriously disappeared started to take shape in my subconscious.
Phase 2: A New Direction
Fast forward to 2023: after finishing work on a prototype for an isometric RPG (which you can check out on my itch.io page) and realizing that developing a full RPG as a first game would take an enormous amount of time, the space station idea started to whisper to me again. This time, inspired by playing Celeste—which also influenced the early character design—I decided to turn the concept into a platformer.
Fueled with fresh enthusiasm, I dove into development, coding and setting up the main scene, drawing, drafting, trying different styles for the tiles, and animating. Everything was going great until burnout from my old day job hit me hard. I lost the energy to work on my personal projects in my free time. The idea and desire were still there, but my body just wouldn’t cooperate…
Phase 3: A Fresh Start
New year, new me! I quit my old job, got back into my project, set up a website to start writing devlogs like this one, and completed the first scene. I increased the height to 180 pixels to allow for more detail, and milestone #1 is officially reached! Below, you can check out the scene without and with Unity’s post-processing effects.
In this opening level, you will explore the first section of the station, interact with remnants of the crew’s final days, and begin piecing together what happened.
Looking Ahead
As I continue developing the game, I’m excited to share more about the mechanics, puzzles, and the story’s evolution. My goal is to create an experience that blends platforming and puzzles with a deep sense of mystery and unease. Each devlog will pull back the curtain on different aspects of the game—and hopefully, bring you along for the journey.
Thank you for joining me on this adventure. The station may be dark, but I’m looking forward to illuminating its secrets one pixel at a time.
Stay tuned for more updates!
