- Joined
- Jan 28, 2011
- Messages
- 99,591
Tags: Hibernaculum; Victor Pflug; Wormwood Studios
Hibernaculum is an upcoming sci-fi survival horror-themed single character dungeon crawler set aboard a gargantuan generation ship. Inspired by titles such as Eye of the Beholder, Lands of Lore, Elvira, and Waxworks, the game is the personal project of Wormwood Studios artist Victor Pflug, who has been working on it for over a year now. Today he launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to fund its further development. The campaign page is extremely detailed, with an art style that will be instantly recognizable to Primordia fans. Here's the pitch video and an excerpt:
Hibernaculum is a retro inspired dungeon crawler that sets out to recreate the engrossing labyrinthine experiences of the classics of days gone by, whilst also building a modern, deeply unique & explorable world of survival, mystery and macabre intrigue.
The Basics
To revisit the dungeon crawling experience of games such the Eye of the Beholder & Lands of Lore first and foremost, while secondarily blending in the gloomy shock of Horrorsoft's Elvira & Waxworks series and thereby building a game that pushes past these more elementary beginnings. Also borrowing ideas from later cRPG titles such as Baldur's Gate and Fallout for it's RPG elements, and looking to games like System Shock 2 and Resident Evil 2 for it's more survival horror-like elements we hope to essentially turbocharge the old school dungeon crawler genre into something more open, less rigid and more conducive to non-linear & emergent gameplay.
Hibernaculum was initially inspired by pre 1990's era science fiction/speculative fiction novels, notably Robert Heinlein's Orphans of the Sky and Brian Aldiss' Helliconia series, among many others. However, the story telling and development structure of Hibernaculum is largely modular in nature allowing for a wide range of influences, ideas and variations on themes & motifs that really explore the depths of the imagination as well as the darkest depths of the Ship.
This is a mode of story telling we think is more akin to the likes of filmmakers such as David Lynch, at least certainly compared with larger AAA game development companies.
Victor is looking to raise 70,000 Australian dollars (which is about 47,000 regular ones) towards the development of Hibernaculum. A basic copy of the game will cost you 45 AU$ (or about $31). There don't appear to be any beta or alpha access tiers, just increasingly more physical and digital goodies. The estimated release date is October 2025, so this is definitely a long haul kind of thing.
Hibernaculum is an upcoming sci-fi survival horror-themed single character dungeon crawler set aboard a gargantuan generation ship. Inspired by titles such as Eye of the Beholder, Lands of Lore, Elvira, and Waxworks, the game is the personal project of Wormwood Studios artist Victor Pflug, who has been working on it for over a year now. Today he launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to fund its further development. The campaign page is extremely detailed, with an art style that will be instantly recognizable to Primordia fans. Here's the pitch video and an excerpt:
Hibernaculum is a retro inspired dungeon crawler that sets out to recreate the engrossing labyrinthine experiences of the classics of days gone by, whilst also building a modern, deeply unique & explorable world of survival, mystery and macabre intrigue.
The Basics
- Hibernaculum is a first person sci-fi/horror role playing game with survival horror roots.
- Create a unique character to explore the depths of Hibernaculum & have the experience you want to have. Choices only matter, if they matter to you.
- Non-linear gameplay allows for exploration at your own pace, and in your own fashion. Forge ahead and risk calamity or riches. Conversely, pace yourself and avoid harm.
- Navigate decayed industrial Realms through environmental storytelling and a unique, brooding atmosphere.
- Hibernaculum is being developed in C++ for PC (Windows) Mac & Linux with immediate plans for porting to Steam Deck, iOS & Nintendo Switch.
- Hibernaculum will initially be available in English, German, French & Spanish.
- Hibernaculum will be released DRM-free & available on Steam + GoG.
To revisit the dungeon crawling experience of games such the Eye of the Beholder & Lands of Lore first and foremost, while secondarily blending in the gloomy shock of Horrorsoft's Elvira & Waxworks series and thereby building a game that pushes past these more elementary beginnings. Also borrowing ideas from later cRPG titles such as Baldur's Gate and Fallout for it's RPG elements, and looking to games like System Shock 2 and Resident Evil 2 for it's more survival horror-like elements we hope to essentially turbocharge the old school dungeon crawler genre into something more open, less rigid and more conducive to non-linear & emergent gameplay.
Hibernaculum was initially inspired by pre 1990's era science fiction/speculative fiction novels, notably Robert Heinlein's Orphans of the Sky and Brian Aldiss' Helliconia series, among many others. However, the story telling and development structure of Hibernaculum is largely modular in nature allowing for a wide range of influences, ideas and variations on themes & motifs that really explore the depths of the imagination as well as the darkest depths of the Ship.
This is a mode of story telling we think is more akin to the likes of filmmakers such as David Lynch, at least certainly compared with larger AAA game development companies.
Victor is looking to raise 70,000 Australian dollars (which is about 47,000 regular ones) towards the development of Hibernaculum. A basic copy of the game will cost you 45 AU$ (or about $31). There don't appear to be any beta or alpha access tiers, just increasingly more physical and digital goodies. The estimated release date is October 2025, so this is definitely a long haul kind of thing.
