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Game News Hibernaculum is a sci-fi horror dungeon crawler set aboard a massive colony ship, now on Kickstarter

Infinitron

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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
  • 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.
Intentions

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.
 
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Netch

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Art direction looks phenomenal based on that trailer, love the style. Gameplay sounds really interesting too, reading some of the kickstarter page it seems like it might be a mix of dungeon crawler and immersive sim? These bullet points in particular seem really interesting:
  • Barter and trade with NPCs - or rob them blind
  • Erect barriers/barricade doors for protection
  • Scout with drones - plan and set traps to catch enemies off guard
  • Sacrifice/aid NPCs & whole colonies against the Deeper Menaces
Gives me some slight Ultima Underworld vibes. Gonna have to keep an eye on this one.
 

buffalo bill

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damn the graphics looks so freaking good! reminds me of alien. I don't love lands-of-lore-style real time combat, but I'll end up getting this just for the vibe I think
ecit: though tbh I'm not sure what "Combat is carried out in simulated real time - with dice rolls and a turn based style system under the hood" means
 
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d1r

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Looks absolutely phenomenal, though would have loved to see a smoother tile transition style just like for example Lands of Lore's. Sad!
 
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Netch

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Looks absolutely phenomenal, though would have loved to see a smoother tile transition style just like for example Lands of Lore's. Sad!
I think that might be an option, not sure but looked like there were smoother transitions in one of the other videos posted on their page. I could be wrong though.
 

Nifft Batuff

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image.png
 

Darkozric

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Oh look, how original, another try too hard pretentious shit from wormshit studios. I was wandering what would follow after the Strangeland abomination.

Once again it's all about the looks and random game name dropping from the glorious past to bate the twitter retards and remaining idiots here.

Elvira, Eye of the Beholder, System Shock...fucking LoL troglodyte fraud.
 

mindx2

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Wish the movement was smoother but this is probably pre-pre-pre-pre-alpha footage. As stated by others, I like the art direction quite a bit. Big "Eh" moment is the single player character. Those work in a System Shock/Underworld engine while I prefer party-sized (M&M) in my blobbers.
Pledged anyways as I'm a sucker for boxed editions :oops:
 

buffalo bill

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Wish the movement was smoother but this is probably pre-pre-pre-pre-alpha footage. As stated by others, I like the art direction quite a bit. Big "Eh" moment is the single player character. Those work in a System Shock/Underworld engine while I prefer party-sized (M&M) in my blobbers.
Pledged anyways as I'm a sucker for boxed editions :oops:
the kickstarter page says "While limited to a single character - rarer robotic modular upgrades or "C.A.P.S" (Computerized Armature Partition System) will allow your character to triple, or even quad wield weaponry of various types by way of exosuit style modular robotic appendages. This allows for extra attacks per round and replicates more of a "blobber" (or multiple character experience)."
So, sort of tries to replicate a blobber combat.
 

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Backed. The concept is close enough to the dream game I'm carrying around in my head that I don't mind throwing a few dollarydoos at it.
 

Zed

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Knocked it out of the park with the presentation. Did I see a homage to a certain phallic Wizardry concept art creature in there?
 

Kaivokz

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ecit: though tbh I'm not sure what "Combat is carried out in simulated real time - with dice rolls and a turn based style system under the hood" means
I was wondering the same thing; is "simulated real time" just another way of saying real time?
 

Durq

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Who will be producing the "Expertly crafted Limited Edition Hard Copy of Hibernaculum" and the other physical items like the poster and enamel pin and hoodie?
 

mindx2

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Who will be producing the "Expertly crafted Limited Edition Hard Copy of Hibernaculum" and the other physical items like the poster and enamel pin and hoodie?
If they were smart they would partner with Limited Run Games. They have the experience and production avenues already setup so that may save them some money. I've been pleased with the items from them as far as durability/construction goes. Timeliness... now that's another matter.
 
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Who will be producing the "Expertly crafted Limited Edition Hard Copy of Hibernaculum" and the other physical items like the poster and enamel pin and hoodie?
If they were smart they would partner with Limited Run Games. They have the experience and production avenues already setup so that may save them some money. I've been pleased with the items from them as far as durability/construction goes. Timeliness... now that's another matter.
Victor Pflug mindx2 knows his shit here, strongly recommend picking his brain about how to go about manufacturing/delivering physical goods if you don't already have a concrete pipeline nailed down as to how to do so.
 

Durq

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I don't understand how the $47,379 goal is going to work for a development time of about 2.5 years. That meager sum of money isn't even enough to pay a single developer, much less pay for the design, production, and distribution of the physical products.
 

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