The Dim Road

An early prototype of a survival, puzzle, rogue-like game where the player is trapped in the ruins of an underground civilization scavenging for supplies, crafting tools, and descending deeper while trying to avoid getting crushed by the environment. The hallways and rooms are choked with debris and compressed trash creating a claustrophobic and lonely environment that impedes your movement. The gameplay is meant to build suspense, with the player observing for signs of strain or collapse while they attempt to complete tasks that will clear their path to deeper areas. Planned game play features include dynamic music, equipment degradation, multiple endings, and rogue-like run based game play. As of February 2023 I’ve released a new prototype including the game’s core mechanics, and it’s available now on itch.io using the link below. I designed and programmed all of the game’s mechanics myself, except for a basic character controller provided by Unity that I’ve modified. The placeholder art is a mix of textures and sprites that I purchased and modified, along with pixel art that I made from scratch to match the store-bought assets. Inspired by Pathologic 2, System Shock, and Portal.

The game is still in active development, and the next build will feature sound effects, dynamic music, improved UI and menu elements, and an early version of procedural level generation. No target date has been announced for the next build.

Click here to visit the itch.io page and download the latest build.

If you want to read more about the Dim Road as a project, click here to see relevant posts on my design blog.