I am still a bit overwhelmed by the reaction to Persevere at the @imirt.bsky.social AGM. It was so far beyond any expectation I had, the positivity and energy people had for the pitch, and the demo, just, wow. Getting a little emotional now even thinking about it. #indiedev @ardan-ie.bsky.social
I will be doing the first pitch of Persevere at the @imirt.bsky.social AGM in just over an hour, as part of the IndieDev program (shout out to @ardan-ie.bsky.social also!). This marks the end of our IndieDev period, and the start of our road to release! Exciting! docs.google.com/presentation...
I've completed the first draft of the Persevere game pitch deck, which has been written for our publisher funding round. I will be presenting at the IMIRT AGM next week! Feedback is very welcome! #gamedev #indiedev
docs.google.com/presentation...
Here's the first draft of the "Ballistics" train carriage for Persevere, our narrative strategy game. When added to your train, it gives you access to basic projectile towers. Train cars aren't just for tower defense though, there will be cars for research, medical, training, scouting, and more.
I recorded a dev log for Persevere, giving an introduction to how crew traits are used to generate personality profiles, and how those personality profiles are used in our narrative scripts to fill roles, and adjust behaviour, within the story.
youtu.be/0IDsIvnasz0
#narrative #strategy #gamedev
The Necromancer's Tale is in the #ChooseWiselyFestival this week, celebrating branching narrative games where choices matter! Thanks @studioephua.bsky.social for hosting!
20% discount this week... time to dabble in the occult and raise an undead army 💀💀💀💀💀
store.steampowered.com/app/1315320/...
In the early hours of yesterday morning, we completed the prototype of Persevere, our narrative strategy game. I'd like to introduce you to it!
Starting with arriving on the level with your train, containing five crew, who we'll get to, and a Ballistics train car. #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
In Persevere, your crew gain Stressors, from the environment in combination with their Traits. The Stress of each character adds to the Strain of the crew, and Strain leads to narrative Crisis events. Here is a first look at a Crisis event in the Persevere prototype! www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShSu...
Working on the last elements of the Persevere #IndieDev prototype, the focus now is on exposing the crew simulation to the player; here is the crew person profile popup. Stress is gained from Stressors, and contributes to the Strain on the crew, which leads to crisis events. #gamedev #narrative
As well as working on the final Persevere IndieDev prototype build, we're also preparing for the IndieDev wrap event being hosted by @ardan-ie.bsky.social next week. As part of that, we've created a graphic for a pull-up banner, which I am loving. #indiedev #gamedev #stategy #narrative #prototype
We are doing the final content and polish pass for Persevere's prototype. He's a sneak peek at the locomotive, and the crew leaving to it collect resources... More media soon! #screenshotsaturday #gamedev #strategy #narrative
We're closing in on the completion of the Persevere #IndieDev prototype, 3 weeks remaining! I'll share info then, including how to playtest! In the meantime, here is the final master of the Persevere theme, by our brilliant composer John Vallely. #gamedev #gamemusic
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7nW...
On September 1st we started production on the prototype of our narrative strategy game Persevere, with the goal of having the first playable build on November 19th. Alongside the prototype, we are building a studio. Today, the studio and game website went live. One step at a time.
perseveregame.com
We've just started production of the Persevere prototype, after 8 months of (part-time) pre-production. Today we hit a milestone, testing a "full" train (your mobile base) in-game (using mostly placeholder assets). My one concern was if the scale and length would feel right, I call this a success!
So excited to be part of IndieDev 2025! Our prototype, which will comprise of a single complete level of Persevere, will let us prove out our gameplay, art, writing, and production pipelines. We are so grateful to
@ardan-ie.bsky.social, @imirt.bsky.social, and Screen partners, for the opportunity!
Persevere is a roguelike strategy game that fuses survival management with tower defense. Stranded on a hostile alien tomb world and hunted by drones, you must salvage a locomotive, recruit a crew, and chart a path across a strange planet dotted with enigmatic alien complexes and failing human colonies. Fend off waves of aliens, gather vital supplies, unearth lost technology, expand your train, uncover the secrets of this forgotten world, and keep your battered crew intact as you search for a means of escape.
Deep survival management mechanics: Recruit and manage a diverse crew to gather resources, and unlock new train cars, towers, and research. Each crew member has unique traits that influence how they interact with the world and respond to unfolding events. Customizable tower defense: Hold the line with towers which are customised and enhanced through research. Adapt your strategy to withstand evolving threats—this enemy can't be defeated, only delayed. A unique base-building system: Your train acts as both your crew's home and the foundation of your defense. The acquisition and choice of carriages determines available towers, capabilities, and progression. A rich, story-driven campaign: Branching narrative and crew-driven storylines mean every decision can have lasting consequences. Your crew's backgrounds, relationships, and actions shape your journey. Roguelike replayability: No two journeys are the same. Each run offers new crew, locations, resources, and train cars. Only the fight to survive remains constant. Meaningful player choice: Rescue or retreat? Build or upgrade? Loyalty or logic? Every decision affects the path ahead, and who's still with you when it ends.
Universe or Nothing is a fledgling game studio made up of a group of friends based in Galway and Dublin. Most of us have worked together before, whether in studios, on internships, or through the local dev community, and what's brought us together now is the opportunity to build something truly unique. This project is our way of putting a stamp on the gaming world, laying the groundwork for a future where we can keep creating together. This is a tough time for the games industry, but it's a space we're each deeply committed to. Our goal is to build a studio that's not only creatively fulfilling but also stable and sustainable for every member of our team, a place where we can chase big ideas, support each other, and make games we're proud of.
My #gamedev team and I created a pitch deck for Persevere, our #roguelike #strategy #towerdefense #game, as part of an application to a local arts fund. I thought it'd be interesting to share some of the slides for #screenshotsaturday.
If there's interest, I'll share more slides later today.
Screenshot mockup of a card game using tarot cards. Art style is a start contrasted one with an ink and watercolour look. View is top down, with tarot cards can be seen arranged on a battlefield.
Oh hey, it's #ScreenshotSaturday , here's the latest mockup from the video game adaptation of Battle of Tarot I'm working on with some lovely people.
Everything is still a work-in-progress and not final at all, but trying to get the visual style nailed down.
#GameDev #IrishGameDev #BattleOfTarot
Persevere is an in #gamedev genre-blending #strategygame that fuses #survival #management with #towerdefense, creating an experience that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Core to the game is crew management, and today, for the first time, you can manage crew in-game! youtu.be/OTdYDfgK_Is
