Developing an Open World Game ALONE | DEVLOG 1

[@Spellfork]

This is one of the more interesting devlogs I've seen lately. Subbed and good work!

[@renaigh]

the late 2020s - early 30s are gonna be defined as an era of Indie Open Worlds.

[@SethB-no9iz]

Definitely..I just started on my game. I plan to be done by the end of 2026

[@Mo-tf8cs]

@@SethB-no9iz man i am kinda hesitant to get into game dev because what if i learn all this and in 2 years ai can do it better and cheaper?

[@frackinfamous6126]

We still use hammers, shovels, pens and excuses. They were invented before a lot of game changers.

[@evanmcarthur478]

True me too lol, working on an Evangelion souls Like 😅

[@MrOmali]

Loved this first DEV vlog. Wish all the Best!

[@heavydremer8716]

I like how much care you put into your game! It is like seeing a world evolve.

[@Dr.Infin8ty3810]

There is this atmosphere i love about this video that i can not just explain , the editing is amazing Cant wait to see where this project goes

[@gregorymanucharyan6283]

Really liked the way you explain the process. You go through the creative phase as well as the technical one. I also liked the example material you showed regarding your inspiration and vision while explaining and the map at 6:39. Don’t know how the algorithm lead me to this but I am glad I found your channel.

[@TaleSun]

Nice, I'm glad the algorithm is showing my videos. As for exposing the creative process, I think that was something missing in a lot of devlogs on KZbin, so I found it interesting to add some insight into the creative process.

[@zeinuscraviku]

Love to see my friend grow :)

[@jabalahkhaldun3467]

you are very talented! this is gorgeous and very well explained and produced! keep it up!!

[@Variapolis]

Fellow game dev here, personally I don't see a reason to encrypt the save file. Encrypted save files are usually somewhat easy to get around, and you can likely just use cheat engine anyway. I say if the player wants to cheat, let them cheat, unless it's a multiplayer game where fairness is important, but in that case you shouldn't be encrypting the save file let alone storing it on the player's PC. I know a lot of devs do it, but it seems quite unnecessary.

[@taylorrsallen]

Great devlog! Looking forward to seeing where you go with this.

[@azoth._.]

Seems like we're at the beginning of something pretty cool, count me subscriber 362 :D

[@LanceBerylDev]

The game concept and atmosphere looks great so far! I like how you're laying out the map with images like a moodboard, Ive been struggling myself on how to design the map in my own projects and thats a really helpful method I'll try as I progress. In respect to the hoverboard conundrum, there are a lot of things it could be. To keep with the vibe of the world, and to make the concept a bit more unique, I think the board should be something like a stone or metal disc with rune radial carvings all over it which light up upon activation. Lore? ..Maybe the disc is an artifact you find early on in the heart of a sacred Tomb or temple, and the must character speak a word (e.g. press A) to activate it. The spell only lasts for a few minutes so the player must think tactically where to use it, unless it happens to be in the vicinity of something like a mana/power crystal. There is also potential for interesting boss encounters in the overworld using the disc to evade attacks from colossai. (Maybe these colossai are powered by the same magic and for whatever reason you're trying to collect crystals or artifacts from them to open a path to the world of the gods who forsook the mortal world. Edit: Random story idea, you the player/character go through the story assuming the gods had abandoned the world leaving mortals to toil for survival, as many of the npcs of the world do, with few though some people still paying homage to the gods in the hopes they will one day return. Various ancient and modern contraptions in the world also seem to be running on a divine energy substance derived of the gods in some way, only for it to be subtly suggested and later confirmed upon unlocking the way to the divine domain that the people actually rose up against the gods with technology to exterminate/overthrow them, and the substance which people use in their imbue their machines with magic being harvested divine blood. A war ensued, the world set back thousands of years, and the surviving gods locking themselves away behind a divine gate so the people would not tamper with the cosmic mechanics maintained inside. Sorry if that was long, I love spitballing ideas and story junk where it might find use. Excited to see where the game goes and will keep a sharp eye out.

[@TaleSun]

I love long comments! Regarding world-building with the map in the background, this is something I started doing a while ago and it really helps to organize a lot of stuff. If you're interested in writing lore for your game, I recommend the app Obsidian too. It can interlink your text and create a sort of wiki. Regarding the disc/skate, I mentioned in another comment here that I like the idea of hands rising from the ground to carry the player, but a disk is also an interesting concept. I thought of a gravestone where it could float, or the hands rising from the ground could carry it. About your edit: Oh, I'm really surprised because you almost nailed some important lore topics! But of course, I will not spoil it for you yet. Most of the lore is prepared, and I will craft some hints in the items and environment as the development goes on.

[@LanceBerylDev]

@@TaleSun the backstory to my own game is actually pretty similar to what I suggested reduced as a summery, but the nature and tone of my world is very different than yours with a different end game. Mini writing rant, I think gods as a concept tend to fall into a few camps in modern storytelling; either they have a observable influence on the plot and world through their feats / that of their followers, --or they are seen as inconsequential to the modern world, and their existence / influence left ambiguous. Both can provide compelling stories in their own right, but I personally like to see and want to tell stories which dive deeper into the exploration of gods, --not as characters, but as a concept; what do they mean to us, what do they mean for us? Our past, present, and future? There are a lot of interesting implications, though rarely do you see such stories, at least in American fantasy media. Ghibli and by extention Japan always provides some interesting stories in this respect.

[@jinenjipeke]

i am looking foward to this project too. this devlog was amazing, the last part is very important, should be part of this kind of video way more than it currently is

[@YoUniverseWasTaken]

Dude this inspires me so much to make my OWN open world game on MY channel! Hope you continue making such banger videos!

[@TaleSun]

Nice! hope to hear great things about your game in the future!

[@YoUniverseWasTaken]

@@TaleSun ty!

[@Meow-or-Never]

Sometimes you just look at an indie dev's channel name, and you know their name will pop up on some hit game in the future.

[@fired_dumbo123]

looking forward to the full game good luck

[@happerozzi8905]

you should be able to challenge the god to a fight and take his place but if you die you start over

[@TaleSun]

I really like the idea of having rare boss fights in this world. I don't think the god would be one, but I definitely want at least three boss fights in this world.

[@I_like_planets]

​@@TaleSun But starting all over again will make the game irritating

[@7ofcs]

@@I_like_planets but also it make the game more challenging for more items or powers we can fight the god.... Thats make some curiosity in player for what powers we might get......So yeah thats one of the nice idea

[@KamranWali]

This is an amazing video. Just subbed to your channel. Your way of explanation of your game is really kool. Also really like the idea of your game. The hoverboard feature idea is actually really kool and I like the way it moves around. It just feels right to me. Making an open world game is a huge challenge of itself. Looking forward to your next devlog. Keep it up! :)

[@avio1381]

A devlog about a solo open world? Instant subscribe!

[@practis2002]

Really nice to see ! I turned on notifications to follow your work !

[@allanovelha1969]

This is some good quality devlog, also is the game! I am excited to see more of your pice of art :D

[@ProjectYellowHound]

Great job dude, I really dig the overall vibe of the game, IDK why but it feels really nostalgic to me, maybe becouse of all the old unity games I played in my childhood

[@Skrunks.mp4]

Awesome video my man! I hope the algorithm blesses me with more of your content!

[@davidzeez]

This game looks amazing, best of luck! It made me so excited when you mentioned the Boy and the Heron, since Miyazaki films are my favorite movies and inspire me as well. This video made me more excited to get started on the game I have been brainstorming.

[@HussainAl--Khalil]

Love the graphic art style and movement. Keep it going cause it looks promising. Once you have e the map designed I can see this game taking off in a big way

[@Simon-ik1kb]

this looks interesting, love the atmosphere. Please post more often :)

[@bonekazz-8441]

bro your camera position is in a professional level

[@EthanHayez]

Beautiful Devlog. Im locked in

[@demiroser]

This video is beautiful. Thank you

[@pedroghiotti]

Opa, meu caro! Que bacana ver um BR fazendo DevLog. Vou curtir acompanhar. Boa sorte com o projeto! d(^-^)

[@TaleSun]

Brasil mencionado! 🥳 Obrigado querido, fico feliz de ver outro BR aqui. No futuro planejo deixar bem caro minha nacionalidade e mostrar um pouco do potencional do nosso país na indústria dos jogos. Espero que você goste dos próximos videos que virão!

[@InvisaPotion]

I think the best part of elden ring was how you could see so far off the start of the game and know that you can go to anyone of the poi's you see. I feel like your game captures that essence pretty well. Good luck!

[@TempestGameDev]

Good inspirations and the game it's getting a good shape, keep doing, I hope you have sucess finishing the game!

[@javioverflow]

the legend says he is still placing rocks to this day

[@f11bot]

Keep it up, the progress and workflow looks awesome!! Never forget to enjoy the process, I'm so curious how it will turn out. (I'm also a solo dev working on an open world project) Btw I recommend researching and testing how memory management works in Unity, it's a bit of a mess imo, not really made for seamless open worlds without stutters, Addressables seem the only viable way but it's not easy to use, requires a bit of custom assets management! Anyways best of luck! It's gonna be awesome!!

[@lilpenguincoding9528]

I'm litterly intrigued. I also make games, so I find it cool to see other peoples approaches' to game development, and I really like the vibe that this game is going for.

[@PPblitto]

Cara, pelo que vi, você é brasileiro (suspeitei pelo sotaque e uns comentários aqui hahaha). Queria deixar aqui minhas palavras de incentivo e de admiração. Este vídeo e a sua jornada são inspiradores pra mim na minha busca de criar um jogo. Você me parece um rapaz muito criativo, dedicado e talentoso, por isso, espero que vc atinja seus objetivos e sinta a alegria e satisfação de ver seus projetos completos. De verdade, mano, meus parabéns!

[@TaleSun]

Valeu querido! Espero que você possa iniciar sua jornada também :)

[@Masxon_MXN]

maybe the hoverboard could be a magic carpet?

[@thenapoleonlover113]

The hover board can be a great opportunity to implement a jinny carpet. Would totally fit the vibe of the game

[@BM-dl9tb]

Bro it looks so good 🔥. Wonder if the character will be able to use tools like ropes, gauntlets to escalate mountains or even magic to teleport or something. Map design really takes a lot of time, so ill be waiting for the next devlog, to watch and see how the map evolves.

[@mckinneym.2743]

Very cool looking, hoping to see what comes next.

[@greyboundry]

Amazing devlog! Also I have an idea, like making the pathway you take between different regions a bit more epic, How? Maybe by putting a hill before full view is shown, i especially thought of this at 14:09 , making the end of that valley narrow and maybe put a hill or.. a gate.. yeah... a gate is good too. I hope this game turns out good, Keep going, you're doibg a good job!

[@InvisaPotion]

I also really like the kinda retro look of the textures, one game that does this really well also is Gloomwood. If you want any inspiration.

[@blackdoc6320]

Heads up about fmod. I've heard from other gamedevs that if you want your game on console fmod makes it 10x harder.

[@jamesdoanecompositions]

Very cool!! Looking forward to seeing where this goes as you continue! I am a composer, working in short films and video games. Let me know if you ever want to collaborate on a game project!

[@LunaBirbosa]

The first thing I thought when I saw your tile vehicle was "Magic Carpet"

[@squidz2720]

I think the hoverboard should be a magic carpet!

[@OKAYGUVBear]

Fascinating, good luck with the project! Maybe a magic carpet or piece of torn cloth would work for the hover "vehicle". It could have come from the god that left the realm, a relic from his reign, maybe paying homage to Death 💀

[@elganzandere]

Which program(s) do you use for the vision-board / planning & organization?

[@Thecyanballoon.]

Man this is cool! I turned on notifications to see whats next!

[@TaleSun]

Thanks for the support, It helps me a lot!

[@pedroconceicao4528]

Having Hayao Miyazaki's work as an inspiration already sold me on the idea of the game. After all, he is a legend of those who were lucky enough to see his works while we were growing up. Good luck for the game. I don't know if the game will have any enemies, or will it just be a story that the journey is the destination. if you have enemies, Princess Mononoke is a good inspiration, even if in the game you don't fight against these enemies, it would be interesting to see in the beautiful landscapes the price for human corruption.

[@TaleSun]

Thank you! Princess Mononoke is indeed the most inspiring film for this project (and my favorite Studio Ghibli movie too!). The game will feature a few unique combat encounters, and this is certainly a main inspiration.

[@pedroconceicao4528]

@@TaleSun one of mine too.

[@kreenbopulusmichael7205]

hoverboard should a giant book, since the character is a wizard

[@crestofhonor2349]

Ghibli and did help with a video game. If you look up Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, the game had it's hand drawn cutscenes done by Studio Ghibli and the music was composed by Joe Hisashi just like many of their movies. Not sure if Miyazaki had participated in anything regarding the game

[@TaleSun]

Thanks for pointing out! Never head about this game.

[@curiousRhino]

Cool! keep the devlogs coming.

[@THmusic420]

Dont give up, keep going

[@TaleSun]

thanks!! These words, despite being simple, motivate me a LOT!

[@ДанилУшаков-ю5ч]

You have done a very great and good job, I would like to do something similar to this, can you tell me what tutorials or documentation you used during C++ development? Thanks

[@TaleSun]

Hello, thanks! For this project, I'm using Unity Engine, so it's all C# code. Since I've been developing for some years now, I don't rely on tutorials as often, but I always consult the official Unity documentation and forums. To begin with tutorials, I think an awesome start is the channels "Code Monkey" and "Shaped by Rain Studios" here on KZbin!

[@ДанилУшаков-ю5ч]

@@TaleSun Thank you very much, my friend.

[@Parven05]

Nice game, it reminds me the jounrey game

[@niki_i_]

the hoverboard could be a cloud, that would fit

[@Tatumaroto]

Nossa cara, te achei em um momento muito oportuno. Tbm estou com um projeto de "jogo dos sonhos", no meu caso mundo aberto com gráficos 2D. Seu vídeo me inspirou bastante, vou acompanhar seu devlogs, espero que o projeto dê certo pois tem muito pontecial!

[@TaleSun]

Boa, mano! Espero ouvir boas coisas do seu projeto no futuro também :)

[@juleswombat5309]

If you are developing an Open World Game, then Unreal is really the only choice. Unity is a long way behind delivering compelling world experiences. I speak as a Unity fan, its great for simple, mobile and unique new games, but it takes a lot of effort to generate the kind of out of the box worlds that come with Unreal.

[@nothingbutfootprints932]

Gaia/Gena help with big open world enviroments tbh.

[@charliewagner6387]

Really like the atmosphere, though I feel like maybe aiming towards a more stylized/painterly look for the environment would match the character a bit more? Specifically thinking about the rock assets and the landscape textures. As for the 'hoverboard', with the current player character I think you could easily go for a flying carpet look, which I haven't really seen that much in games! Good luck for the game!

[@TaleSun]

Hello! Thanks for pointing out some good ideas! The character being out of place was something I also noted after the first time designing the map. The good news is that I intended for this character to just be a placeholder. In the near future, I will be designing a more fleshed out and humanoid character. I don't know what I will design yet, I was thinking of making something like a soul made of pure light. As for the hoverboard, I was thinking of spectral hands coming out of the ground to carry the player around the fields. I like the idea of ghosts carrying the player, but I will need to think a lot about that (thanks for the idea of the flying carpet! This gave me some ideas).

[@matttimmer2829]

Thank you Talesun, love the video. What is the planning software you're using at the 17:00 mark?

[@CatastrophicMcIntosh]

at 19:42 in the video you mean to say the word "Flabbergasted" but instead you pronounce it as "Fablegasted"... I think you've just invented a new word to describe the wonder that I see in your project! Liked, and Subscribed! I cannot wait to see more!

[@TaleSun]

Thanks for the heads up! English is not my primary language, so I may say some "gems" like that sometimes :P Also, glad you liked it! Hope to see you in the next devlogs.

[@Marsnarchy]

IS THAT DOWN BY THE RIVER IN THE BACKGROUND???? IMMEDIATE SUB

[@riery2762]

nice job cara, sucesso pra você!!

[@marekgarbaczonek]

Great work! What game storyboard/design software have you used to gather all of your game ideas into one place?

[@kamelontti3926]

Like for the dwarf fortress music

[@thefriendlydefault9684]

Awesome can't wait to see where this game goes

[@TaleSun]

Happy to see you will follow me on this journey!

[@kookiemunster-ni4yg]

Solid first couple months of development, subscribed. I'm curious about the application you're using to collect and organize the concepts at 16:57

[@TaleSun]

Thank you! It's a site called Miro! Basically it's a white board where you can upload images and write notes

[@DreamingOfTheHeart]

14:50 a flying carpet could work well visually.

[@jakeymorrison-gardiner2903]

I think a manual approach for building the environment, well it will be a lot of work is better suited to creating a crafted story experience.

[@TheMesoria]

Try using MapMagic 2. It will help you draft out terrain, and potentially out-of-bounds zone.

[@mfspawn1474]

What if the Hoverboard was a Magic Carpet? Would look nice with the current character model.

[@tituskizer6478]

Wow, this looks so interesting!

[@feitoza.system]

Eu acho bacana os BRs estarem mostrando sua cara para o mundo.

[@TaleSun]

Aos poucos vamos mostrando nossa cara pro mundo :)

[@erikm9768]

If you learned anything in 10 years you should be making the scope smaller so you can actually finish something. Whats the chance of finishing a massive open world game solo?

[@vast634]

Passion for the game is important to stick to a larger project ... or getting payed.

[@1d10tGaming]

im the 1000th sub, congrats man!

[@TaleSun]

yayyy thanks!

[@merccc1]

Kinda reminded me of the 'made in the abyss' anime. Theme/setting wise. Initially before you trashed it. hehe

[@hhcdghjjgsdrt235]

awesome graphics

[@realmcafee]

i think its such a hard task (gameplay loop, combat system, unique aspects, potential niches or other visual things that would make you stand out). basically, shoot in the sky and try to hit a star. even more, not every game is worth to be called ammunition and does not count. you could do hundreds of 2D platformers all with story & custom graphic, but no one is going to care :( we need to be social engineer masters or something

[@TaleSun]

The answer I've found after years of making small, unreleased games is: make a game for yourself. Of course, consider creating something profitable and all that TED Talk stuff, but ultimately, craft something that YOU enjoy and that YOU would consider one of your favorite games. It's like art - paint something that you like.

[@Bee_Mavrick]

Nice one.

[@shelphizz2744]

Looks cool

[@BorisNovikov1989]

Instead of placing rocks everywhere, I would suggest using World Machine or any other hydraulic erosion simulator. It adds realistic details that are very difficult to reproduce by hand. Import your map into it and iterate over to erode it. Use hand placed assets only for landscape features that have not been exposed to environmental conditions long enough to blend into terrain via erosion.

[@TaleSun]

That's a nice way to do it too, and I've done it sometimes in other games. But this time, I want an environment designed more detached from reality, so I purposefully avoided doing some grounded level designs.

[@nishokkumar8738]

Open world looks mind blowing and hover boards mechanics ,also i want to know which software used in 16:50 (during showing inspiration window)

[@TaleSun]

Thank you! The website name is Miro, it's a white board to elaborate ideas like on the video.

[@erikm9768]

whats the music at 2:59 ? i was just listening to it but forgot the name lol

[@lr0dl012]

Is it not a metroidvania? Great vid, totally underrated

[@TaleSun]

Thanks! I hadn't thought of the Metroidvania aspect until you mentioned it. Surely, the game will have some elements of that style, but it won't include important features like combat. It's more of a fusion of multiple styles that I enjoy, with a focus on environmental exploration (or what some might call walking simulators).

[@xxtremestudio]

Its gotta be a magic rug or like standing on a serpent

[@marcoshenrique8756]

Opa. Qual ferramenta tu usa pra posicionar as referencias em 6:30? Ps: Video top demais!

[@TaleSun]

Opa! É um site chamado Miro, é um quadro virtual em que você pode upar qualquer imagem e escrever anotações.

[@S4ccoch3_]

guys please tell me which engine to start with I'm 13 years old many say to start with scratch but it's a children's object and I've already worked with it so what should I start studying with?

[@TaleSun]

Hi! I would recommend starting with a 2D game to learn the basics and have some fun. The best engines for creating 2D games right now are Unity and Godot. If you use Unity, you can switch to 3D in the future and continue there. I've been using Unity for a long time and really like it (in the video I'm using Unity too). Godot has recently gained attention and is great for 2D games, with growing support for 3D games as well. It's a good investment if you choose to use it. So, pick one of these two-they're both spectacular! Good luck with your games, and always have fun making them. The best games are those created with passion :)

[@Hoptronics]

Looks like he should fly a magic carpet.

[@muuubiee]

Made in Abyss... Would like to make a game like it too, but feels like it'd be hard to not be called "thief" for using the idea of "the abyss" as a hole with a village around it. Third movie is very disturbing, questionable if you shouldn't just read a synopsis of it, if somebody hasn't watched the series yet (season 1 (or 1+2 movie) -> 3rd movie -> season 2).

[@TaleSun]

I follow an awesome developer making the game We Kill Monsters. They’ve created a fantastic variation of the Made in Abyss concept. I think you’d like it!

[@Knasefrank]

Looks cool, keep it up :)

[@itsafish4600]

Splendid

[@OscarLeites]

Keep it up👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@FuranA7x]

great video!

[@rodrickscott8146]

4:40 Im not Alone 🤣

[@pineconechamp7931]

3:13 this a made in abyss reference by chance?

[@cherl1e]

Nice video!!

[@martinsaturday314]

How did you make the planet

[@benjamintalavera5173]

Somebody watched Made in Abyss