Talha & Jack Co, the development team behind Judero and Mashina, have announced a new stop-motion, first-person horror game called ABIDE.
That said, the duo is asking for help from the fans via a Kickstarter.
“The studio is seeking a total of £25,000 for the project and there are a number of tiers and rewards available for backers – including digital copies of the game, art book, soundtrack – and even the option to be modelled as an in-game corpse”, explains the press release. “The Kickstarter campaign will run for 30 days, concluding on February 28th. ABIDE is the third project the team is community funding, having run two successful campaigns for its previous titles – the critically-acclaimed folk action/adventure Judero, and the robotic mining adventure Mashina.”
“We can’t make this without your support. Horror seems to be under pressure from censorship, some subtle and some blatant. Sites are delisting mature rated games and recently a horror game was taken off some of the biggest marketplaces. Having a game like this funded by a community means that it can be made without compromise.” said Talha Kaya.
“All the dolls are made. All the models are scanned in. The stories are written, the voice actors have been contacted and the first lines have even been recorded. We have a detailed and robust design document outlining the structure and its twists and turns. We need time to pull it all together and we need time to dream and explore and make the best possible game we can.” added Jack King-Spooner.
Set in the secluded and ‘idyllic’ St Boniface Retreat, ABIDE will see players explore a community that uses curious therapeutic techniques to try and rehabilitate its residents. Only by pushing their luck and venturing out past curfew will they discover myriad horrors that lie within the house and its residents. As the game features potentially triggering and sensitive subject matter, Talha & Jack Co have consulted with clinical therapists throughout the pre-production process to ensure the game gets things right.
Featuring a loose day/night cycle, ABIDE is split into two distinct halves, creating contrasts and tensions both narratively and mechanically. This day/night divide lets players structure their own time at the retreat, giving agency to proceedings; with player choice having a real impact on the game’s ending, the secrets uncovered and overall replayability.
Daytime is dedicated to investigation and relationship-building, giving the player opportunities to take on a variety of tasks with the residents of their choosing or to join ‘group therapy’ sessions – in the process gathering clues, earning trust and learning the communities routines. The day is all about mystery and intrigue, there’s an undeniable sense of unease in the air and the threats are psychological in nature.
Night time is all about terror. The dangers are physical as players seek answers, venturing into forbidden places – sneaking, spying and surviving to access locations locked in the daytime. Here in the darkness reside unknowable things (real or imagined) shadows, disappearing figures, silence and noises, strange lights, and whispers. At the core of ABIDE, reside an eccentric cast of criminals, creeps and lost souls. Each of which has been identified as having a need for rehabilitation – whatever that might mean. Players will choose who to spend their time with, building relationships and earning their trust to unlock the mysteries they each hold within.
All characters are meticulously handcrafted using ball-jointed art doll techniques and painted using modelling acrylics. These detailed and expressive models are brought to life and fully voice acted by a talented cast.