We’re very fortunate and happy to receive funding for the concept development of our next game through the “Landesprogramm Wirtschaft” by the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Namely, the program is called “Richtlinie des Landes Schleswig-Holstein für die Gewährung von Zuwendungen zur Förderung von digitalen Spielen“, funded by the european EFRE program.
The concept development phase allows us to generate and evaluate ideas for our next game. Based on a first concept (see below), we can refine a game idea and answer questions regarding genre definition, game design, look and feel, narration, and genre-specific focal points. The refined concept 2.0 serves as a basis to either move into the technical implementation of a prototype or directly start the production of a game. We’re evaluating our concepts through market research, collecting feedback, creating first assets like art, game designs, and small (game jam like) prototypes. First and foremost, we want to make sure that the game idea we’re developing in this phase is fun, reaches its goals for an impact on society, and would be a successful product on the current games market. The project description reads:
Deichpunk is the working title of our project, which addresses climate change and its impacts on our lives. The game is set in a solarpunk version of Schleswig-Holstein and is inspired by cozy games like Stardew Valley.
We’ve already started generating and evaluating our first ideas. In “The Fisherman and the Sea” (working title), a fisherman from Kappeln is confronted with the changing reality of his job due to climate change and the decline of fish population. In “Kyushu”, a generational spaceship has left earth because the conditions here have become unlivable, forcing our society to find a new way of living and a new home. Players are the commanders of this ship and need to decide the best course of action – for their ship, their crew, and nature itself.
