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[mikmanner]

Brute it out now!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/451630/Brute/

Blog: http://crudepixel.com/brute/

Brute is a minimalist shooter puzzle-ish something or other. It's inspired by the original release of N: http://www.thewayoftheninja.org/nv2.html and Ending: http://robotacid.com/flash/ending/.

This is a side-project to a game I'm working on with a couple of friends called Orbit: http://crudepixel.com/orbit/ - We've been working on Orbit for years and while it remains exciting and promising it is slow to develop. As a reaction to Orbit I've created Brute, a game of limited scope focused purely on feel and challenge.

After more than 6 years developing games I've failed to release a single one, always getting stunted by my failings as an artist and a programmer, this year I promised myself that I would release a game and Brute is going to be that game. My plan is to release it in a pay what you want format and if people like it and support development I'll move to making a bigger, richer version of the game.

The initial release will feature:

* 100 levels - 50 standard levels and 50 remix (very difficult) versions
* Grid mode - which is how the player progresses through the game non-linearly
* 3 Speedrun modes, standard, dark and ultimate
* Secrets

If I make any money with this through pay what you want, I'll add another mode and try release it on Steam Greenlight.

If people like the game and support it then I'll start working on a bigger version which I'd plan to include:

* New, bigger and more interesting single player campaign
* Leaderboards
* Replays
* Local Co-Op Campaign
* Level Editor
* Level rate / share features


A lot of that stuff is beyond my abilities as a coder so I'd get my friend Adam Bradley who's working on Orbit and IntoDeep (http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=44388.0) to help me, we'd likely build it in Unity at that point too (currently is being made in Construct 2).

I hope people like it, I enjoy playing it and think it could be a fun little distraction.

Oh here's a link to the track I used on that first trailer: https://soundcloud.com/michael-manning/brute

PM me if you would like to help test the game

Brute on RPS! http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/24/brute-puzzle-shooter/

[nkm]

cool style

[mikmanner]

cool style

Thanks

[mikmanner]

What's this guys problem?



How to bypass Seekers

[Oddball]

This looks pretty nifty. I hope it plays as good as it looks.

[mikmanner]

This looks pretty nifty. I hope it plays as good as it looks.

Thank you, am happy you like the look of it, I'd like to get a demo out soon so folks can get a handle on how it feels. Still adding content at the moment however, I just now integrated lasers

[Christian]

This looks really cool! What platforms?

Edit: saw on your Twitter page that you're doing audio for GRIP? Awesome! So excited for that game

[mikmanner]

This looks really cool! What platforms?

Edit: saw on your Twitter page that you're doing audio for GRIP? Awesome! So excited for that game

Hi Christian, thanks!

So far just PC, Mac and Linux, closest I'll get to consoles is maybe adding gamepad support if it feels good to use. If people like what I put out though I might consider doing more with it.

Oh yes and GRIP, it sure does look good, I hope it gets funded so I can work on it!

[mikmanner]

Visualizing how the detection zones for these simple AI works:



In Brute, the AI is designed using the same minimalist principles as everything else. These guys all they do is turn and move towards the player once the player is in their detection zone. Like the player, if they touch walls they die and if they touch lasers they bounce off them. When the player hits a detection zone (which is usually invisible) it doubles in size. This allows me to contain their activation zone but also to increase their chasing zone when active.

Also made another evil level today (24 / 100 - almost a quarter way through!)



And might as well show another object, the Gravity Mine:

[mikmanner]

I call these guys Hunters:

[SolarLune]

Huh, interesting looking game. Slick simple abstract style; I like the shadow to help convey depth and spruce it up a bit. Nice!

[mikmanner]

Huh, interesting looking game. Slick simple abstract style; I like the shadow to help convey depth and spruce it up a bit. Nice!

Thanks, it's all programmer art really. Though I wouldn't call myself a programmer using Construct 2 hah. Hopefully being a sound designer means that it'll at least sound good

[mikmanner]

Have made a new trailer above to celebrate getting the first 50 levels finished (first pass).

It's getting closer to release, what I need to do next is:

- Remix the 50 stages and create 'dark' variants of them
- Create 'Grid Mode' which is the main game mode
- Create 3 speed run modes, one for main, dark and both with a timer which pauses during level transitions.
- Go through each level and fine tune the mechanics
- Touch up a lot of the art work, animations and effects
- Sound design it all properly
- Compose the music and work with other artists to contribute to the soundtrack
- Figure out how to release it

Here's the track used on the trailer if interested: https://soundcloud.com/michael-manning/brute

[QOG]

This looks really nice, on a slick trailer.

[cykboy]

Looks awesome, simple but effective style 

[mikmanner]

This looks really nice, on a slick trailer.

Thank you, is the first trailer I've made

Looks awesome, simple but effective style 

Thanks, I'm glad the colorful programmer art style seems to be working

[mikmanner]

Oh! Forgot to say, the game is finished and it's out now on Steam :D

http://store.steampowered.com/app/451630/Brute/

Took about a year and a half in the end. PHEW!