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[BTSeven]

Graphic Update (23/8/2018)

Hi guys!
Don't worry, we're still alive and kicking! In the last year we've been working heavily on graphics, not without some major issues to solve (both project-related and not). But now finally we have something to show!











Big News (21/10/17)

Hi everyone!
We didn't post anything in a very long while: more than a year - actually, almost 2 years - but that doesn't mean that we weren't working on the project.
Actually, after our failed KS campaign, we managed to survive through a rough time. Some guys left the team, some others had to drastically reduce the work hours they could devolve into our project, and generally speaking anyone of us had some pretty huge amount personal-life issues to take care of. But as I said, we didn't stop working. The project saw a major overhaul of some features, but the core features (which were playable in the Europa demo) are still there, and are even more polished now. We had to basically rebuild the game from the ground up though.
We're now in an "advanced alpha" stage of developement. The core gameplay code is up and running, and so are all of the tools we needed in order to create the actual game content. Graphics are still in a graybox stage since we moved away from pixel-art and embraced a new high-definition 2D style.
We added a brand new lighting system, completely re-done the HUD, and modified the game controls - which now use both mouse and keyboard (or a gamepad if the player chooses so).

Of course there are many more news to come, but I think that's all for now.
Some alpha-stage gifs:


Timelapse of our new lighing system.


Of course, it's still possible to smack down ostacles in the usual way...


Magnetic snare, replacing our old (and not so realistic) tractor beam


Iron deposit on top of a mountain


Unknown object. By picking it up with the snare and carrying it to the ship, you will maybe identify it

Useful Links

• IndieDB - DEMO AVAILABLE!
• itch.io - DEMO AVAILABLE!
• Facebook Page
• Twitter
• YouTube Channel
• Our SoundCloud
• Website (work in progress)
  

Deep Flare is a 2D episodic space exploration game, set in our solar system. We have focused much on the plot by trying to create an atmosphere capable of raising the emotions related to exploring the unknown.

It is not a procedural or a multiplayer game, but instead a good old single player experience with handmade levels. The game features crafting elements through which the player will be able to upgrade his spaceship, and 2D shoot'em up elements, but the gameplay is not as focused on shooting as it is on avoiding the dangers that our solar system has hidden away from us.

So, what is your objective in the game? Well, as every self-respecting space travel, it will be clear since the beginning that not everything will go as expected. There will be a large number of unforeseen obstacles, ranging from “trivial” ones like landing successfully onto a rugged surface without damaging your spaceship, to extreme and critical ones like escaping an imminent meteor shower or a sandstorm... or something else.

For each obstacle found, the player has to use creatively the instruments available in order to get by as best as he can.

Plot

The game is set in a not so distant future. The protagonist is the pilot of a spacesphip sent off to explore our solar system in order to investigate about a mysterious event called “Deep Flare”. Above all, he will have to face the unknown, with its fears and worries. In an age when humankind has lost itself, you will have to find it again by going through the darkness.

On our facebook page we are currently presenting some material about the plot background.

All the videos, in chronological order

'70s

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• The Launching of the Helios Mission
• Helios-One

'90s

• The birth of the TSEF
• Nancy Walker
• Many more to come...

Some information about our team

As already said, we are a group of guys from in and around Siena who have decided since some months to team up and start writing code, composing music and drawing. The first two members were me, Matteo Paradisi (Game Designer) and Michele Amadio (Programmer), and Simone Bonucci (Composer and Artist), Mattia Ancilli (Programmer) and Paolo Eusepi (Sound Designer and Mixer) have joined the team.

Contacts

By now you can find us at our facebook page. We should have a website up and running in a short time though.

[Drof]

It looks interesting so far, but what's the gameplay like? How do you move around, what challenges will you face, etc.

[BTSeven]

It looks interesting so far, but what's the gameplay like? How do you move around, what challenges will you face, etc.

It did seem to me that I left something important behind

As for the first question: the controls are keyboard-based (with joypad support). To move around, you will have to rotate your ship and fire the engines - in a Lunar Lander fashion, just to be clear. When landed on a planet surface, you will have the option to "drop" the Exploration Module, which is the small ship you can see in the screenshots we posted. The module will be more agile than the whole ship, and have some peculiar options (like drilling the terrain to analyze it or gather materials).

Explaining what the challenges will be is somehow tricky, as there will be plenty of it.
Space travel isn't easy, and we tried to reflect that in our game as much as possible without making it a frustrating experience.
You will have to deal with fuel shortage, and plan your movements to be sure you can refill your tanks when needed (there will be various ways to do that, but telling all of them now would be kind of a spoiler ).
You will have to deal with hostile environments, such as Venus' atmosphere, with its acid rains and continuous storms, or Mercury's "day zone" with its extreme temperatures that could melt your ship if you stay there for too long.
You will have to deal with random events, like a meteor storm, or a sandstorm on Mars. And so on.

By your side, you will have various tools to help in your journey, ranging from simple ones like the aforementioned drill, or a grappling hook, to more sci-fi ones (that you will have to unlock during the game) like a tractor beam, a laser cannon, energy shields, and so on.

I forgot to mention that the game will not be divided in separate levels: the whole solar system will be explorable from the beginning (if you dare! ). Moving from one planet to another will be one of the many tasks you will have to perform.

Anyways, in the next few days we will post a lot more info. Thank you for taking an interest

[BTSeven]

Another little screenshot. Things are pretty much messed up right now, so something might look weird, but don't worry, everything's fine.

Let me show you the icy surface of Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter.

[BTSeven]

Romantic moments on Europa. Have you already made a wish?

[flashysquirrel]

Im really curious about your game, its a little mystzrious, the mechanics seem to be various and the retro pixel art looks cool. Any plan for à playable démo soon ?

[BTSeven]

Im really curious about your game, its a little mystzrious, the mechanics seem to be various and the retro pixel art looks cool. Any plan for à playable démo soon ?

Thank you!
About the demo: we're actually working day and night to develop a good one. It should be ready for mid september, more or less. Anyways, we're going to let you know the gameplay better in the next few days, with adequate visual explanations.

[BTSeven]

Let's go on with our Europa tour.
Surface landscape, by day and by night:

[Bombini]

More Space!"
It looks interesting. Please post a playable.
Cheerio!

[BTSeven]

More Space!"
It looks interesting. Please post a playable.
Cheerio!

Thank you!
As written before, a playable demo is coming mid September.
We're working very hard to make it as enjoyable and polished as possible.
But stay tuned - videos and other stuff about gameplay and plot are coming much earlier!

[hsnabn]

This looks great, will patiently wait until demo is ready!

[BTSeven]

This looks great, will patiently wait until demo is ready!

Thank you! Your patience will be rewarded.

[sidbarnhoorn]

This looks mysterious and interesting! Looking forward to it! :-D

[BTSeven]

This looks mysterious and interesting! Looking forward to it! :-D

And to thank you, we're posting another gif.



It rains ice on Europa....

[BTSeven]

Our module is equipped with turbines and directional beacons for underwater exploration.
Here's a little demonstration... 

[BTSeven]

For those interested, we added in the first post a link to our SoundCloud.

[diegzumillo]

This is amazing! Like, super duper amazing.

Words are not my forte. You make game now. Yes.

[BTSeven]

Super Duper Thanks!
We're very happy about all this positive feedback.
In 2-3 days we should start explaining the gameplay better. So stay tuned

[BTSeven]

As promised, from today we'll start explaining the gameplay. Let's start from the very basics: the control system and the movement with the exploration module.

The controls will be keyboard-based, but with full gamepad support.

Let's talk about the movement.
In Deep Flare: Explorer, each celestial body will pull the player towards it, according to their masses and distance. Therefore while moving on the surface of a planet you will fall downwards to the ground.

To fight gravity, you will be able to rotate the module and fire the engines.

Using the left and right arrow keys, or the left analog stick, you will rotate the module, while pressing the up arrow key or the A\X button on the gamepad, you will fire the engines, moving according to your rotation.

Here's a gif - showing keyboard key pressed in the up-right corner - to make it clear:



Firing the engines will consume fuel, so be careful...

[oahda]

Pretty. *--*

Was going to have fuel be a resource in my game too but eventually decided against it, so it's going to be interesting to see how you handle it. How/when do you need/get a refill? How long does it last? What happens if you completely run out before you find fuel?