My game is just released on steam! And for free!
Today, 7:59 am
Hello, fellow aliens. I wanted to share my creation with you. And also tell about my path in gamedev and why am i doing it.
Apart from mental challenges, i also have a physical disability that prevents me from doing many things irl, so being a part of a good story is pretty much the only way for me to enjoy life and feel all kinds of emotions. Also, storytelling is one of the few things in this world that i understand well, that makes perfect sense for me, and that i enjoy doing. And interactive one works best for me, since it allows to immerse better into the story, and sometimes even shape the story with your own choices. Well, that, and the fact that i can't stand passive activities for long, and need to do someting, to interact with the world. I would say that stories are my world, and the real one is just a place i have to endure.
So i spent last 25 years of my life creating games. And that is not easy if you are a writer, and unable to learn any technical skills. All of the teams i worked with felt apart without finishing anything, all my job applications were left unasnwered, so eventually i just started doing it alone, even if it limited my scope dramaticly. I released several decent games, that had a good reception, but seems like my gamedev journey is coming to an end, since i don't know which is in worse state - my health, energy, finances, or desire to live. So this game will probably be my last.
I made it at the end of last year for a contest, but only received an "honorable mention." Then, during the massive winter power outages after russians bombed our energy structure, I somehow managed to make a Ukrainian translation and release the game on Itch, and now I've finally scraped together enough money to release it on Steam. I even managed to add some new content and music, 33 achievements, and fixed some translation errors.
The game's story tells a story about life away from the front during wartime. There's no heroism or victories, and all you need to do is go to the store and buy some bread, listening to the protagonist's reflections on this conflict and how it changes the lives of everyone it touches. In this game, only one character has a name—and that's no coincidence, as they're all "nameless," the ones who won't be mentioned in the news, talked about, or likely even remembered. But each of them has their own life with dreams, fears, and hopes, and despite the bombings, they try to live on.
The story is fully fictional, but, as some might have quessed - are inspired by my life in Ukraine. Though, i think that the things i speak about are universal for any conflict.
This is an adventure game, also known as a "walking simulator." You probably could also quess that from the name) There are some interactive elements, but not many, so it's not for those who enjoy active gameplay. You'll mostly be reading or listening to the main character's monologues, and dialogues with various oddballs, walking, and completing small tasks.
The game also has three hidden endings. If you're interested in unlocking them, I'll give you a hint: when you enter the city, go left, look for a note, and... start counting. If your count is correct, the condition can be fulfilled on a second playthrough.
The game is completely free: it's too short to put a price tag on it, and I generally don't like doing that. Plus, this is likely my last game, and I don't have much life left in me, so there's no point in thinking about the future. However, for those who really want to support me, there are support packs. Since I hate microtransactions, they don't contain any in-game content, only bonuses like the soundtrack.
If the game is in English and you want to switch to Ukrainian (or vice versa), right-click on it in the library, select "Properties," and the first menu will offer an option to switch languages.
This is the trailer - https://youtu.be/VkqbKr5zIS8
This is the game - https://store.steampowered.com/app/4860480/Breadwalk/
That's all for now, thank you for your attention. I welcome any feedback—both general impressions and detailed analyses—if anyone is interested in sharing their opinions. You can leave them here, but it's better to leave them in Steam reviews so everyone who considers to play the game can read them too (and if you get at least 10 reviews, it will help people on Steam immediately see the overall rating percentage).
Also, if you know where else game can be shared (i am not allowed to post on most big game-related subs due to various weird rules) , I'll be glad if you do, since I don't have money for advertising, and the game is not commercial, so simply talking about it is the only way to let people know that it even exists.
If you have any questions - ask, i am always glad to talk about games or gamedev.
