Xenomarine (Demo Version 2.2 released)

[logophil]

Overview

Xenomarine is a sci-fi horror themed roguelike in which you play a space marine exploring a dark alien-infested space station. You start out with nothing but a crowbar, a torch running low on battery and some battered armor, and high hopes of finding some powerful alien tech!

Xenomarine is very much in development, but is currently available in a Demo (pre-Alpha) version featuring the first three levels. Currently the game looks like this:



Distinctive features

• Infinite gameplay (no final level, levels just keep getting harder)
• Atmospheric 3D coloured lighting and procedurally generated atmospheric sound
• Player direction (with turn left/right commands)

Common roguelike features

• Over 70 individually upgradable weapon types (approx 15 in Demo version)
• Weapon and armour choices reflected in the 'look' of the player character
• Unique useable items such as scanners, stimpacks and directional forcefields.
• Interactable scenery: moveable crates, exploding barrels, functioning doors
• Over 150 behaviourally distinct enemy types (11 in Demo version)
• Multiple damage types and status effects
• 60 trap types that can be acquired and reused by the player
• Over 60 learnable skill upgrades
• Crafting (basic items can be crafted and armor upgraded with the relevant skills)
• Realistic sound effects

Links

Download the free demo: https://logophil.itch.io/xenomarine
Website: www.ascifiroguelike.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascifiroguelike

[logophil]

Version 2.0.0 of the Demo has just been released on https://logophil.itch.io/xenomarine. Following player feedback, this version features a lot more variety from the start of the game, including 5 new enemy types and more varied map layouts. It also offers better support for keyboard-only and mouse-only play-styles.

Key new features are the following:

• 5 new enemy types, with distinctive enemy behaviour
• maps include procedurally generated extra-large rooms and secret doors
• many new mouse and keyboard controls
• drag and drop for inventory
• small and large minimap
• status, low health and level-up effect indicators (e.g. for stimpack bonuses)

Full changelog: http://www.devlog.ascifiroguelike.com/#home
IndieDB article: http://www.indiedb.com/games/xenomarine/news/demo-version-200-released

Screenshots

Here are some screenshots from version 2.0.0:

[Gornova]

hi, I really don't like keyboard controls, the "change player facing" mechanics is not working for me, if when player turn right the marine, a turn is gone. You should remove this "turning" mechanics or remove the action behind. Anyway, level 2 reached in 3 runs.. and no ranged weapon found, it's a bug ?

A notice after death if I press "New game", nothing happens..

[hendrikk1]

The mechanic is simple and I really like it, maybe you can port this game on mobile also because it's only need 4 arrow keys input right ? And you just replace those arrow keys with swipes.

[logophil]

hi, I really don't like keyboard controls, the "change player facing" mechanics is not working for me, if when player turn right the marine, a turn is gone. You should remove this "turning" mechanics or remove the action behind. Anyway, level 2 reached in 3 runs.. and no ranged weapon found, it's a bug ?

A notice after death if I press "New game", nothing happens..

Thanks for the feedback Gornova, I agree you probably should have found a ranged weapon after 3 runs, so I'll revisit the balance to make sure ranged weapons are a little easier to find. And sorry to hear about the 'new game' bug, I'm aware there are occasionally problems with clicking the home screen buttons, I've done bug-fixing in this area for v2.1.

I think I disagree about the turning mechanic though, if I remove the turn cost the directional FOV will be purely decorative and there would be no real difference to the gameplay of classic roguelikes which have vision in all directions (except that you would have to turn 360 degrees manually to see those directions). I say 'I think I disagree' because I'm not sure what you mean by 'remove the action behind'? By the way I'm not sure if you tried the alternate keyboard control schemes, you may find one of the others more to your liking.

[Gornova]

sorry, I'm not native English

When player uses arrow to turn character, all enemies will act. My idea is to remove that

[logophil]

The mechanic is simple and I really like it, maybe you can port this game on mobile also because it's only need 4 arrow keys input right ? And you just replace those arrow keys with swipes.

I'm glad you like it, I do plan to eventually port to tablet and possibly mobile (the UI is designed with this in mind) though actually I think the movement controls might be one of the harder things to port effectively, as there is also a 'strafe' function currently accessible by holding the shift key. I'm hoping some combination of tap and swipe will do the trick.

[hendrikk1]

Good luck with the port and the future update 

The mechanic is simple and I really like it, maybe you can port this game on mobile also because it's only need 4 arrow keys input right ? And you just replace those arrow keys with swipes.

I'm glad you like it, I do plan to eventually port to tablet and possibly mobile (the UI is designed with this in mind) though actually I think the movement controls might be one of the harder things to port effectively, as there is also a 'strafe' function currently accessible by holding the shift key. I'm hoping some combination of tap and swipe will do the trick.

[logophil]

Another significant update the Demo has just been released on https://logophil.itch.io/xenomarine.

Key new features in version 2.1.0 are:

• Traps (with trap skill now used to detect, disarm, and eventually acquire and redeploy traps)
• Revamped level lighting and atmosphere sounds, including new ‘emergency lighting’
• UI improvements: Auto-torch feature, improved ‘fast move’ keyboard controls
• Morguefiles - detailed player stats on death and for each highscore
• New level features: eggs that hatch aliens, persistent blood spatter
• 10 new damage types and status effects (e.g. acid, hallucination, poison) with new icons for each

IndieDB article: http://www.indiedb.com/games/xenomarine/news/demo-version-210-released
Full changelog: http://www.devlog.ascifiroguelike.com/#home

Screenshots

Here are some screenshots of the new lighting and traps in version 2.1.0:

[logophil]

Demo version 2.2.0 has just been released on https://logophil.itch.io/xenomarine.

This update includes a very large number of UI improvements, game balance adjustments and bug fixes. Highlights include significant improvements to keyboard ranged combat controls, an advanced inventory sorting function, animation for the player sprite, and a number of new items to be found and used - such as the personal teleport device!

Here is a screenshot of the new keyboard target acquisition controls in action:



Full changelog: http://www.devlog.ascifiroguelike.com/#home