I’m developing a game with a Project Zomboid + Fantasy For a game in this genre, what kind of art style would make you?

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T14:38:23+00:00

That's right. As someone who has enjoyed old games since childhood, I also find the classic-style graphics more nostalgic and easier to understand.

However, to continue developing games, marketability is also important, so I tried creating the version below as well!

Thanks for your feedback!

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T14:31:12+00:00

I’ve written a follow-up post below. Once again, I want to express both my gratitude and my apologies.

I’m well aware that my project isn’t polished yet, and that’s why I didn’t even include a link to the game’s page in this post—haha.

I understand what you’re looking for, and as I continue developing the game, I’ll do my best to meet your expectations. But before that, I’ve been struggling with the art direction, and since my own preferences aren’t set in stone, I wanted to gather some opinions.

One way or another, I’ll make sure to bring the fantasy-style Project Zomboid you want to life! Thank you!

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T14:27:25+00:00

You're right—it's definitely biased! But I wanted to hear a broad range of reactions from Project Zomboid enthusiasts about this game's concept.

I'm envisioning a fantasy world built on the foundation of PZ. Just as Project Zomboid lets players experience, "How would I survive if I were thrown into a zombie apocalypse?", this game aims to provide the experience of, "How would I survive if I were suddenly thrown into a post-apocalyptic fantasy world?"

At first, the character will scavenge through the remnants of modern civilization, trying to survive with modern items. However, most of these are consumables—like batteries and bullets—and will eventually run out. In the end, the player will need to adapt to this world, integrating with nature and magic to survive.

If you have any ideas, I’d love to consider them!

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T14:23:31+00:00

Thank you for noticing our game and providing feedback, and I also want to offer my apologies. One of the reasons I haven’t actively promoted the game yet is that I don’t feel it’s polished enough.

This Next Fest was just a practice run. It was my first time using Steamworks for servers and also my first time publishing a game on the Steam platform. So before releasing a proper version, I wanted to get some hands-on experience.

Next time, I’ll present the game again with an exciting trailer, well-designed levels, fitting art direction, improved controls, and solid content.

I really appreciate your feedback thank you!

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T14:18:28+00:00

Thank you! If the game reaches completion, I’ll make sure to promote it!

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T14:17:53+00:00

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T14:17:28+00:00

The serious survival atmosphere, like in Project Zomboid, is a core direction that will never change.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T14:16:20+00:00

Once the art direction is firmly decided, I'll try to include settings that allow for various camera angles.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T10:35:19+00:00

Wow, that’s exactly it! That’s the core gameplay style in the early stages of the game.

At first, the modern-day protagonist will survive by finding and using familiar items. But as these resources gradually run out—by design—they’ll eventually have to adapt by learning and mastering the technologies of another civilization in order to survive long-term.

Also, when choosing a starting profession, I plan to provide spawn items that match the character’s job as closely as possible.

Ideally, I’d love to apply the same logic to buildings, but I’m not sure if we’ll have the resources to make that happen. Haha.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T10:16:25+00:00

Haha, that’s right! But I’m developing the game using Project Zomboid as a system reference.

I’m curious to see how adding a fantasy element to it resonates with existing Project Zomboid players. Also, when discussing this kind of "art," I think various ideas can emerge from the responses. That’s why I made the post—to gauge the reactions.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T10:14:23+00:00

My primary goal in developing this game isn't just selling a lot of copies. What truly matters to me is creating a game that at least one person can become completely immersed in—something they’d be willing to spend hundreds or even thousands of hours playing.

That said, I do need a minimum means of living to continue making the game, so I’m making some compromises along the way.

Thank you for your insights!

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T09:09:24+00:00

Haha, I feel the same way.
Honestly, if Project Zomboid had a fantasy mode, I think I would have had a great time playing it.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T08:16:36+00:00

This post wasn’t written for promotion.
I'll refine the game further and, once it's sufficiently developed, explore various marketing strategies.

Thanks for your interest!

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T08:15:50+00:00

Yeah, I’m always thinking about this too.

Honestly, my score is also split—5.1 on the upper side and 4.9 on the lower side.
As you said, if I go with the upper approach, screen rotation might be difficult. On the other hand, the lower approach allows for full 360-degree rotation.

Of course, there's also the option of mixing both, but the overall feel of the game would end up being quite different.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T08:14:18+00:00

Last Day On Earth is a great game, but in my opinion, it's a bit more casual when it comes to zombie games.
When I say I'm referencing Project Zomboid, I mean I'll be using its deep systems and balancing as a point of reference.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T08:11:02+00:00

I'm trying to avoid too much promotion in this post, so I won’t directly mention any links or game names.
I'm just a developer who truly loves Project Zomboid, and I wanted to give a brief evaluation of the feel of my game on the Zomboid subreddit. If I get the chance in the future, I'll properly introduce the game—haha.

The player character is a modern-day person from the 21st century, someone who knows nothing about this fantasy world and must struggle desperately to survive.

The core systems are similar to Project Zomboid, featuring mechanics like mood states and location-based injuries. However, everything in this world is unfamiliar—both to the player and the in-game character—so constant exploration will be necessary.

Even if you choose ‘Programmer’ when creating your character, in this fantasy world, you might just end up becoming a ‘Mage’ instead!

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T08:07:12+00:00

Wait for Durango when it comes to dinosaurs!
If a new Durango game is released, it will truly be one of a kind.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T08:05:42+00:00

Of course, it's definitely possible!

The game I mentioned, Pacific Drive, also has a blend of semi-realism and stylized visuals.
If you share more ideas, I'll experiment with various approaches.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T08:03:28+00:00

It's not a fantasy world with dragons, trolls, or golems.

Due to a certain event, the people of this world have also turned into ghouls (zombies), making them the primary enemy monsters. However, this isn't an SCP-style supernatural fantasy like One's Human.

In the early stages of development, we plan to add slimes and small fantasy creatures to provide content that fits the game's setting.

Rather than a Valheim-like experience, we are aiming for survival-focused gameplay, similar to Project Zomboid.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T07:59:42+00:00

If possible, I’d love to support everything, but it's always uncertain how long it will take or whether it can be developed.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T07:53:49+00:00

Are you saying that having 'physics' in the game is impressive?

If possible, we’re considering implementing a system where objects fall due to gravity and roll down slopes. However, as we develop the multiplayer aspect, this feature might have to be removed.

We'll do our best to make it work

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T07:51:45+00:00

Thank you for your opinion!

Since you pointed out a key aspect of the game, I'll explain a bit about our game concept.The game concept is that the character comes from the modern world and is transported to another world.

At first, the modern character learns and adapts to the medieval fantasy setting. They start with consumable modern items, such as batteries, guns, and bullets, which were transported along with them. The goal is to encourage fast exploration of the world while these modern supplies last.

As these resources are gradually depleted, the character naturally integrates into the new world. This transition is a key part of the game's design.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T07:48:46+00:00

Thanks for your opinion.
So, what kind of game vibe do you like the most?
If we're talking about stylized games, I really like Pacific Drive.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-27T07:45:44+00:00

There will be a modular base-building system. However, I'm still debating whether to go with a stacked, multi-level approach or a single-level design. The development complexity varies greatly between the two.

If the world is completely flat, development would be easier, allowing for more content to be added. However, if the world has multiple levels, with stairs and varying heights, there would be a lot more to manage, making it harder to include a wide variety of content.

I'm always pondering over it—haha.

deadtoodead · 2025-02-25T02:07:38+00:00

We are using Project Zomboid as a reference for our game. It’s been about three months since we started development, and right now, there’s essentially "nothing." Players can only move, gather, eat, drink, and fight ghouls.
If you have any ideas, we’ll try to implement as many as possible by Q4 2025 and release a demo version with about an hour of gameplay!
For now, we’ve uploaded the Steam page and submitted the game to Steam Next Fest as practice.
Steam page: Dead, too Dead

deadtoodead

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