Galla Developer Blog #1
Hello everyone!
Welcome to the beginning of our series of blog posts for Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo!
Leading up to the release of the game, we'll be sharing with you some "kool" details about the game every month! We're talking things like upcoming game mechanics, early character and world designs, behind-the-scenes work, and a lot more!!
For today, we want to introduce you to the world of Limbo and some interesting things to look forward to!
The World of Limbo
Limbo is a place where troubled souls linger in search of fulfilling something that they couldn't in their lifetime. Unable to let go of their worries, they are cursed to repeat the same day over and over, unless they're helped and guided towards reaching a resolution.
You'll follow the journey of one of these many souls, Kulebra. A snake with a heart of gold, Kulebra is somehow able to remember events from previous cycles. A mysterious Old Lady indicates that Kulebra is a "Bright Soul", a compassionate spirit that can also illuminate the way for those lost in Limbo. Perhaps guiding others along their path can help shine that light on your own and answer the mystery of “Why are YOU here?”
While Limbo is the land of the dead, that has not stopped some lively and featherly friends from making their way into it. The Wing Union is an organization who have taken it upon themselves with aiding the lost souls in finding their way. Krow is one of its many members that will be accompanying you in your journey!
A Detective from, and for, the Great Beyond
Knowledge and items are your main tools to the challenges that await you in Limbo. Through exploration (and snooping around) you'll learn about its inhabitants and will find many objects at your disposal. It's up to you to connect these puzzle pieces to discover more about the inhabitants and continue on your journey in this land of the dead!
There are three main things you can do with items: Use, Combine, and Examine. Using an item depends on the context; Use a key to open a door, give a letter for someone to read. Combine will allow you to, well, combine two compatible items into one. And lastly, examine will let you spot details that might be hidden at first glance.
The how and when to use them will be revealed by the clues you find! You can think of them as keys with locks that you'll have to discover through clever thinking.
As for these clues I keep mentioning, don’t worry, you don’t need a perfect memory! This is where your trusty Notebook comes into play. It'll keep track of important notes about the folks you meet. It will also track objectives and side-quests so that you can get right back on track if you take a break! It's definitely one of the features that ended up being a lot more useful than we initially thought!
Breaking the Cycle
One of the “koolest” features in this game is its time and schedule system! As you play, time will progress, bringing changes to the environment and characters within it. A day is divided into three sections: Daytime, evening, and nighttime; Each one brings a different mood to the world, and a change to the world's characters depending on their routine. Learning of the events throughout a day is a crucial part of the game!
The curse of Limbo keeps souls trapped in a never-ending time loop. At the end of the day, you'll be sent back to the start, with the souls you've met forgetting everything they (or you) did. But don't fret, not only is this something you can turn to your favor, but there's also a way for your actions to not end in vain. If you manage to have a strong impact on a soul, these memories will linger even after a reset in the form of a "Soul Mark". As a “Bright Soul” you have the ability to leave lasting changes on this cursed land and the denizens within it.
The Darkness in those who Refuse
Every soul in Limbo has a different reason for ending up there, and some are not willing to leave and let go that easily. Those that refuse to confront their problems will be slowly poisoned by them, eventually turning them into a "Dark Soul".
When pushed to confront their deep-rooted fears, these "Dark Souls" lash out in an effort to deny them. If not brought back to their senses, they will eventually be consumed by their darkness, dragging those nearby with them somewhere where there is no return.
In these cases, you'll need to guide the "Dark Souls" back to their former selves by answering questions about things you've learned about them. You can think of these as a "final exam" of sorts. Think carefully about what you say to them, and use your notebook if you're not sure. Otherwise, you might end up making things worse! These are tense conflicts that bring a sense of danger to the experience.
Moving Forward
This game has been our biggest endeavor thus far. It's been 6 years of work and love we've put into this project, and there's still lots to go! We've only gotten this far thanks to the support and encouragement of the many wonderful people we've met during all these years. From our early players, fellow developers, our Kickstarter backers, friends and family, and the folks at Fellow Traveller; This project is only here thanks to all of them.
There's still so much to talk about, and this is just the beginning of it. Next post we'll go over some new features that will be present in the full version of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo!
If you haven't played the demo yet, please give it a whirl and tell us what you think. We're excited to bring you along with us and thank you for joining us on this journey of ours!
Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day!
