Hi everyone and welcome to my 13th Dev Log!

Development is hitting a steady, aggressive rhythm. I’ve spent these last two weeks conquering a personal "final boss": Animations. What I once feared would be a technical nightmare has become an incredibly fun way to bring these characters to life. Enough with the chit-chat, let’s dive into the void and see what’s waiting in the dark.

Development & Sneak Peek

Progress is accelerating, with 213 new renders finalized across 3 major scenes. Mike has returned to the Realm of Darkness, but the atmosphere has shifted from curiosity to survival.

In this world, time and temperature are dictated by your internal state. If you are consumed by fear, danger might find you; if you stay calm, you might just survive. Mike isn't facing this alone, though. He’s being guided by a woman who knows exactly what it means to be a survivor: Tiffany.

Tiffany is a cornerstone of Chapter 1. She is a woman who has built a cold, impenetrable exterior after a lifetime of supporting everyone around her while having no one to catch her when she falls. Seeing this "Ice Queen" facade finally crack as the Realm's harshest moments force her to be vulnerable with Mike is a true emotional roller-coaster.

As the scenes grow in complexity, the "percentage" might look like it's moving slower, but that's only because the scale is expanding. We are currently sitting at 854 total renders, with many more to come.

Coming Soon: I’m currently "keying" the first fully-fledged animation for Chapter 1. I won't spoil the context, but let's just say the transition from the cold void to... closer encounters is going to be worth the wait.

Side Achievements & Collaborations

On the side, I'm continuing to make music. It's so fun to see little loops work for certain environments in the game, and most importantly, it's amazing to hear music I made. It's always been a dream of mine to learn properly, and what best way than to do it now!

Furthermore, I collaborated with Xoa Designs for showcasing their new onsen map and items, which was super fun to do. Xoa is a great modder that ports maps, items, and much more to the engine. It's thanks to modders like Xoa that games like The Darkness Within are even capable of existing in the first place, so a big thanks for their amazing work! Check out their Patreon Page.
You can find the images as downloadable down below, they're 4K!! Now, enjoy!

The Road Ahead

The next two weeks are all about animation and core rendering. On a personal note, I’m transitioning through some job changes. While this means a busy schedule of applications, it has only doubled my drive to make this game my primary focus. I’m enjoying every second of this journey, and your support is what keeps the lights on in the studio.

We’re getting there, one frame at a time.

— MisheruMaxis