Designing The Devouring for Under Ashen Skies

Hey guys! I thought it would be cool to share some of my design ideas that are going into my next game, Under Ashen Skies.

In UAS, you explore the little town of Riverside, MA, a place that has been taken over by horrible monsters and inexplicable events. Here, you will attempt to survive and uncover your own forgotten past while you explore different locations, such as Brooks High School or the Bosh Gardens. Unlike my previous games, these places have fixed maps and a very concrete layout; what you may find within them changes with every visit, but the places themselves do not change. That is, under normal circumstances. Periodically (and dictated by the Time Track), reality will shift and you will find yourself in hell; the walls drip with blood, and the stench of death is only surpassed in horror by the screams of agony that can be heard everywhere, no matter where you go. When this Devouring (as it's called) takes place, action takes place in twisted versions of each Site, meaning you play with different maps, depending on where you were initially. Eventually, the Devouring goes away, but while you're within it you must face unique horrors and try to survive. There are also unique rewards to reap from this place, though!

Death has a unique meaning in UAS (that's a whole different post, though), and when death overtakes you while in the Devouring, you become Tainted. This Taint takes hold of your body permanently, and manifests itself in varied ways; maybe you feel you're dying inside, a pain that is only relieved by the surge of adrenaline only violence can provide; or maybe your skin feels like it's constantly peeling away and growing anew, but in exchange you can resist more damage. All Taints have a mechanical benefit and disadvantage, making gameplay more varied and interesting.

So that's the Devouring in a nutshell; generally speaking you should dread it when it appears, but if you're clever you may learn to take advantage of it and make it work on your favor!