Macabre's Journey to the Worlds Largest PC Game Showcase: The PC Gaming Show

Hello, Macabre community! We're back with another dev blog and have some thrilling news to share. It's been a journey filled with hard work, creativity, and a deep commitment to creating a unique game. We're excited to share our progress and give you a glimpse into what's coming next.

[h2]A Milestone Achievement: The PC Gaming Show[/h2]
Two years ago, two mates set out to make a video game. Something unique that we could be proud to show our friends and family. We'd work late into the early morning every night, trying to scrape enough together to convince people to join our team. If you'd told us then that our game would feature in the world's largest PC game showcase, we'd have told you to pull the other one. Alas, that's precisely what happened!

We're incredibly excited to announce that Macabre has been selected to be showcased at the PC Gaming Show! The anticipation is building, and we can't wait to reveal what we've been working on! This is a tremendous honour, as the PC Gaming Show is a prestigious event in the gaming world. Last year's show boasted over 4.5 million concurrent viewers, which gives you an idea of the scale we're talking about. We're incredibly humbled and grateful for this opportunity to share our work on such an epic scale.

Be sure to tune in to the PC Gaming Show and be the first to watch the Official reveal Trailer of Macabre.

2023 PC Gaming Show start time: Sunday, June 11 @1:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM EDT / 9:00 PM BST / 10:00 PM CEST

[h2]Our Journey So Far[/h2]
Over the past few months, our team has worked tirelessly to bring Macabre to life. We've been pouring our hearts and souls into this game and are thrilled to share more progress.
Development Progress

We've been hard at work enhancing the gameplay mechanics of Macabre, introducing new features like player IK animations for equipment, implementing new looting functionality and improving network transaction efficiency for our inventory system. These improvements are designed to make the gameplay smoother and more immersive, enhancing the overall player experience.

[h2]Concept Art: Bringing Macabre to Life[/h2]
Our team has been busy with concept art, working on lots of different items and environmental designs. Each piece of art is crafted with attention to detail, bringing the eerie world of Macabre to life. It feels so good to get our ideas on screen, and we can't wait to share more with you soon.

[h2]Game and Level Design: Enhancing the Player Experience[/h2]
Much work has gone into improving the player experience, particularly in level design, user flow and UI. For example, we've been refining the level design to ensure that each area provides a unique challenge and contributes to the game's overall narrative. We're still working towards our Demo, and much of the core functionality has been implemented. The next step will be to start testing!

[h2]Environment: Creating an Immersive World[/h2]
We've made various environmental dressing and optimisation updates, enhancing the overall visual appeal and performance of the game. This includes a new snow shader, which adds monster and player footsteps. These updates are designed to create a more immersive and atmospheric experience, drawing players into the world of Macabre.

[h2]3D: Bringing Depth to Macabre[/h2]
By manipulating Unreals Metahumans, we've created unique characters that fit our narrative. We've also finalised many more 3D elements, including equipment and quest items. Each asset is carefully designed and rendered to contribute to the game's overall aesthetic and atmosphere. There's plenty more to be done, but things are progressing well.

[h2]Animation: Breathing Life into Macabre[/h2]
We've added variable speeds to our monster with smoother transitions using blend shapes and IK between different animation sets, helping our monster move more realistically. We've also been doing a bunch of animation cleanup toensure that all movements in the game are as smooth and natural as possible. Each animation is meticulously crafted to bring the characters and creatures of Macabre to life, enhancing the overall realism and immersion of the game.

[h2]Audio: Enhancing the Atmosphere[/h2]
Primarily we've been working on the Demo level sound, adding audio triggers, voice-over and atmosphere to create a more immersive and realistic audio experience for players. The sound design is carefully crafted to complement the visuals and enhance the overall atmosphere of the game, making the world of Macabre feel more real and immersive.

[h2]Demo: A Sneak Peek into Macabre[/h2]
We've been making steady progress towards our Demo, integrating various components and refining the gameplay experience. As mentioned, much of the core functionality is now implemented, so it's really about testing. Getting the timing and game flow right to ensure we deliver on our horror tone is our top priority. We're so excited to get this Demo up so we can see people's reactions and gather community feedback. Expect a thrilling, immersive experience that offers a glimpse into the eerie world of Macabre.

[h2]Reveal Trailer: An Introduction to Macabre's Story[/h2]
As mentioned, we've been working on our reveal trailer for the PC Gaming show. It was honestly a surprise to hear we'd been selected, so it's been a mammoth effort for our small team to get it across the line over a month earlier than initially planned. We've been working tirelessly to create a trailer that captures the essence of Macabre, showcasing the game's unique atmosphere and tone. Everything you see in the trailer is operational in-game and indicative of the gameplay, giving you a taste of what you can expect from Macabre.

[h2]Looking ahead[/h2]
Our priority is getting our Demo up on the marketplace and into players' hands so we can start gathering feedback. We only get one shot at making a good impression, so it's all hands on deck to ensure that happens. We're particularly excited about continuing to refine the gameplay mechanics and introducing new, unique elements to the game. Stay tuned for more details about our showcase at the PC Gaming Show and further development updates.

We look forward to sharing more updates with you in the future. As always, remember to join our Discord and Wishlist and Follow Macabre on Steam.

Until next time, thank you for your continued support!