Macabre News

This Week in Macabre
In this latest update, we're delighted to announce that we've taken some pivotal steps forward in enhancing the Macabre gaming experience. We have successfully migrated to the Unreal Engine 5.2.1, unlocking a wealth of cutting-edge features and capabilities that will only enrich the depth and immersion of our world. In our continuous quest to refine our development processes, we've built a dedicated build machine to handle packaging and build profiling. We've also brought some slick organizational tools on board such as batch rename and linting tools.

As we turn our eyes towards gameplay, we're excited to introduce a whole new level of interactivity with the implementation of flowgraph. This will enable us to weave intricate scripting events into our demo and quest lines, making every playthrough that much more dynamic.

And, of course, in our unwavering pursuit of excellence, we've squashed all packaging-related bugs and various other hiccups, while giving the project a much-needed cleanup. From rigorous asset renaming in line with our style guide to deep-diving into each facet of the game to refine and polish, we've left no stone unturned. We're incredibly excited to share these advancements with you and can't wait to hear your thoughts. Strap in, the world of Macabre is about to get a lot more immersive!

Features

• Upgraded to Unreal Engine 5.2.1.
  
• Set up our build machine to package and profile the project.
  
• Implemented batch rename and linting tools.
  
• Implemented flowgraph to create custom scripting events for our demo and quest lines.
  
• Added an inventory item notify flow node, and some prototype stub nodes for voice-over, UI, and ability activation.
  
• Added Flaregun and Walkie Talkie 3D assets.
  
• Added 2D icons for various tools and crafting materials.
  

Bug Fixes

• Fixed all current errors in relation to packaging.
  
• Squashed various bugs.
  

Other

• Major project cleanup and renaming of assets to adhere to the style guide.
  
• More concept art progress
  

Recently, Epic hosted Unreal Fest on the Gold Coast. A few of us headed up to soak up the sun and the deep technical knowledge on offer. It was a fantastic event, and we met many talented Aussie devs working on some really cool projects. We've already implemented a lot of what we learned at the festival to streamline our processes, which has proven to be very useful.

Coming off the back of the PC Gaming Show, we've seen many new faces in our discord and experienced a significant spike in interest in the project. Multiple publications have written about Macabre, and a few creators are talking about us.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
After the show, we gained a lot of attention on BiliBili—a big welcome to all our new Chinese followers. Our trailer also went viral on TikTok, sparking another surge in wishlists from across the globe.

As of writing this post, Macabre is currently #434 in Steam's Wishlist charts, which is just absolutely mind-blowing. Thank you all so much for showing interest and supporting our project. We could never have imagined that Macabre would spark so many conversations worldwide; it's truly incredible. We honestly can't thank you all enough!


Earlier in the week, I provided context in Discord regarding why things might appear a bit slow on our end. Essentially, our core team consists of three people. We often collaborate with our freelance friends, who fill in the gaps and make cool stuff. Being a small team means we have to wear many hats! Apart from providing creative direction, I also handle community and marketing tasks. With everything that's been happening recently, it's been quite intense, so I haven't managed to stay on top of my regular updates. However, there has been plenty of development progress behind the scenes, which I'll delve into now.

This Week in Macabre
This week's update brings a significant number of enhancements and bug fixes to the game. Feature updates include implementing a throwable tag for equipment, a functional prototype extraction ability, and improved environmental assets like snow, rain presets, footprints, and foliage. The Atomic Space Shifter has been enhanced with new seeker mechanics. We've also made a series of bug fixes, from tool functionality to DX11 and DX12 packaging errors. In addition, we've added asset linter plugins and scripts to aid asset management. Other improvements include the enforcement of no redundant type name comments, new linting rules, and significant refactoring of project folders for better organization.

Features

• Car park environment updated.
  
• Lodge models master materials replaced, and some collision fixes implemented.
  
• Throwable tag requirement added to equipment.
  
• Prototype extraction ability is now functional.
  
• Gameplay cue added during progress ability.
  
• Environment updated with added snow and rain preset environment assets in separate levels.
  
• Atomic space shifter has been made a 'blip' seeker with the artifact actor being a randomly spawned target.
  
• Atomic space shifter equipment actor parts have been nativised.
  
• Added new footprints.
  
• Added new foliage.
  
• Implemented custom asset linting rules.
  
• Content/Macabre successfully linted with custom rules.
  
• Batch Rename Tool plugin added.
  
• SubsystemBrowserPlugin added.
  
• Updated FlowGraph.
  
• Refactored Content folder.
  
• Static meshes renamed to use S_ prefix, added new Nanite and VT linters, and basic python script support added.
  

Bug Fixes

• Fixed seeker C (throw action no longer consumes input and will still scan without a target).
  
• Non-editor build errors have been fixed.
  
• Packaging on DX12 fixed and temporarily disabled EOS for packaging (requires a source build).
  
• Replaced bugged asset linter plugin.
  
• Redirectors in chapter one fixed.
  
• ChapterOne/Equipment linted.
  

Other

• A large number of CppUnusedIncludeDirective comments added to the inline generated cpp macros as a build optimisation.
  
• Redundant type name comment enforcement.
  
• Merged 'EnvironmentArt' branch into dev.
  
• Content folder has been refactored.
  
• Textures above 2048 are now Virtual Textures.
  
• Preliminary concept rounds for base equipment have been completed. Final concepts will be prepared for 3D development next week.
  

WIP CONCEPTS

Sydney, Australia - June 12, 2023

Weforge Studio is pleased to announce the debut of their game, Macabre, has just been showcased at the PC Gaming Show. Presented to millions of viewers worldwide, this reveal is a significant accomplishment for the independent game studio based in Sydney, Australia.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Macabre is a co-op stealth extraction horror game that takes players on a thrilling journey through infinite timelines within an unstable time rift. Guided by Banjo, an eccentric recluse with an unclear past, players will venture deep into the rift, tasked with uncovering the source of terrifying anomalies.


"We're incredibly humbled and grateful for the opportunity to showcase Macabre at the PC Gaming Show," said Jake Davey, Game Director and Co-founder of Weforge Studio. "The game has been a labour of love for our team, and we can't wait for players to experience the unique blend of stealth, horror, and co-op gameplay that Macabre offers."


Macabre features a highly replayable game loop, addictive progression, and the option to play solo or with friends. The game is designed with depth and replayability in mind, offering unique locations, immersive art and sound, cunning creatures, and a pinch of Dark comedy.


"People all around the world know Australia to be a dangerous place. Our goal is to reinforce this stereotype by showing we also have cunning interdimensional beings that will stop at nothing to tear you apart," said Jay Topping, Creative Director and Co-founder of Weforge Studio. "We believe that Macabre offers a fresh and unique take on the horror genre, and we're excited to see how players will react to the reveal trailer"


Developed in Unreal Engine 5 for PC, Macabre aims to bring the immersive and terrifying experience of high-end single-player horror games to a multiplayer audience. The game is set to release a single-player demo soon, with an Early Access release date and price to be announced.
For more information about Macabre, please follow our Steam page, where we post weekly Dev updates along with regular Dev Blogs. You can also find our other socials here.

About Weforge Studio
Weforge is an independent game studio based in Sydney, Australia, founded with the goal of supporting our debut title, Macabre. Our team of experienced professionals have worked on a range of notable projects in games, VFX, cinema, and advertising, giving us the skills and expertise to deliver first-class visuals in real-time. We're committed to building and maintaining a reputation as a premiere studio, and we continue to develop and create new IP to offer high-quality solutions across all aspects of interactive screen media in Australia.

Press Contact:
[email protected]


Links: LinkTree Press Kit Steam - Macabre Twitter - @macabrethegame TikTok - @macabrethegame Youtube - @macabregame Reddit - r/macabregame/ Facbook - @MacabreVideoGame Discord Macabre Website Weforge Studio

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Note to Editors:
Interviews with the Weforge Studio team are available upon request. Please contact [email protected] to schedule. High-resolution images, logos, Q&A, Trailer and other press materials are available in the Macabre press kit.

About the PC Gaming Show:
The PC Gaming Show is an annual event that showcases the latest developments, releases, and innovations in the world of PC gaming. It provides a platform for developers, publishers, and hardware manufacturers to present their upcoming games, exclusive trailers, and gameplay demos specifically designed for the PC gaming community. The 2023 PC Gaming Show took place on Sunday, June 11 @1:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM EDT / 9:00 PM BST / 10:00 PM CEST.

Hi Macabre community

We are thrilled to announce that we are now LIVE broadcasting the highly anticipated PC Gaming Show! We'd love for you to join us in watching and discussing the latest updates from the world of PC gaming.

But that's not all - today, we're unveiling something very special. For the first time ever, we will be showcasing the exclusive premiere of our latest game trailer! This is an opportunity you won't want to miss, so make sure to tune in!

What can you expect from the live show?

• Exclusive insights from our passionate dev team about the game's development process.
  
• An exciting first look at the new trailer for our game.
  
• The chance to ask your burning questions and engage with the team.
  

We can't wait to share this exciting moment with you all!

See you in the live chat!

Team Macabre

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!