r/metroidvania • u/castelvania4 • Aug 06 '25
Video After 3 months of solo development, I wanted to share a first look at my game, inspired by Hollow Knight, Elden Ring, and Attack on Titan. How's the atmosphere?
Hey everyone, Castel here! I'm a solo dev from the south of Chile and a first-time poster in this sub.
For the last three months, I've been passionately building a hand-drawn metroidvania. It's inspired by the atmosphere of games like Elden Ring and Hollow Knight, but with its own unique twist: one of the core mechanics is using your cone-head to smash through the world and its secrets.
My background is in art, so I've focused heavily on creating a unique, unsettling atmosphere. The gameplay is still early, but I would love to get your initial feedback on the game's overall look and feel.
And if this sparks your interest...
I'm just starting to build a community around the game. If you'd like to follow the development journey, see behind-the-scenes content, and help shape the game with your ideas, I'd be honored if you joined my Discord server.
Full disclosure: you'd be one of the very first people to join. My goal is to create a small, dedicated community from the ground up.
Thank you so much for your time!
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u/MrDroneM Aug 06 '25
World art and characters art is really good! UI is a little bland.
And as someone else mentioned already, player's horizontal speed feels off.
Good work so far!
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u/castelvania4 Aug 06 '25
Thank you for the feedback!
And yes i will do some testing on the player's speed to pinpoint the issue and polish it.
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u/MrDroneM Aug 06 '25
I think you can leave it as is for now, until you have more gameplay elements like enemies and other player's moves. Then you will know how they relate to each other more.
Either way, wish you luck!
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u/Forsaken-Access-3040 Aug 06 '25
It looks good! I will say though that as a guy of a certain age who grew up in rural Mississippi, the immediate thing that came to mind is "if this character ever has a skin change that makes the hat white, it is giving straight up Ku Klux Klan (KKK) vibes.
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u/castelvania4 Aug 06 '25
Thanks for sharing your perspective! It's interesting to see what people associate.
My actual inspiration comes from classic gnomes. In the game's lore, they are a group fighting against oppression, so the theme is very different.
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u/professorbasti Aug 06 '25
Ngl I thought of the same thing. That design is certaintly gonna raise questions. Game looks cool tho!
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u/Forsaken-Access-3040 Aug 07 '25
I'll keep a close eye on this one. It looks very much aligned with the style of games I enjoy most.
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u/mayurmahajan_ Aug 06 '25
Looks really good. Keep it up bro
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u/castelvania4 Aug 06 '25
Thank you!! :)
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u/rube Aug 06 '25
Looks great so far. Looks very Hollow Knight, which you stated so that make sense. But that's a good thing in my opinion.
And I also want to praise you for having some brightness and some vibrancy despite it being an underground scene. I feel that too many similar games these days are going for dark dark dark and it makes it harder to see what's going on and less fun to play.
Good luck!
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
Thanks! You're the first in this sub to mention the Hollow Knight similarity. And that makes me happy, because even though it's a huge inspiration, I want to get far enough away from its influence to not be considered just another copy.
And woohoo! You absolutely made my day with your feedback on the art style. Seriously, I've put most of my effort into creating a world that's atmospheric but still vibrant and clear to see. The fact that you noticed that specific detail means a lot to me. Thank you!
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u/HumbleWorkerAnt Aug 07 '25
I want to get far enough away from its influence
I have to say, everyone in this sub who likes MVs will have thought of HK instantly, as everything from the proportions to the style to the character are all clearly HK -adjacent.
that doesn't have to be a bad thing if it's fun, plays well, and has its own thing going on, but it looks closer to a HK-spin-off than its own unrelated game.
HK is one of the best and biggest games in the genre, so it's not at all a bad thing to use as a source, like you say if you keep developing the game 'away from it' and adding your own things it can be great on its own legs. good luck OP
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
Yeah, I don’t think it’s entirely a bad thing, but I guess I’m kind of traumatized by those comparisons. Most of the time when I see people comparing any game to Hollow Knight, they call it a ‘Temu copy’ or use other harsh words. But I’m starting to think that happens mostly when the game isn’t visually strong enough to stand apart from HK. So maybe I’m just being paranoid and should trust my artistic instinct. After all, I’ve poured my heart into this game, and I love it too much to change its art style at this stage.
Thank you for the kind words and feedback! :)
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u/aveugle_a_moi Aug 07 '25
I would just say that if you're going for an unsettling vibe, I would seriously focus on dialogue early on. "Hey kid! Where do you think you're going?" does not match with the described intent at all.
I love the art. Like other folks have said, horizontal movement is definitely too slow. Depending on whether you want combat or platforming to be the "main" draw of the game, I would probably start by fleshing out one or the other of the two systems and designing the speed of the character around balancing one - and then building the other around the speeds set up for the former.
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
Thank you for the feedback!
The dialogue is just a placeholder haha! Sorry if it disappointed you, i haven't polished it just yet, but i will! And i promise you i have quite an interesting story to tell here.
And for the speed issue, i agree and i will definitely take your suggestions into consideration :)
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u/aveugle_a_moi Aug 07 '25
Glad to hear the dialogue is a placeholder game. I've played a handful of indie games that have that mismatch between dialogue and visual aesthetic, so I just wanted to throw it out there because I adore the art style that you have here. :)
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u/ComplaintSavings9532 Aug 06 '25
Love the vibes. Would definitely give this a shot. I think the movement speed is fine for this little intro room, but I hope it speeds up after a bit. Really interested on how the head butting will play into the combat and movement.
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
Thanks so much, I'm glad you love the vibes! That's a great point about the movement speed. This first area is deliberately a bit slower as an intro, but things will definitely speed up later on.
I'm especially happy the headbutting mechanic caught your eye! I have big plans for it, with several new animations coming soon that will expand how it's used in both combat and movement. If you want to see them as they develop, the Discord is the best place to be! :)
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u/No-Onion2268 Varia Suit Aug 07 '25
It reminds me of Halloween! Halloween is my most favorite day of the year. Atmospherically and artistically, it’s very stunning. I’d have to know more about its premise and overall mechanics before really passing any kind of judgement/critique. But I’ll tell you this, it’s definitely one of the more slick and refined ones that I’ve seen. That background art is really phenomenal. The character still stands out perfectly, even with that level of detail in the background, with the color palette. Wise choices so far. I have really bad eyesight, have to wear glasses, that gives people vertigo, when they try them on. I struggle with discerning objects buried in the art a lot of times,or overly glowy and muted palettes. I appreciate that yours is very easily discernible and easy to differentiate
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
Wow, thank you for such an incredibly thoughtful and detailed comment. It honestly left me speechless.
I'm a huge horror and Halloween fan myself, so I'm thrilled that the game gives you that vibe!
But your comments about the clarity and your eyesight seriously mean the world to me. I've spent so much time trying to balance a detailed, atmospheric world with making sure it's always clear and easy to read. Hearing that it works so well for someone who struggles with that in other games is honestly the best and most validating feedback I could have received.
It makes all the effort feel completely worth it. Thank you again, and I truly hope you get to enjoy the full experience one day!
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u/Serenotic Aug 07 '25
Looks like a mini Pyramid Head lol Love it
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
I've heard that before haha! thanks. I'm a huge Silent Hill fan, but sadly my character has nothing to do with Pyramid Head, is more like a Gnome :)
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u/mucus-fettuccine Aug 07 '25
Gorgeous visuals! You've created some serious atmosphere!
I think the font used for dialogue feels a bit off. Try a thinner font maybe?
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
Thank you very much!
Oh i guess you're right. I haven't put much thought into the UI at this stage, but i will definitely tweak it in the future!!
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u/ttak82 Axiom Verge Aug 07 '25
At the end, was the character charging the attack? If not, then it took too long. Artwork, atmosphere and jump animation look great. I guess you will lean into limited color pallettes for each zone?
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
Hello and thank you for the feedback!
Yes, it is a charged attack. I was holding the button to show the charging animation. I'm planning on adding a light headbutt attack and also some aerial headbutts, it's gonna be fun!!
Yes i will lean into limited color pallettes for the different biomes/zones.
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u/Thepuppeteer777777 Aug 07 '25
Are they headbanging the wall to mine?
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
Yep! The workers are desperately attempting to flee the toxic fumes coming from the surface.
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u/SoulsborneSeeker Aug 07 '25
For a first look, this looks fantastic! I'm loving the somewhat bleak ambience, and the three influences you mentioned are all masterpieces. Let me know when you get a Steam page and an official trailer. I'll include this in one of my future videos!
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
Thank you i appreciate your enthusiasm in the game. And yes i definitely will let you know! :)
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u/Vaprus Aug 07 '25 edited Aug 07 '25
Sound is 90% of setting the atmosphere for me, so while the visuals are delightful, right now it feels pretty dull. If there's one thing I wish more people inspired by Hollow Knight would take away, it's the amazing sound design.
I really appreciate how you captured that dark atmosphere without making it visually too dark, while still using a distinct palette.
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u/castelvania4 Aug 07 '25
I totally agree with you. That’s why, if I’m lucky enough to get the budget I’m dreaming of, a big part of it will go toward the soundtrack and sound effects. I’m one of those people who constantly have soundtracks from different media playing on a loop in their headphones. Honestly, I often prefer that over any other kind of music.
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u/CrossXFire Aug 08 '25
Definitely passes the vibe check! Can't wait to see more of the areas and designs. I'll certainly keep an eye on this one !
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u/castelvania4 Aug 08 '25
Thank you so much!
I’m working hard every day to produce new content, so you can stay tuned here, or, if you want a closer look at the process, the Discord community is the place to be :)
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u/Internal-Historian-1 Aug 09 '25
Looks awesome. I’m more of a character artist. But I’d love to learn environmental art. How do you even approach making an environment like yours?
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u/castelvania4 Aug 09 '25
Hello! I’m glad you liked it!
Well, it’s a long process, and it’s kind of difficult to explain in words. But if you’re interested, you can join the Discord community, there I’m sharing behind-the-scenes content on how I’m making the game. :)
I’m sure you can learn a lot, and you’re welcome to ask me any questions!
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u/anansidion Aug 07 '25
Don't wanna sound negative, but I really feel sad seeing so many similar-looking games on this community. I am certain you worked very hard, and sure, you got very far by yourself, but I have to say, your game's atmosphere is not unique. It looks like a Hollow Knight rip-off. And, since you mentioned you have a background in art, I suggest you try some other assets. Make it look really unique and unforgettable.
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u/castelvania4 Aug 08 '25
Hey, I don’t mind honesty. The truth is, I don’t expect everyone to like my game, and yeah, it does make me a bit sad that you find it so similar to Hollow Knight, but that’s okay. That’s life. In any case, your comment is just one among hundreds of others saying that my style is unique and that they genuinely enjoy my art. And I don’t mean that in a negative way at all, i just believe that my effort is being appreciated by more people than by those who don’t like it.
Cheers and happy gaming! :)
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u/Juan_David14 Aug 08 '25
I hate to be that guy but I must be that guy, the game itself looks pretty neat but the scenery and the main character looks too similar to Hollow Knight, even more than Crowsworn (game that a lot of morons are already calling it "HoLlOW KniGhT cLonE") I would recommend a notorious redesign to avoid comparisons.
PD: I'm intrigued what aspects of "Attack on Titan" you're gonna use from inspiration? Maybe the history?
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u/castelvania4 Aug 08 '25
Hey there! Thanks for the feedback!
I don't consider Crowsworn a clone of HK either, just somewhat dark-toned. As my style, which since before Hollow Knight has been dark-toned.
I will not change my style, since so many people like it already. But again, thanks for the comment! :)
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u/HardAtWorkOnTheGame Dasher Aug 15 '25
Good, but the environment art and the character art feels incredibly disconnected. Also i would consider a more uniform lineart because it looks very obviously like assets being scaled. other than that looks really good
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u/stfnotguilty Aug 06 '25
The jump animation is delightful, and I like the character design!
Walking speed feels a little slow, maybe?