WireSoul - puzzle game [WIP]


Hi everyone!

I would like to present You my Blender game project.
It will be 3rd person logic puzzle game from scientific environment (I don’t like the comparison, but someone on G+ submited the best description:

Portal without portals
). You will go through various test chambers, where You will be testing “Vorochron” device which can manipulate with time (stop time, record time period, playback recorded time). By using this device You will be solving puzzles and make progress in the story. Yes, there is also a story :wink:

If You want to see how it currently looks like, I highly recommend visiting the:

The newest demo for windows you can find HERE!

Old (but functional) version for linux:
Linux (windowed)
Linux (fullscreen)

!!! Demo !!!

Well… alpha state and only for Windows.
Download it, test it, enjoy it and report everything that doesn’t suit you.
You can experience everything what you saw in all devlogs and little bit more. Alpha state is mainly for testing purposes, if it will go well, I will release beta state - bugfree, complete, optimized,… and after that will become definite version with sounds, propper menus and more levels.

Known issues:

Solved issues:

Now with portals! :yes:

For demonstration, currently fourth devlog/tutorial:

Major features since the first devlog:

  • Simulation of disassembled death
  • Videotexture
  • Reflection
  • Ballistic trail
  • Procedural animation (carrying/throwing)
  • Particles
  • Normal-based alpha
  • Light probes
  • Dynamic shadows
  • Time-stop/record/playback

I know that this is an ambitious project for one person and it’s going very slowly, but I realy hope that I won’t finish it myself but somebody will join me and help me bring up this little baby :slight_smile: Currently I mostly need help with everything around sounds, but I would appreciate any help in any field (modeling, animation, scripts, design,…).

And last but not least. “Technical” information:

  • Some of the textures are edited in Gimp, EVERYTHING else is made directly in Blender. I really don’t want to write here how I made every single feature, so If You have ANY questions don’t hesitate to ask and I will try to do my best in answering.

  • The game will be partialy “opensource”. It means that If donating will work as I hope, the game will be completely free, If not, the game will be “pay what You want” and either way I will release most of the assets (blend files, textures, python scripts,… maybe all of them).
    Note: All assets are made by myself, nothing is copied or downloaded and mostly it don’t follow the “common” ways (specialy scripts). It is not bragging but warning, everything is made exclusively for this game, and If You will use it in Your projects, You should expect errors.

P.S. I’m not a native english speaker so be forgiving. :slight_smile:

[EDITED]__________________________________________________
I know that the first thing which came through Your mind is: “It’s just worse version of Portal, where are Your ideas? It’s same as Portal. Valve did this first. You just copying Portal. etc.”. I know it and I want to assure You, that I’m trying to make WireSoul to be as different as possible.
Saying that WireSoul look like Portal is the same as saying that CoD look same as Battlefield, Gran turismo as Forza motorsport, Sacred as Diablo,… It’s absolutely right, but it’s not a bad thing. Games from same genre just probably will look similar.
I’m promising You, that with the future development WireSoul will be more and more unique (more playable characters, many more features, different environment,…), but it will never be open world MMORPG. Like games that followed Diablo and like games that followed Doom, WireSoul will follow Portal.

Looks like you have some interesting gameplay ideas down, but isn’t the ‘single-mechanic puzzle game inside a lab’ concept getting a bit overused in the indie scene these days? I understand that one might want to emulate the success of Portal, but that doesn’t disqualify the idea of at least having variation in the environments.

It looks really good, you must have a lot of experience with the BGE, or other engines. The only thing that bugs me a little is the effect when time stops, it’s too blurry. It would be much more pleasant to have a “bubble” that warps the surroundings and the player would be inside that. But that’s just my preference.

Can’t wait to see the updates.:slight_smile:

To Ace Dragon:
I have to admit that I have not done the proper research, but I really don’t know a lot of similar games. I don’t know what You mean by “single-mechanic”, but don’t worry there will be two other playable characters and each will have a unique set of “capabilities”. Stingy’s speciality is time and he can do much more than stop it, more advenced features will be already in next devlog. Other character Silur will manipulate with space, and TO-64 will… I don’t want to reveal too much yet, but even the environment will vary through story progress. It never become open world, but maybe just outside ;).

To Geometricity:
Thanks, I don’t have actualy ANY experiences at all. This is only my second “serious” project, the first one meet the expectations (unfinished and forgotten). With the blurry effect You are absolutely right and I’m already changed that. Not the “bubble” way, but the Stingy becomes partialy transparent. There is one screenshot, I hope it is better.


Great game. It looks very nice.
It remembers me QUBE and Portal.

Thanks, they are definitely smilar. I like to look to these games as a “new” genre “LPG” logic puzzle game Portal 1/2, Quantum Conundrum, Qube, The Ball, … and some day maybe WireSoul :wink:

its too much like portal :frowning:

Quite agreed. Creating a game that looks similar to something is okay, however this is almost a replica. Some of the elements (such as the way the doors’ dotted wires look) could be made to look different to Portal.
Aside from being almost graphically identical, it also has a lot of the same mechanics as Portal.

Other than that, you have put a lot of work into this, and it has clearly paid off.
A suggestion is to add ssao and bloom effects to it to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

It looks beautiful. And there is a robot in it! That’s a plus 1 by itself. Nice work.

I know what You mean. I’m realy trying to make it as different as possible, but I played Portal maybe too long and when I’m trying to invent something new it’s realy hard for me to not think about it. I would love to see some specific advices how to do something differently (specialy dotted wires or start and finish of the level right now I’m stuck on it). I believe that just game mechanics are, and will be, what make this game unique (time traveling, space manipulation, switching characters,…).

  • I don’t know how to make ssao, but I assume that will “eat” framerate (maybe I’m wrong). I have just implemented advenced time manipulation feature and it begins pretty hard for my old notebook to run it in reasonable framerate. So mybe there will be ssao in final game, but current goal is to make everything work as it should, after that optimization and after becomes the aesthetics. So far baked AO map have to be enough.
  • I just don’t like bloom, blur and flares in games, it’s just my personal opinion and maybe it will hurt the project, but currently I don’t plan to add it.

Anyway thanks for Your suggestin

Thank You. Be patient about the robots, there will be several of them :wink:

This game looks incredible. And the only reason people are complaining about the similar look to portal is because portal is a relatively new genre of game with a new look. These people probably would not complain about a sci-fi shooter that has a lot of color like Halo or an FPS that is set in the middle-east. Games will be similar. It is just the nature of games. Keep doing what you are doing, and they will eventually change their minds. Great work, man.

Personally, I’m more weary of the hundreds of generic FPS games, zombie games, and survival horror games being developed simultaneously as well, and believe me. I’m not saying this type of genre is bad, the only thing I’m saying is dubious is because everyone is also copying the sterile lab environment of Portal as well (who says it’s the only valid setting for a puzzle game?).

Thank you very much, your comment brings sun to my day :slight_smile: . It maybe look like I’m complaining about the comparsion, but I really just want to avoid duplicate comments. It will never stop me from doing my best.

I’m completely agree with you and the sterile environment is only for the first part of the game (first chapter if you wish), not because of Portal, but because it makes sense. Maybe I’m against myself, but I don’t want to spoil the story so I won’t say what kind of environment you should expect (hint: the game is mainly about time-travelling :wink: ).

Love it!

You should add more colors to the scenes, and some open and bigger zones, it will look even better.

Thank you, it definitely will look better, but just now I’m only focused to make everything work as it should.

I’m just finished another (fourth) devlog. This time about “time-travelling”. Maybe unnecessarily long, hope it won’t discourage you.
Note: When it seams that Stingy randomly changes colors, it’s not a bug, but I’m accidentally pressing wrong button.

It looks the kind of feature puzzle-game fans will adore. Nice work.

Thank you, I hope there will be fans… lots of fans… supporting fans :wink: