Hank: Drowning On Dry Land News

Hey, everybody!

Kuba from My Next Games here. I’ve been a little nostalgic recently. I think what triggered it is the upcoming 10th anniversary of me quitting my job and becoming an indie game developer. It’s been an interesting journey. When I started I knew it would require a lot of work. What I didn’t know was how much talking would be involved :D.

The life of an indie game developer requires you to constantly introduce your projects to new people. After a while you can do it in just one sentence. For the game I’m currently working on Hank: Drowning on Dry Land the phrase I’ve been using goes like this:

“It’s a game about a time-traveling Batman-esque vigilante with an alcohol addiction problem.”

If the person you’re talking to is interested, what usually follows is:

“Ok, sounds cool… But how do I play it?”



The obvious answer is the genre. This is also where the problem with Hank begins. It might sound stupid… but… I don’t know the genre of the game I’m making :( When I started to work on it I wasn't thinking about some other game I wanted to emulate, I just had an idea for an interesting time traveling mechanic that I wanted to explore. How do I answer the “How do you play it?” question then? Well… What I usually do is just show the footage of the game.



Although this answer is satisfying, unfortunately it doesn't solve the problem. Modern gaming is built on the scaffolding of genres. Steam, Newgrounds, Itch.io, Striked wherever you go you use them to find games you might be interested in.

We’ve decided to do something about it. Today starts the Summer Steam Next Fest and Hank: Drowning on Dry Land will be included!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1937880/Hank_Drowning_On_Dry_Land/

The short demo we’ve prepared focuses mostly on showcasing the game’s mechanics. Yeah… There is some intrigue there (We couldn't help ourselves :P) but the story will be a much bigger part of the final game. Anyway you can play it right now and if you do - don't forget to let me know what genre you think our game is. If you'd like to also discuss it with us, drop by one of our Next Fest Steams. Here are the dates:

First Livestream Event Date: TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 9PM CEST
Second Livestream Event Date: FRIDAY, JUN 23, 9PM CEST



That would be all for now.
Cya Around,
Kuba



P.S
Also if you're interested there is a free prototype of Hank's dialogue system available on Strike. If you're interested you can give it a try here: https://striked.gg/app/product/39-hank_straightjacket

Hey Everybody!

We have some news to share that we're really excited about: we've been working on a special demo for the upcoming Steam Next Fest, and we would love for you to try it out!



To make the experience even better, we're hosting two livestream events where we'll showcase the demo, provide insights into its development, and have live discussions with all of you.

Here are the important details:

First Livestream Event Date: TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 9PM CEST
Second Livestream Event Date: FRIDAY, JUN 23, 9PM CEST

See you at the Steam Next Fest Livestreams!
Kuba

Hey Everybody!

We have some news to share that we're really excited about: we've been working on a special demo for the upcoming Steam Next Fest, and we would love for you to try it out!



To make the experience even better, we're hosting two livestream events where we'll showcase the demo, provide insights into its development, and have live discussions with all of you.

Here are the important details:

First Livestream Event Date: TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 9PM CEST
Second Livestream Event Date: FRIDAY, JUN 23, 9PM CEST

See you at the Steam Next Fest Livestreams!
Kuba

Hey, everybody!

Kuba from My Next Games here. Sorry for ghosting you on the update last month, but we've got some epic news to spill! We totally scored a spot at the Indie Showcase during this year’s Digital Dragons! Can you believe it?


Digital Dragons is a super cool gaming conference that happens every year in Poland. It's like a big party for video game peeps from all over Central Europe. You'll find game developers, publishers, investors, and all sorts of industry experts hanging out and having a blast. One of the highlights is the indie game showcase, where small game developers can show off their awesome projects.


Our game made the cut and ever since the news dropped We've been busting our butts getting ready for this awesome event. From tweaking gameplay to making the graphics pop, we've been working non-stop to make sure our game stands out. So, yeah, the newsletter had to take a backseat while we rocked the Digital Dragons prep.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1937880/Hank_Drowning_On_Dry_Land/

All the hard work, late nights, and endless cups of coffee paid off big time and our game earned the prestigious Special Recognition award! Can you believe it?


It's honestly hard to put into words just how honored and appreciative we are. This recognition means the world to us, and we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey. We're still pinching ourselves, but rest assured that this recognition has only fueled our passion and motivation to create even more amazing experiences for you. Stay tuned as we continue to work hard and bring you more exciting updates and surprises in the future. Together, we're on an incredible adventure, and we couldn't be happier to have you along for the ride.

Cya around,.
Kuba (I'm the guy in the meddle)

Hey, everybody!

Kuba from My Next Games here. Ouu… how the time flies, It’s already March and it’s time for another one of my updates. Last month I told you a story of Hank: Straightjacket, a free game we’ve made by accident while working on our new project.



Today I thought I would introduce you a bit more to the hero of our games.

Hank Bukowski is a recovering alcoholic who in a moment of weakness suffers a relapse. When he wakes up from a drunken stupor he realizes that he came in possession of a very unique superpower - he became a time traveler.



Feeling a need to repent, Bukowski starts to use his new ability to help others undo their mistakes. However, believing that he can always revert time and simply walk away from any harm, he decides to take a step further. He puts on a mask and assumes a new persona, a crime-fighting vigilante roaming the dark and dangerous streets of Lucrum City.



To downtrodden citizens, Hank is seen as a masked vigilante who, thanks to his incredible resourcefulness, mobility and survival instincts, emerges unscathed from even the most unpredictable encounters. They, as well as his numerous adversaries, do not know that Hank manages to escape death thanks solely to his ability to time travel. All this makes him lead not a double, but a triple life.



At the beginning of his crime-fighting career, Hank has ironically called himself Mayfly, partly after a creature that has a lifespan of 24 hours and partly because of his real-life nickname - Barfly.

With time, the great opportunity he was given started to be his biggest downfall, he relapsed. Realizing that he can barely save himself he started to run away from the responsibilities he once sought out.



His costume started to show wear and tear, his equipment broke and was never fixed. He started to look like a bum pretending to be a superhero. He even stopped covering up his tracks. Once someone overheard his real name when he was yelling at himself while peeing in a dark alley. Even though he was still protecting the citizens of Lucrum City, his reputation has gone down drastically.

That’s all for this month, Cya Around
Kuba