Dark Lessons News

Hi!

I’m beyond excited to share the newest gameplay trailer for my horror
game Dark Lessons! It showcases the overhauled environment and improved graphics I've been working on for the last few months, and it also gives you a first impression of the new inventory system. You can follow this link to view the trailer on YouTube:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

In addition, I also updated the screenshots on Dark Lesson's Steam page to more accurately represent the current state of development. Everything looks so much more atmospheric than just a few months ago.

Here are three examples:


Interactible objects are now highlighted when you look at them.


Light shafts and volumetric fog add to the atmosphere.


The inventory still needs more design work, but I'm really proud that I've got a 3D inventory in my game after all.

[h2]It takes a village to make a solo dev’s game[/h2]

With the functioning inventory and my first basic puzzle in place, it was time to start alpha testing the game last weekend. BIG SHOUTOUT to the twelve testers who volunteered to check out Dark Lessons in it's still somewhat rough state and give me much need feedback. While some of the testers had a good time and got to experience the alpha as intended, a few too many had a less than stellar experience. On some systems, unexpected graphics and performance issues made testing a drag. I’ll be hard at work rooting out those issues over the next couple of weeks.

Between testers, artists who provide assets, developers who create tooling and voice over artists and streamers who help popularize a game, it’s truly mind blowing how many shoulders I as a solo game dev am standing on. I almost feel like a fraud putting my name on this when my own contribution is just the visible tip of the iceberg. In this vein: Thank you so much to everyone who has been supporting me!

[h2]Dark Lessons is part of the Games Baked in Germany Event[/h2]

This weekend, Steam is celebrating games made in Germany, with Games+Germany organizing the event. I’m incredibly honoured to be part of the celebration with my humble horror game. Be sure to check out some of the other wonderful games from my home country, many of which are now on sale:

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/games-made-in-germany-2024

Of course, if you haven't done so yet, don't forget to support me by wishlisting Dark Lessons!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2675700

Hi!

It's been a while since I got you up to date on Dark Lessons here on Steam. Last month, I described how I had spent February learning 3D modelling so that I could improve the look of the game. After another month, I'm finally done overhauling the area that you'll explore in the demo, so I thought I'd share some before-and-after screenshots with you. Note that the lighting will be appropriately darker in the actual game, but all images are in-engine.



In many areas, I added detail while maintaining the overall layout of the room. I modified or added models and balanced the color palette, but another big improvement is the use of materials with normal maps for floor, walls and ceiling to create the illusion of depth and texture. If you look at the tiles and wallpaper in the image below, you'll see what a huge difference they make.



Another example of similar changes is the teacher's study. Here, however, you can see that some surfaces, like the cork board and leather chair, might still benefit from more realistic materials.



In the case of the master bathroom, I completely changed the room's layout. To be fair, though, there's now another bathroom that features the tub from the old one ...



The angle of the image below makes me wonder whether I should make a fixed-camera style horror game one day. 😉 I've already got code for working mirrors in the prototype, by the way, but I still need to make them less performance-intensive and also ... add a model for the player character, so you don't stare into empty air when looking into the mirror.



Finally, I added those rooms that were still missing in my prototype, such as the pantry below. If you look closely, you might notice a slight double vision (aberration) effect, as is used in Phasmophobia.



How do you like the changes? Feel free to let me know what you're thinking!

While the rooms for the demo are mostly finished, there's still a lot of work ahead. I'm currently (re-)implementing and improving gameplay mechanics from the prototype, but I also need to continue work on puzzles and want to update the character design from the ready-made assets I've been using so far ... and then there's all the busy work of adding customizable settings. I get dizzy just thinking about it! 😵‍💫

Meanwhile, if you haven't done so yet, wishlisting Dark Lessons is the best way you can support me! And if you've already wishlisted: Thank you so much for your support!

One month ago, I launched the Steam page for my horror game Dark Lessons, where you have to escape from your murderous teacher's home. After the marketing activities surrounding the launch, I was eager to continue working on the game.

I thought that I was almost done with the ground floor of my evil teacher's house. Below, you can see a bird's-eye view of the prototype in Godot, the game's engine. Besides this floor, the house also features the attic and a secret area that you'll unlock in the third act.


I was off to adding more content — and hit a brick wall.

Until this point, I'd used premade assets straight in the game engine. This worked for prototyping, but it also caused issues: I had to hide spots where models didn't fit together or where textures got stretched or squashed. In the image above, you can see elements overflowing, because my options to customize them directly in the engine are very limited. I also needed to add a few complex animations and had no idea how to create them.

That's why I decided to spend February learning 3D modelling in Blender. This has slowed me down a bit, but it was definitely worth it. Besides getting ready to add custom animations and modifying character models, I can now create a clean version of the house.


Blender allows me to place elements more precisely, add extra detail and get closer to my vision of what I want Dark Lessons to be.

While the general room layout will be the same as in the prototype, the rooms will be more spacious, too. Below is an image of the current kitchen in the prototype (top) versus the new version in Blender (bottom). Even though the new rooms are still work in progress, there are clear improvements visible already.


I can't wait to show you more progress in the next update! Would you like me to present some visual effects that I'm planning to implement, or should I instead tell you more about why your favorite teacher has trapped you in her home?

If you don't want to miss any updates like these, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter. By doing so, you also save a spot for Beta testing!

Hi horror fans!

I’m Robert, the indie game designer behind Tall Tide Games. I’m so excited that Dark Lessons is finally live on Steam. I really hope you enjoy the announce trailer as well as the first screenshots.

For Dark Lessons, this is just the beginning. I’m still in the early stages of development, so I’ll be posting frequent updates in the following months. You’ll see how the game’s look and feel improve, and I’ll also be sharing more details about the backstory and what you’ll be doing in Dark Lessons. Along the way, I’m always happy to receive your feedback and suggestions.

If you haven’t watched the announce trailer yet, go check it out immediately, or your teacher will come and find you!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]