Dancing Bones: how a student project turned into a game about cowboys and witche

[p][/p][p]How did it all start?[/p][p]When we first started working on Dancing Bones, we never seriously thought it would grow into a big project. It all began with a play, a story about cowboys, magic, and funny situations involving a character named Tony. It was written just for fun, kept in a drawer. But at some point, we realized there was something there. That’s how the idea for our thesis project was born. It started out as a novel, and then everything suddenly changed.[/p][p]We built the first scene, a saloon, in 3D and instantly wanted to walk around in it. Explore it, peek around corners, notice little details. That’s when the visual novel turned into a semi-open world game with new mechanics and much bigger potential. We had to rebuild everything from scratch, bring new people into the team, and learn along the way. A year and a half later, it hit us. This wasn’t just a student project anymore.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]A simple-looking style that hits unexpectedly hard[/h3][p]Dancing Bones looks bright, cute, and cartoonish. It features low-poly graphics, comic-style hatching, and each act has its own color palette. But the style isn’t just for looks. It contrasts with what’s happening in the story. The characters might smile and talk about silly things, while underneath there’s unease, detachment, and a quiet sense that something is wrong. One act uses a sandy purple palette, kind of like an old supernatural movie. It reflects how Tony feels. He wants to leave. He doesn’t feel like he belongs.[/p][p]We love contrast. Visual, emotional, narrative. It keeps the player engaged and off balance in just the right way.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]Optimization, pain, and tumbleweeds[/h3][p]Like every indie team, we hit our fair share of walls. Optimizing models in Unity was nothing like what the tutorials showed. Colors looked fine in the 3D software, completely different in the engine, and lighting often made things worse. We had to tweak everything by hand.[/p][p]Music? We started with GarageBand on an iPad. Early builds sounded like chaos. Too loud, too quiet, or both. We ended up leveling everything manually while learning how to do it properly.[/p][p]Code? The original system was never built to scale. We had to rebuild large chunks of the game. The big lesson? Even if you think you’re making a small game, plan for it to grow. Just in case it actually does.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]Our team and how we kept it together[/h3][p]Back in university, it was just the three of us. Everyone did a bit of everything. Code, textures, story. That helped us figure out what we were each drawn to. Later, friends joined. At first they were just helping out, but they quickly became core members of the team. Now we can't imagine the game without them.[/p][p]Were there conflicts? Of course. But we learned one thing quickly. If you want the project to survive, you have to take care of each other. No burnout, no tug-of-war, no drama. We built a space where someone can say “How about this” and hear “This might work better” without any hurt feelings. Even newcomers feel like part of the group. Just ask Lesha, our most recent addition.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]What we added for players (and a little bit for sales)[/h3][p]We’re making Dancing Bones because we love it. But commercial features aren’t evil. We added skins, preorder bonuses, side quests, and small branching paths because players love exploring. It made the world deeper and more alive. And we still stayed true to our vision.[/p][p]Right now, around 90 percent of our ideas make it into the game. We’ve learned to pitch only what we know we can handle. In the first year it was chaos. Let’s make a minigame. Let’s add a shootout. What if we had horses like in RDR. Now we know our pace, and it feels good.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]What Dancing Bones is really about[/h3][p]This is a story about finding your way. About stepping out of four walls, both literally and metaphorically. About accepting who you are and refusing to be the version of yourself that makes others comfortable. It can be lighthearted and funny, or it can reflect something deep inside. You can enjoy the cozy settings and fun characters. But if you look closer, you’ll find something deeper too.[/p][p]We’re not trying to force drama. But underneath the humor, there’s enough to make you stop and feel. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]If you’re reading this, thank you. You’re already part of this story.
Tell us in the comments what kind of behind-the-scenes stuff you’d like to see next. We’ll show you, talk about it, and maybe even remember to render it.[/p][p]See you in the saloon,
The Dancing Bones team
🐎💀✨[/p][p][/p][p][/p]