Unsigned – Shapeshifting in sci-fi roguelite Morbid Metal

1This article is a part of MCV/DEVELOP’s Unsigned, bringing a spotlight to unsigned indie games in partnership with Unity.

Morbid Metal is a sci-fi, action roguelite, where players can shapeshift into unique characters to slaughter enemies with powerful combos.

Developer: Felix Schade

Location: Cologne, Germany

Team size: 1 person, full-time

Progress: production, working on a demo.

Contact details: business@felix-schade.de

What is Morbid Metal about?

Morbid Metal is an action roguelite game that offers a unique twist on popular combat systems, letting players simultaneously shapeshift into up to 4 different characters in real-time, each with active abilities and unique traits. This allows for satisfying, high action inter- and intra-character combos, enabling players to slaughter enemies left, right and center in stylish fashion. Diverse combat encounters and intense boss fights are fought through by players in semi-procedurally generated environments that can graphically compete with triple-A games.

Who do you think the audience is?

Hack ‘n’ slash, sci-fi and action lovers, alongside fans of roguelites. The gameplay focussed experience is designed to also appeal to asian markets, already gathering a worldwide following with many fans in Japan and the US. Even players who just want to jump into the game and slaughter some enemies after a long day of work will get their dose of dopamine in the power fantasy that is Morbid Metal.

What experience does the team have?

While I have been developing games for about seven years now and graduated with a B.A in Game Design in 2019, Morbid Metal is my first commercial project.

Why did you decide to use Unity to create this game?

As a solo developer with a project of this scope, it is really important that I have as many tools in my disposal as possible. Unity offers close to everything I could ever need for the project’s development, including high fidelity graphics thanks to HDRP.

How long will it likely take to complete?

Morbid Metal has been in pre-production for around 3 years, refining the core game loop and nailing down the combat system. In late 2020 I decided to go full-time and started production, which I estimate to take until late 2023. However, the game is a great fit for Early Access. I am working towards a fully fledged demo, to be finished early 2022.

What kind of support are you looking for?

Primarily, I am looking for porting, marketing and localisation. While the social media marketing of Morbid Metal is already doing really well, I would greatly benefit from a great network in the Asian markets for publishing and marketing. Of course, funding is also something I am interested in, as I am currently paying the production cost out of my own pocket. Funding allows me to increase the scope of the project, as well as speed up the development dramatically, as I could either form a full-time team or outsource on a larger scale.