Steam has zero visibility so far. So thanks for supporting us, folks!

[ 2025-02-03 14:41:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Scale in level design is super important. That's why we have a special level to test all the metrics: [previewyoutube=RLIcy8d9ZtA;full][/previewyoutube]

[ 2025-02-02 09:20:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

KVASIR is heavily inspired by stealth adventure games like Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell. And one of the coolest mechanics we noticed there that was so rarely use elsewhere is the "environmental awareness". Meaning how much you blend in and how easy/hard it is to spot you. Here's an example from Splinter Cell that we used in our documentation:

1. VISIBILITY METER

In KVASIR, the visibility meter (aka light indicator) reveals how visible you are in the environment. At first it was just how much light are you under right now (hence "light indicator" title). But then we realized that player's visibility should depend not just on the light around you but also on your opponent's sight radius. And different opponents will have different sight radius and reaction time. So you'll need to stay in the shadows to outsmart them. [previewyoutube=OmiRsIRYGug;full][/previewyoutube] We also have a couple of shorts on the youtube channel, made for the single purpose of adding vids to our steam posts. But turns out Steam doesn't support shorts. So I'll just drop the link to the playlist (but you also can follow us onTikTok): [previewyoutube=dblQznC-T2o;full][/previewyoutube] Since we already made the technical component to track visibility, next we'll have to painfully tune it in every single location. The challenge here is make the intuitive visibility equal the component's state. E.g. there should be no cases, where the player's sure they are standing in the shadows, but the visibility meter is half-full etc.

2. SOUND METER

Just like with light, we also incorporated sound detection. Of course, the opponents will react to sound, so the speed with which you move and the surface matters. In our original concept, sound meter shows two values: [olist]

player's sound level

background sound level [/olist] Background noise = any noise that is NOT made by the player, having less weight the more distant it is to them. As long as the players sound is not higher than the background - they will not be heard. The rest also depends on opponents hearing radius. It took us quite some time to figure out how to use the wavy visualizer that we wanted in UE - the one you can see on the vids. So right now it only shows how much sound the player makes. And based on our playtests we'll see if we even need the added complexity of background sound level. That's all for now. You can support us on ko-fi and make the release date a bit closer. Your balkan dad wishes you a good weekend! meanwhile dad himself:

[ 2025-01-25 20:00:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey folks, Dima has managed to launch Kvasir on Steam Deck this week. All three of us are loyal fans of the platform. So we thought it would be cool to launch there as well. Also, you're looking at a very cool, updated UI of ours. Please contain your excitement.

Right now we're testing the max amount of info present at the same time, so it will be way less crowded.

[ 2025-01-24 11:09:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

It is time to say goodbye to this fella. He's been with us for the past year.
And now we have finally upgraded him to this guy.
Well, isn't he gorgeous!


Also upgraded the rig and some of the animations.

[ 2024-11-30 07:29:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

How it started >> How it's going

Its been less than a month since we launched our Steam page, and were absolutely overwhelmed by your warm support and encouragement. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for checking out our game! A quick introduction for those new to our journey: about a year ago, Kvasir began as a passion project of a husband-and-wife duoAlina and Arvy. Together, weve spent over a decade each in the game industryArvy as a UI/UX lead and artist, and Alina as a producer and narrative designer. Being long-time fans of the stealth and immersive sim genres, weve felt these areas have been not only lacking fresh ideas and new titles, but even not repeating what was already achieved in stealth. So we decided to take matters into our own hands and make the kind of game weve always wanted to play. However, as two non-coders, diving into Unity and Unreal Engine was a steep uphill battle! Luckily, an old friend and former colleague, Dima, joined our team as the only person who knows how to wrangle game engines. Since then, the journey has been nothing short of turbulent. Soon all three of us had to find new jobs (only one of us is full-time employed right now) and face financial challenges. At one point, we spent months customizing a pre-made solution for the game only to realize it wouldnt work. Reverting those changes and essentially restarting in October 24 was a tough pill to swallow, but weve come back even more determined. Through all the ups and downs, weve managed to make steady progress, and were excited to give you a sneak peek into what weve been working on. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Your support means everything to us as we continue to pour our hearts into Kvasir. Stay tuned for more updates! Alina, Arvy, and Dima

[ 2024-11-27 16:48:33 CET ] [ Original post ]