Checking out the Nightcall http://nightcall.sk/ studio website instantly sends you back to the 80s. The team, a five-person indie studio based in Slovakia, is working on a very intriguing retro pixel art adventure called 'Lost In The Void'. We recently interviewed them, so let’s dive into this upcoming title.
Tell us more about your studio. What led you to game development and to “Lost In The Void”?
Nightcall Studio started as a synthwave/retrowave themed party in Bratislava. It later grew into an independent music label releasing albums from local musicians, focusing on synthwave on audio tapes, an independent comic book publisher run by Eniac (https://eniac.ninja/), and eventually an indie video game development studio.
Our first project was a browser-based text adventure created as a promotional piece for the Nightcall Halloween Synthwave Party: http://nightcall.sk/text_adventure2/ (unfortunately it’s only in Slovak).
We quickly realized how much we enjoyed working on it and wanted to take on something bigger. We’re huge fans of 80s movies, sci-fi, old videogames, and RPGs. After several hundred beers, we knew exactly what we wanted to make. We blended all of that into what eventually became Lost in the Void.
Can you describe Lost In The Void and explain what makes it unique?
Lost in the Void is an isometric pixel art RPG inspired by 80s nostalgia. Our goal is to bring back that longing for a childhood you always wanted but never had.
There really isn’t anything quite like Lost In The Void. It may sound cliché, but we’re making the game we always wanted to play though nobody ever made it. At its core, it’s a game about growing up and relationships. At the same time, we want to evoke those childhood memories buried deep in your subconscious. Most dialogues and scenes are based on real experiences from our own childhoods. And all of it is wrapped in delicious pixel art.
The game is strongly narrative-driven, similar to classic PnP RPGs or gamebooks. A narrator describes your surroundings in more detail than our pixel art style can convey, while still leaving space for your imagination to fill in the gaps.
We also put a lot of emphasis on transition sequences between locations. Your group of kids hops on their BMX bikes and chats about various things. Sometimes you’re “one of the kids,” other times you’re the one steering the conversation.
Where did you get the inspiration for Lost In The Void?
First, we have to mention Tajomstvo Dračej steny by Jozef Žarnay, a sci-fi book from 1980s Communist Czechoslovakia. As far as we know, it was never translated into English. It’s about a group of kids who discover an old spaceship hidden in a cave system beneath a mountain near their hometown. They accidentally activate it and end up exploring outer space.
Another huge influence is the 1985 US classic Explorers, directed by Joe Dante. It’s about a group of kids who literally build a spaceship in their backyard, travel to space, meet aliens, and get into all sorts of adventures.
From a gameplay standpoint, our main inspirations are classic isometric Infinity Engine RPGs (Baldur’s Gate, Planescape: Torment) as well as more recent titles like Disco Elysium.
Is there any technical aspect you’d like to share with our readers?
The game is entirely 2D isometric, but we build everything in 3D space. This makes layering assets and constructing scenes easier and more intuitive.
Our sound design is split into real-time recorded ambience and chip-tune samples. This blend draws out the strengths of both approaches, enhancing immersion while you explore the world with your friends.
Voice sound effects are created using digital emulations of classic synthesizers and passed through vocoder effects. The samples are then time-stretched and downsampled to evoke the feel of classic NES-era pixel art games.
Concept Art - Nameless Space Ship - 04
Lost In The Void (@LostInTheVoid_1) July 9, 2022
From early pre-production phase.
By our Art Director @LucienAne #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev #pixelart #pixelartwork #lostinthevoid #conceptart pic.twitter.com/HeGZrY1gT8
How is your development pipeline structured and how is your team organized?
The game runs on Unity with the Universal Render Pipeline. For dialogue management, we use PixelCrushers Dialogue System, also used by games like Disco Elysium. Code is pushed to Unity Cloud, and version control is managed through Plastic SCM.
We rent a small shared space where we meet on weekends to work on the game and play DND in the evenings. Meeting face to face is crucial for us. Ideas are discussed with the whole team, and we all need to agree on a direction or a compromise.
From a project management perspective, we use a scrum-like approach to manage priorities, tasks, and goals.
We love pixel art, and Lost In The Void looks special. Tell us more about your art workflow.
We tried several programs to find an all-in-one pixel art solution but didn’t find a perfect match. So we use Photoshop and Procreate for concepts, sketches, and backgrounds, Hexels for pixel-perfect work and effects, and Aseprite for frame-by-frame animations.
We usually brainstorm scenes to establish the right atmosphere and visual direction, then create props and assets based on aesthetics and gameplay needs.
When will we be able to play the game, and on which platforms?
We’re aiming to release a demo in late 2022/early 2023, featuring 1-2 hours of gameplay. It will be available for free on PC (Steam). If we find a suitable publisher and complete the full game, we would love to bring it to multiple platforms (PlayStation, Switch, Mobile, etc.).