Penumbra

Progress

Where the project is and what has already changed. The current plan covers the playable slice (vertical slice): a part of the game about two hours long, for internal testing and a closed playtest. It is not a public demo.

  1. F0Asset curation: In progress
  2. F1Exploration foundation: Planned
  3. F2Time and a living world: Planned
  4. F3Quest, map and player memory: Planned
  5. F4Dialogue v2: Planned
  6. F5Character, items and economy: Planned
  7. F6Slice combat: Planned
  8. F7Slice content: Planned
  9. F8Free-form AI conversation (experiment): Planned
  10. F9Polish and closed playtest: Planned
One candle per phase0 of 10 phases done · 1 in progressCurrent phase: F0 — Asset curation

The trail

Ten phases to the playable slice. Lit candles mark the road already traveled.

Last update:

  1. We are here

    F0

    Asset curation

    Selecting the temporary assets used to build and test the playable slice.

    In progress

  2. F1

    Exploration foundation

    Walking freely in 8 directions, running and interacting with the world.

    Planned

  3. F2

    Time and a living world

    Day and night cycle, with people who change their routines.

    Planned

  4. F3

    Quest, map and player memory

    Map, minimap and a journal that records what the Paladin heard and read.

    Planned

  5. F4

    Dialogue v2

    Conversations with choices, with people who may know, be wrong or hide things.

    Planned

  6. F5

    Character, items and economy

    The Paladin's equipment, items and resources.

    Planned

  7. F6

    Slice combat

    Turn-based combat in the version used in the playable slice.

    Planned

  8. F7

    Slice content

    The places, people and encounters of the playable slice.

    Planned

  9. F8

    Free-form AI conversation (experiment)

    A test of free-form conversation with a few NPCs. It is an experiment and may not make it into the game.

    Planned

    Experiment: may not make it into the game.

  10. F9

    Polish and closed playtest

    Final adjustments and testing with a closed group of players.

    Planned

The chronicle

Every development milestone, from the most recent to the oldest.

  1. Playable slice plan v1

    The production plan for the first playable slice (the vertical slice) was approved, split into ten phases.

    Added

    • A ten-phase plan, from asset curation to a closed playtest. Progress is shown in the Roadmap tab.

    GDD v1

    First complete version of the game design document (GDD) for the playable slice: a short part of the game, about two hours long, for internal testing and a closed playtest.

    Added

    • A design document defining what the playable slice needs: exploration, conversations, combat, progression and content.

  2. Combat 0.4

    Combat gained new layers of reading and reacting.

    Added

    • Strike types: how you attack now matters.
    • Hidden weaknesses: every enemy has weak points you only discover by hitting them.
    • Exploiting a weakness knocks the enemy down and grants an extra turn.
    • Total Attack, a new attack option.
    • Reactive defense: when an enemy attacks, you can try to dodge or parry.

    Combat 0.3

    Attacks are now decided by dice.

    Added

    • Visible d20 rolls against the target's Armor Class.
    • Character attributes that influence the rolls (provisional).
    • Devotion: the Paladin's personal faith, which can rise and fall.

    Changed

    • The outcome of every attack now depends on a dice roll.

    Combat 0.2

    The foundation of turn-based combat with active participation.

    Added

    • Individual timeline: every combatant acts at their own pace, and the turn order can change.
    • Divine Intention: the Paladin senses what an enemy is about to do — but not why.
    • Active Actions: pressing at the right moment improves the result.

    Art technical foundation

    Technical tests to prepare the game's art. Penumbra's own art doesn't exist yet; the tests used temporary third-party art.

    Added

    • A character built in layers, so changing equipment changes how it looks.
    • An art test scene and screen resolution tests.

  3. Project foundations

    Core decisions that guide the whole development.

    Added

    • Engine and language chosen: Godot 4.7 with C#.
    • 3/4 perspective, with free movement in 8 directions.
    • Production tools and development order defined: combat and art prototypes first, then the playable slice.

    Changed

    • Project documentation reorganized.

  4. before

    Vertical Slice 0.1

    A tiny technical prototype to prove the basic loop works.

    Added

    • One area, one NPC, one enemy, basic combat and local saving.