Dev Blog 7: Progress Update

Hi, everyone!

We decided to try a bit different approach to our dev blogs – instead of choosing a specific topic to write on as up till now, we’ll start a series of updates in which we give you exactly that – updates on the game. Which new mechanics we’re implementing, what models and animations we’re testing out, and what parts of our levels are being designed or built.

While writing on a specific topic is definitely something we’ll continue to do (every now and then), this new format should let us talk to you more often and more openly about the game’s ongoing progress.

We have plenty of new stuff you haven’t seen yet, built after launching the last trailer. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new in Dark Queen of Samobor:

NARRATION TESTING

We’re currently testing the narration system with placeholder text and audio, soon to be replaced by the real thing, voiced by none other than Sandra Lončarić, one of Croatia’s most acclaimed actresses and national drama champions. Unfortunately you won’t hear the placeholder audio here, but you’ll hear the real thing soon enough!

SECRET PASSAGE

We’ve added a secret passage mechanic that allows us to hide certain sections of the map. Spoiler alert (this time beforehand): some collectible items may be tucked away in these hidden spots...

BLOCKING OUT

We’re deep into blocking out the remaining parts of the game, everything beyond what you’ve seen in trailers or past the early prototype you might have played at some of the conventions where we did playtests. It’s a long way forward, but with most core mechanics now in place and tested, we’re confident and excited to build the world of Dark Queen of Samobor further.

NEW ENEMY TYPES

We’ve already completed several new enemy types, with more on the way. Without giving away too much, here’s a little teaser: giants and vampires, their original concept art and the final in-game models (they are still not fully functional though):

Steam post imageNemri Giants Concepts

Steam post imageNemri Giants in-game

Steam post imageVampires Concept Art

Steam post imageVampires in-game #1

Steam post imageVampires in-game #2

PRODUCTION

On the production side, we attended several conventions and hosted a few smaller playtests of our early build, where we received some fantastic feedback from the community. Our studio and Dark Queen of Samobor were also featured in major local newspapers.

Playtesting Dark Queen of Samobor at Blend: Film & Games Conference

From left to right: Aleksandar Baranji (Programer), Mato Vincetic (Art director), Josip Vincetic (Writer & Producer)

Our studio and Dark Queen of Samobor in local newspapers!

In addition, we were invited as guests on Croatia’s biggest gaming podcast -- you can watch the full episode at the link below! It’s in Croatian, so you might not catch everything if you’re not from the region, but you’ll get to see the faces behind the game: Mato, our Art Director, and Josip, our Writer and Producer.

View store page That’s it for this round of updates! If you’d like to stay in the loop between blogs, join our Discord channel where we post weekly updates and hang out with the community. Hope to see you there!

And as always, huge thank you, for your support, feedback, and enthusiasm.

Until next time,

The Dark Queen of Samobor Team 🖤