Hey there, and welcome to our very first devlog on Itch.io!
Ikon has been in active development for over a year, and we’re stoked to start sharing it here. This post pulls together everything we’ve built so far, giving a full look at the world we’re creating and what you can expect going forward.
What is Ikon?
Ikon is an online multiplayer creature survival game where you play as evolving elemental beasts called Ikons. You’ll hatch from an egg, grow through multiple stages, and unlock new abilities and forms as you level. Every creature has its own unique identity, playstyle, and evolution paths.
At its core, Ikon is about exploration, combat, and creature collecting- but with a deep layer of customization and progression that lets you build your perfect loadout and play the way you want.
Built for Depth and Performance
Ikon is powered by Unreal Engine 5 and built on a highly customized version of the Gameplay Ability System (GAS), offering tight, responsive combat and RPG-like depth.
Even with cutting-edge features like dynamic real-time weather, a full day-night cycle, and UE5’s lumen and nanite systems, we’ve kept the game well-optimized. You don’t need a high-end PC to experience beautiful visuals and fluid gameplay.
On the backend, Ikon uses a secure, database-driven structure with tokenized player data and dedicated servers. The goal is to ensure everything runs smoothly while allowing server owners freedom to customize their worlds in the future- including custom creatures and rule sets.
Choose Your Starter, Shape Your Journey
Every player begins by choosing one of three starters:
Embird – A fierce, fire-powered Therizinosaurus
Hydronyx – A swift water-type with a sleek, Baryonyx-inspired form
Paraflower – A defensive Parasaur that harnesses plant energy
From there, you’ll explore, battle, and collect eggs from other wild Ikons. Every new egg you find unlocks that creature as a playable character, which starts as a hatchling and evolves over time.
Evolving Combat and Customization
Ikon’s grid-based skill system gives you full control over how your creature plays. Unlock new abilities, choose how to spend ability points, and evolve your moves with elemental augmentations. For example, you might take a standard claw attack and turn it into ‘Flame Rip’ by applying a fire element.
Abilities can be deeply customized, and each Ikon has a unique grid to explore. Traits, stat growth, and even visual mutations can vary between individuals, especially when breeding comes into play.
Weather That Matters
We’ve added a full dynamic weather system that affects gameplay, not just visuals. Weather conditions can influence combat and survival; snowstorms might drain stamina or reduce vision, while heatwaves could boost fire types or weaken others. We’re still refining this system, but it’s already functional and in-game.
Where We’re At Now
So far, development has included:
Targeting system with ranged and melee combat
MMO-style movement and camera
Skill grid and ability augmentation system
Dedicated servers and backend integration
Dynamic weather and time-of-day
Inventory and UI systems in progress
Network replication across UI, abilities, and animations
An expanding roster of Ikons and elemental types
What’s Next?
We’re actively working toward a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), with plans to grow Ikon through regular updates and (free!) DLC. Our goal is to create a living, breathing world where every creature tells a story and every player carves their own path.
If you're into creature collection, open-world survival, or just want to evolve a giant elemental dinosaur with fire claws, we’d love for you to follow our journey.
Thanks for reading, and welcome to the start of something we hope will grow into a wild, vibrant community.
-The Ikon Team