Shurshok

Youns is a creature-raising game inspired by Digimon World 1, but with a different combat system. The core idea is that you only raise one creature at a time, build a relationship with it, and influence its evolution through the way you care for it. The same Youn can evolve into different forms depending on how it is raised. After its lifespan ends, it dies, is reborn, and the cycle continues.

The combat system is one of the main ideas I wanted to test with this prototype. Instead of the original DW1 battle style, Youns uses a tactical card-based combat system — essentially a tactical deckbuilder, In the current proof of concept, there are movement cards, melee attacks, ranged attacks, blocking cards, traps, and grenades.

The world and creatures are heavily inspired by Latin American mythology, legends, and folklore. The story revolves around the idea that cultural roots are being lost because of technology. In this world, many Youns have been corrupted by technology, and the goal is to find those that are not completely corrupted, bring them back to the city, and strengthen bonds of friendship and coexistence as a way to resist that corruption.

In addition to creature raising and combat, the game also includes city growth and resource management, supported by an incremental progression system. This system allows the player to improve the city, obtain items, train their Youn, and gradually enhance the overall experience. Stats directly affect gameplay, because the cards use stat multipliers.

What I am looking for

At the moment, I am looking for someone interested in helping shape the project visually, especially in terms of creatures and character design in 3D. I already have work done on the game design side, including GDD material and creature sketches, and I would be happy to share that privately.

My intention is to seriously commit to the project if we are able to secure funding. Right now, I do not have enough free time to fully develop a project of this size alone in my spare time. Because of that, the current goal would be to work together on a more polished demo and trailer that could be used to seek funding. This means I am currently looking for someone who is open to collaborating without payment until the demo is completed. After that, the focus would be on trying to finance the full project.

I should also mention that I already have experience applying for and securing funding for projects, so this is not completely unfamiliar territory for me. My goal is not just to make a prototype for fun, but to build something strong enough to present seriously when looking for financial support.

For the demo scope, I currently have in mind:

* 3 creature models

* 1 building model

* 2 forest maps

* the building interior

* the combat map

In addition to the 3D work, the project would also require the visual design of the cards. As an extra, it would be great to also work on the UI design, but that part is not as essential at the moment.

I also want to make clear that I do not want this to feel like “my project” in a rigid sense. I would prefer something more collaborative and horizontal, where ideas can be discussed and changed together as a team.

Because the creatures are inspired by Latin American folklore, I think it would be especially valuable to work with someone who has some cultural closeness to that background. I speak Spanish, German, and reasonably good spoken English, so communication is flexible. Spanish would probably be the most comfortable language for creative discussion, but it is not an absolute requirement.

If the project sounds interesting to you, feel free to reply here or send me a direct message. I would also be very happy to receive feedback on the prototype itself.

Thank you very much.