First things first: I have something playable to hopefully show that this won't be a waste of your time. I know the post below is long, but stick around to the end--or just skip down there first.
Hi there! My name's James and I'm an indie game designer and developer. I started out a few years ago in physical games and fan games, made a few self-published board and card games, and even ran a very small (~$3,000) but successful Kickstarter for one of them a while back. For the last handful of years, I've been working with volunteer game dev teams, teaching myself coding, doing game jams, and making small game prototypes for practice, in order to start getting into making indie video games.
And that's where things are now. I'm looking to put together a small team to create a prototype / demo for a 2D platformer Metroidvania style game. Just a handful of rooms and levels, enough to convey the feel and style of the game to a player, and tease the story behind it. Call it a playable teaser. I don't want to ask people to commit to a complete development cycle until we can see if the game is fun and compelling, and have something we can put in people's hands to play and generate interest. From there, we'd discuss whether or not to move forward into full-on development as a team.
The elevator pitch for the game concept is simple:
The Secret Of NIMH meets Hollow Knight by way of Lovecraft.
The expanded 'trailer' pitch for the story is:
During the winter, while Furrow the squirrel and their pet firefly Glint hibernated, something awoke in the mountains near their small village of Bough’s End. Now, awakening in the final days before spring, Furrow discovers that rather than preparing for the coming change of seasons, Bough’s End is abandoned, and all of the creatures who lived there have vanished into the mountains. Following a trail of clues which point to a shared nightmare and a spreading sickness of the spirit, it is up to Furrow to venture into the mountains, delving into lost ruins and forgotten places, and save the creatures of Bough’s End from a nameless evil--uncovering the secrets of the distant past, and witnessing an entire world beyond their own.
So, what am I looking for in terms of a team? Ideally, I'd like to bring on four people; an artist, a sound designer, a narrative designer, and a level designer. I would be handling coding and overall mechanical design.
Artist
I'm looking for an artist to help develop the visual style and aesthetic feel of the game. The concept I have in my head is a vaguely Secret of NIMH style, in a Hollow Knight type execution when it comes to how the assets are implemented and used. But I'm not an artist myself, so you're definitely going to know better than I am what works and what doesn't.
Sound Designer
Simply put, I'm looking for someone to design sound effects, ambiance, and music. Someone who can work closely with the artist to make the art and sound work cohesively, with the music serving to reinforce the mood of environments and situations. I have in mind a fairly subtle use of music, with a focus on ambiance, but that's something to discuss between us.
Narrative Designer (Optional)
The narrative designer's job would be, essentially, to help develop the story and design how it plays out from beat to beat, write text for dialogue / interactions and so on, and aid in the process of contextualizing gameplay mechanics in a way which doesn't leave them divorced from the story.
Level Designer (Optional)
While I plan to handle the programming and overall mechanical design, I'd like to have a level designer dedicated to taking those mechanics and using them to create environments which are fun and interesting for the player to traverse, working closely with the other team members to gel things into a cohesive whole.
I'm certainly not asking for anything resembling full-time work, here; especially not for the creation of a prototype / demo like this, and especially not with this all being on a volunteer / rev-share basis for the time being. I'd like us to work out a basic schedule, say with a weekly Discord meeting to update where we are and assign tasks and deadlines going forward. I'm really looking for a team partnership, with everyone having a say in things; I have no interest in being a dictator or treating people like employees.
Now, I promised at the beginning that I had something playable; I've been working for a little while on a movement demo to get feedback from friends and playtesters about the movement mechanics I have in mind, and currently it's on the third iteration. Feel free to play around with it and try things out. You'll need an Xbox-compatible PC gamepad.
Download the third movement demo here.
I know this is a long post, and I appreciate you taking the time to read through it, and for any interest you might have in helping out. If you're interested in joining the team, the best ways to reach out are to either email me at RoanArts@gmail.com, or catch me on Discord at Roan Arts#5750. As part of saying hello, I'd love to see any portfolio or prior work you've done.
Thanks for your time! I look forward to hearing from you.