Introduction

Welcome to our first Shadow Log!

We are excited to embark on this journey with you as we delve into the development of our game, Project Henchmen! Project Henchmen is a third-person tower defence experience. Our small yet dedicated team is committed to blending strategic gameplay with immersive third-person action, offering a fresh twist to the tower defence genre.

During this development phase, we will release our Shadow Logs weekly, every Friday. These updates will provide insights into our progress and the game’s evolution, featuring concept art and sneak peeks at the mechanics and features. Since Project Henchmen is still in early development, please note that nothing is final at this stage. We hope you enjoy what we have to share!

First up, a sneak peak into what the art team has been working on!

Below is a look at early concepts of Mt Vile’s cave system, inside is Emperor Damon’s lair. To create this lair Damon used his minions to fabricate stone structures as he sees it above himself to do such a task. The art team has created a balance between natural cave and refined architecture. Below is a look at early blockout based on the concepts of the liar. Ensuring the scale is correct the artist has used 2 scale references, one of the Emperor Damon and one of his minions.

Moving on the exciting to the tower/trap concepts and initial blockouts. First up is the Fire Trap, by harnessing the power of the active lava underneath to spit fire from the eyes and mouth. Next up is the Minion Lava Pool Spawner, Damon has created a diabolical creation using the lava to give it sentience to kamikaze into the enemy, even after death the lava minion still lives as a pool of lava. Third up is the Hammer Spinner, using a Minion to power up the spinner to wack oncoming invaders into meat paste, however after extended use the minion will become too dizzy to function and will need waking up. Lastly is the Crystal turret, again using a ‘loyal’ minion to launch an endless barrage of crystals to overwhelm any army looking for trouble.

Lastly from the art team is the player character, the minion. Surprised you aren’t Emperor Damon, well too bad. As the Minion you are absolutely ‘loyal’ to Damon and have no thoughts of creating any unions at all.

Our design team has been hard at work transforming the art team’s concepts into a fully realised lair level.

In the Emperor Damon’s lair, an intricate system of upper and lower levels is revealed and concealed as the lava rises and falls, courtesy of villainous machinations. These include resources cascading from the ceiling and the interplay of world mechanics like lava pipes and vents.

Each pathway leads to major defence areas, designed with a maximum of two lanes converging at these strategic points. For instance, the paths leading to the bottom right of the central chamber feature one lane on the upper floor and another on the lower floor, both converging at a defensive stronghold. This design ensures a dynamic and challenging environment where players must strategically navigate and defend against incoming threats.

Let’s take a sneak peak at what the tech team has been working on this week.

Below is a super early version of the building system for Project Henchman - collecting, placement mechanic for turrets and traps.

Pick up system for equipment and animation blending for switching equipment.

As we conclude our first Shadow Log, we hope you are as thrilled as we are about the progress we’ve made on Project Henchmen. From the intricate lair designs crafted by our art and design teams to the foundational mechanics being developed by our tech team, every element is coming together to create a unique and immersive tower defense experience.

Stay tuned for more updates every Friday, where we’ll continue to share the evolution of Project Henchmen, complete with new insights, concept art, and development milestones. Your feedback and enthusiasm are invaluable as we navigate this creative journey. Until next time, may your strategies be sharp and your minions loyal!