MechoEcho on Greenlight! news

The game
MechoEcho is a game about building and piloting robots. Players use the in-game editor to create machines to solve mind-bending puzzles and overcome the obstacles in their way. Part puzzle game / part robotics simulator, the game makes robotics accessible to anyone.

Finding the art style
Like all indie developers, we had to face the challenge of creating an interesting world with a limited budget for graphics. We were inspired by the ethereal atmosphere of “Another World” and David Lynch movies, and wanted to ensure players got that same eerie, unearthly feeling but from an environment with our own distinct style, and on a shoestring.

After lots of trial and error, we found the right mix of style and technology – our own version of CyberDeco. In-game characters are rendered using only particles systems and fluid simulations. We think this helps to convey the other-worldly atmosphere of the settings and allows for engaging morphing sequences. It also allowed us to use simpler character models and animation rigs.

The art deco style allows us to play with light and shadows. Glowing panels and volumetric lights are an integral part of the atmosphere and create a sharp contrast with the darkness of a largely unexplored world. The same contrast between light and darkness allows us to economize on the number of distant buildings and world geometry.

Design guidelines
A game about robotics can become very complex very soon, so we focused on two key design guidelines to keep it fun and creative. First, there is no one ‘right’ solution so players use their imaginations to come up with interesting and ingenious constructions. Second, we wanted players to be able to build complex machines using simple tools.

Initial Steam Greenlight Reception
After one year and a half of development our game has finally landed on Steam Greenlight and has received a very warm reception. So far the community has called it amazing, epic, fantastic, genius, creative, original, and awesome. This has been especially encouraging since this is our first indie project and leaving the AAA gaming industry to make something really personal has been a leap of faith, as well as a long awaited dream.

Please vote for MechoEcho on our Greenlight Page. We would love to get your support and comments.