Hey there! This is Lena. I’m so excited that I can finally say that ANOTHEREAL is (anothe) real. I’ve been working on this game & its cast of characters for years?? First through a novel that I didn’t finish (Astra was very different then, but the characterization is the same), and then through my very slow development process as I taught myself coding, pixel art, and more to bring this story to life…
ANOTHEREAL is an RPG that mixes in elements from adventure games (puzzles & limited item use), and STGs (shmup-style battles). It’s a bit different from your usual RPG, but it uses its mechanics to convey the themes of solitude & connection that run throughout the game.
It began as Project Astray, a pixel art video I made in early 2021 to see whether I could do pixel art… All the encouragement & excitement I got from releasing that video led me to keep working on it until it’s at the point we’re at now! Chapter 1 is almost finished, and I’m jazzed to keep working on it & provide updates as I go!
The rest of the post is a bunch of info about the game, but first… if you’re already interested, why not wishlist the game on Steam?? But if you need more convincing…read on.
(ALSO if you're press and want to write about the game... first off thank you!! second off: here's a press kit)
Story
Astra cannot shake the feeling that she’s reached the end of her life. When she receives a sudden text from her sister wanting to reconnect, she’s led outside her room into the world she’s hid away from for so long. But to leave means becoming EXISTENT.
Astra’s journey to leave her home and discover what’s become of the world leads her to meet all sorts of colorful characters. A mysterious fluffy girl named Umbra appears to show her the ropes and teach her how to defend herself. Inscrutable spirits caught up in Astra’s solitude challenge her EXISTENCE and drive her toward opening all the doors to escape her childhood home. Beyond this house, who knows what awaits?
Will you travel alongside Astra and uncover the truth? Or will you stop thinking and let it all pass you by?
Gameplay
Exploration in ANOTHEREAL involves wandering the world, meeting people, and uncovering mysteries. The way you interact, however, is determined by whether you are EXISTENT or not.
When non-EXISTENT, all you can do is observe. You can look, parse through information, overhear conversations, but never make a tangible impact.
By entering EXISTENT form, you’ll be able to physically interact with the world. Whether that means touching, taking, talking, or using items… But revealing yourself opens you up to being noticed.
If a hostile force notices you, your EXISTENCE is challenged and combat will break out. Encounters use shmup-style verbs to engage with the enemy and defend your EXISTENCE.
As you explore, key items will unlock new shots to equip on Astra’s ghost form. Meaningful experiences will unlock new types of specials. Bonds with your allies will unlock support skills to enhance how you play… What else will you uncover?
Characters
Astra (she/her)
The protagonist of this adventure! Astra has been through a lot. While she doesn’t open up easily, the internalized struggle has manifested through multiple ways of expressing her Self. She is herself, EXISTENT, ghost, and many other things, but all of them are her. Encouragement from her sister is just the jolt she needs to launch her adventure beyond her recluse existence and begin to reconnect with the true nature of the world. The Real.
Umbra (she/her)
A fluffy weirdo who suddenly manifests inside Astra’s home just as she’s attempting to make the journey out into the world. While initially a bit spooky and elusive, Astra begins to warm up to her as Umbra teaches her the rules and nature of the world. She is the key to helping Astra use her EXISTENCE to finally leave her solitude. What she wants in exchange? Still a mystery…
Ilana Bell (she/they)
Astra’s best friend from the long-ago days of City University’s astronomy program. She hasn’t seen her in years, but they’re always on her mind. Does Ilana still remember Astra? Will they ever meet again? We have yet to find out, but perhaps… Perhaps.
These guys (??/??)
I honestly don’t know. They just sort of appeared one day and won’t go away. What’s their deal
MORE TO COME!
FAQ
Q: What’s the deal with the title? Is it “another real”? “ano-thereal”? Do I have to refer to it in all caps?
A: Live your best life! You could pronounce the title like “another real” if you don’t make a stop between the two words. You could also pronounce it like it rhymes with “ethereal” and still derive meaning out of it. There’s other words within the title, too. I hope you’ll scour it for all possible significance before the game actually releases so I don’t have to do any additional heavy lifting in the text itself. As for the capital letters…that’s a stylistic quirk. You could type it as “Anothereal” or “anothereal” if you wanted. In project files, I’ve been referring to it as “areal”, so maybe that’s a cute abbreviation you could try out?
Q: How many chapters / environments are you planning for? Is the whole game planned out?
A: Yes! Short answer is that there will be far more to the game’s world than just Astra’s home. One of the biggest factors in deciding whether I wanted to continue making the game & finish it was understanding the scale & scope of the project, so I’ve mapped out the whole world, each chapter & its plot, characters, gameplay quirks. It would be impossible for me to create an interesting & layered narrative for the characters if I didn’t know where it was all leading towards. Once I had a really clear idea of exactly the emotional moments & gameplay the story would end on, I knew I needed to build everything to lead to that. And here we are! (As for exact numbers, I won’t commit to that reveal until I’m fully certain… sorry!)
Q: The trailer seemed pretty serious… What is the tone of the game? Is it scary?
A: Like any good story I’m trying to bridge the gap between funny and scary that comes out of anyone’s reintroduction to life. There’s a lot of silly stuff!! I just focused more on the narrative drive for the reveal since i’m finally showing the combat, and there’s a lot of weight that comes with that.
Q: Wait you did all of that? The art too? Are you making everything yourself? Do you need help?
A: Ha— Yeah, part of why it takes a long time is that I am challenging myself to do things I don’t always do! I’m learning a lot as I go. I’ve re-done portraits, assets, color palettes all throughout development as I improve and realize I can do better. I’ve never been a full-time artist, so everything that pushes me is a fun challenge to overcome. I’ve also never programmed a game this complex, so I’m learning a lot about code with each new feature I write. The challenge was always self-improvement, giving myself work I don’t always do, and seeing how that helps along my creative process. So I’ll keep working on it by myself until it isn’t feasible to do it all on my own. I don’t know when that’ll be or what I’ll need, but I’m keeping my possibilities open as I go.
One thing I know I’ll probably want (or would really enjoy commissioning) is key art for various things…store pages, character flavor. Nothing solid planned for that yet, but stay tuned?
Q: These characters are cute? Can I do fanart already??
A: Yes! My only requirement is that you send it to me so I can see my wonderful children.
Q: Well dang this sounds neat can I wishlist it on Steam?
A: My man. My pal. You absolutely can. Right here:
[WISHLIST]
