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About this project

Miasmata is a new first-person adventure game for PC, independently developed by brothers Joe and Bob Johnson. Miasmata features state-of-the-art graphics, uniqe gameplay and an interesting story. The game is built from the ground-up with our own engine and tool-chain.

Joe and I have been developing Miasmata for over 2 years and are entering Beta within the next several weeks. We expect to ship Miasmata in the 1st quarter of 2012.


THE STORY

You play as Robert Hughes, a plague-stricken scientist on a journey to discover a cure. Your adventure begins on the shores of a remote island called Eden. Long ago, Eden was inhabited by a group of indigenous people, whose extant monuments still decorate the island landscape.

Eden is now home to a scientific research outpost and it is your hope to reunite with your colleagues working there. Unfortunately, you'll soon discover that something has gone terribly wrong...


THE GAMEPLAY

Miasmata is a game of survival, discovery and exploration. Our goal is to create gameplay that challenges convention. We want an immersive experience that gives the player the freedom to discover the world at his/her own pace and in his own way. There are no specific quests for the player: just clues for him to discover, interpret and act upon. 

During his adventure, the player will encounter a mysterious and deadly creature. This creature can stalk the player for miles, lurking behind grasses and vegetative cover. By treading carefully and quietly, the player may be able to elude the creature. If he's careless, however, the player will be forced to confront the creature head-on. 

The island of Eden is filled with dozens of plants and fungi, many of which have unique medicinal properties. Some of these plants hold the secret to curing the plague, so the player must harvest them and run lab experiments to determine their worth. 

Exploration is a key component to Miasmata, so we developed an interesting cartography system. The player can use landmarks, such as ruins and statues, to triangulate his location and construct a map of Eden's boundaries and contours.


THE TECHNOLOGY

The technology powering Miasmata is a brand new engine and tool-chain written from scratch by Joe himself. It is state of the art, featuring outstanding lighting and shader effects and innovative real-time simulations. Some of the unique features include: voxel-based volumetric clouds, advanced water reflection and refraction, volumetric lightshafts and atmospheric scattering simulations.

Miasmata's island of Eden is dense and beautifully detailed. Its landscape is covered by forests with lush canopies. The terrain surfaces are blanketed by tufts of moss and grass. The forest floors have thick undergrowth and are littered with fallen leaves, rotting logs, stumps and sticks.

The creature is governed by a deep artificial intelligence. He uses sight, hearing and smell to track the player and react to his movements. Our robust path-finding algorithms allow the creature to find advantageous positions and trap the player.


THE TEAM

We are a two-man team: brothers in fact. Joe and I have been making games together since we were kids with a Commodore 64. We started making games professionally when we left college about 7 years ago. In that time, we've completed 6 titles, including some well-known games like Obulis, Call of Duty 2 Pocket PC Edition and GeoRallyEX. We are adept at completing high-quality games, and we expect Miasmata to be our magnum opus.


YOU CAN HELP!

Miasmata has been long in the making, and our resources are running out! We need your help to push us through to the end! Any pledge helps. We think we have some cool rewards for our backers, but if you have any other creative ideas, please let us know!

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24
Backers
$1,331
pledged of $5,000 goal
0
seconds to go

Funding Unsuccessful

This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on December 4.

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5 Backers

Your name will appear in the 'Special Thanks' section of the credits

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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0 Backers

A short, tasteful comment from you will appear in the 'Special Thanks' section of the credits.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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13 Backers

A copy of Miasmata upon release. Available as a Digital Download.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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0 Backers

All of the above, PLUS a copy of our current PC game, Obulis. Available as a Digital Download.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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1 Backer

All of the above, PLUS an MP3 soundtrack of the game. Available as a Digital Download.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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0 Backers

All of the above, PLUS a copy of the 'Into Outland' prototype. This is an unfinished PocketPC game we cancelled in 2007. You'll be able to try in on your PC. It's a bit of our history we've never shared with the public! Available as a Digital Download.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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0 Backers

All of the above, PLUS a Poster with artwork from the game.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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2 Backers

All of the above, PLUS a DVD copy of the game AND a signed, limited edition Hardcover Art Book. The Art Book features artwork and commentary from Miasmata's development.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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1 Backer

All of the above, PLUS your name and short epitaph will be etched onto a gravestone somewhere within the game world. You can write your epitaph, of course.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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1 Backer

All of the above, PLUS a photograph of your choosing will be a collectable item in the game. Since the game takes place in the 1910's, I will edit the photograph to fit that era.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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0 Backers • Limited Reward (1 of 1 remaining)

All of the above, PLUS God Mode. You get to determine the keyboard code that unlocks invincibility. Besides Joe and me, you will be the only one that knows this secret.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

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0 Backers

All previous rewards except the $500 level reward, PLUS Your own hidden in-game Island! This small island will contain a monument in your honor, a table with your favorite foods, and a written note that other players can read to learn just how awesome you are. I will consult with you to make this island to your specifications.

Estimated Delivery: Feb 2012

Project By

Milo.large

Bob Johnson

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I am an artist and game designer trapped in the frozen wilderness of St. Paul, Minnesota. I have a cat named Milo. He is a good cat, but I think he is trying to kill me. He is our inspiration for Miasmata.

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