Universal Cavernaut: Cave flyer with random maps -- coming mid-September

Discussion in 'Upcoming iOS Games' started by Einheit B, Aug 30, 2015.

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  1. Einheit B

    Einheit B Well-Known Member

    Aug 28, 2015
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    Designer & developer
    Muenster/Germany
    #1 Einheit B, Aug 30, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2015
    Hello everybody,

    I'd like to announce my first game, Cavernaut. I've been working on it for more than three years, and in a few days it will be available in the App Store!

    Cavernaut is a cave flyer, inspired by classic titles like Lunar Lander, Thrust, or Solar Jetman. Your goal: Pilot a spaceship from a launch pad deep within an alien planet through a maze of caves to the planet's surface. You'll have to avoid hazards like lasers, mines, or spiked walls, and find landing pads to refill your tanks before you run out of fuel. On your way, you pick up luminum crystals that can be traded for ship upgrades, and perhaps you can discover the fragments of relics from an ancient alien civilization that are scattered throughout the caves.

    The ship is steered with tilt & touch controls. You'll have to make it through 5 levels with increasing difficulty, which are semi-randomly generated every time you play, so no two caves are alike. Do you have the skill to make it to the surface?

    Check out the trailer and some screenshots:




    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    [​IMG] [​IMG]


    What do you think? All comments and feedback is much appreciated!

    The game will be available for iOS on September 22 for an introductory price of $0.99/€0.99 during the first week after it's release. After that, the regular price is $1.99/€1.99. An Android version will be available a few weeks after the iOS release.

    If you want to learn more about the game, or want to contact me, here are some links:

    Game website
    Twitter: @EinheitB
    indieDB page
    GamingSOON page

    Update:

    It's finally available on the App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/app/cavernaut/id972481169?mt=8
     
  2. vectorarchitekt

    vectorarchitekt Well-Known Member

    Dec 29, 2013
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    Looks good! Nice trailer. I would recommend you have ambient music in this game if you don't already (similar to Mines of Mars).
     
  3. Einheit B

    Einheit B Well-Known Member

    Aug 28, 2015
    63
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    Designer & developer
    Muenster/Germany
    #3 Einheit B, Aug 30, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2015
    Thanks vectorarchitect! The music in the game actually is more ambient-ish, compared to the music from the trailer. Not sure if it's anything like the one from Mines of Mars, but I have two tracks from the game on Soundcloud, so you can listen to them here and find out:

    https://soundcloud.com/schoenepauck/cavern-ambience

    https://soundcloud.com/schoenepauck/waiting-for-launch

    Cheers,
    Jan
     
  4. zatoichi

    zatoichi Well-Known Member

    Sep 17, 2009
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    Looks great. Love a good cave flyer.
     
  5. Einheit B

    Einheit B Well-Known Member

    Aug 28, 2015
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    Designer & developer
    Muenster/Germany
    Thanks! It's in review at Apple now, keep your fingers crossed for me.
     
  6. Einheit B

    Einheit B Well-Known Member

    Aug 28, 2015
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    Designer & developer
    Muenster/Germany
    Just a quick update: I had to submit a new binary to apple; while playtesting yesterday I discovered a nasty bug that had managed to evade detection until now. It was one of those that only get noticed very rarely, but when it does, it's very embarrassing :(
    Good news, It is fixed now, but the downside is we will probably have to wait a bit longer until Apple reviews the game.
     
  7. Polgray

    Polgray Member

    Sep 7, 2015
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    This looks awesome dude. I'll definitely be checking this out.
     
  8. Einheit B

    Einheit B Well-Known Member

    Aug 28, 2015
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    Designer & developer
    Muenster/Germany
    Cavernaut has a release date now: September 22

    Thanks!

    And here is an update for you: Apple has finally (after what felt like the longest wait in my life ever) approved the game, so I have set a release date for Cavernaut: It will hit the App Store September 22. To celebrate this I have created a (slightly) updated trailer, see the first post!
     
  9. MountainKing

    MountainKing New Member

    Sep 15, 2015
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    Professional Trailer. Very cool. Do you have made it on your own?
     
  10. Einheit B

    Einheit B Well-Known Member

    Aug 28, 2015
    63
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    Designer & developer
    Muenster/Germany
    Thanks MountainKing! Yes, I was crazy enough to do everything myself, including the trailer. :p
     
  11. PianoCK

    PianoCK Active Member

    Aug 16, 2015
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    Indie Developer
    Kiel
    Wow. Respect!
     
  12. RareSloth

    RareSloth Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    Congrats on your first release!

    Viele Grüße,

    Brian
     
  13. Einheit B

    Einheit B Well-Known Member

    Aug 28, 2015
    63
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    Designer & developer
    Muenster/Germany
    Thanks guys! Danke! This is totally awesome.

    I have a few promo codes to spare, so you can get a sneak peek before the official launch. Please leave a message if you take one, and tell me what you think of the game. All feedback is welcome!

    9XA6R4JX7NMH
    7L7HKXMWRAN3
    6AANHT93JRYX
    947RNJ4TTHWK
    MJXLF6EJJLRX
     
  14. Qwertz555

    Qwertz555 Well-Known Member

    May 22, 2010
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    Thanks for 947RNJ4TTHWK, and sorry for not looking further as the great video, done by a single Dev!
    I didn't realize this is going to be a paid game, but when i see a cave related game, mostly i can't hold my horse (=download finger).

    Cheers and good luck from a friendly swiss neighbor.
     
  15. coolpepper43

    coolpepper43 👮 Spam Police 🚓

    Aug 31, 2012
    4,615
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    On the toilet
    Thank you!!!
    7L7HKXMWRAN3
     
  16. dontonka

    dontonka Well-Known Member

    Sep 23, 2014
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    Indie Game Developer (www.naturalbornsoldier.com)
    Montreal, Canada
    Hey nice game, pretty much on the same path as you are, I wish you the best :). How long did it takes Apple to review and approve it? Was it approved on the first attempt?

    Cheers,
    Eric
     
  17. Qwertz555

    Qwertz555 Well-Known Member

    May 22, 2010
    2,318
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    Some quick imps and let's start with...

    Unfortunately, there is some important (for me) atmosphere missing, due to almost no sfx sounds to be heard (except the coins and hitting a wall). I hardly hear the thruster and maybe some cave typical sounds. I know, it's a space cave, so what should we supposed to hear? Maybe some "whosh and zish" here and there, whatever this translates to some more noisy atmospheric sfx sounds. Of course, this should come with two volume sliders for the music and sfx (some folks realize that i'm repeating this wish in many threads), oh, and the ships' final explosion could definitely use some more love...and BOOM.

    The music is genious. Period.

    The controls might shake off some tilt-haters (as usual) but they work great here combined with the ships weight and thrust ability. Precise manoeuvres are easy done with some tilt and the ships' momentum. I really love your controls, and i'm not a tilt lover, either.
    (Get prepared for the people's wish for an alternative control option, i.e. left/right buttons)

    The music is amazing. Period.

    Thank god, or Dev, there is an invert option for the ships' movement. Default is the wrong one for me, tilting left - going right.

    The random generated levels are always (i guess) a welcomed way to keep a game longer fresh and interesting. Well done.

    Did i say how awesome the music is?

    Area/cave1 is rather slow paced, concerning traps (lasers and bombs) and the easy challenge, and you'll find enough fuel stations on your way up. I could see this getting a bit tedious before the difficulty ramps up in area2...
     
  18. Einheit B

    Einheit B Well-Known Member

    Aug 28, 2015
    63
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    Designer & developer
    Muenster/Germany
    Hi Eric, thanks! All the best for your game, too!
    Apple review took 9 days. Reviews seem to take a little longer currently, maybe the iOS 9 release has kept the Apple staff busy. It was approved on the first attempt, if you don't count the one I pulled from review myself because I had found a huge bug after I already submitted it.

    @Qwertz555: Merci, thanks for the detailed feedback. Separate volume sliders were on my list, but I didn't want to delay the release much longer, so I'll probably add those with the first update. As for the alternate controls, yeah, I definitely expect that request. But for me the tilt control is a core element, and I'm afraid the navigation could never be as fluid with buttons.
    And hearing that you like the music -- that is the most awesomest thing ever: Those are the first real tracks I made, like, ever :)
     
  19. ramon31

    ramon31 Well-Known Member

    Sep 4, 2011
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    Hortacultrist
    Australia
    I took 9XA6R4JX7NMH

    Thanks heaps
     
  20. Jayg2015

    Jayg2015 Well-Known Member

    Jan 5, 2015
    3,734
    41
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    Male
    Player 1
    Liberty city
    Game is great.
    Only problem I have is tilting the phone because I can't make the precise turns I need as you can't see the path correctly because of the tilting of the phone. But that's all in the strategy of the game. The weight of the craft plus throttle and tilt all have to happen perfectly making this game challenging and fun.
    Also you added a "currency" to collect to make upgrades which make the game worth coming back to and playing over and over . If it were a "high score" type of game I wouldn't keep coming back but since their are things to collect and upgrade I'll be playing this for awhile.

    Great job on this game
     

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