FIRSTLY, THE RESPONSE…

The response we’ve had since the game’s announcement has been amazing. From seeing those weird ‘reaction videos’ to the overwhelming amount of online articles that have filtered across social media. It’s been humbling to see the positive reaction.

We now have a Steam page available, so be sure to click the link and add yourself to the game’s community.

THE SURVIVAL ADVENTURE…

One of the main questions we’ve had since the trailer was revealed is “What exactly IS Impact Winter?” We thought this would be a good opportunity to give context to the game’s overall design and what will hopefully make it different to a lot of the other survival experiences you’ve played.

Whenever people ask us what type of game Impact Winter is, we always respond with… ‘Survival Adventure’.

Although our game has obvious survival mechanics and inspirations (stats, crafting, environment effects, resource management etc.) it also has an equal blend of RPG/Adventure (team members, story paths, roles, definitive ending etc.) It’s not our aim to try and compete with the already-long list of ‘survive-as-long-as you-can-’em-ups’, and Impact Winter definitely hasn’t been created to capitalize on a popular genre/theme.

The truth is, Impact Winter has organically grown since its inception. It’s one of the wonderful things about being an indie developer with a small team: you have the freedom to let the game almost take on a life of its own. Key features have manifested from casual discussions or an outsider’s enthusiastic feedback – and that’s the beauty of how we work – remaining true to our original vision, but with enough flexibility for new ideas/concepts to form.

FAQ TIME..

WHAT’S MY AIM IN IMPACT WINTER?
Upon starting the game, Ako-Light (your robot companion) intercepts a scrambled radio transmission that hints at help arriving in 30 days. Your objective is simple: guide yourself – and hopefully your team – through the next 30 days until the 30 day Rescue Timer reaches zero.

CAN I AFFECT THE RESCUE TIMER?
You can. A key part of the gameplay loop takes inspiration from classic RPGs where you earn ‘experience’ and ‘level-up’. In Impact Winter, you’ll be rewarded for your discoveries and choices, and this will strengthen Ako-Light’s signal and lower the Rescue Timer.

SO I CONTROL A TEAM?
Yes and no. Impact Winter isn’t designed as a people simulator. Instead, your team will think and act for themselves, moving, eating, drinking, sleeping and keeping themselves occupied. You won’t be in charge of telling people where to go, instead you’ll be leading over them in a more managerial way. Organizing rations, choosing what gets built, assigning roles, solving dilemmas and even choosing sides in an argument. This isn’t a game that’s built on micromanagement.

SO MY TEAM MIGHT NOT FOLLOW ORDERS?
If a team member is depressed from being too bored, or running low on energy from being worked too hard, don’t expect them to do exactly what you tell them.

WHY DO I NEED THE TEAM?
Jacob represents the ‘every-man’: an all round leader, capable of exploring the the Void. Your team on the other hand – they possess specific skills that are a huge boost to your chances of survival. From using Blane’s survival expertise to craft traps, lock picks and weapons, to utilizing Maggie’s mechanic skills to build upgrades to your makeshift base.

SO I CAN USE THE TEAM TO CRAFT WHAT I WANT?
Not exactly. At the start of the game you’ll be responsible for choosing a path – represented by each team member. The path you choose will lead you along that character’s story, unlocking their skills as you progress. This aids replay value and presents you with different options/rewards based on who you’re choosing to focus on.

HOW BIG IS THE GAME?
The world is split into the external map known as the Void and the various underworld location buried below. These buried locations vary in size and provide approx 23hrs of exploration (not including the external map). Overall, we estimate the game to take first-time players between 10-15hrs to complete. Expert players will be able to approximately halve that time through focusing on lowering the Rescue Timer.

IS IT COMING TO CONSOLE?
Our focus is firmly on PC at the moment.

WHAT ENGINE ARE YOU USING?
The game is being developed using Unity 5.