[인디言] Harma, a classic dark fantasy jointly developed by Korea and Japan that used “digging”

classic. A literary or artistic work that can be widely read and shaped by many people for a long time. They themselves become motifs or concepts over the centuries and are sometimes used as a means of reinterpretation or reproduction. This applies not only to literature and art, but also to games with a relatively short history.

The In Direct Shine development team, which grabs attention with a single copy of “Time to Go Back”, is one of those looking to reproduce the classics. What kind of team are they who proudly claim that their first development project is “I dedicate this game to anyone who is tired of a light, colorful and easy game”? Through manager Junhyung Lee, who was responsible for management and development, I heard about the INDIRECT SHINE development team and the Harma game.

Harma, a game faithful to the classic reproduction of sensitivity

Harma is a roguelike deck-building game set in a classic dark fantasy set within the limits of 4-bit color. The main goal is to save the world in crisis from the terrible demons, and in the process, you can encounter the intuitive but difficult progression of the classic game. The title “Harma” comes from the word “Harmagedon” or “Armageddon” which means the final battlefield. This battleground faced in the game was also chosen as the final battleground.

The game is a story with a deep and heavy atmosphere that begins in a dark situation where you fight alone after losing your father, and continues to reflect as someone dismisses him for being Jekyll and is expelled. Players can feel the classic dark fantasy sensibility which is further maximized with more than 100 monsters with limited color and visuals throughout the game, and the high difficulty stimulates the desire to challenge. The world view was influenced by dark fantasy games like Diablo and Dark Souls and the development of the story was inspired by Nietzsche’s philosophy. Each chapter begins with a quote or an aphorism from Nietzsche and is divided into three chapters.

The system called deck building has been referenced in deck building games like Hearthstone and Magic the Gathering, and the combat and roguelike elements have also been mentioned in Darkest Dungeon and Pothe King. The ‘hit slot’, which appears as the main random element of the game, is a concept similar to tossing a coin or dice in an RPG. Each card has a predetermined accuracy and deals as much damage as a successful coin toss.

The drawing of cards is not included in this difficulty and constant variable. Players can choose one of their separate Courage / Wisdom card decks and start the game with all the cards in the deck. The cards that are constantly swapped in a limited deck and the aforementioned randomness provide a battle experience where you can always enjoy different fun no matter how many times you try. In particular, it is suitable for players who like to dig (yarikomi) as the characteristics and limiting factors of each card are clear.

Team In Direct Shine, united by the passion for the game

The team that developed Harma, In Direct Shine, has a total of six people, including two developers and two artists, and one responsible for design and sound. I first started in March with a game director and manager, whom I met while studying in Japan, and then I started recruiting development staff through the Japanese Indie Game Developer Connecting Platform.

The recruitment of the artists came after the game was planned, and here, the dot artist Ginoya, who was in charge of the monster, the core of Harma, and the dot artist Koyo Fuju, who maximized classical sensibility by creating some monsters, deck selection screen and card illustration, etc. I was able to meet Aoki Shintaro, a sound creator and pianist who made background music and sound effects possible.

Point artist Ginoya, who participated in Final Fantasy 3 Pixel Remaster and Romancing Saga Reuniverse, was the person who made the first game and contacted him questionably. But she just happens to be, the timing was right and I was able to be with the team, and her work was a big help in smooth development and design. Sound creator Shintaro Aoki, who has worked on several games and animations including The Sims 4, has done the same. He said it was the first time he had participated in a dark fantasy work, but because he understood the world view through a constant exchange of views, he was able to proceed with the development without too much difficulty in the work.

Indirect Shine is made up of freelancers and students met by chance, but well aware of the individual passions and strengths of the members, and cooperation seems natural. Manager Lee said: “We haven’t achieved our goal, but the Pointillists have a great need for monster encyclopedias and we want to show that we also have such awesome monsters.” “Encyclopedia of Monsters” system.

A tribute to those who are tired of a light, colorful and easy game

Indirect Shine is also positively evaluating porting to other platforms. In fact, after speaking to a PlayStation official, he said he was told that if it was released on the PlayStation platform, they could help. Considering that the launch of the Steam version for PC has been set as a goal to get donations, I think Harma will be available not only on mobile but also in various places.

At the end of the interview, the manager said: “I made a ‘dark, deep and heavy game’ to create a favorite game and, although the desire for development was satisfied, I always wondered what others thought of this work. “I hope the people reading the article think such a game exists. The reason why I create a deep and dark game that is different from traditional games is because I wanted to show that there are games like this. If you try something by reading an article or watching a game, I hope you try it at least once. If that happens, I think I’ll be able to be proud of myself as a developer. “

Hopefully doubts about their first job can turn into certainties, and I’m proudly looking forward to gaining momentum for the development of the next game.