Name: | Monomyth |
Genre: | First-Person Action RPG / Immersive Sim |
Developer: | Dr. Michael Alexander Tröls, MSc |
Publisher: | Ratthew Towers Software GmbH |
Website: | |
Email address: | |
Steam page: | |
Launch Date: | Q2 2022 |
Platforms: | PC / Steam |
Engine: | Unreal Engine 4 |
Price: | €25 / $29 |
Comparable Titles: | Arx Fatalis, Ultima Underworld, King’s Field; |
Languages: | English / German |
MONOMYTH is an immersive, first-person dungeon crawling RPG in the vein of Ultima Underworld, Arx Fatalis, and the King’s Field series.
Travel through a highly interactive, open game world, unrestricted by scripted sequences, hard-coded barriers or grid-based movement.
Use swords, daggers, hammers, maces, bows or a wide range of versatile spells to overcome your foes in real-time combat!
Remain unseen and unheard by sneaking through the shadows in a light and audio-based stealth system.
Talk with the inhabitants of the underworld through a detailed, keyword-based dialogue system. Trade with them or press them for information. But don’t go too far or you may suffer the consequences!
Experiment with a wide range of utility items: Speed potions, water arrows, lockpicks, and many more! A highly interactive world awaits you! Douse torches, bake bread, drink from fountains, and even play instruments!
Unravel the mysteries of Lysandria as you uncover hidden passages, dive through flooded caves, and overcome the living nightmares that inhabit the ancient halls far below the mighty fortress.
- Open (under)world exploration
- Dungeon crawling without grid-movement
- Detailed character system with 8 unique attributes
- Eleven diverse skills (from Athletics to Lockpicking)
- Emergent gameplay through spells and utility items
- Five vast underworld zones filled with secrets and treasure
- Deadly foes and hidden traps
- Light and sound-based stealth system
- Interactive Environments: Can’t open a door? Break it down or blow it up!
- Over 30 spells and just as many weapons
- Keyword-based NPC conversations coupled with dialogue trees
- Designed around freedom: Fight everyone and still finish the game
- Immersive Microfeatures: Bake bread, Get drunk, play instruments, etc
More high-resolution images and key art can be found in the full press kit.
Screenshots
Sometimes enemies may fight each other as well. | The underworld is filled with ancient shrines. |
The fortress reaches deep into the underground. | Not every character you encounter is hostile. |
Strange creatures inhabit the abandoned caverns below. | Lysandria was once a place busy with mining. |
Trailer
Key Art
What is the targeted playtime?
Much like its inspirations, Monomyth will be roughly 20+ hours long (main story).
How many people are developing this game?
Monomyth is mostly a one-man-project. Design, programming, and asset creation are all done by the main developer. For some assets, contractors are brought in.
Are all assets original/self-made?
Roughly 90% of all visual assets are self-made by the developer. As mentioned, some are bought in addition - especially music, some animations, and some particle effects.
How can all of this be done by a single person?
The key to Monomyth’s development lies in strict workflow optimization (i.e., building the right tools), modular designs (i.e., reusing work steps) as well as procedural asset creation (i.e., automating certain work procedures, especially for texture creation).
What engine does the game use?
Monomyth uses Unreal Engine 4 (UE4).
Any plans for a console release?
Depending on the demand and financing Monomyth may be released on consoles at a later point in time. UE4 allows for a comparatively simple porting process. However, certain features would have to be adjusted for pure gamepad controls.
Any plans for [language x/y/z]?
Depending on the demand there will be additional language support. Initially, the game will be launched in English and German.
Are there any hidden quests?
Yes. The underworld is filled with “environment quests”. These are not necessarily recorded anywhere or perhaps just hinted at through rumors. Advanced puzzles and attentive exploration play a major part in these side quests.
Is the game structured in a linear way or rather open-ended?
From a game design perspective, Monomyth is structured as openly as possible, while still providing a sense of direction for the players. Those who wish to go out and explore the underworld on their own will be able to do this, while those that try to follow the flow of regular progression are lead through implicative level designs. To give an example: Players might encounter a locked door and take it as a hint that the area behind it is not yet important. This, however, does not stop curious players from breaking down the door and exploring that part of the game anyway. Additionally, challenges and quests are structured in a modular way. There are no soft locks or scripted barriers that require a strictly sequential progression through the game. All NPCs can be attacked. There is no mystical thread of prophecy to be severed.
What is the game’s setting like?
Monomyth is set in a post-apocalyptic, dark fantasy universe. Storms are ravaging the world’s surface and people are forced to live underground. There, they build vast, isolated fortresses, often consisting of several levels, reaching deep down into the earth.
Some fortresses are fiercely fought over, as they have access to many sought-after resources, like clean water or plentiful food (mostly mushrooms and certain roots). Those that were tough enough to remain on the surface often band together in merciless raids. Savage tribes roam the wastelands, while dark and ancient horrors lurk below.
What stores will Monomyth be released on?
Monomyth will initially be released on Steam. Later releases on different platforms like GOG and Epic Stores are planned as well.
After spending over five years in research and publishing numerous papers Michael Alexander Tröls earned his PhD in computer science at the Johannes Kepler University in Austria.
For many years he has been making games as a hobby, handling design, programming and 3D art. His toolset for game development includes Unreal Engine 4, Unity Engine, Blender, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, Gimp, Audacity, Visual Studio (Community), Java, C#, C++, and Git.
Michael’s main project “Monomyth” has been in development over the last couple of years. In 2021 he established “Ratthew Towers Software” to finalize this work and go professional.