The Aussies are killing it in the gaming industry, with indie gems coming at us left, right, and center.
The latest is coming from Sydney by developers WeForge, currently crafting a multiplayer horror game with a dark comedy and otherworldly twist.
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Introducing Macabre, coming to early access sometime next year. After getting hands-on with an early build, I’m qualified to say it’s the type of game to make you shit yourself in fear while laughing at the same time.
The premise is as wild as it is exciting. Gamers can join three of their friends, who stumble into an interdimensional rift of sorts, with the idea of escaping the horrors unscathed.
Jay Topping, creative director at WeForge, describes Macabre as a stealth horror extraction, and from what I’ve seen that seems pretty spot on.
I sat down with Jay to discuss the journey of Macabre so far and to find out more about the game and how the gaming community can get involved.
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It was during Australia’s infamous COVID-19 lockdowns that Jay and his friends made the jump into game development.
“We were basically playing games for like two weeks straight like little freaks and eventually we were like, we should do something constructive,” Topping laughed.
“Horror games are usually single-player, so we never really touched them. But now there are all these indies coming out with these multiplayer elements.”
Jay found himself asking, “Horror films are more fun with your mates, so why aren’t there more games like that?” — hence Macabre was born.
Eventually, WeForge Studios picked up funding from Screen Australia to get their game off the ground.
“We were just basically pouring every dollar that we had into paying people to help us do stuff that we didn’t know how to do,” Jay said.
“And then at the same time, we’re going through this crash course of learning Unreal Engine, which is its own thing.
“Getting the Screen Australia funding allowed us to bring on people to do these things that we didn’t know how to do, which increased the speed at which you learn something so fast. Instead of spending hours trying to figure it out yourself,” he said.
The game will be launching into early access in the not-too-distant future, something that Topping admits he’s nervous about but agrees brings plenty of value to the table.
“We want to make it a really good experience right from the get-go and just build from there,” he said.
Now, Jay and the Macabre team have launched a Kickstarter to help fund the next stages of development, which has exceeded their expectations.
They’ve been blown away by the support they received, reaching their goal in just two days. Though their goal has been reached, every cent helps, and you can still pledge to the Kickstarter and reap the rewards.
During a brief demo of the game, I got to see how players can interact with the environment, craft useful items, and understand the overwhelming terror of Macabre itself.
Gripping the controller, I walked through a dark forest, moving slowly toward a flashing light in the distance – it was all too quiet. I came across a backpack and as I bent to pick it up I copped a demonic claw through the chest.
Game over… Or was it?
My character was quickly whipped away, respawning in the company of a rough-looking bloke named Banjo, his glowing left eye staring at me as he began to fill me in on what just happened.
The comic relief is in full force with Banjo, a wacky and mysterious Aussie guide, leading you as you go — it’s comedy gold.
I can’t wait to see this game develop further, if you’re as keen on this one as I am, make sure you add Macabre to your Steam wishlist.
