A Horror-Survival Game
October 31, 2024
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
DotCat :
Keycodes delivered upon request
October 31, 2024– Indie game development studio DotCat has announced that the new update of Abducted: The Night Hunters, a horror survival game, is now available on Steam. A downloadable demo version of the game is also available. The demo lasts for one hour, and the full game, which is in Early Access, contains an additional stage.
The last update for Abducted: The Night Hunters was in 2021. In that initial version, the game had a low-poly style and basic gameplay. Since then, it has been improved and polished in many aspects to take the game to a new level.
Here's a link to the original 2021 gameplay:
In Abducted: The Night Hunters, players navigate the alien-invaded Canela County as one of three characters, evading relentless hunters known as The Grays. Each playthrough brings new survival challenges with randomized enemies and resources, pushing players to scavenge for food, weapons, and clues about the invasion’s origin.
Players must manage hunger, thirst, and fatigue, conserve limited ammunition, and ration fuel for the rare operational vehicles they find as they explore an eerie open world. The intense "Night Hunt Mode" tests survival skills further, challenging players to last through an endless night.
The game provides a gritty survival experience with an oppressive atmosphere and scarce resources, pushing players to uncover Canela County’s secrets in a world where every decision and resource can be the difference between life and death.
The new version brings a series of important improvements, such as:
Updated Graphics: The game now features more detailed models and higher-quality textures, moving away from the low-poly style (while keeping the colors and aesthetics. In fact, many systems from the original version remain or have been improved, such as the day-night cycle, clouds, and more).
Revamped Introduction: An introductory story has been added, explaining the beginning of the invasion by the Grays, giving more context to the game universe.
New Scenario: The 2021 scenario has been replaced with a new one that can be played in Night Hunt mode—a survival mode with a leaderboard where items and enemies appear randomly in each playthrough, making each run unique.
Difficulties: Four difficulty levels to suit different playstyles.
Characters: Three characters to choose from.
New Enemies
Melee Combat
Improved Sounds and Music
This update marks the first phase in expanding the game. The next major milestone will be the release of cooperative multiplayer for up to three people, which is planned for December. The aim is to generate interest ahead of the multiplayer release and new scenarios, which will ultimately shape the open world. This version essentially reinvents the game, with a new, permanently free introduction/demo available starting today—and notably, it’s a solo project.
Features
Survive Canela County: Face alien hunters, The Grays, in a tense open world where each sound could reveal your position; decide when to run, hide, or fight.
Resource Management: Manage hunger, thirst, and fatigue levels, conserving stamina for crucial moments.
Exploration and Scavenging: Search for randomly located essentials like food, water, medicine, and weapons in abandoned areas.
Limited Weaponry: Use melee weapons often, as firearms and ammunition are rare, making every bullet count.
Vehicles: Operational vehicles offer escape but require limited fuel, adding a strategic layer to movement.
Night Hunt Mode: Survive as long as possible through a relentless, endless night against alien threats.
Social Media
Additional Information
About DotCat
When I was a child, one of my first encounters with the idea of extraterrestrial life came from watching the infamous Alien Autopsy VHS tape. It terrified me but also ignited a deep curiosity about aliens and the mysteries of the universe. That curiosity grew as I watched several alien documentaries broadcast throughout my childhood.
One of the most memorable experiences I had as a child was when I was about 9 years old. I saw a white orb of light in the sky, right above me at midday. It hovered for a few seconds, then disappeared before I could fully understand what I was witnessing. It’s one of those "core memories" that stays with you forever, reinforcing my fascination with the unknown.
Movies like Signs, The War of the Worlds, Fire in the Sky, The McPherson Tape, and The Thing were all a huge part of my childhood. The suspense, the unknown, and the terrifying sense of vulnerability they portrayed influenced the direction and atmosphere of Abducted: The Night Hunters in a big way.
My love for game design started when I was around 12 or 13, working with Hammer World Editor to create levels for Counter-Strike. From there, I moved on to making custom campaigns for Left4Dead and Left4Dead 2, creating maps like No More Industries, Welcome to Hell, and Gas Fever. This experience fueled my passion for level design, storytelling, and creating immersive experiences in games.
As time passed, I began learning Unity, starting small with personal projects until they evolved into something larger—an alien abduction survival horror game set in an open world. This eventually became Abducted: The Night Hunters.
One of the toughest moments in the development of the game happened recently when my computer’s SSD unexpectedly failed. It would shut off after 15-30 minutes, and I almost lost everything. Thankfully, I managed to back up the project just before the SSD failed completely.
For the last several years, I’ve balanced my work as a software engineer with my passion for game development. My ultimate goal is to work full-time as a game developer, and Abducted: The Night Hunters is a significant step toward making that dream a reality.
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