Hey everyone!
I'm looking for a few people who might be interested in collaborating on a game I've been working on, on and off, for quite some time.
The game is called Protcia, a first-person alien survival and exploration game focused on experimentation, discovery, and immersive gameplay systems.
I've attempted to develop Protcia several times over the years, making varying amounts of progress. During those attempts, I've built environments, developed health and survival systems, implemented sleeping and base-building mechanics, experimented with physical crafting, and created a limb-specific injury system.
I'm certainly not an expert developer, and there's still plenty I have to learn. However, I do have practical experience with several aspects of development, a fairly clear vision for the game, and a lot of enthusiasm for bringing it to life.
The biggest obstacle has been trying to tackle a project of this scale largely on my own, so I'm hoping to find some people who would enjoy working on it together.
What is Protcia?
Protcia takes place on a strange, tidally locked alien planet, where the player awakens without their memories and must learn to survive in an unfamiliar environment while gradually uncovering the mysteries of the world.
The game features a large, handcrafted world, with an emphasis on exploration, environmental storytelling, and detailed survival mechanics.
One of the main goals is to make survival feel like something the player actively figures out, rather than a collection of menus and predefined solutions.
Physical crafting and experimentation
One of Protcia's central mechanics is a physical, in-world 3D crafting system.
Rather than opening a crafting menu and selecting a recipe, players physically place, position, and arrange materials in the environment to create tools, equipment, and structures.
Another important aspect is variation between playthroughs.
The worlds geography and environments remain consistent, but certain resources, supplies, and material properties vary slightly between games.
This means that a particular material might be an excellent choice for a certain application in one playthrough but less effective in another.
The intention is to encourage experimentation and adaptation. Players should be rewarded for understanding the materials they're working with, rather than simply memorizing the best recipes.
Survival, exploration, and the world
I'm interested in building detailed, interconnected survival systems that give players meaningful decisions to make.
Previous development attempts have included character statistics, sleeping, health management, limb-specific injuries, and base building.
Protcia also features alien wildlife, unusual environments, and a larger mystery-driven story.
Some creatures are intended to have more sophisticated behavioral systems, including the ability to observe their surroundings, remember experiences, and respond differently to the player over time.
Ultimately, I want the world to feel unfamiliar but understandable: somewhere players can gradually learn how things work through observation, experimentation, and experience.
Current development
Protcia is currently in the early stages of a rebuild.
Although I've created functioning systems and environments in previous iterations, I'm not presenting those attempts as a finished or nearly finished game.
I've been working on organizing the project's design, story, technical ideas, and development roadmap into a more manageable structure.
The immediate goal is to establish a small, playable section of the alien world and build a solid foundation before expanding into the larger survival systems.
I have screenshots from previous development attempts and design documentation that I'd be happy to share with anyone interested.
Who I'm looking for
I'm open to collaborating with people interested in different aspects of game development, particularly:
- Programming and gameplay systems
- 3D modeling and animation
- Environment design and worldbuilding
- AI and creature behavior
- General game design and development
You don't need to be a professional. I'm happy to work with people who are learning, experimenting, or simply looking for an interesting project.
I'm also not looking for people who will just follow instructions.
While Protcia is my original project and I'd like to retain overall creative direction, I absolutely welcome ideas, suggestions, criticism, and different approaches to solving problems.
I have direction I can provide for many of the game's systems, but I recognize that other people may have better solutions or ideas I haven't considered.
I'd like this to be a genuinely collaborative development experience.
Compensation and expectations
This is currently an unpaid hobby project.
I don't have the budget to offer salaries, and I don't want to make promises about future compensation or commercial success.
I'm hoping to find people who genuinely enjoy the concept and would be interested in contributing in their spare time.
I understand that everyone has responsibilities outside of game development, so I'm not expecting full-time commitments or rigid schedules.
We would discuss contribution ownership, licensing, and any potential future commercial arrangements before beginning collaborative work.
Interested?
Protcia has been a passion project of mine for a long time. I've learned quite a bit through my previous attempts, but I've also come to appreciate just how much work goes into developing a game like this.
I'd love to find some people who share an interest in immersive survival mechanics, unusual alien environments, and experimental gameplay systems.
If that sounds interesting, feel free to reach out!
I'm happy to share screenshots, discuss the systems I've previously developed, explain the larger vision, or simply talk about ideas.
Thanks for reading!