Today I stumbled onto an indie game that was previously unknown to me, and a forum search here at bit-tech revealed that it is quite possibly unknown to this community as well. The game is called Miasmata, and it is unlike anything else that I can think of off the top of my head. It's a survival-adventure game set on an isolated, and presumably, deserted island. You are - as everyone else is - suffering from a plague of some sort, and your objective is to obtain a cure for said plague whilst trying to stay alive and ahead of the progression of your own disease. There is no tutorial, no holding of hands, and you will have to learn the game mechanics through playing the game. It is a tense, haunting experience to play this game, and I heartily recommend it. As for the graphics, well, it's not on par with Crysis or the likes, but it is still beautiful. It manages to convey the experience of a lush, tropical island rich in flora and fauna. And I do recommend you turn the volume up as much of the games clues are transmitted through sound. What are you waiting for? Why are you still here? Go get it and play it.
After reading the OP, I was intrigued by this, so I went to steam, read, watched clips. Then bought and downloaded. That was Friday night. In game I am now on day 11, 6am. This game has got to be the most incredible non-violent game I have ever played. To survive you must find the right plants to make pills and tonics for various purposes, from keeping the symptoms of the Plague away, to an extra boost to system to sprint for longer. Still figuring a few things out, but I am utterly enthralled by this game. Something about quietly hunting for glowing algae at night one minute, and sprinting full pace down a narrow jungle path with only your burning bunch of twigs as your light the next!.... I will save my theories about the island for a later time, when more people start to pitch in here, but there is definitely something 'odd' going on on that island. +1 to recommend buying.
Thank you, and yes; it is an amazing game. That first night I spent in-game I huddled in a small cabin with only a single candle as illumination as night descended upon the island. That was pretty tense to say the least (night falling is never a good thing when on presumably deserted islands). Then there was the first time I fell, sliding and tumbling down a steep slope - ouch. And of course, the ever-present threat of the plague; first the coughing, then the blurry dizzyness as the fever hits followed by a mad dash back to the lab. +1 to something odd going on on that island.
Seeing as this hasn't sparked as much interested as I had hoped, I thought I'd add some spice in the form a few screenshots and see if that might help pique your interests. It really is an amazing game, and anyone who enjoys survival, adventure and exploration games should check it out.
Well, I think Draksis summed it up quite nicely without giving too much away. A big part of the game is learning how to do things, what to do and when to do it. However, the game's day/night cycle follows a wristwatch (that you will be checking a lot), and you have a map that you will have to fill in through interacting with landmarks on the island by triangulation. Your journal holds all research data, notes and such and you can interact with flowers, fungi and various other parts of the local vegetation in order to synthesise medicines in a simple laboratory set up in a small hut. Oh, and then there's the wildlife...
Well, the comparison is valid to an extent I suppose, but you do not stay there having to grind the crafting tables for hours upon hours in order to get skilled enough to start the next tier. Furthermore, your inventory is limited to what you can carry in your hands, and to what you can strap to your leatherbound journal (I at least have yet to find a backpack...).
I read a couple of reviews of this and they gave it a pretty average write up. However, you have me convinced to try it out - downloading now!
Well considering it was made by just two guys - who also built their own engine - I am quite impressed by what they have achieved. Sure, there are flaws, but I have yet to find any game-breaking ones. Also, most reviews I've seen has scored it in the 7/10 mark (would love to see Bit-Tech review it though), which isn't bad at all. Anyway, regardless of reviews, in my opinion it is an amazing game which should appeal to any fan of the genre.
After ten minutes I am really getting that 'Myst' feeling, which is good. Will definitely play this some more, although perhaps after half-term and the kids are back at school!
The issues I've had with the game is that your movements are a bit 'odd' (no other way to put it), but nothing serious. Just "oh, ok". The graphics are a bit sub par IF you compare them to AAA titles like Crysis and Far Cry - and I think this is what puts a lot of people off Indie Games in general. One point is that the refraction of water is not 100% from certain angles. To clarify on the whole plants thing: Yes, your journal holds all info, research, and your medical supplies. But at no point does the game tell you "go here", or "use this", it doesn't even tell you if you have picked/studied a particular plant before. All of that must be from your own knowledge and memory, which has a huge appeal to me in this age of by-the-nose games we are currently in. Also, there are no skills in this game. If you see online, or a friend use a particular combo of two plants/fungi - you don't need to find the notes first in your own game. Just mash together and go! On a side note Journeyer: have you been able to find the Giant Bloom yet? Spoiler For the Endurance permanent booth injection
Agreed. Yet it doesn't detract from the game, it is simply, like you said "Oh, ok." Indeed. At no point does the game tell you what to do; it instead assumes that you are able to find out for yourself. A great plus. No I haven't, but that thing sure is a beauty. Will play more tonight if I get the time (my son is ill these days, so he craves a lot of attention).
Pity. The first one you can make (trying not to give anything away here), the two parts are fairly close together. Thought maybe that was the case for the Giant Bloom.
+rep for bringing this to my attention. Me and a friend are going to love blindly fumbling looking for a cure.
Really intriguing game, very different from what I've played before. I would highly recommend this and trying Dear Esther as well if you enjoyed the atmosphere. A few bits really shone through for me when I had a go. Without going into any majorly spoiler details... (this will go on a bit but bear with me) On my first go I decided to explore the almost eerily serene and beautiful surroundings, just to see what was about. I wandered along the pebbled shore line and found my path blocked by a cliff stretching out into the sea, so as I would normally do in a game, I plunged into the water for a quick swim around the point... Not a great idea unfortunately. About half way around I start coughing, gasping and, after turning around to swim back to shore and with the realisation that there's no way I can make it back in time with my pitifully slow doggy paddling... drowning. This piqued my interest and made me sit up in my chair. Deaths in game are 10 a penny and the game restarts as normal. But I thought to myself, If I were this man, on an island and not in the best of health I'd have probably not made it around there either. Also made me question why that had been my first chosen path, as opposed to looking for an alternative safe route. Years of playing games (fantastic in their own right) like Skyrim, Far Cry etc. which have their character imbued with survival skills that would make Rambo look like he needs a new hip, have conditioned me to think that the character whose eyes you see the game world through is infallible and immune to any threat that isn't another guy with a gun, which refreshingly is not the case here. So I restarted, this time paying a lot more attention to how mortal your character is and started my journey again, this time starting down a feint path running in land. Around an hour later I realised I was completely enthralled. At one point I found a small shack as the sun was starting to set and decided it would be my refuge for the night. Having not mastered the mapping system yet, I scribbled down a quick rudimentary map so I could relocate it when night time finally set. A few minutes and a some wandering later, the light dims and happy with a few interesting finds, I slink off to my new humble abode. At least that was the plan... I turned right around and started walking in the opposite direction, just under due east. As the dusk was getting heavier I found myself in unfamiliar territory, looking to the fading silhouettes for a familiar shape on the skyline to try to re orientate myself and find the fabled safety of my candle lit shack. Out of nowhere, my vision starts spinning as I tumble down the side of a hill, leaving me at the foot of a dark recess with no hope of climbing back up to the top. I decide to cut my losses and start to search carefully for a way around, knowing that it could be dangerous to be out in the dead of night. And then I see it, though the clearing of tree branches a small flickering yellow square in the distance, My Shack! I quickly chased over to what seemed like citadel. Went inside, replenished myself with the water jug and set in until morning. How awesome is that for a game Makes me wish that games like skyrim had a difficulty setting with these mechanics in mind...
Glad is see there's another person enjoying the game. Personally I think I'm near the end now. I have 2.5 of the 3 mixtures needed. Not sure how the game ends, but I have a feeling there's more to it than mash, strain, inject, done, credits. As for Iwills comparing Skyrim to Misamata - another point: There is no sneak "wait, and they'll loose me" mechanic here. If you're spotted, that's it. throw crap and run. /2cents
