Introduction to "Nonfi Nis - The Empty Night"
An overview of the first video game to be set in the Kaleidoscope System.
My Motivation
The Kaleidoscope System was born from my wish to create my own video game one day. However, this project turned out to be much more ambitious than teenage me anticipated. At the beginning of 2021, I therefore decided to start a practice project.The Story
I will be focusing on a limited subset of my world, on events way back in its past and on characters whose fate will not impact the course of history much.Historical Background
"Nonfi Nis", the "Empty Night", is the time period immediately following the end of the Final War on Ranul. It is the turn of the eras, the milestone marking the dawn of the Rilsu civilization.The Characters
The story will focus on a Rilanga family who are hiding away in their bomb shelter in the mountains. One evening, all communications break down, leaving them to wonder what happened and what it will mean for them. When they finally manage to pick up a radio signal, it turns out to be from a Ran-E-Zu family just behind the nearby border. This puts the protagonists in a tricky situation - how should they respond to their mortal enemies?The Game Concept
Gameplay Mechanics
The game will follow the base design of a point-and-click adventure, with a focus on alternative story paths. Think of something in between "King's Quest VI" and "The Indigo Prophecy". Conversations with other characters will play a major role - gauging their opinion of the situation, trying to convince them one way or the other, trying to reach a consensus about the next steps. Apart from talking, there will be tasks to complete in order to keep the shelter and its appliances functional, win sympathies within the family or prevent each other from freaking out. And of course, to work towards making contact with somebody out there.Look and Feel
I will probably use a first person camera, depending on how that works out when I get to the point of testing it. The mood will be rather gloomy - at this time of the year, a night on Ranul lasts for about 8 "days", i.e. rotations of the orbited planet Kasavoa. Consequently, even the outdoor scenes will have barely any natural light. However, there is hope in these dark times, expressed by the family having made their small refuge as cozy as possible under the circumstances.What Comes Next?
Since I'm doing this in my spare time, I will probably need several years even for this small project. But you are free to follow along, watch the game evolve and give your feedback!Things you can do
- Follow this world to get notified about new articles.
- Follow me on WorldAnvil and watch out for journals. I'll be documenting my progress on the blog on my website, and when I do, I'll announce it here.
- Follow me on Twitter where I will also announce my blog posts and show art related to this world.
- Watch me on DeviantArt for art related to this world.
- Subscribe to my YouTube channel. Once I get to prototyping things, I plan to show them there. This may also include animations or turntable views of the 3D assets.
Interactive Story
a path through the mountains,
maybe a second shelter
starting from 1 NZR, Taprunoma 32
Wow! Best of luck creating your own video game. I have to say, I have learned a lot from my journey making my visual novel, and while it is a long, long process as you already suspect, the journey itself can be very rewarding. I took a quick look on your blog and I love how detailed it looks. I'll have to follow your world to get the latest updates :) I am very curious to see how you will develop your game.
Thank you so much for following along! It is definitely an interesting journey, and it's great to share it with others. I hope you'll like what I come up with!
Creator of the Kaleidoscope System and the planet Miragia.