THE FIRST EXPO
We weren’t expecting to hit a game expo this Fall. With 1Upstate off the calendar, We figured that was it. But being optimistic, we still reached out to ROC Game Fest (weeks past their deadline) to see if they had any tables left.
They didn’t. And we were waitlisted.
But with only two weeks to go, we got a text: “We had a cancellation for ROC Game Fest, and if you'd like the table, it's yours.” Just like that, we were in.
Excitement was growing in the days leading up. On the morning of the event, Jakub and I set up our table, hardware ready, and waited patiently.
The first player walked up, asked for a controller, and jumped in. We stood back and watched closely. Tutorial cleared. Main game started. Then… a second run. Not bad for the first playthrough of the day. But what was cool to see is that later in the day, people started coming back. Not just to chat, to play again.
That’s the signal you want as a dev. It means the game isn’t just playable, it’s catchy. Fun enough to pull people back in. Towards the end of the event, one player stayed at our booth for nearly an hour. He swapped controllers with a few spectators to let others have a go, but his mission was clear: beat the final boss. He might’ve kept going if ROC hadn’t started shutting down for the day.
Overall we left the event excited. Not only from the positive response, but from all the great feedback too.
For example one big thing stood out for me as a graphics person: lighting matters.Devoid plays best in the dark because of how moody and atmospheric the graphics are. But a bright university hall? Harder to see. A brightness slider is now on the list of features to add.
Lastly I’d like to give a huge thanks to the ROC team for putting together such a fantastic event. We left with feedback, momentum, and most importantly Jakub and I were finally able to meet each other in person for the first time.
If you want to give the game a go for yourself, check out our homepage and it will take you to the download.
Until next time,
-Charles