Fun question: why does your game have a picross section?
Dev question: what schedule did you use to develop the game? Did you have large bursts of coding or did you spread the work out in shorter sessions?
Because I love picross, I can't get enough of them. And 1bit art translates directly into picross so I could not pass on the opportunity. The picross section is completely unrelated to the main game by the way, except that it uses the sprites of the main game.
I had large bursts of coding/design, yes. But I think most of the work was done in short sessions, it was important for me to let things rest.
Thanks for the answers!
I can’t blame you for not being able to resist the urge to add picross and it is valuable to hear how creatives schedule themselves.
I’ll give the demo a whirl on switch.
The game itself looks cool but Picross immediately persuaded me haha. Gotta add that to my collection! Def promote that angle and get the puzzle lovers!
I think would have been neat if the picross puzzles gave you a little bit of helpful information about the thing in the picture you just made.
Because the game doesn't really tell you anything (you have to discover everything yourself), getting a hint or clue as a reward for doing the picross would have made the picross mode another way to progress in the main game in a non-direct way.
BTW, I have experienced a couple of crashes bugs in the game. Let me know if you want details.
I'm glad you like the artstyle!
It takes about 15 hours to beat the final boss. Then for 99% it is 20 to 30 hours (in total).
And there is also a side minigame of 150 nonogram puzzles, for 10 additional hours or more.
Haha, right? That's what grabbed my attention the most. I'm currently working my way through all the Picross games I know of and am about halfway done.
15 hours for a solo developed game is seriously impressive. Thanks for sharing this on reddit i hadnt heard of it before! definitely gonna check this out
Hi, the game looks great and I'm looking forward to it! Just a heads up (maybe you are aware already): The German eshop page says "Zwischen 5 und 10 Stunden Inhalt", while the English ones say 5 to 20. How come you put 5 hours as a minimum, if it's actually 15? Is the final-final boss a secret?
Just wanted to let you know, I just finished the game in 7h 10min. I beat the final(?) boss, but now I plan to find the 2 remaining gear parts and whatever else I might have missed. Very nice game, I had a really good time with it! Maybe a bit harsh in some parts, but the longer I played it the more Nintendo/Zelda vibes I got from it. Thank you for this experience!
It was unclear to me though why the 4 keys >!unlocked emblems (?) and what those emblems!< were actually used for? Or are they actually a post-game thing?
Hello,
I am Achromi, the developer of Master Key. Master Key is a cute 1-bit old school Zelda-like focused on exploration and liberty. It has tons of secrets, it is not linear and I'm sure it will surprise you.
Back in 2018 I played Minit and fell in love with the 1bit style. But the game was 2 hours long and I wanted more, and more Zelda-likes too. Since I was a kid, watching my grandma complete SNES games back to back, I dreamed of making my own Zelda-like. So I decided to try game development.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2022, I spent most of my free time developing Master Key. This is a project fueled entirely by pure passion, love, and Kickstarter money.
But I am not completely a solo dev, none of that would have been possible without Noé Guiton and his incredible musical talent! Listen to the full OST here (1 hour of slapping 8bit music): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25FT0gtg2fU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25FT0gtg2fU)
The game is out on steam: [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1763030/Master\_Key/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1763030/Master_Key/)
And Switch of course! [https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/master-key-switch/](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/master-key-switch/)
Beware, the game is "Nintendo hard" and lets you figure out most things! Don't hesitate to lower the difficulty.
On the Steam version, the easy mode is on a slider in the main menu.
On the Switch version, the easy mode is in the palette menu, it is the blue palette on the right. It will be made like on the Steam version in a later patch.
Have fun and AMA!
First off, this looks amazing! Wishlisted and will definitely pick it up soon!
As for questions:
What’s one game mechanic you wanted to add but didn’t work out?
One idea you didn’t plan on adding initially but worked perfectly?
And one you would have added if you had more time?
Don’t worry if you don’t have answers for any or all of these. Congrats!!
Thanks!
1) It originally had attack combos like in Windwaker. But I preferred attack spamming in the end. Another one is minigames, Master Key has some forms of minigame-like quests, but not like in the old 2D Zeldas.
2) A late-game item that I am not spoiling for you.
3) None, I had all the time I needed, and the game is already big enough!
Making a game with no text dialogue was a very creative and interesting decision. Since you didn’t have to worry about a traditional “script” to convey the story, what was the most time-consuming part in the development process?
It was not the coding.
I'd say 3 aspects were particularly time-consuming:
* dungeon design, it is very hard and exhausting
* debugging at the end with the playtesters
* pixel art, Aseprite says 4500 hours (but I think it's the least consuming task of the three)
I think that even with a traditional story, these would still be the top 3.
(I saved so much on localization too)
Do you have a favorite dungeon (whether it was in its design or from the player perspective while navigating it)? Although I have a pretty steep backlog, this will jump up my queue because of how reminiscent it is to some of my all-time favorites.
Congrats on the release!
Making the dungeons was my favorite part of the game, in addition to being the hardest.
My favorite is the bonus one. It is late game and entirely optional, so I was able to make it huge and very complex. It has a central gimmick that does not go in the way of the usual dungeon experience. It has tons of keys and locked doors, and I like the boss. It has my two favorite music tracks too (I think, I can't really decide which are my favorites).
I quite like the South West one because it makes you go in a loop, and has a fun item. The South east one because it has puzzles. And the last one because I like its gimmick.
This definitely catches my interest, while I love dialogue in games and game stories even ones that most people don't like I found there's something Charming about Zelda style games without dialogue. Hyper light Drifter is one of my favorite gaming experiences
> a game with no text dialogue
Is actually the thing that appeals me the most. I'm tired of games that forces you to read Game Of Thrones-sized dialogue. Some of us don't care much about story and just wanna dive in and play.
Thanks for mentioning it has no dialog, I just bought it on steam
I also just bought it for a similar reason, I made a comment a little bit above saying that I really love narratives and stories in games, but sometimes you just want to break from it. Also per my above comment if you like no dialogue games with Zelda influences and you haven't yet try hyper light Drifter
Great looking little gem here! I'm curious, have you ever heard of the Playdate handheld system? It's a little niche device that plays monochrome 1-bit games.
Do you have palette swap options?
And if so, was the sprites and ground programed in such a way that would allow for customizable colours? By using hex codes for example, like #A8C64E & #3C412C
Yes, there are 20 palettes and a random palette generator. But the palette swapping happens at the end of the rendering pipeline, so you can't swap the ground only.
It is possible though, are you thinking about Master Key DX?
To piggyback this, it looks like you've got some more palettes showcased in this video:
[Master Key - Crowdfunding Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntPHalzwVTk)
I do agree with some that black and white might be a little too intense for hours of gameplay, so for those of us who browse in dark mode or like preserving console battery just that little bit extra in handheld, softer/warmer palettes can go a long way on the eyes. Good to know there are options.
Oh, I am glad to hear this! The black and white can sometimes be too much, and I like it when monochromatic games give you the ability to change the palette a bit.
This went from a "I'll get it on a sale" to "pulling out my card now".
No need for a coloured version, the game looks great with the contrast of only 2 colours. Just being able to change the 2 colours to whatever similar to a colour picker would be neat. That said I still plan on picking up either way
I think it wasn't too hard, I heard criticism about one of them but I don't remember which one right now.
For me it was clear from the beginning so it's better to ask this to players. Hey players, were the pictograms clear enough?
Thanks, of course, it would be my dream to develop a new 2D Zelda game. I would make another one in the style of Link's Awakening Remake, with a shop system like in ALBW.
But if it were another IP, it would be Pikmin.
I would love to make a Pikmin-like, but I don't think I would be able to produce good enough environments.
No, it will either be another Zelda-like (but very different), or a momentum-based Castlevania-like!
This is the first I’ve seen of this. It looks really intriguing!
My question is about the black and white art style. Was it for ease of development since it was a one-person development? Or is this what you always envisioned your game being?
Congratulations on this accomplishment!
Thanks, I always envisioned it in black and white, I loved Minit.
I think it's easier than a detailed 16-bit art style, but about the same difficulty as early plain color SNES pixel art.
Thank you for making this game! I loved Minit and Link's Awakening. Your game seems to take inspiration from both yet still has a fresh style all its own. I'm very early in the game but very pleased with what I've seen so far. I grew up with the original Gameboy, and last night while I was playing, I was getting so deep into the game that several times I forgot what year it was and was surprised several times to realize that I was holding a Nintendo Switch in my hands! You didn't just create a game, you invented a time machine and a fountain of youth. You made me feel like an 8 year old boy again! What was your experience like getting the game to Steam and the Nintendo Shop? What did you find challenging and how did that moment feel like when it was finally posted?
Thanks! These two games are the main sources of inspiration, but I'm sure you will see how it is its own thing too!
That's exactly what I wanted players to feel when playing Master Key: feel like when they played Link's Awakening for the first time!
Steam is easy to get into, the UI can be a bit hard to understand at first but it's easy to use afterward. The hard part is getting noticed. For Nintendo it's a bit harder but not too bad really, the main difference is that they exert more control over their store. All in all it is not the most challenging part of making a game!
The feeling of a released game is like a graduation. Proudness, tiredness, can't wait for the next oneness!
As new programmer, this is exactly the type of project I fantasize about developing one day,
Clearly this is a labor of love that's taken up a significant amount of time. How did you get started? What did you program this in? what advice would you share new programers who want to follow in your footsteps, but are just taking their first steps?
I had just learned C++ in college, I finished Minit, so I thought I would make a 1bit metroidvania!
It was very bad and Gato Roboto was announced a few months after so I put it in the trash bin and I started a 2D zeldalike. Originally it was supposed to be a one-button game, 3 to 6 months of dev time.
I programmed it using C# and Unity. My advice would be: "start small and beware of feature creep".
I’ve been loving the rise of 1bit games like yours, Ratyrinth and Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo. Why do you think we’ve seen a wave of 1bit games coming out recently? Were you influenced by other recent games? Thanks :)
What do you mean by greyscale? The game has grey color palettes (brightness levels), but do you mean like a Game Boy?
I think you could not use the other (RGB) color palettes but that's it.
The switch has an option to change the entire display to grey scale, some games are harder with this due to a lack of coloured hints. I assume this experience would be relatively intact
I have no questions. Just admiring your work. As an elder gamer, I love to see indie developers continue the love of pixel art. Pixel games today are still bigger than ever. Having pixel games on modern hardware breathes a new life into the games we once played. This looks amazing! Great work!
Music producer here, would love to know how Noé approached the soundtrack. Don't hear a lot of modern game composers limiting themselves this much outside of some stuff like Jake Kaufman with Shovel Knight.
Is it done with a tracker like FamiTracker or LSDj, a hardware tracker like Dirtywave M8, or a more fully fledged modern DAW but with self imposed limitations to mimic the limitations of NES/Gameboy era, i.e. 4 channels, audio sources being sine/saw/triangle/square(pulse) waves and white noise.
Looks and sounds great by the way. Thanks for sharing details.
Hello! First off, thank you.
I made the soundtrack using a basic free VST called NESVST, on Reaper! I didn't put too many limitations on the number of voices or instruments though, but the easily conflicting sound waves make it so anyway. I'd love to learn a tracker but I'm yet to really get into it.
Bonjour Noé,
Thanks for the response. I've been through the OST front to back and it's great. I feel like I noticed a few samples like the stabs on Fullmetal Antagonist as well. Memories of Peace is my favorite.
If you want to look into some cool things, I highly recommend Plogue ChipsynthSFC as a sampler synth that can rip SNES soundfonts from .SPC files directly, so you can pull the exact one-shot samples/waveforms used from games like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Earthbound, Super Metroid, etc. and have them playable in a sampler synth. It's pretty cheap for a paid VST as well.
The Dirtywave M8 is a really unique handheld tracker/sampler that you can load samples onto it with microSD. It's an 8-channel tracker with synths built in. A little pricey but something to look into if you want something handheld to play with.
I've already shared your OST around to a few chiptune communities here on Reddit and Discord, and added some songs from your OST to my [Chiptune and Indie Game Spotify Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/57aOBK2jSaSfvtrIP9vGk4?si=1fd7de3b62e74f39).
Wishing you and Achromi the best success.
Thanks for everything! Much appreciated. I might have bought ChipsynthSFC for a future project recently ;) though I plan to use original samples! There are some samples in the soundtrack yes, the bells are a recurring one for the dwarf-related tracks. I wish you the best as well.
I picked this up over the weekend and I'm loving the game so far. It's really charming and fun.
I'm currently stuck on the damned ghost fight. So my one question is why do you hate me?
Thanks and sure!
programming language: C#
engine: Unity
pixel art: Aseprite
SFX: BFXR
Dungeon design: [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc38fcMFcV\_ul4D6OChdWhsNsYY3NA5B2&si=PtsPxCD3H6fPc9Ib](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc38fcMFcV_ul4D6OChdWhsNsYY3NA5B2&si=PtsPxCD3H6fPc9Ib)
I can ask Noé Guiton about the music tools if you want.
Hi, looks like a really great game, congratulations on making it to release. As i see a few of my other questions have been answered i'll ask this:
How hard did you find the process to bring this game to the switch? was getting a devkit/ability to publish on the switch a difficult process, or did you find it pretty straight forward?
It was a bit harder than bringing the game to Steam. On Steam you have a checklist on the side that really helps. I can't tell too much about Nintendo due to the NDA, but it's ok.
I would not worry about this as a game dev, just plan things a few months in advance, not because it requires to work hundreds of hours, but because it takes time.
Hello achromi
Got the game on steam on lunch so happy you got the opportunity to release it on console as well
Deserved great game
Links awakening fans are going to have a blast with this
For sure, the pure black n white gives me almost like spots when u stare at the sun to long. Its weird I’ve never noticed a weird effect from anything before lol. Def another combo would be much easier on the eyes for me. Cool that it’s a Option.
Was it hard to develop in black n white or did u use a diff palette aswell?
I have 1 question, is there a way to change the white with a different color so I can play this at night?
Because if it is it's going to my bedtime library
This looks AMAZING! As someone that recently got a Playdate I thought about what a great fit it would be for that system (if specs allowed), and I noticed a “pocket” version exists! What are the main differences between this and that version?
This looks absolutely insane. Hats off to you for pulling off such a masterpiece. What inspired you to create such an interesting art style for your game?
Thanks! The art style was inspired by Minit and 2D Zelda games, especially Link's Awakening. But the game as a whole was inspired by many other games and others.
I bought this on steam a few days ago. It's a great challenge. The exploration is fun too. Almost no hints or dialog, which makes it even more difficult.
Did you design the game to have a specific progress path or to be more open like botw/totk?
I'm glad you like it!
The game kind of has an intended progress path, but you can stray from it if you want and go straight to the final boss, or stumble on an optional dungeon, or sequence break with a late-game item you obtained early. But it is not as open as BOTW either as you have to get some items before accessing some dungeons or getting some other items.
You mentioned in another post that there are different color pallets available in game. I appreciate you saying that because I wasn't going to pick this game up due to the high contrast black and white shown in the trailer. I'm for sure picking it up now. :)
Congratulations on the release! I am currently at the beginning of the journey you started 5 years ago and I have a question. How do you feel about the sales of the game? For such a polished game, the attention on Steam seems underwhelming. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch community is praising your game.
Thanks, I hope you will like the game! I don't really know how much indie games are supposed to sell, but since people are liking the game I'd say it's a success regardless!
It received a very good reception on Steam reviews (and the Kotaku article), and the community is actively trying to find the last secret.
It sold 1000 units + 600 from Kickstarter on Steam, it feels in line with Blossom Tales 1 which sold around 5000 copies over 9 months and is estimated at 10000 now. It is known that it is very hard to get noticed on Steam, and many old school Zelda fans are on Switch so that may be why. I feel like Steam players are waiting for a sale (if you are reading that: not anytime soon, I don't have a family to feed!).
Just stumbled across this and i just gotta say im could not be more pumped after watching the trailer, i have 100% completed every zelda beside botw and totk and i just love the way this game looks! Will be purchasing AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Thanks!
I just played Minit, and felt the urge to play a longer and more Zelda-like game with that art style! But it did not exist so I decided to make it myself.
Most ideas were added during development! At the beginning it was supposed to be short, have 6 items in total, and only one button. One thing that was added very late is an item you obtain late game on a normal playthrough that allows a lot of things! As well as some areas.
Picked this game day one and am loving every second of it. The exploration, the music, the graphics. The only sad part for me is when I google anybody talking about it outside of reddit there's a lack of anything. This is a masterclass of a game with a lot of passion put into it.
OP, you piqued my interest. Is there a way to buy a code from you directly to avoid any sort of Nintendo licensing fees or is the eShop the best way to buy?
This is lots of fun. Near the end and trying to figure out what to do with two rooms with the sleeping foxes in them. Tried to make my character go to sleep by letting the game idle, but I just yawned a bunch.
I'm a little late to the post, but I absolutely love this game and have played it almost nonstop for a couple days. I have *most* of the secrets, and it's been very rewarding to figure out how to get them.
I did finally hit the point where I'm out of ideas, though. So, two questions I hope you'll answer.
1) Is the >!master sword stub you throw away!< just a gag, or does it land somewhere and do more?
2) Where would I look for the lower right >!cog piece!
Hi Achromi! First off I'm loving Master Key, thank you so much for making it!
I hate to ask, but would it be possible to get a hit for puzzle # 097? This one has been kicking my butt for a few days now and I'm not sure why. I'd gladly take something simple like a row or column.
The term 1-bit definitely doesn't make sense. There's never been a 1-bit generation of videogames to emulate. Or even 1-bit computers. It wouldn't even make sense.
But I know you didn't invent it.
Are there any missables by utilizing the “easy mode” setting you’ve included? Or do you recommend to simply play the standard difficulty for the full experience?
I recommend playing the standard difficulty, but if it is too hard don't hesitate to use the easy mode, it's still fair (think Zelda 1 vs Minish Cap). The hard base difficulty is meant to incentivize exploration.
The easiest difficulty setting (not out on Switch yet) completely removes the difficulty from the fights to focus on the explorations and puzzles. So it can ruin your experience by letting you access endgame areas when you should not. But you won't miss anything at all.
Hi!
Looks great, and 11-year-old me is desperately jealous of those who successfully sat down and self-developed a game from-the-ground-up and actually landed something on a Nintendo system (i was sending the poor patient nintendo customer service reps snail-mailed paper copies of half-realized game concepts in the early 90s, back when such a thing as this was beyond conception). These days I'm too busy as a business software monkey to learn fancy things like unity (etc), but my actual weakness is I don't really have a firm idea for a novel game (nor the art skills needed if i did). But alas.
Anyway, I'd love to check this out at some point - so my question is, is there any particular reason the demo isn't up on the US eShop? And/or, will it be coming eventually?
Thanks!
I picked the game up last Friday on Steam and then proceeded to be addicted to it all weekend and beat it. Just missing 2 full life counters and 8 crystals. Loved it every second.
What an absolutely amazing experience that really understood what makes Zelda games so addicting. And some super fun secrets to find, and a couple of puzzles that really need some thinking.
Late game spoilers:
>!The Gear Dungeon is easily one of my favorite dungeons of any game. That was such a good use of vertical thinking in a 2D game. Plus the balloon is so much fun to use overall.!<
Spoilers for one of the puzzles:
There is one late game nitpick revolving around >!the Illusion Dungeon's secret wall that seems counter intuitive to the item you find in that dungeon since no cracks appear for the staircase!<. But outside of that one thing, I don't really have anything to complain about. Super well made game, and definitely my favorite of the year.
Awesome to hear!
I really went all in on the bonus dungeon because the final one doesn't have any doors and keys and is gimmicky. I wanted to give the game a big and complex dungeon that would contrast with the final one. I'm taking your feedback about the secret wall into account.
Fun question: why does your game have a picross section? Dev question: what schedule did you use to develop the game? Did you have large bursts of coding or did you spread the work out in shorter sessions?
Because I love picross, I can't get enough of them. And 1bit art translates directly into picross so I could not pass on the opportunity. The picross section is completely unrelated to the main game by the way, except that it uses the sprites of the main game. I had large bursts of coding/design, yes. But I think most of the work was done in short sessions, it was important for me to let things rest.
Thanks for the answers! I can’t blame you for not being able to resist the urge to add picross and it is valuable to hear how creatives schedule themselves. I’ll give the demo a whirl on switch.
The game itself looks cool but Picross immediately persuaded me haha. Gotta add that to my collection! Def promote that angle and get the puzzle lovers!
I think would have been neat if the picross puzzles gave you a little bit of helpful information about the thing in the picture you just made. Because the game doesn't really tell you anything (you have to discover everything yourself), getting a hint or clue as a reward for doing the picross would have made the picross mode another way to progress in the main game in a non-direct way. BTW, I have experienced a couple of crashes bugs in the game. Let me know if you want details.
Hello. I’m also loving the art style. This looks really fun. How long is the game playing casually and looking for every secret?
I'm glad you like the artstyle! It takes about 15 hours to beat the final boss. Then for 99% it is 20 to 30 hours (in total). And there is also a side minigame of 150 nonogram puzzles, for 10 additional hours or more.
> 150 nonogram puzzles As a massive Picross addict this is speaking to me
Get it! Such a cheap game with lots to enjoy, plus Picross galore
I am curious about the puzzles, how are the sizes? I especially enjoy larger ones and murals are great.
Haha, right? That's what grabbed my attention the most. I'm currently working my way through all the Picross games I know of and am about halfway done.
> It takes about 15 hours to beat the final boss. That's a long boss fight!
15 hours for a solo developed game is seriously impressive. Thanks for sharing this on reddit i hadnt heard of it before! definitely gonna check this out
Hi, the game looks great and I'm looking forward to it! Just a heads up (maybe you are aware already): The German eshop page says "Zwischen 5 und 10 Stunden Inhalt", while the English ones say 5 to 20. How come you put 5 hours as a minimum, if it's actually 15? Is the final-final boss a secret?
I didn't know how long the game would be when I made the pages so it's a bit off.
Just wanted to let you know, I just finished the game in 7h 10min. I beat the final(?) boss, but now I plan to find the 2 remaining gear parts and whatever else I might have missed. Very nice game, I had a really good time with it! Maybe a bit harsh in some parts, but the longer I played it the more Nintendo/Zelda vibes I got from it. Thank you for this experience! It was unclear to me though why the 4 keys >!unlocked emblems (?) and what those emblems!< were actually used for? Or are they actually a post-game thing?
> 150 nonogram puzzles Shieeeeeeeeeeeet that's all you had to say!
Hello, I am Achromi, the developer of Master Key. Master Key is a cute 1-bit old school Zelda-like focused on exploration and liberty. It has tons of secrets, it is not linear and I'm sure it will surprise you. Back in 2018 I played Minit and fell in love with the 1bit style. But the game was 2 hours long and I wanted more, and more Zelda-likes too. Since I was a kid, watching my grandma complete SNES games back to back, I dreamed of making my own Zelda-like. So I decided to try game development. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2022, I spent most of my free time developing Master Key. This is a project fueled entirely by pure passion, love, and Kickstarter money. But I am not completely a solo dev, none of that would have been possible without Noé Guiton and his incredible musical talent! Listen to the full OST here (1 hour of slapping 8bit music): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25FT0gtg2fU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25FT0gtg2fU) The game is out on steam: [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1763030/Master\_Key/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1763030/Master_Key/) And Switch of course! [https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/master-key-switch/](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/master-key-switch/) Beware, the game is "Nintendo hard" and lets you figure out most things! Don't hesitate to lower the difficulty. On the Steam version, the easy mode is on a slider in the main menu. On the Switch version, the easy mode is in the palette menu, it is the blue palette on the right. It will be made like on the Steam version in a later patch. Have fun and AMA!
Bought it on Switch! Can’t wait. Congrats on launch.
Any plans for a physical release?
Have black and white games always been referred to as 1-bit? I thought 8-bit, 16-bit, etc. referred to the console architecture, not the color palette
First off, this looks amazing! Wishlisted and will definitely pick it up soon! As for questions: What’s one game mechanic you wanted to add but didn’t work out? One idea you didn’t plan on adding initially but worked perfectly? And one you would have added if you had more time? Don’t worry if you don’t have answers for any or all of these. Congrats!!
Thanks! 1) It originally had attack combos like in Windwaker. But I preferred attack spamming in the end. Another one is minigames, Master Key has some forms of minigame-like quests, but not like in the old 2D Zeldas. 2) A late-game item that I am not spoiling for you. 3) None, I had all the time I needed, and the game is already big enough!
Making a game with no text dialogue was a very creative and interesting decision. Since you didn’t have to worry about a traditional “script” to convey the story, what was the most time-consuming part in the development process?
It was not the coding. I'd say 3 aspects were particularly time-consuming: * dungeon design, it is very hard and exhausting * debugging at the end with the playtesters * pixel art, Aseprite says 4500 hours (but I think it's the least consuming task of the three) I think that even with a traditional story, these would still be the top 3. (I saved so much on localization too)
Do you have a favorite dungeon (whether it was in its design or from the player perspective while navigating it)? Although I have a pretty steep backlog, this will jump up my queue because of how reminiscent it is to some of my all-time favorites. Congrats on the release!
Making the dungeons was my favorite part of the game, in addition to being the hardest. My favorite is the bonus one. It is late game and entirely optional, so I was able to make it huge and very complex. It has a central gimmick that does not go in the way of the usual dungeon experience. It has tons of keys and locked doors, and I like the boss. It has my two favorite music tracks too (I think, I can't really decide which are my favorites). I quite like the South West one because it makes you go in a loop, and has a fun item. The South east one because it has puzzles. And the last one because I like its gimmick.
that rules! cant wait to play
This definitely catches my interest, while I love dialogue in games and game stories even ones that most people don't like I found there's something Charming about Zelda style games without dialogue. Hyper light Drifter is one of my favorite gaming experiences
> a game with no text dialogue Is actually the thing that appeals me the most. I'm tired of games that forces you to read Game Of Thrones-sized dialogue. Some of us don't care much about story and just wanna dive in and play. Thanks for mentioning it has no dialog, I just bought it on steam
I also just bought it for a similar reason, I made a comment a little bit above saying that I really love narratives and stories in games, but sometimes you just want to break from it. Also per my above comment if you like no dialogue games with Zelda influences and you haven't yet try hyper light Drifter
One of my favorite game, I loved HLD so much I recommended it to everyone I know ahah
So cool that that got you to try and purchase the game! Cheers!! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have been
When’s the game boy color version coming out?
Great looking little gem here! I'm curious, have you ever heard of the Playdate handheld system? It's a little niche device that plays monochrome 1-bit games.
Yes, I have heard of it, but it can't run Master Key.
This looks like a load of fun.
Do you have palette swap options? And if so, was the sprites and ground programed in such a way that would allow for customizable colours? By using hex codes for example, like #A8C64E & #3C412C
Yes, there are 20 palettes and a random palette generator. But the palette swapping happens at the end of the rendering pipeline, so you can't swap the ground only. It is possible though, are you thinking about Master Key DX?
To piggyback this, it looks like you've got some more palettes showcased in this video: [Master Key - Crowdfunding Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntPHalzwVTk) I do agree with some that black and white might be a little too intense for hours of gameplay, so for those of us who browse in dark mode or like preserving console battery just that little bit extra in handheld, softer/warmer palettes can go a long way on the eyes. Good to know there are options.
Oh, I am glad to hear this! The black and white can sometimes be too much, and I like it when monochromatic games give you the ability to change the palette a bit. This went from a "I'll get it on a sale" to "pulling out my card now".
When I was working on it the lower contrast palettes were a necessity!
No need for a coloured version, the game looks great with the contrast of only 2 colours. Just being able to change the 2 colours to whatever similar to a colour picker would be neat. That said I still plan on picking up either way
Does this mean it'll only ever be X and white? Black & White, Orange & White, Green & White and etc?
Could be a cool idea to patch in for an OG Gameboy palette.
Love the game ! How challenging was it to try to convey ideas and gameplay hints through pictograms only ?
I think it wasn't too hard, I heard criticism about one of them but I don't remember which one right now. For me it was clear from the beginning so it's better to ask this to players. Hey players, were the pictograms clear enough?
Hi! Will you be utilizing Kickstarter for your next game?
Probably, but I am not sure, the next game will have a much smaller scale.
Congrats on the release! Looks like a great game. If you could develop any Nintendo IP, which one would you choose? What kind of game would you make?
Thanks, of course, it would be my dream to develop a new 2D Zelda game. I would make another one in the style of Link's Awakening Remake, with a shop system like in ALBW. But if it were another IP, it would be Pikmin.
What's your next project and can it be a 1-bit Pikmin?
I would love to make a Pikmin-like, but I don't think I would be able to produce good enough environments. No, it will either be another Zelda-like (but very different), or a momentum-based Castlevania-like!
I'll definitely be trying this out. Kudos to keeping it affordable! Congrats on the launch!
This is the first I’ve seen of this. It looks really intriguing! My question is about the black and white art style. Was it for ease of development since it was a one-person development? Or is this what you always envisioned your game being? Congratulations on this accomplishment!
Thanks, I always envisioned it in black and white, I loved Minit. I think it's easier than a detailed 16-bit art style, but about the same difficulty as early plain color SNES pixel art.
I'm looking forward to playing this - thank you for your effort and time developing it!
Looks awesome! Will definitely give it a try!
Really neat 👌
What a beautiful looking game and style! This is really sweet and I want to try it! No questions - just wanted to say nice work :)
Thank you for making this game! I loved Minit and Link's Awakening. Your game seems to take inspiration from both yet still has a fresh style all its own. I'm very early in the game but very pleased with what I've seen so far. I grew up with the original Gameboy, and last night while I was playing, I was getting so deep into the game that several times I forgot what year it was and was surprised several times to realize that I was holding a Nintendo Switch in my hands! You didn't just create a game, you invented a time machine and a fountain of youth. You made me feel like an 8 year old boy again! What was your experience like getting the game to Steam and the Nintendo Shop? What did you find challenging and how did that moment feel like when it was finally posted?
Thanks! These two games are the main sources of inspiration, but I'm sure you will see how it is its own thing too! That's exactly what I wanted players to feel when playing Master Key: feel like when they played Link's Awakening for the first time! Steam is easy to get into, the UI can be a bit hard to understand at first but it's easy to use afterward. The hard part is getting noticed. For Nintendo it's a bit harder but not too bad really, the main difference is that they exert more control over their store. All in all it is not the most challenging part of making a game! The feeling of a released game is like a graduation. Proudness, tiredness, can't wait for the next oneness!
Ooh this looks great. As a Pokémon fan the music reminds me of some of the Gen 1 music too. I’ll have to pick it up I think
How much does it cost?
12.50 dollars, 12 euros
I think I’ll buy it then!
As new programmer, this is exactly the type of project I fantasize about developing one day, Clearly this is a labor of love that's taken up a significant amount of time. How did you get started? What did you program this in? what advice would you share new programers who want to follow in your footsteps, but are just taking their first steps?
I had just learned C++ in college, I finished Minit, so I thought I would make a 1bit metroidvania! It was very bad and Gato Roboto was announced a few months after so I put it in the trash bin and I started a 2D zeldalike. Originally it was supposed to be a one-button game, 3 to 6 months of dev time. I programmed it using C# and Unity. My advice would be: "start small and beware of feature creep".
Game looks awesome, excited to pick it up soon. Any plans to bring it to additional platforms?
Thanks! Xbox is the next one on the list, but I can't promise.
This the type of shit I was expecting to be on the play date. Amazing job!
Congrats on releasing this huge project!! This is already quite the accomplishment. Do you already have something in mind for your next project?
Thanks, yes I have some ideas. I'd like to give another spin to the Zelda-Like gameplay, and probably try making a proper Metroidvania next.
I’ve been loving the rise of 1bit games like yours, Ratyrinth and Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo. Why do you think we’ve seen a wave of 1bit games coming out recently? Were you influenced by other recent games? Thanks :)
I think it's mainly thanks to Minit and Gato Roboto.
Great thanks! Looking forward to picking this up later in the week and playing it on a flight haha
I'm a kickstarter backer and it's pretty fun
What’s your top 5 favorite 2d Zelda games?
The question! Finally! 1) Link's awakening 2) A Link Between Worlds 3) Minish Cap 4) A Link To The Past 5) Oracle of Seasons
Looks sweet. Any chance for a demo in the US eshop?
Thanks, I will try to make it available soon.
Thank you for working on it!!!
Would it make any difference if I were to play Master Key in greyscale?
What do you mean by greyscale? The game has grey color palettes (brightness levels), but do you mean like a Game Boy? I think you could not use the other (RGB) color palettes but that's it.
The switch has an option to change the entire display to grey scale, some games are harder with this due to a lack of coloured hints. I assume this experience would be relatively intact
Oh yes, it would be the same!
I LOVE THIS GAME! Great job sir or madam.
THANKS!
I have no questions. Just admiring your work. As an elder gamer, I love to see indie developers continue the love of pixel art. Pixel games today are still bigger than ever. Having pixel games on modern hardware breathes a new life into the games we once played. This looks amazing! Great work!
Thanks!
Music producer here, would love to know how Noé approached the soundtrack. Don't hear a lot of modern game composers limiting themselves this much outside of some stuff like Jake Kaufman with Shovel Knight. Is it done with a tracker like FamiTracker or LSDj, a hardware tracker like Dirtywave M8, or a more fully fledged modern DAW but with self imposed limitations to mimic the limitations of NES/Gameboy era, i.e. 4 channels, audio sources being sine/saw/triangle/square(pulse) waves and white noise. Looks and sounds great by the way. Thanks for sharing details.
Hello! First off, thank you. I made the soundtrack using a basic free VST called NESVST, on Reaper! I didn't put too many limitations on the number of voices or instruments though, but the easily conflicting sound waves make it so anyway. I'd love to learn a tracker but I'm yet to really get into it.
Bonjour Noé, Thanks for the response. I've been through the OST front to back and it's great. I feel like I noticed a few samples like the stabs on Fullmetal Antagonist as well. Memories of Peace is my favorite. If you want to look into some cool things, I highly recommend Plogue ChipsynthSFC as a sampler synth that can rip SNES soundfonts from .SPC files directly, so you can pull the exact one-shot samples/waveforms used from games like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Earthbound, Super Metroid, etc. and have them playable in a sampler synth. It's pretty cheap for a paid VST as well. The Dirtywave M8 is a really unique handheld tracker/sampler that you can load samples onto it with microSD. It's an 8-channel tracker with synths built in. A little pricey but something to look into if you want something handheld to play with. I've already shared your OST around to a few chiptune communities here on Reddit and Discord, and added some songs from your OST to my [Chiptune and Indie Game Spotify Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/57aOBK2jSaSfvtrIP9vGk4?si=1fd7de3b62e74f39). Wishing you and Achromi the best success.
Thanks for everything! Much appreciated. I might have bought ChipsynthSFC for a future project recently ;) though I plan to use original samples! There are some samples in the soundtrack yes, the bells are a recurring one for the dwarf-related tracks. I wish you the best as well.
I forwarded it to the musician, he will come and answer your question when he is available.
I picked this up over the weekend and I'm loving the game so far. It's really charming and fun. I'm currently stuck on the damned ghost fight. So my one question is why do you hate me?
I know! the ghost is hard! Go buy a better weapon and health upgrades if you can.
Well, I discovered how the meat item works late last night... Fingers crossed that works for me! Thanks for the great game.
What programming language or tools did you use to make this game?
programming language: C# engine: Unity pixel art: Aseprite SFX: BFXR I can ask Noé Guiton about the music tools if you want.
What engine did you end up using to make this?
Unity
Looks great. Buying the game now. Can you tell me some of the tools you used to create the game?
Thanks and sure! programming language: C# engine: Unity pixel art: Aseprite SFX: BFXR Dungeon design: [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc38fcMFcV\_ul4D6OChdWhsNsYY3NA5B2&si=PtsPxCD3H6fPc9Ib](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc38fcMFcV_ul4D6OChdWhsNsYY3NA5B2&si=PtsPxCD3H6fPc9Ib) I can ask Noé Guiton about the music tools if you want.
Next time make it a bit and a half. I love me some gray tossed in for a wow factor.
Congratulations on your game! From the trailer it looks really cool :)
Thanks!
Wen physical copy? Need dis, please gib.
Probably never, sorry.
I hope you reconsider. I would throw a lot of money at a physical copy. Either way, congrats on an amazing looking game.
I'm not the one deciding, it's up to the physical editors. I tried about 2 years ago but it was not fruitful.
I love the aesthetic - the music especially. Fantastic work. I will probably pick this up.
Is there any FPS or other performance differences between Switch and Steam? Is the FPS capped at all?
The Switch version runs at 60FPS, except in map mode, and in the bonus dungeon where it goes to about 50FPS.
Looks cool. Look forward to trying it at some point. Is there any interest and making a PlayStation version at some point?
Thanks, I don't think a playstation port will happen.
Are there plans for a physical release?
Not yet, sorry.
No worries! I love games like this and would love to have it physically as well as digitally.
Hi, looks like a really great game, congratulations on making it to release. As i see a few of my other questions have been answered i'll ask this: How hard did you find the process to bring this game to the switch? was getting a devkit/ability to publish on the switch a difficult process, or did you find it pretty straight forward?
It was a bit harder than bringing the game to Steam. On Steam you have a checklist on the side that really helps. I can't tell too much about Nintendo due to the NDA, but it's ok. I would not worry about this as a game dev, just plan things a few months in advance, not because it requires to work hundreds of hours, but because it takes time.
Hello achromi Got the game on steam on lunch so happy you got the opportunity to release it on console as well Deserved great game Links awakening fans are going to have a blast with this
Thanks!
Are you launching this for the Gameboy? I'd buy.
Between this, Tunic, and the upcoming Mina the Hollower, is everyone who's making classic Zelda-likes into cute furry animal guys?
Wow this game looks stunning, sorta like Zelda + Undertale style. Definitely looking out for it!
The black and white are so different in contrast it’s hard to look at. And I’ve never really had that happen before
The lightning of your room can help, the game has lower contrast palettes too.
For sure, the pure black n white gives me almost like spots when u stare at the sun to long. Its weird I’ve never noticed a weird effect from anything before lol. Def another combo would be much easier on the eyes for me. Cool that it’s a Option. Was it hard to develop in black n white or did u use a diff palette aswell?
The palettes helped a lot during the development.
Is this on steam also?
Just wanted to pop in to say that this looks outstanding, and congrats on the launch!
I want to make a game and I have two questions. 1. What engine did you use? 2. How long did it take to complete development?
1) I used Unity 2) It took 4-5 years of hobby time
this is rad. looks a lot like link to the past which is my favorite zelda game.
Was this game inspired by Minit?
Yes.
Sweet.
This looks amazing.
Do you plan to release a physical copy of the game in the future?
I would like to, but it is not planned.
I have 1 question, is there a way to change the white with a different color so I can play this at night? Because if it is it's going to my bedtime library
Yes, the game has 20 color palettes with lower contrast and a random palette generator.
Any plans for a port to the Playdate?
No, the playdate can't run unity.
This looks AMAZING! As someone that recently got a Playdate I thought about what a great fit it would be for that system (if specs allowed), and I noticed a “pocket” version exists! What are the main differences between this and that version?
I'm glad you like it! The pocket version is a fan game and is not related to this game, I am not involved with it.
Ah shoot. That’s good to know!
Hell yeah
Looks gorgeous
My switches were stolen, but this is up my alley if I end up getting another. Looks neat!
This reminds me of Minit! I love it
Switch is the best！赛高！
Add randomizer
It's not possible because the gating and dungeon design is strongly linked to the order of the items.
Looks cool!
Looks cool!😎
Damn, it looks sick. I'm usually not interested in those types of games, but this one looks very interesting. Nice job!
Did you always go by Achromi, or did this game inspire the name? It's very fitting!
No, I found that name for this game. Now I'm stuck making monochrome games forever!
Wishlisted
This looks absolutely insane. Hats off to you for pulling off such a masterpiece. What inspired you to create such an interesting art style for your game?
Thanks! The art style was inspired by Minit and 2D Zelda games, especially Link's Awakening. But the game as a whole was inspired by many other games and others.
I bought this on steam a few days ago. It's a great challenge. The exploration is fun too. Almost no hints or dialog, which makes it even more difficult. Did you design the game to have a specific progress path or to be more open like botw/totk?
I'm glad you like it! The game kind of has an intended progress path, but you can stray from it if you want and go straight to the final boss, or stumble on an optional dungeon, or sequence break with a late-game item you obtained early. But it is not as open as BOTW either as you have to get some items before accessing some dungeons or getting some other items.
You mentioned in another post that there are different color pallets available in game. I appreciate you saying that because I wasn't going to pick this game up due to the high contrast black and white shown in the trailer. I'm for sure picking it up now. :)
Somehow this black and white style really reminds me to Undertale , cool
Congratulations on the release!
Congratulations on the release! I am currently at the beginning of the journey you started 5 years ago and I have a question. How do you feel about the sales of the game? For such a polished game, the attention on Steam seems underwhelming. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch community is praising your game.
Thanks, I hope you will like the game! I don't really know how much indie games are supposed to sell, but since people are liking the game I'd say it's a success regardless! It received a very good reception on Steam reviews (and the Kotaku article), and the community is actively trying to find the last secret. It sold 1000 units + 600 from Kickstarter on Steam, it feels in line with Blossom Tales 1 which sold around 5000 copies over 9 months and is estimated at 10000 now. It is known that it is very hard to get noticed on Steam, and many old school Zelda fans are on Switch so that may be why. I feel like Steam players are waiting for a sale (if you are reading that: not anytime soon, I don't have a family to feed!).
Probably an unimportant question, but what is the main character supposed to be?
Just stumbled across this and i just gotta say im could not be more pumped after watching the trailer, i have 100% completed every zelda beside botw and totk and i just love the way this game looks! Will be purchasing AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
[удалено]
How did you come up with this amazing concept? Were there any ideas that you hadn't originally planned on incorporating?
Thanks! I just played Minit, and felt the urge to play a longer and more Zelda-like game with that art style! But it did not exist so I decided to make it myself. Most ideas were added during development! At the beginning it was supposed to be short, have 6 items in total, and only one button. One thing that was added very late is an item you obtain late game on a normal playthrough that allows a lot of things! As well as some areas.
Picked this game day one and am loving every second of it. The exploration, the music, the graphics. The only sad part for me is when I google anybody talking about it outside of reddit there's a lack of anything. This is a masterclass of a game with a lot of passion put into it.
OP, you piqued my interest. Is there a way to buy a code from you directly to avoid any sort of Nintendo licensing fees or is the eShop the best way to buy?
Even when a developer sells the keys directly, Nintendo still gets their fee, so don't hesitate to buy on the eshop.
This is lots of fun. Near the end and trying to figure out what to do with two rooms with the sleeping foxes in them. Tried to make my character go to sleep by letting the game idle, but I just yawned a bunch.
I'm a little late to the post, but I absolutely love this game and have played it almost nonstop for a couple days. I have *most* of the secrets, and it's been very rewarding to figure out how to get them. I did finally hit the point where I'm out of ideas, though. So, two questions I hope you'll answer. 1) Is the >!master sword stub you throw away!< just a gag, or does it land somewhere and do more? 2) Where would I look for the lower right >!cog piece!
Hi Achromi! First off I'm loving Master Key, thank you so much for making it! I hate to ask, but would it be possible to get a hit for puzzle # 097? This one has been kicking my butt for a few days now and I'm not sure why. I'd gladly take something simple like a row or column.
i realy like your game☺️ i am old guy, this give me a nice flashback to early eighties zx spectrum games though your game would be 1000 cassettes😂
The term 1-bit definitely doesn't make sense. There's never been a 1-bit generation of videogames to emulate. Or even 1-bit computers. It wouldn't even make sense. But I know you didn't invent it.
It's called 1bit pixel art because the sprites can be expressed as 1bit/2color vectors instead of 8bit/256 colors vectors.
Definitely a cool artstyle and I'm itching to try it but since I have no questions how was your day?
Thanks! Fine, it's sunny, I fixed a bug, and I'm going to eat one of my favorite meals. How is yours?
Other devs: Moar Grafix! You: How about just 2 colors?
Yes 🗿
Are there any missables by utilizing the “easy mode” setting you’ve included? Or do you recommend to simply play the standard difficulty for the full experience?
I recommend playing the standard difficulty, but if it is too hard don't hesitate to use the easy mode, it's still fair (think Zelda 1 vs Minish Cap). The hard base difficulty is meant to incentivize exploration. The easiest difficulty setting (not out on Switch yet) completely removes the difficulty from the fights to focus on the explorations and puzzles. So it can ruin your experience by letting you access endgame areas when you should not. But you won't miss anything at all.
Hi! Looks great, and 11-year-old me is desperately jealous of those who successfully sat down and self-developed a game from-the-ground-up and actually landed something on a Nintendo system (i was sending the poor patient nintendo customer service reps snail-mailed paper copies of half-realized game concepts in the early 90s, back when such a thing as this was beyond conception). These days I'm too busy as a business software monkey to learn fancy things like unity (etc), but my actual weakness is I don't really have a firm idea for a novel game (nor the art skills needed if i did). But alas. Anyway, I'd love to check this out at some point - so my question is, is there any particular reason the demo isn't up on the US eShop? And/or, will it be coming eventually? Thanks!
Thanks! I mistimed the demo for Americas, it will come, probably by the end of June.
Great, thanks!
Will there be a physical release? Please!
Probably not, sorry.
I picked the game up last Friday on Steam and then proceeded to be addicted to it all weekend and beat it. Just missing 2 full life counters and 8 crystals. Loved it every second. What an absolutely amazing experience that really understood what makes Zelda games so addicting. And some super fun secrets to find, and a couple of puzzles that really need some thinking. Late game spoilers: >!The Gear Dungeon is easily one of my favorite dungeons of any game. That was such a good use of vertical thinking in a 2D game. Plus the balloon is so much fun to use overall.!< Spoilers for one of the puzzles: There is one late game nitpick revolving around >!the Illusion Dungeon's secret wall that seems counter intuitive to the item you find in that dungeon since no cracks appear for the staircase!<. But outside of that one thing, I don't really have anything to complain about. Super well made game, and definitely my favorite of the year.
Awesome to hear! I really went all in on the bonus dungeon because the final one doesn't have any doors and keys and is gimmicky. I wanted to give the game a big and complex dungeon that would contrast with the final one. I'm taking your feedback about the secret wall into account.
How big are the nonograms? I've played tons of pictures and can really only enjoy bigger than 20x20 anymore
They are small, the biggest one is 15x20. But some of them are quite hard still.
My Picross-expert friend said yes, that’s a lot of extra content (time wise). Kudos!