Beyond a Pale Light
Unskippable Dialogue was founded by Ben Sabin, a veteran narrative designer and writer, who wanted to start creating slightly niche, weird little narrative games of his own, along with his wife, Elizabeth Simoens, a senior games designer. The first games the two made together were live games that were run out of raves in London. As their design principles and philosophies matured, the two decided it was time to make their own fully-formed videogame.
The rest of the team, a small group of freelancers, are all veterans in their respective fields, with years of experience under their belts.
Initially, Ben was trying to self-fund the project’s early demo, but with the industry being in its current state, that ambition had to be shelved. The Starter Fun is the jolt of life the studio needs in order to truly kick-off the work and produce the game’s first vertical slice.
Key features
- Beyond a Pale Light is a cosy horror, story-driven puzzle game, designed for people who enjoy playing short, spooky games in the dark. We want this game to be playable anywhere, so our goal is to release it across PC, console, and mobile. It features a unique art style, inspired by the master painters Constable and Turner.
- You’ll spend your days observing the weather, using genuine instruments of the day, looking after your four year old son, and, most importantly, keeping the lamp lit. But there’s only so many hours in the day, and so many days until relief can be sent. It’s down to you to manage your time and oil reserves, and prioritise your tasks. Will you care more for those out at sea, or yourself and your child?
- Try not to listen to the shadows, or the things that go bump in the night.
Quote
When I first decided to go down the path of creating my own game, I knew the idea had merit and could truly stand out in the market. As soon as I assembled the team, I was even more sure we had the knowledge and experience to create something special. The only problem was money. I refused to let anyone work on the project for free, as I believe everyone should be paid, and so I set about looking for funding.
The Starter Fund is exactly the lifeline we needed, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. With this initial injection of cash, we’ll be able to create the first 10 minutes of gameplay, which will allow us to seek further funding and publishing deals. It’s not hyperbole to say that the Starter Fund is the making of our studio proper.
