Press/Media Kit

Factsheet

Overview

In Uberlaufer, you play as a Wehrmacht soldier in 1940 who secretly opposed and plotted against the Third Reich. Incarcerated by the SS, you must escape the procedurally-generated dungeon with the assistance of the German/Austrian resistance.

At its core, the game is a stealth action, roguelike game inspired by the original WWII dungeon crawlers by Silas Warner on the Apple II and C64. The player uses sound and other environmental clues to try and complete their objectives and survive the dungeon.

Überläufer means “turncoat” or “traitor” in German.

Gameplay Summary

When you start the game, a character biography is generated along with an AI generated photo and randomized objectives you must complete before escaping.  These can include collecting, destroying or photographing different items or completing special objectives.  The dungeon layout and objectives change every time you play.  

The environment plays a key role in the gameplay.  The sounds you make in the game can attract nearby guards or alert the SS. Light makes enemies more accurate and is indicated by a slight glow to your hands.  Radio broadcasts can make hearing an approaching guard harder and can be silenced.

There are multiple stealth mechanics in the game, including using sound to distract guards, hiding spaces to elude or surprise guards and hiding bodies to prevent enemy awareness from increasing.

Environmental hazards like booby traps and collapsing floors are a danger to the player trying to escape, but can also be used to neutralize the enemy by luring them into danger.

As you explore the dungeon, you will encounter historically accurate assets including news reels, propaganda posters, stolen paintings and actual radio broadcasts from the time period.  In addition, you’ll discover excerpts from real leaflets disseminated by the resistance during the war and dossiers of real people who resisted the Third Reich from within Germany and Austria.  You may even discover other prisoners who you can attempt to free or who may provide things that are beneficial in your attempt.  These prisoners have computer generated backstories you can read that provide more immersion and make the outcome of your attempt feel more consequential.

A series of narrated letters can also be discovered that tell the story of a former prisoner and his wife. These can be narrated in English or native German for immersion

As you escape more dungeons, additional enemies and hazards appear as well as perks that can be purchased before you enter the dungeon complex to assist your escape.  These include things like new secondary weapons, weapon modifiers and a uniform and Pass to fool guards for a limited time.

The game is meant to be difficult. In addition to perks and gradual difficulty progression, it includes unique items and mechanics that give players options in their attempt including special items like dangerous stimulants or even the ability to surrender if things look bleak.

If you manage to escape, a biographical summary of your attempt and the aftermath of your character are displayed.  In the future, these post-game summaries will be influenced by your actions during the course of escape .

The game includes detailed statistics as well as leaderboards covering numerous measurements.  It utilizes the new OpenXR standard and is compatible with any OpenXR compatible headset.

A complete, retro-style user manual is available to download and print as an A5 booklet from www.uberlaufer.com with lots of background information and game details

Planned Roadmap

• Adjustments based on feedback from Early Access Players
• Ability to save, replay and share favorite dungeons
• Additional dungeon level / boss
• Additional environmental hazard
• ???

Artwork

Videos

Screenshots

Select an image for a full resolution version. Almost all these images were taken using the Leica II rangefinder camera in the game.

About The Developer

My name is August “Gus” Branchesi. My full-time job is a Director of Software Engineering for a large company in the United States. I’m one of those Director types that still codes and I frequently develop things in emerging technologies that leverage API’s for our various software offerings. This includes AR and VR.

After some proof-of-concept development I did for a VR project at work, I was convinced I could write a fun game and make it a side project. While there were many ideas I drafted, re-imagining the WW2 dungeon crawlers I loved in junior high always floated to the top of the list. Silas Warner was someone I admired, and I would like to think he would have liked this little project. Überläufer is a love letter to these original games, reimagined in Virtual Reality but with a different backstory and completely reworked to include rogue-like gameplay and new mechanics for VR.  I wanted to accentuate the stealth portions of the game, ramp up the “tension” of escaping, and lean on real historical assets.  It combines elements of some of my favorite games that I think creates something unique and very different from some of the great fantasy-based dungeon crawlers available in VR today.

Überläufer is a solo-developed game, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have lots of help. I’ve been working with several native German voice actors, professional 3D modelers and creative writers to help bring aspects of the game to life. My son and brother have helped test, my wife and friends reviewed the creative and my sister helped with the trailer. Special thanks to my wife and kids for being so supportive. I’ve worked on the game off and on for over 2 years on my own time and could not have done so without their understanding.

In addition to honoring Silas’ work and getting some great XR experience for other projects, the game afforded me a way of sharing stories of real people who resisted the Third Reich in Germany and Austria. Tens of thousands in Germany and Austria were executed for some kind of resistance activity because they recognized the hate, bigotry and extreme nationalism the party represented. A lesson we could stand to remember today.

Email Contact Info: thinktankdecoysoft@gmail.com