Siopi's 1st Devlog - Hello World!

Hey everyone, and welcome to the very first devlog for our indie game, Siopi! I’m Harrison, the main programmer on the team of a group of students from Murdoch University, and I’m excited to kick things off by sharing a bit about what we’ve been up to.

What’s Siopi All About?

If you’re just hearing about Siopi, it’s a 3D platformer inspired by classics like Super Mario Sunshine and Yooka-Laylee, with a touch of Hollow Knight’s atmosphere. You’ll be jumping, gliding, and battling your way through levels, using music as a core part of the gameplay. We’re going for a really unique look with an Art Nouveau-inspired art style that’s both simple and intricate—more on that in a future devlog when we’ll have some cool art to show off!

What We’ve Been Working On

3D Platformer Character Controller

The character controller is one of the first things we tackled, and we’ve put a lot of effort into making it feel super smooth and responsive. We’ve got features like coyote time (so you can still jump even if you’re a bit late after running off a ledge) and jump buffering (so your jump inputs are registered right away, even if you press the button a bit early). We’ve also added a gliding mechanic that lets you float down from high places, adding a fun twist to the platforming.

Combat Prototype

Right now, we’re knee-deep in developing the combat system, which has been a bit trickier than we expected. Since combat is closely tied to the game’s music mechanic, it’s been a challenge to get everything feeling just right. It’s taking a little longer than we planned, but we’re making good progress, and we’re aiming to make combat just as fun and engaging as the platforming.

What’s Next?

Next up, we’re focusing on polishing the combat and starting to flesh out more of the level design with puzzles and hazards. We’re also super excited to share some of the art we’ve been working on, so keep an eye out for that in an upcoming devlog!

Lastly, check out the attached image for an early WIP look at our game running in-engine. It’s still a rough version, but we’re excited to show more as we continue to refine and develop the world of Siopi.

Thanks for following along with our journey. We’re having a blast working on Siopi, and we can’t wait to share more with you soon!

Catch you next time, Harrison