Legends of Mathmatica²: Under the Shadow of Certainty Press Kit
Fact Sheet
– Developer: Vernacular Games
– Released: Pi Day (03/14/2022)
– Plaforms: PC (Steam and itch.io)
– Language: English
– Contact E-mail: Vernaculargames@gmail.com
Feature List
- Active Time Battle System
- Quirky Storyline Filled With Puns
- Challenging Puzzle Dungeons
- Step Based Encounter System
- Tension Based Energy System
- 16 bit Chiptune Soundtrack
Description
When the villainous General Villain burns down the hero, Hiro's home town, our young protagonist sets off on a quest for answers. The journey will be filled with perilous puns, ponderous puzzles, and of course, plentiful problems solved by prolific pummeling. Join Hiro in this humorous retro style RPG, featuring a 16-bit aesthetic, an active time battle system, old school puzzle dungeons, and a comedic storyline that is filled with word play and genre savvy silliness, and bring peace to the Kingdom of Mathmatica.
The Kingdom of Mathmatica
The Kingdom of Mathmatica is an a rational land where everything is logical and makes sense.
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For instance, that sword you just picked up that says “Sword of 10%”? It does exactly what it says on the tin, dealing no more and no less than 10% damage to its target’s health. Of course if that target happens to be wearing the “Armor of 10%” they’ll absorb all of that 10% and laugh at your piddly “Sword of 10%”.
Such is the way of things in things in Mathmatica. Things are what they say they are and do what they say they do:
Encounters in Mathmatica
As the kingdom of Mathmatica is a place where everything is logical and makes sense, it is an imminently predictable place. No random encounters here! Instead enemies will accost you at appointed times, indicated by a counter that ticks down every time you take a step. When you arrive at your battle appointment, the enemies behave in predictable patterns with their names and abilities clueing the player in to their tactics.
Time in Combat
Combat in Legends of Mathmatica² takes the form of an Active Time Battle system in the tradition of many retro titles before it. In this system both the player and the enemies have a timer that manages when they can take actions. The player’s timer is represented by a bar that fills as seconds pass, while the enemy’s timer is invisible. Whenever the bar fills the player will gain the ability to take an action. You’ll need to be quick however, as time (and the enemy) waits for no one. Think on your feet while acting decisively and victory will (surely) be yours.
Tension in Combat
In Legends of Mathmatica² Tension is the primary resource that players use to execute attacks, spells and other actions in battle. You gain tension by taking damage or using specific items. Powerful attacks like sword beams, spinning to win, and magical combustion require a great deal of tension to execute, so the player will need to use clever tactics to keep their tension topped off while wrecking some enemy face.
16 bit soundtrack
To keep in time with the retro theming of the game, composer and all around good guy Christoph Jakob penned an awesomely quirky and fun sound track for players of the game to enjoy. Click on the bits to the left and below to get a quick peak!
Team
Mathmatica
Lead Designer:
The Skitter
The Lead Designer and Programmer for Legends of Mathmatica. He coded up the engine with the help of Game Maker Studio 2, Created the story and its characters, and is responsible for the design of the game’s puzzles, combat and world. As an introverted work horse with something to prove, he’s done a great deal of heavy lifting to get the project this far and is committed to seeing it through, hell or high water.
World Map Artist:
Kara Job
Executive Producer:
Red Coat
The Project Manager and Producer for Legends of Mathmatica. He manages the creative elements of the team outside of the Skitter, handing out tasks to the rest of the team and using what means he has at his disposal to keep the lights on for one more day. When he learned of The Skitter’s valiant efforts to bring this game to life, Red Coat decided to lend him a hand, bringing the resources of his company, Vernacular Games, to the table.
Battle Scene Artist:
Inkerrio
The World Tile and World Map Character Artist for Legends of Mathmatica. Using the Time Fantasy tileset as a starting point, she has created tiles and characters for all sorts of environments in the game, and has had occasion to arrange them into aesthetically pleasing arrangements for the overworld map, town maps, and indoor locales. Ever the diligent worker, Kara’s always churning out new art for implementation in the game.
Battle Animator:
Noele Grosie
The Combat Environment and Enemy Artist for Legends of Mathmatica. From caverns, to sewers, to volcanoes, Inkerrio has left an indelible mark on the game’s visual identity. His works dazzle the eyes with their vibrancy and detail, verifying that Inkerrio is indeed a pixel art specialist of mastery and repute.
Expression Artist:
Beornheim
The Animator for the Main characters in Legends of Mathmatica. Grosie is responsible for the animations of the main cast in combat, as well as on the world map. He’s always pushing the limits of his work giving no less than maximum effort when he takes on a task. His art speaks for itself, practically exploding off the screen with energy and personality.
Composer:
Disomikron
The Expression and Promotional Artist for Legends of Mathmatica. Beornheim creates the many varied expressions for the main cast when they’re chatting it up with NPCs and enemies. Their work is full of character and always brings a great deal of joy to the team when presented. An experienced artist with many years under their belt, Beornheim's got a nearly bottomless bag of artistic tricks and abilities.
SFX Artist:
Softy!
The creator of the OST for Legends of Mathmatica. Bringing his signature quirk and musical knowledge to the mix, Disomikron always impresses with his endeavors in audio. Be it title card finery, volcanic dungeon hotness, or bumpin’ sewer funk, Disomikron knows just how to sonically deliver. Watch this one closely people, he’s gonna be a legend one day
Support Artist
Amanda Sheets
The Generalist Artist for Legends of Mathmatica. Another artist with a multifaceted base of talents, Amanda helps out with character design and expressions as well as doing pinch hit artistic design where necessary to help the team dig through the asset list. Affable and flexible, Amanda is a wonder of a worker and an artist of admirable ability and acumen.
The Sound Effects Artist for Legends of Mathmatica. A disciple in all things sound and performance related, Softy! brings his expertise in sound production and foley exploration to the project, adding just the needed oomph to really sell that slice, or feel that hit. A musician and performer in his own right, Softy!’s creative intuition always brings a smile to his audience.
A Game by
Vernacular Games LLC
Vernacular Games LLC
Vernacular Games is a locationally decentralized indie game development company working to carve out our own niche in the industry. We formed in response to the rigid, sometimes asinine structure and practices employed by larger game development companies. Our intent is to provide a mid-level alternative for aspiring game developers and artists to earn their stripes.