Chronos Dungeon: the Creative Vision

"I always wanted to make a very classic rogue-like game," says Heikki, Creative Director of Cornfox & Bros. 

Heikki is one of the company's founders, and his vision for the series masterfully weaves together the storylines of all Oceanhorn titles. In this article, we discuss how Chronos Dungeon turned from an idea to the game you now have in your hands.  

"I often talk about games with our Producer Claudio Lins. Once, we were in the middle of a conversation where Gauntlet was mentioned. Claudio likes it a lot, and I do appreciate the local co-op elements in it, so we started thinking how an Oceanhorn title in that vein would look like". 

Our ingredients were simple: combining a lightweight rogue-like action RPG, Gauntlet, JRPG aesthetic from our teenage years, and Oceanhorn story elements. The game we pictured back then instantly felt right, so in the autumn of 2018, Heikki reserved some time to develop the concept. At the time, the game's working title was Chronos Keep, a location in the original Oceanhorn that was not used in the final game. We later changed the title to Chronos Dungeon "because it communicates the genre a bit better. Also, it was cooler," says Heikki laughing.  

"I made a pixel mockup of a game screen, with small portraits and the four characters; I think all the basics of how the game looked were in place within a couple of weeks," says Heikki. Once the general direction became apparent, the team had to decide how to approach the actual project. At the time, everyone was still very busy with Oceanhorn 2's development. Adding another full-time project on top wasn't ideal, so we started looking for a co-developer. "Claudio knew Lauri Paakinaho, and I had been following his titles because some of them had been in the charts at the same time as Death Rally. I was playing his games before even knowing him".

Lauri (we talk with him HERE) turned out to be the perfect match for this. "He came to visit the studio, and we spent some time together. I remember we played Hammerwatch and other titles. Our ideas were aligned, so that's how development started". 

When asking Heikki what makes Chronos Dungeon an Oceanhorn game, he doesn't hesitate: "I always thought of this gaming franchise as very flexible: its pillars are a sense of adventure, a JRPG feeling, and being family-friendly. Within those boundaries, we can do what we want with each chapter. Then, of course, people will recognize some enemies and even some characters, but no spoilers!" 

While some elements of Chronos Dungeon are shared with other Oceanhorn titles, there are also some notable differences. "We had so many people reaching out and saying that they play with their families, so the multiplayer aspect was a no brainer. We also knew from the start that this was a more straightforward game: finding a key or switching a lever was more fitting for the kind of action we wanted in the title than full-fledged puzzles. This approach also works better when many of the rooms are procedurally generated."

As soon as you get your hands on Chronos Dungeon, you'll find that interaction between characters and players matters. 

Take special abilities: the Knight can sweep the area around him with a powerful blow, while the Huntress is more dangerous when hitting from afar. Abilities are somewhat complementary, but without extremes: you also need to be able to play solo. 

"We expect players of different skill levels to be able to play together," says Heikki, "For example, the Mage has the lowest health, but the strongest special attack: the risk/reward ratio is quite different from the one of the Grandmaster. When you get familiar with the game, you'll find it interesting to experiment with characters and timing". 

Chronos Dungeon tells a side story in the Oceanhorn universe. It's the first title to bridge what happened in between other titles, and there will be some story elements familiar for the veterans of the saga. It even starts from the landscape some of you remember from the end of Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm. 

"People can put together the story pieces if they like, but Chronos Dungeon is completely enjoyable on its own," concludes Heikki.

Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon is out now on Apple Arcade. Are you ready to explore its depths?