I've been working on this on-and-off since the beginning of 2019, where I built this for a Ludum Dare. The game did very well there, so I decided to take it a bit further.
Story
Depths is a game about survival...
You awake in the middle of the ocean, clinging to a piece of driftwood. You have no memory of how you got here, however you know you need to survive. Unsure of your surroundings, you set off to explore.
You find yourself feeling weak, and can barely tread water. Yet somehow, you survive.
As you travel on, the seas become more treacherous. Can you make it through?
Important: This game makes references to suicide. If this is a concern, you may wish to pass this game up.
About the Game
This game was originally created in 48 hours for Ludum Dare - a fast-paced game creation competition. Since then it has received numerous updates to make it a more polished experience.
I took a break from my usual carefree style to make this. My goal was to make something that left a real impact on the player.
The game was inspired by an article by Anna Borges.
It was developed for the original Nintendo Entertainment System using NES Starter Kit - a C-based game library for the NES.
Much more information and screenshots available on the game's website.
Release Information
You can play the game now on the game's website!
The game was released digitally on January 6th, both as a web version and an NES rom download. It is available for free, with a suggestion of donating to Mental Health America.
There might also be a small run of cartridges, if there is enough interest. Please sign up on the site, or just let me know in this thread. I will share details when I figure them out.
Finally, the game should be playable at MAGFest in the indie area, if all goes well.
I'm really excited to see this thing happen. Thanks for checking it out!