Singaporean developer working on Diablo-like game inspired by SEA folklore, including Pontianaks

As unwelcome as the current circumstances may be, Covid-19 has offered a chance for folks stuck at home to catch up on personal projects they might not have time to work on during normalcy. 

Such is the case for local Redditor u/Ateo88, who now has the time to sink his teeth into a video game he’s been slowly developing for years. Plus, it's helping to take his mind off everything that’s going on in the world right now. 

Dubbed 'Ghostlore', Andrew Teo shared a sneak preview of his game on the Singapore subreddit last Saturday (May 16). It’s a fantasy action-role playing game, said the developer, reminiscent of Diablo and its playable character classes. 

In order to stay sane I'm working on a personal project: A fantasy action-RPG inspired by local folklore. This is the hub town of Seaport, based on Singapore. from r/singapore

But what sets Ghostlore apart from the bevvy of Diablo clones in the market lies in its retro art style and how its setting and story is very much inspired by Southeast Asian folklore such as the Bukit Merah mythos.

The premise of the game involves your character protecting the Singapore-inspired city of Seaport and its surrounding islands from supernatural creatures known as Mogui. In Cantonese, Mogui stands for evil spirits and monsters and has influenced the name of the gremlins in, you guessed it, Gremlins. 

My first #screenshotsaturday! This is the town of Seaport, it is based off Singapore!#screenshotsaturday #indiedev #gamedev #Singapore pic.twitter.com/KhfufUiU5W

— Ghostlore (@Ghostlore_game) May 16, 2020

What makes it all highly relatable (and honestly, a wee bit scarier) is that we should be familiar with these supernatural creatures. In a brief gameplay demo uploaded on YouTube, Teo shows off how the character has to fend off a swarm of Pontianak wraiths by attacking the banana trees spawning the sprites. Which you can absolutely try in real life to find out if vampiric ghosts of women who died in childbirth are real. 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-JGllHBF80[/embed]

In an even more frantic gameplay demo, Teo shows off the variety of enemies players could face from familiar folklore, including the Rakshasa and Naga (from Hindu mythology) as well as the Jiangshi (zombies) from Chinese legends. 

Hello! My name is Andrew and I am making a videogame :)#Ghostlore #gamedev #indiedev #Singapore pic.twitter.com/6JYWokLeHx

— Ghostlore (@Ghostlore_game) May 15, 2020

To fight off the Mogui, players can choose between three character classes influenced by local elements as well. The brawny Reaver will wield a parang and a shield; the rogue-ish Hitman is a nimble assassin who utilises a bow and dual kukris; the Arcanist is a sorcerer armed with a keris and magical paper talismans. 

Teo is adding more than a few Easter eggs for Singaporeans to find too, including the annoying cries of the Koel bird, a negative status cleanser that sounds a lot like Tiger Balm ointment and, of course, a certain thorny fruit that can repel enemies. 

 

 

Teo doesn’t have a firm release date for Ghostlore right now, but you can follow his progress on the official Twitter account for the indie game. 

Here is another area in my game!#ghostlore #indiedev #gamedev pic.twitter.com/GnXrfM4wbr

— Ghostlore (@Ghostlore_game) May 19, 2020

ilyas@asiaone.com