Spacewalk Studios

I’ve been working hard on capturing the weird, colorful 1950s B-movie feel I’ve always wanted for the game, and I’m really excited to finally show more of it.

Check out the new trailer and let me know what you think!

Something strange is happening in Blackridge County...

itch.io Community » Game Development » Help Wanted or Offered · Created a new topic [ART] 1950's American Sci-Fi Noir

Spacewalk Studios84 days ago (2 edits)

Discord ID : byval
https://spacewalkstudios.itch.io/blackridge-files

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for an artist interested in helping with an indie game called The Blackridge Files, a story-driven, top-down sci-fi mystery set in small-town America in 1958.

The game is being developed in Godot 4 and is already well into development with the core gameplay, investigation system, dialogue/cinematic system, inventory, save system, first locations, characters, and story structure in place. I'm primarily a programmer/designer, and art is the area where I could really use another person who enjoys this kind of setting.

What is The Blackridge Files?

You play Deputy Mercer, a newly transferred county deputy whose first assignment is a routine disturbance at a local farm.

Damaged crops. Strange tracks. Something moving around the barn.

What begins as a small-town police call gradually develops into a five-episode science-fiction mystery involving strange lights, abandoned mines, mutated wildlife, unexplained radio signals, and something buried beneath Blackridge County.

The game is heavily inspired by 1950s B-movies and sci-fi/horror, particularly:

The Blob (1958)
It Came from Outer Space
Them!
The War of the Worlds (1953)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
EC Comics / Weird Science
1950s advertisements, postcards and Americana

Visually, I'm going for bright, colorful, saturated 1950s Technicolor, rather than dark/noir horror.

Think cheerful Main Street, chrome cars, diners, Harvest Festival decorations and blue skies — with increasingly ridiculous B-movie science fiction invading it.

What I'm looking for

I'm especially interested in someone who enjoys creating:

Top-down environments/buildings
1950s storefronts and small-town architecture
Interior props and environmental assets
Character sprites
Creature/monster designs
Hand-drawn map artwork/icons
UI illustrations
Posters/signage
General environment dressing

This is not a pixel-art game.

The current look is hand-drawn/painted with simplified shapes and enough detail to sell the 1950s setting while still being practical for a top-down game.

You don't need to be able to do everything above. If environments, characters, monsters, props, etc. are your thing, I'd still love to talk.

Current state of the project

This isn't a "we have an idea and need someone to make the game" post.

There is already a playable project with the major underlying systems working, and I'm actively developing it.

The first episode follows Mercer from his arrival at the Sheriff's Office, through Blackridge Falls, and eventually to Holloway Farm, where the first real case begins.

The larger story is planned as five connected episodes.If you're interested, reply here or send me a message with a portfolio/examples of your work and a little about what kind of art you enjoy doing.

Thanks!

-Jeff

— Spacewalk Studios