GRAFT, Vertical Slice, Awards, and More
Welcome to the new year. Over the past year we’ve gone fully independent, built multiple prototypes, and switched to working in Unreal 5. We also took what we learned from those prototypes and announced GRAFT, our new game that combines sci-fi survival horror with RPG systems and player choice.
We thought we would give you an update about GRAFT and what we’ve been up to at Harebrained.
Vertical Slice
Our big goal for the first half of this year is to stand up a vertical slice. If you’re not familiar with the term, a vertical slice is a representative slice of the game that shows a narrow set of content for each key feature. A good vertical slice allows us to vet ideas and adjust to what we’re seeing in build.
It was a big leap to switch to Unreal 5 and I am happy to report that it’s been a great move for us. We’ve been able to prototype quickly in Unreal and we’re very encouraged by what we’ve built so far and the progress we’ve made toward Vertical Slice.
If you want a sneak peek at how things are shaping up, check out these recent screenshots from our work in progress build.
Of course screenshots don’t tell you how the game plays, but vertical slices do, and that’s why VS is our big goal. It’s the next hill to take.
Jon Everist’s Grammy Nomination
If you’ve played any of our games (or caught the GRAFT announcement teaser) you’ve heard Jon’s amazing work. He’s been having an amazing year as his soundtracks are recognized on the awards circuit.
Jon’s music for our own Lamplighters League was nominated for four awards at the upcoming Game Audio Network Guild Awards: Music of the Year, Best Main Theme, Best Music for an Indie Game, and Best Original Soundtrack Album. The awards ceremony will take place at GDC this month.
He was also nominated for a Grammy for his work on Star Wars: Outlaws!
Jon’s currently cooking up something special, and quite a bit different, for GRAFT.
Check out Jon’s music, along with Rachel Hardy’s vocals, from the GRAFT announcement trailer.
GRAFT on Social Media
Want to keep up with our development and hear about everything going on at Harebrained? Have questions about Harebrained or GRAFT? Follow us on your platform of choice at @webeharebrained.
Youtube | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | TikTok (new)
On socials we’re posting more frequent updates, answering questions, and talking in more depth about our development process. Here’s a recent example of us going through what it takes to bring an environment to life in GRAFT.
Another highlight for anyone curious about the lore and world of GRAFT is The Dead Empty by Andrew McIntosh (Lead Writer on Shadowrun and BATTLETECH). The Dead Empty is a novella set before the events of the game and serves as an introduction to the setting. Originally published serially last November, the whole story is available to read on our website now here.
Thank you to everyone who helped spread the word about GRAFT. We’ve racked up over 40,000 wishlists on Steam and counting, which isn’t just a show of support (though it’s definitely that), it also helps us in discussions with potential partners because it provides “social proof”—proof that there is a growing community out there that will help GRAFT break through the noise of the busy release schedule.
So thank you. Every share, like, and especially every wishlist helps us bring this game to life.
