I suggest a multimedia project: A videogame rpg for “the main story” A TTRPG for fans to create their own And a book full of short stories: a few of them mission reports from the hunters hope club, some of them odd and mysterious rumours and tales and a few of them old myths and legends.

@annapachar5125

3 ай бұрын

Exactly! It doesn't need to be restricted to a singular medium.

@gabrieleduardoronlezama7757

3 ай бұрын

this goes without saying but since this is as indie as it can get, focusing effords on one single point seems more possible than taking the risk of spreading their resources too thin

@arkdetective

3 ай бұрын

​@@gabrieleduardoronlezama7757 exactly. I think the video game should come first, then crowdfund the ttrpg & the book WHEN the video game is successful.

@pierocaramelli1493

3 ай бұрын

@@gabrieleduardoronlezama7757 I know, but I was more thinking around as "start with one of them and if it works out keep going"

@intercontinentalballisticben

3 ай бұрын

yee

While most people are probably gonna want this as a video game, I’ve gotta put my hat in the ring for a Tabletop Game. Everything I’ve seen so far seems like building blocks not for one singular story with specific goals and gameplay objectives, but a world with a lot of directions that players could take. Making it a TTRPG’ll give you a chance to experiment with ways to play that’ll conflict if you stick to the rigid parameters of what code could provide! Especially with the multiple gameplay styles you mentioned at the end - each of the Founders’ philosophies feel like they’d make for a video game with clashing genres, and a TTRPG would probably make the genres mesh a little cleaner!

@peppa4412

3 ай бұрын

surprise surprise it seems many are voting for TTRPG approach!

@slimetank394

3 ай бұрын

It'll also simplify the making process a bit because they don't need a coder or a team of them to create it, no music composer either, just writing story/world building/game mechanic and illustrations are enough

@user-ej3mj4ju6v

3 ай бұрын

Preach my ttrpg brethren, ttrpg are collaborative storytelling mediums that promote creativity and experimentation. A perfect fit for this world and community.

@HippoEnjoyer

3 ай бұрын

I support this option for the additional reason that we are currently starved for creature catching TRRPGs other than the fanmade Pokémon TTRPGs.

@alexpeterson1138

3 ай бұрын

Yeah I agree. It could be each of the members he made could sort of represent different classes you could play. I could see it being a mix of dungeons and dragons and call of Cthulhu.

I think having an RPG would make sense. As you adventure, you'd add more and more to your party ala Persona. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

@notimeforcreativenamesjust3034

3 ай бұрын

I think he could also do it the Ni No Kuni 1 way , which is like pokemon x xenoblade series.

I believe a TTRPG would be cool, but personally a regular RPG game sounds more enticing. Amazing designs and I can't wait for more >:)

@Kirbythefrog

3 ай бұрын

True

@cakemanLHK

3 ай бұрын

By "regular," do you mean video game?

@TotoMoon157

3 ай бұрын

both

@Ranter2

3 ай бұрын

Yeah not sure about a ttrpg where you basically do all combat through summons

I like the idea you proposed of a game with limited combat where you use Engimorphs to solve puzzles.

@jessalynkrenicki1431

3 ай бұрын

I imagine like Pokemon Ranger!

Like Pokemon, you could always make it a bunch of things. A comic, a video game (RPG of some kind), a tabletop RPG, etc. Nothing’s stopping it from being a franchise beyond budget. And one version of the story could well fund another.

@MattAttack911

2 ай бұрын

I agree, there is no such thing as one path to follow

An RPG akin to games like Shin Megami Tensei / Persona feels like it makes most sense. The already established characters and what they stand for also lends itself well to a core story told through a video game with branching endings based on how you approached certain situations

For some reason i see this as a card-based roleplaying game. You collect cards of different enigmorphs or actions during the game and use them to tell a story. No idea how it would work, but a game like this would perfectly combine the creature collection and narrative aspects of your world.

@hectorbonillapardo7207

3 ай бұрын

Maybe similar to Gwent: Thronebreaker

@Jhams009

3 ай бұрын

or similar to inscryption

@just.chillin.killin6532

3 ай бұрын

I'm actually developing a horror, monster collecting, deck builder and I think it would work for his design approach. Plus the deck building helps lean into the mystery part of battles, since cards don't have to be attacks.

@LoveisStoredInTheLain

3 ай бұрын

So like a deckbuilder?

@senseibot8719

3 ай бұрын

@@LoveisStoredInTheLain maybe it'll be like dnd, but spells and features will be divided into cards, and each card type will be a type of enigmorph or certain items/actions/abilities. Sort of like a combo of dnd and magic the gathering

A ttrpg sounds like It'd be a very good approach. Look at it this way: You'd be getting both parts of the whole. 1. You'd be able to keep the form of the story being told through word and art all while.. 2. Providing a playable game at the same time, allowing people to experience the world and interact with it

@manuelaxolot4945

3 ай бұрын

theres also the chance of eventually making a video game based on the trpg rules

Throwing my hat into the ring for TTRPG. Not just because i'm a rpg goblin who hordes games I will never play, but also TTRPG are a hell of a lot easier and faster to create in every way. The biggest issue is that if it's not tied to D&D it's really hard to market it, but with the youtube channel that's not as much of an issue. EDIT: Also there is already an TTRPG that gives a great template for this game: Vaesen. The game is literally about people in the early 20th late 19th century dealing with strange creatures through creative ways other than violence. It gives a great set of bones to build off of.

I genuinely believe that this should be a physical card game accompanied by a novel with illustrations giving fans a way to interact with the world and you the ability to create a story you can love and be proud of. I've never commented on a video before so I want you to know that this is one of the most interesting worlds I've ever had the pleasure to observe. I love seeing what you can create and I am excited to see more.

a TTRPG seems like it would be fitting for a setting like this! Being able to create your own character to fit into this world with their own motivations for joining the Hunter’s Hope Club, and exploring fantastic locations seems fitting for how bizarre the world is. Although, i think an RPG would work on a similar level.

The ideia of multiple resolutions for encounters, like battles, makes me think of Undertale, since the combat could be solved through other actions besides attacking the target

TTRPG is probably your best bet and I haven’t really seen a good monster taming TTRPG yet so it’s got potential. In general, you can have something of a 80:20 split between the rules of FATE Accelerated Edition (FAE) and Dungeons and Dragons so their are rules that are flexible and customizable but not to the point that players don’t have anything to work off of. As for how I think it’d work mechanically for the players, you seem to have a basic class system setup, Illusion, Battle, and Study. Each getting bonuses to their respective class. To further spice things up since there is only three classes, add in a Enigmorph type specialization system based on the Enigmorph types you’ve already got. So they now get a bonus for doing things involving specific types of Enigmorph as well. So now you can make unique characters mechanically while still keeping it simple and players aren’t fighting for spotlight when there are inevitably two Battle class characters.

Quite honestly, I think this world deserves more than one medium through which to explore it. I think an open world rpg, a table top rbg, and graphic novels are all phenomenal ideas, but as someone partial to tcgs I think a card game would be super fun too.

I love the idea of a ‘coffee table book’, something large and hefty with pages that look similar to the final illustrations in your ‘I designed gods for our monster collection game’ video or drawings from projects like MerMay, SmAugust and apoctober. It could be framed as an encyclopaedia, textbook, journal, field guide… with that format you could tell the story through more enigmatic means, we’d have to put together a story from context clues and tidbits (similar to earlier MerMay videos - which are my absolute favourites)

I would love to see a TTRPG based around forming connections with creatures like the enigmorphs. Some relationship mechanics that differ between the different enigmorphs such as different needs, likes and temperaments would be really cool.

@bryncristie5602

3 ай бұрын

A TTRPG would also work especially well with the idea that there are many ways to solve a problem as they are usually incredibly open. It would also be cool to see different enigmorphs with different balances of in combat and out of combat abilities, though probably none with only combat or only out of combat as that goes against the idea of allowing players to choose their route.

@othaVIIIo

3 ай бұрын

Check out Monsters and Other Childish Things. Pretty much this except you only have one creature, but I'm sure there's some add on to it. (There's even a Persona hack for it that's really good!!) ​@@bryncristie5602

Oh my god, these mentor-like character's are so awesome. They are all so different and i adore them 😭😭😭

A TTRPG would be great, as it would make it so people can make their own stories and enigamorphs. It would also make it so that the players could decide their own ways of using enigamorphs.

Since you pointed out strategy, I think a turn-based strategy game would be interesting given this context. Especially with what you said previously of wanting to have the player avoid combat as much as possible. Maybe a good option would be a turn-based stealth game where the human characters have to investigate enigmorph activity while preventing people outside the world of eldritch secrets from encountering your own enigmorphs. The Human characters would be able to do things such as investigating clues, interacting with NPCs by running distractions, interrogations, or trying to convince people to be in the right place at the right time. Meanwhile the enigmorphs while riskier to use because they can unintentionally cause NPCs to panic if spotted can offer supernatural support such as fae types buffing conversation skills/offering support via illusions, construct types being able to manipulate machine parts, etc. This way the player would need to consider the whole of the map they're currently on and what NPCs can do to either aid or hinder their progress. IDK I think that would be a good way to make combat secondary to the investigation angle. I still think Enigmorphs need more than typing to be able to feel unique to use so maybe kinda like pokemon they have 4 ability slots with each enigmorph having access to different abilities based on type/theming. However, unlike Pokemon not all of these abilities are combat-oriented, some emphasize stealth, others mobility, or other utility, and yes some combat-oriented skills for when the player is caught or finds the enigmorph they're looking for

IMO a Enigmorphs/Aprocryphal game would be something similar to the Digimon Cyber Sleuth games (where the player uses different types and attributes of digimon to use their hacking skills), but maybe less focused in the battles and more focused in puzzle solving. Also, iirc, you mentioned in previous videos that the method of getting enigmorphs would be similar to writing down about them. In some digimon games, instead of capturing or breeding the digimons, you mainly scan the data of the digimon you battle and then you manifest them when have 100% or more scan data of a digimon. So it'd be very nice to see Enigmorphs working in a similar way (tho the actual process would be more "archaic") Anyways, excellent video as always and i can't wait to see more about this new series you're creating! ^^

5:51 THE LADY BONE DEMON

@tanxplayer-7108

3 ай бұрын

Ah i see you are a man of culture aswell

@scientificallyaccuratespino

3 ай бұрын

@@tanxplayer-7108 :))

I believe perfect inspiration for a game is fear and hunger; you could have a mechanic of your characters being driven mad by some of the creatures or sights and that could increase the levels or stats of enemys you encounter and has a perfect mix of the style you have for your own ideas

@An_Entire_Lime

2 ай бұрын

I actually immediately thought of fear and hunger when he discussed the potential gameplay for the project in an earlier video. Particularly on how the idea of turn based battles where your goal is to get stronger and be the very best like pokemon don't really fit with the theme of the project that is more geared towards learning about and exploring with the creatures, solving puzzles and the like. And Fear and Hunger's approach to combat and just general gameplay loop fits perfectly here. Enemies are much more powerful than you and you don't get anything from defeating them aside from wasting your limited supply of resources and health, that is if you actually manage to win and not die horribly, which is unlikely. so engaging in direct combat is almost universally a last resort, instead most of your progression is centered around using your understanding of the game's mechanics to bypass enemies without engaging in combat at all. Acquiring better equipment and supplies through exploration And when you do have to fight, understanding how each enemy uniquely operates and using that along the resources you managed to save so far to minimize the tax of Health and resources of the battle. Through just knowledge of their behaviours and how to find certain items recurring enemies that would once kill you 7 times out of 10 can almost always be killed without a scratch, while bosses start off as downright impossible and with enough forethought can just scrape into being managable. Is there anything more perfect for the theme of understanding creatures than this?

To de honest, I imagine apocryphal as an open-world RPG.

@MattAttack911

25 күн бұрын

I agree it can have mechanics like Undertale and Deltarunes

i think, due to your storytelling skills as a designer, that a visual medium will strongly suit what you have already created in apocryphal. which rules out novels and music, and i can't see any possible way for enigmorphs to fit in a video game, even an rpg, so i think this series suits comics the best, especially since the enigmorphs could lead to some really interesting panel breaking (ex. a fire enigmorph leaving a charred effect on the pages)

These designs are giving off a "tactical rpg" vibe to me. The way you described the different types of creatures and their matchups also feel very reminiscent of the "Weapon triangle" from Fire Emblem.

A mystery visual novel is what I think this game should be.

I personally believe that a sort of journal would be a good way to tell the story. Kinda a combination of the journal entries of Celeste and the idea of the "orientation" from the last video. Almost like a field guide of sorts

I hadn't thought for different forms of media but I think either a mystery-adventure RPG or a graphic novel series with the same genre

Since you talked about wanting multiple different gameplay routes, it could be really fun to make it a TTRP. Then players can decide if they want to battle, do some shapeshift/subterfuge/intrigue, role-play things out in social encounters with people or Enigmorphs. Especially if you make a "template" for custom Enigmorphs, with stats, behavior, vices, interests, etc

As other said, I think a TTRPG would be a great approach for design. Your designs could shine and be a main part, while still telling the story through them. I imagine it in a more mystery-style, where you have to reveal whats happening through using the abilities of the enigmorphs, but also through decoding messages or reading old journals or speaking to the locals. You can easily create great stories with this material, game masters and players alike can create characters, that fit into this compelling world and decide how they interact with the enigmorphs (do they "use" them or try to learn from them, etc.) The only contrary point to it would be, that you would need to build in a combat system, that makes it more engaging to play and also more "realistic". Yet I do not think that it would have to be a big part of the game, only an option to solve some problems.

I'd love to explore more of this world reading and looking through your illustrations in a book format, but that's just a personal preference. I also like these videos format too though. Love this new project. Thank you for making this.

Table top RPG sounds perfect Also that Gun enigmorph is awesome and I want one on my team

I know it's probably unrealistic to expect a game like this. But I would love to see AND play an RPG with a fully explorable 3D world with platforming mechanics, hidden items to collect, and enemies to fight. Something like a more horror, Lovecraftian version of botw, or pokemon legends Arceus.

I don't comment on videos very often, but I've been following the channel since before your pokemon videos took off, and it'd seriously be a dream come true to see apocryphal become a TTRPG. I'm constantly homebrewing strange and eldritch creatures for systems not necessarily built for that kind of gameplay, and i have faith in you as a designer to come up with something fun and bouncy while still dread inducing! It especially could be fun to tie the different forms of enigmorphs to different dice, with Nascent Enigmorphs inhabiting smaller dice like D4s and D6s and the numbers going up along the evolution chain. A D20 gives you more margin for success, yes, but a 2 on a d20 is so much worse than a 2 on a d6, introducing a strategic element to the types of enigmorphs you choose for different encounters that could somewhat mimic the original creature collector concept. Whatever you end up landing on, I'll always support the channel and I'm hyped for this project even if it lands in a genre I have no personal interest in :]!

I think a TTRPG would be amazing. It would allow for the still image designs but also allow the playstyle that you've mentioned in previous videos, such as wanting to use the enegmorphs in more ways other than combat. It would allow for people to create their own stories with a constantly evolving plot, centered around the players choices, allowing fir a more catered experience to each player.

If this comment gets 1k+ likes Subjectively has to do a monster frog illustration.🐸

@thevioletbee5879

3 ай бұрын

Join me in raising the voice of this hero, comrades!

@TheTheorizingFrog

3 ай бұрын

@@thevioletbee5879 wow. U get a frog 🐸:)

@youhavegottobekidding

3 ай бұрын

Commenting so the algorithm keeps this towards the top

@TheTheorizingFrog

3 ай бұрын

@@youhavegottobekidding u get frog too 🐸:)

@minedantaken1684

3 ай бұрын

​@@TheTheorizingFrog Frog? 🐸

I love these characters!!! It's so interesting to see the kinds of unlikely personalities all united in the same mission. You've gotta be pretty devoted to be part of this club, so of course these people are so unique!

You mentioned ttrpg and my head was immediately filled with possible mechanics to represent monster collection games and how to best allow players to express their characters, both stat and roleplay wise. I also feel like a different system to the standard dnd system would probably work better for this game should you choose to make a ttrpg system for this universe. I feel like something close to lancers accuracy/difficulty system would work pretty well for dice modifiers. I could also see the three leaders roles influencing the tone of multiple small modules for players to engage with. Like one where their battling against the shark mob (I forgot their name), one where they have to infiltrate an elitist club to find a prime enigmorph cult and a third that is themed around a dark disturbing city bursting to the seams with bizarre enigmorphs. Or better yet with the research themed module, they have to investigate a small costal town for a hidden unknown enigmorph that they have to track down both through the field and piles of old tomes and papers. Honestly at this rate I might just start building the modules and ttrpg because my head is just overflowing with ideas that I want to get on paper fast

I think the way you imagined the creatures in the game use their abilities to solve puzzles would honestly work excellent for a TTRPG

As a TTRPG enthusiast I think this project fits very well with them. One thing I love about these games is that you can take on encounters in different ways, being able to avoid combat through a more diplomatic means. I think that, in addition, the mechanics of having different elements that counteract others like in Pokémon is something that has been seen a lot in video games but not so much in board games. As a recommendation, I think that a format similar to Keys From the Golden Vault (which is a D&D module) could be good, which could be like small stories independent of each other but that end up being united by the same common thread. In this case I imagine it as a kind of "ghostbusters" role-playing game in which each story is like an assignment in which the party has to go to a haunted house or some catacombs or... In short, I think it has a lot of potential and I would play it. PD: Sorry if my english is not the best 😅

You mentioned in your first video on the series that part of Pokémon's success was it's multimedia approach. I feel like Apocryphal would also work well in many forms. Short stories, comics, and videos (like this) pique curiosity and excitement. I, personally, would love to see an open world exploration/collection video game version where one makes their own discoveries (a la Legends:Arceus). However, that feels like it could be just one avenue of many to explore. The great thing about developing the world first is that you're not restricted by mechanics or medium. You have many, many stories to tell, not to mention the stories others will write in your world. Wherever you go, however you get there, I (and many others, I'm sure) are excited to join you on this journey of discovery.

I see this world through the lense of a JRPG. The stage-mechanic of the enigmorphs would translate really well into turn-based combat, and with the themes of subterfuge and non-violent solutions for situations you could also use the turn-based mechanic for conversations and other things, kind of like Undertale and Yokai Watch

I love the idea of this world as a TTRPG. Especially with the three founders you designed, I could see each one of them representing one of three main classes to play. Something along the lines of hunters, infiltrators and archivists. Anyway, you're building a very strong foundation for this world and all the mediums you mentioned could definitely work. Big fan of the project!!!

A TTRPG would be quite good for this, because then it provides a myriad of tones unbound by a singular narrative, providing a firm basis in world building and design

"In a World of Chaos, Mystery and Unpredicability, there is no one answer to solve every problem. Sometimes you must Fight, sometimes you must Flee and sometimes your Wits will be your weapon" is already enough to build off of, that I've already come up with something! A TTRPG would be a FANTASTIC route to go down, still keeping all of the artistic and design aspects, whilst all the elements from the games and media it spiritually takes from would be an interesting story AND game. There are module books in TTRPGS; Curse of Strahd with DnD for example, so going down the route of a planned story is totally doable and SO damn fun, with still room for people to do their own stories down the line. Using one full set of Polyhedral Dice and a one-to-two-page Character sheet could be all you need to play, with a similar dice-for-stats system that Kids on Bikes uses. Confront (Physical) Connect (Emotional) Constitute (Defense) Conceil (Magic) and Concentrate (Knowledge), placing a D20, D12, D10, D8, and D4 on each stat, rolling a D6 then adding one of the stat-dice for when the situation calls for it. Three of the 5 Stats already connect to the 3 Co-Founders in the video. Kane with Confront, Malacostra with Conceil and Caorain with Concentrate. And depending on the configuration of dice, that could give a Class or Trope- showing the kind of Hunter you would play as!

Apocryphal could be the first eldritch horror creature collector game where you use creatures to aid you in solving mysterious phenomenon and getting the bottom of the instability showing up in the world!

Keep up the good work jack, I can’t wait to see more!!

A TTRPG makes the most sense for the “problem solving” concept, where you can make creative moves toward the conclusion

A videogame guide Without a videogame is a wonderful way to explore another world. Vermis and Apple Quest do this exceptionally.

With the creatures and factions, this is giving off some Eldritch Horrors board game vibes. Solve the mysteries before the big bad completes its plan, where you then enter the endgame. Combine the gameplay of that with more roleplay elements and you've got yourself something. I will also say, if it does end up being a traditional board game, there's nothing stopping you from making said board game digital. You would have the benefit of more people being able to connect and play, while at the same time allow for more storytelling than what a traditional board game would allow, especially if it has a single-player campaign.

wouldn't it be cool to combine elements of an rpg and puzzle game together outside of solving dungeons? like, what if, during battle, to capture an enigmorph or command it, you have to solve a minigame? (I'm thinking sorting objects until the morph is pleased, unscrambling a word that tells you what to do next, or maybe even drawing what you want the morph to do and seeing if it can understand.) undertale has sorta done this with it's whole heart thing and quick-time attacks, but this approach is more like a silly thinking task rather than mechanical skill.

Excited to see another Apocryphal post! You announced you were making it into a game around the same time I decided to revamp my own worldbuilding project into its own game - another collectible creature entry that draws a little bit on the Lovecraftian aesthetic. You've made me realize that while I'm building my monster roster, I haven't populated the NPCs nearly well enough. I have the barest skeleton for a few late-game characters, but I've truly neglected the villagers you grow up with over my game. Which is a serious problem, given I'm focused on a game where you are the rising tide that lifts all ships. It's all about collecting salvage and using it to craft monsters that make life better for the village.

I really love your drawings and way of thinking characters!

I love the idea of this being a game, the idea of making a team based of utility is very appealing to me and something I already do making pokemon OC’s with specific roles and jobs instead of battling

While I think that most people are expecting this to be a game, I do think a TTRPG would be very interesting for this concept. The idea that anything can become an enigmorph has so much potential that I can only see a TTRPG capturing. A comic would be cool for world building reasons perhaps, but I feel as though it's the weakest form of media to portray this concept with because it won't be as interactive as a creature collector would typically be. Really loving this project so far!

This is so exciting! I really need to see more of this project, and an RPG would be so fun to see come of this

I absolutely adore how many people are saying "TTRPG" and I agree! It sounds like an incredible medium for expressing this varying and expansive world.

Everyone's saying TTRPG but part of the fun of TTRPGs is the GM's ability to make every game unique, with a different story and even an entirely different world. Apocryphal has a really established lore, though. It's hard to make a new story without breaking the current lore of enigmorphs since it's really pretty set in stone. I saw one guy say that a book accompanied by a TCG works, and I honestly really agree; the combo of lore and player interaction seems cool. Maybe some sort of collaborative board game could work too, though; maybe there's one secret-unveiling main objective everyone's working towards but there's ways to take eachother down? Some hybrid between a board game and a TTRPG, where the story made is the mystery they're uncovering?

All of your cosmic horror art is so good

I think the idea of these enigmorphs would best fit a TTRPG or A Comic, OR BOTH

I think a TTRPG would make sense. Because this is a mystery solving game, it would be better if the players themselves solve the mystery rather than picking the correct dialogue option from a set list.

Story building is so fun in and of itself I’m happy to watch these vids

Wasn’t expecting Regiclam but it’s a welcome addition

@SunnyTheOpossum

3 ай бұрын

I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING!!!

I love me some normal humans (seriously, I'm so used to you drawing monsters, I'm blown away but how characterful your human designs still are)

I would love to see this either as a RPG or TTRPG

i would adore it if you shared more of the conceptualisation and brainstorming aspects of your character design process!

Disclaimer: Hi! I'm a new fan and not much of a comments person, but this project really caught my interest so I'm hoping it can be as good as it can be. I also apologize for the essay, I wasn't planning on to, but the ideas and interest just kept coming. I was introduce to your channel by your introduction video for Aprocryphal. The idea and the art that you had really caught my interest so I'm hoping for your success and a good result. The idea of a ttrpg seems very enticing as I've played my share of them, but originally being from outside of the States I imagine it'd be hard to ship or take people out of the country into account. Therefore I think the idea of a video game seems to be and feels a lot more valid as an idea. I understand that your demographic is people in America, but having it available worldwide is always a bonus. Now, regarding what type of game it could be, there are so many ideas that could work and be amazing that I'm hoping as long as you make "something" out of Aprocyphal the majority of people will be happy. As for what I think is a good medium is some sort of main story line either in an rpg or some sort of visual novel as your method of portraying the world, Aprocryphal, but the idea or gimmick for the game itself I think should be some sort of card-based game. Card-base games have generally not been in the limelight of games recently, but there have been some resurgences such as that indie game Buckshot Roulette, so people are aware of card-base games there just aren't that many that catches ppls interests. And also Im just a big fan of card-base games and there aren't any fun good ones that are available. Soooo, TLDR I think a good idea would be a simple yet difficult original battle card game, with a sort of visual or more interactive rpg for world and story building.

I am very intrigued of this whole project and can’t wait to see where this goes! I see this both working as a video game and something tabletop, so might as well throw my two cents in just to help generate some ideas. For a video game, definitely an RPG, like what most people have said. Leaning into more horror, mystery, and discovery more than anything. For a main gameplay loop, what you’ll be doing most of the game, whether it’d be combat, puzzle solving, resource management, I’d say a “Whatever’s in your fridge” kind of gameplay could be interesting. Just so we’re on the same track, imagine I told you to make me a five-course meal with whatever’s in your fridge. Depending on what you have, you’ll either definitely be able to do it, you might be able to do it but you’ll have to get creative, or you won’t. Along with that, you can definitely do it if you have a steak stored in the fridge, but definitely not with a smidge of sauce. You’ll have the creatures in your party, the Enigmorphs (I hope I spelled that right), and they each might be useful for something else. Some might excel at combat and defense, some at stealth and luring away enemies, some at exploration and scavenging. Yes, you can go out guns blazing, but not everything can be solved with punching things. Hell, you might not even find a creature that’s good at combat for a while so you’ll have to make do like a burger without a patty. It could even heighten the horror aspect of the game because you might not be able to do anything to the big scary monster right in front of you. Overall, I personally think a game based on this idea could work really well. On the tabletop side, definitely a TTRPG, sort of a Dungeons & Dragons-like game (and warning, I am a D&D nerd). This way could give the players a level of creativity that a video game would never reach. Creating your own character with their own needs, wants, and motives, freely exploring an imaginary world that, while cool, is trying to kill you 70% of the time. I could see the main goal of this, besides the main story, is survival, seeing that there’s a lot of Lovecraftian inspirations in this and a lot of games and media put that on their lists of priorities. Maybe you can start with a basic Enigmorph with your character that’ll help you get through the first sessions of the story, and depending on which one you pick and maybe a class for your character, it makes doing certain things a lot easier. Got one that emanates light? Now you can see in the dark easier, opening up new areas. Got one that has control over plants? Now you can grow crops and harvest plants easier. There’s a whole lot you can do with this (even creating your own Enigmorphs for a specific campaign), and I’m excited to see the direction this project goes in! Sorry if I was a little wordy, I just love providing feedback and ideas on creative projects like this.

I feel like a linear visual novel with battle-based puzzles would really suit the Apocryphal world, and fit really well into your strengths as a designer. You wouldn't need to design an entire function world with billions of side quests, but would be able to guide the player along the story you want to tell. Switching between narrative moments of characters/Enigmorphs and Enigmorph ability-based puzzles and battles would be a satisfying game loop, and would encourage players who 'tame' (idk how this mechanic would work lol) different Enigmorphs to approach the world in a slightly different way.

i honestly really like your idea of making it a ttrpg, that sounds so fun

I’ve been watching subjectively’s video for a while now and I’m so glad I finally have an actual account for KZread so I can subscribe and comment on videos! This channels has inspired a lot of my own work and is part of the reason I finally got around to making my own channel, even if it is still in the beginning stages, Apocryphal has especially helped with some of my more horror/Eldritch based designs (even if it’s hard for me to strike a balance with my certain art style 😅)

I hadn’t considered a TTRPG for this project but I love that so much. Not sure that it’s the best format but it’s the one I want the most

I've always enjoyed your human designs as much as your creature designs! I think it's important to help the players/viewers get involved with the world with the beings that we'll likely resonate with the most, being our friends to welcome us into the world and what not. Of this batch, I'm really enamoured with Abigail! As for your question about what direction to take it; I feel like a tabletop approach or even a visual novel approach would be really something cool to see and fit into your skillset! I really appreciate how open you are with this project and what it could be and not planning to make it a Pokemon-like because that's what's most expected. Keep it up Jack!

I love this story and love seeing more of it!

I personally LOVE the sound of a ttrpg, I think the combat system would lend itself well to that format, and it would be a lot of fun

I think a videogame is still the way to go, but maybe you would start as a non-believer. But somehow you notice (for instance a enigmorph that could function kinda like a starter pokemon), and you would discover parts of text and images to tell the story, rather than straight up work with the club. You would discover the world alongside the in-game caracter

I think a visual novel style with investigation elements (like Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright) would really suit your concept. Especially because those types of games already have a nice mix of exploration and mystery, something you've mentioned in your videos is a key part of Apocryphal. Hope this helps!

Also 4 year of watching this work and it get better everyday please don't stop because you inspired me work on my own worlds thank you

Mysteries and the solving of them feels like it's pretty core to the whole theme so far. I think a puzzley detective game where you're trying to figure out what enigmorph is behind strange occurances would fit best.

I think this is a project that deserves multiple mediums, its clear you have alot of love for the story and characters as you have been developing it for many years, I think books. a comic, and a ttprg and video game are all a great idea and Id love to see them all come to fruition. Personally I lean towards video game, as my irl friends are not interested in table top gaming and Im too shy irl to really ever get into that, I would love it to be an exploration based game with multiple avenues you could take for the story. I would want to fight with the creatures but also to be able to interact with them outside of battle and to see them as friends. it would take many years but I dont see why you could focus on one project in this universe and then pursue other avenues of it as well as time goes on.

I feel like this could be a great puzzle/mystery type video game! I like the concept of it also being like a dungeon crawler, where you set out on expeditions and solve puzzles until you’re attacked. Maybe the farther you go into the expeditions and the stronger you get, the more weird enigmorphs you encounter.

I’ve definitely been thinking this would be a sick ttrpg since day 1, I’d love to see more exploration in that direction!

Great stuff, Jack!!

You should make this a mystery puzzle game where the creatures are used to solve puzzles that unlock more of the story and lore . Maybe some combat vould be necessary, but i think a game where you have to solve complex puzzles in unique ways sounds really fun. Some inspiration i feel could be used: - Dr. Lautrec (3DS) -the last guardian -Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons -Cookie and Cream (PS2) Basically any game where you have to control two things at once to solve puzzles and navigate areas.

First of all, love all of this. ❤ The intricacies of your story, the unique characters, and of course the art is so exciting, that I can see how/why it has been hard to narrow down. Apocryphal feels like a multimedia project to me. I personally like the idea of a video game with accompanying short story novellas or webcomics/comic issues that extend the world’s story. The artist Trent Kaniuga with his Twilight Monk series did this. He created art books & comics and is currently creating a metroidvania game for it. League of Legends also did this, but in reverse; considering you’ve done a lot of LoL designs/fan projects, following their footsteps could serve as a good model for you (not specifically in terms of your game, but marketing/content strategy). Anyway, this story has a lot of love craft horror & mystery vibes, that would make for a great detective-like side-scrolling adventure & puzzle game where you have to craft, collect/tame enigmorphs , and solve puzzles to unlock or solve some grand mystery left behind by the professor. Perhaps the player character is a hunter who discovers a relic, or comes into the procession of a relic which ties them to the world of the enigmorphs, and leads them down a separate path from the usual hunter way. Perhaps they get wrapped up in a global conspiracy, or end up in the enigmorph’s home world and have to stop an invasion, or put an end to an evil. So many great ideas you could go! Some side-scrolling, adventure puzzle games I’ve liked were: Forgotten Anne, Spiritfarer, Jenny LeClue, Little Nighmares. Obviously, your game doesn’t need/have to be cute or have platforming in it, but a game like these is what I’m thinking. This project also has a potential of an animated series-now, I’m sure you may want to avoid this, but it is something to consider. Even if it’s just promotional shorts for the game, or the comics/books. Hopefully some of this was helpful! Can’t wait to see what this becomes in the end. 😊

The idea of a monster collecting ttrpg sounds like it would best fit this project. So many stories can be told in this world and the idea of going on adventures with your friends and their partner Enigmorphs sounds AMAZING. Plus it could inspire more people to draw and make art mayhaps? Tabletops are what inspired my to learn how to draw and I'm sure it has been the same for countless others.

The way you describe this world make me think that a comic or Graphic novel would be the best way to present this story and characters. If you go with a game however, i think it could be mostly a detective / mystery game, you would use the magic and abilities of your character and enigmores to explore, investigate and find secrets. When combat happens, my mind flies to Devil May Cry 5 and the character V, who has summons that attack for him while using abilities to help them kill the demons they fight, an interesting approach for a hack and slash game

I think a book can give more of the mistery and a better storytelling than other medias

I personally love that this is set in the time period when people historically began constructing motorcycles

I'd love to see a comic for this honestly. I think your own personal artstyle lends itself well to that medium and would be a great way to showcase your intricate designs. Alternatively I think a TTRPG would be really cool, though I think it might be hard to show off the designs in that setting, unless you use standup portraits or something.

I think a comic book could be fun, but your ability to write narration is incredible. I wouldn’t mind some book that acts as a larger, physical version of the month challenges

Super Eyepatch Wolf's video on "Fake Games" has my mind fixated on this sort of "collaborative world building" that fakemon and adjacent projects already have, and I think they're already cool just being art projects... But, for something tangible, one thought that came to mind was some sort of investigative, choices matter, immersive sim RPG where your enigmorphs more than ever are tools to solve problems, like specs in a character sheet, and less just combat tools. Immersive sims have a really big scope even if each individual system is very simple as there's a very complicated narrative structure, but nonetheless a boy can dream.

i feel like this could be a really cool artbook where you can slowly piece the world together while reading.

Having this be a TTRPG would be AMAZING! I feel like the process of making a TTRPG also isnt talked about a lot? It would be fascinating to learn about! At the same time, i cant help but yearn for a narrative story featuring these characters and monsters, so maybe a medium like comics or lore-filled artbooks is an option? Wonderful video and art as always! Your monster designs are top notch, but ive always had a soft spot for your human character designs,, and these are scratching that itch!

I think a combination of a TCG and a TTRPG would be a cool niche for Apocryphal to occupy. Players could choose one of three jobs that correspond with the three founders and gain benefits corresponding to how they interact with Enigmorphs. The Enigmorphs themselves could then be cards with art as well as three abilities: one for combat, one for exploration and one for studying. This would give Pokemon fans the ability to collect monsters and battle while still being a narrative-focussed game that has multiple ways to solve problems and progress the story.

I only subscribed to your channel for this story, and I'd love to see it fully fleshed out! Personally I always imagined a animated series

This definitely has vibes of a solo adventure game with an immersive story.

The more I see of Apocryphal the more I want to see it as a show like Eureka or Ware House 13 but with more practical effects and light CGI like the first Hellboy movie.

If you were to make a TTRPG, this is how i would design it. Each player decides on a character from this video, with one player acting as the "DM" who sets up the dungeon the party explores. Each character has different active and passive skills. For example, Araminta Kain, as HoS, has access to a weapon to subdue wild enigmorphs (controlled by dm character), but her tendency to violence means she has a smaller hand then others. The DM character randomly creates the dungeon from tile cards, and places clues underneath a number of them. The party attempts to find these clues to prevent the prime enigmorphs from wreaking havoc. Different primes have different win conditions. The dm also places wild enigmorphs under some of the cards. Each player starts with a set number of enigmorph cards (the more players there are, the smaller the hand size). Each turn a player can decide to move between adjacent tiles, searching the tile they occupy, or using an enigmorph card. Using an enigmorph card allows the player to do a certain action (e.g. a crow enigmorph could search a tile that is not adjacent to the player). Searching the tile means looking at whats underneath. If there is a clue, it goes towards the win condition. If there is a wild enigmorph, they are attacked and take damage, unless they have something to counteract it (e.g. Araminta Kain's weapon). Damage is seen as an insanity card. These cannot be discarded, and when a player's hand is entirely insanity cards, they "succumb to madness" and are out. Thoughts?