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HexaNeph Games is a small indie studio that makes video games. We’ve released our first title, Hint, and begun work on our second game Alarial’s Blessing.

We’ll post articles periodically so check back in regularly for updates or subscribe below to get automatically notified when a new article goes live.


Recent Posts

  • Designing Games for Exploration
    Exploration is a critical component of many games, and it can take several different forms. Some games encourage players to explore their world. What might be over that next mountain? Will I find rare resources or some beautiful new scenery? Other games want players to explore their mechanics. What happens if I choose skills two and four? What will I create when combining these items? Further games may entice players to explore their narrative. What motivates these characters? Why is the world ending? The best exploration games do all these things and while it can manifest differently, exploration in video […]
  • HexaNeph Games is looking for an animator
    As of February 16th, 2023 we are no longer accepting applications! Progress is coming along nicely for the vertical slice of Alarial’s Blessing, but it’s time to bring in some more talent! We’re seeking an animator who can create video game sprite sheets for combat and world exploration. This includes idle, attack and movement animations. Here are a few examples of our game’s combat sprites and a screenshot showing the overall combat look. The image below is a demo sprite sheet showing the kind of work we’re looking for. We do have an in-house artist that can assist with coloring […]
  • More JRPGs should embrace the red wedding
    I’ve been playing JRPGs for many years now. It is a great genre for those of us who like to explore and strategize. You get to discover new worlds, meet interesting characters, and customize a party of combatants to overcome various challenges. While I have seen a huge diversity of wonderfully creative combat systems, these types of games do tend to tell a very similar story. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy saving the world as much as the next person. It is quite satisfying growing from the weakest fighter to the strongest warrior defeating all obstacles along the way. […]
  • Designing Interesting Enemies
    It’s common in JRPGs for players to fight dozens of the same monsters and humans. This works fine for games where you will have hundreds of battles or where grinding is required. For Alarial’s Blessing, we’re going in the opposite direction. We want each fight to feel different and engaging. One big part of that is making sure the enemies themselves are unique and interesting. This sketch is an example of some humans you may fight. The goal is to make even the “trash” mobs have real personality and backstory. We want the player to feel like they are fighting […]
  • Announcing Alarial’s Blessing
    HexaNeph Games is very excited to officially announce our next game: Alarial’s Blessing. If you are anything like us and love JRPGs but find yourself yearning for something new, we think you’ll also be excited! Check out the game’s page to meet the main cast and learn a few more details. We are still early in the development cycle but wanted to have the opportunity to share our progress as we move forward.