Hieronymus

Hieronymus

NRW Indie Showcase

Information

Hieronymus is a surreal journey into the works of visionary painter Hieronymus Bosch. At the precipice of a new era of knowledge and civilization, players accompany the 19 year old Helena van Aken on her struggle to find her place in the world while unraveling her family's entanglement with otherworldly powers. Hieronymus is a historical fantasy adventure game with combat elements. In first-person perspective, players explore atmospheric environments, encounter grotesque creatures, and experience a challenging story about the complex reality of psychological disorders against the backdrop of the closing Middle Ages’ trials and tribulations. Over the course of the game, players meet an ensemble of historical figures that had a hand in shaping the conflicts of the early 16th century in Germany. Chief amongst them is the duplicit trickster and famous magician Georg Faustus, who shares with them some of his knowledge of alchemy and the mystical arts. With the help of this unreliable mentor, players navigate hellish (and sometimes heavenly) landscapes born of fever dreams right out of the minds of Dutch Artist Hieronymus Bosch and his contemporaries. Traversing these outlandish environments in search for the truth about Helena's missing father and his association with sinister forces, they will encounter terrifying and oddly fascinating creatures. In order to fend them off, outwit them, or even befriend them, players progressively gain control over an increasing assortment of medieval alchemy, tools, and weapons. A core mechanic is the use of an historically believable arquebus - a precursor gun that can only fire once after a meticulous process of preparation - enforcing the idea that violence comes with a cost and should only ever be the player's last resort in solving conflict.
Platforms
PC / Mac
Development stage
Playable demo
Link to a gameplay video

Social Media

Rhenus Vina MusicaI4 - Rhenus Vina MusicaIn early 2021, after having collaborated on several projects in the games industry, 3D Artist Jörn Friedrichs and Concept Artist Julia Goerke-Milde decided to pursue their dream of developing a video game based on the awe-inspiring art of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. As the focus of the project should not only be on impressive art and technical direction but also on immersive story-telling, they enlisted the help of their friend and clinical psychologist Dr. Patrick Zimmer. Rhenus Vina Musica was founded in February of 2021 in order to realize our vision of Hieronymus. With the inclusion of programmer Felix Rummel in early 2023, the core team now comprises four members. Although small, we employ a variety of skills in the departments 2D- and 3D-Art, Game Design, Programming, and Psychotherapy. Over and above the development of our immersive, story-focused first video game, we are currently laying the groundwork for a cooperation with a well-known German museum with the aim of developing authentic historical AR experiences. We have been fortunate enough to be financially and ideationally supported by the German state via the ‘Film und Medienstiftung’ North Rhine-Westphalia. Throughout 2021, the concept phase for Hieronymus was funded. Currently, we are working on a first prototype that will showcase a range of core concepts for our game. In this, we are again supported by the 'Film und Medienstiftung’. Until now, we have independently conducted all steps of the process of making our first game (game development, funding acquisition, presentation at conferences, social media etc.). Taking into consideration the wealth of experiences of the last two and a half years, we feel that from this point forward, we could benefit greatly from a cooperation with a publisher who shares our vision of Hieronymus and is willing to support us in development, marketing and distribution.

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