Planned Release Date: To be announced

About This Game

Abel's death: The gravedigger is a neo‑retro first‑person shooter in a dark, atmospheric setting of an alternative early 20th century. The game’s lore draws on Christian, Jewish, and Sumerian mythologies.

The Character

Abel is a former Christian priest who once stumbled and fell to the lowest point in his life. Now he lives in a cemetery and works as a gravedigger. Over the course of the game, he fights a dark cult and gradually rediscovers his faith.

Visual Style

The game isn’t aiming to be a high‑tech blockbuster. It deliberately uses low‑poly models and pixelated textures. The visual metaphor for GraveDigger is “eternal autumn in a cemetery.” Yellow trees, leaden clouds, and a dim sun all contribute to a dense, noir  atmosphere.

Gameplay Loop

The core principle is “keep moving forward.”

The game is structured as a sequence of distinct areas. In each area, the player must solve a local challenge and then move on: arrive — clear out the monsters — find the exit (or a way to open it) — proceed further.

Each area may include a small maze, a puzzle, a particularly difficult passage, or a combination of all these elements. Some areas are designed to showcase specific mechanics and add variety to the gameplay.

Secrets with equipment can appear inside areas and along the paths between them, encouraging players to explore the environment.

There isn’t much backtracking in the game. If you see a door you can’t open, you’ll either find a way within about a minute, or it simply isn’t meant for you yet.

Every area ends with a checkpoint. In some cases where the game logic doesn’t allow a checkpoint, auto‑save is used instead.

Abilities

• Dash. When holding the shovel, the player can dash toward an enemy and deal increased damage with the shovel.

• Kick. Weak enemies can be knocked down with a jumping kick. This doesn’t interrupt weapon reloading.

• Execution. Enemies knocked down can be quickly finished off with the shovel, saving ammo.

• Stomp. In certain situations, when an enemy has lost a leg and is crawling, they can be finished with a stomp to the head.

• Blessing. A special item that grants the player extra damage against the undead  for a limited time.

Game Features

• Full Body first person character. The weapon is literally in your hands, and you always cast a correct shadow. If you lower the camera, you’ll see your legs and lower body. The weapon (especially the shovel) interacts with the environment in a physically accurate way: it’s actually in your hands, not just a visual effect rendered in front of the camera.

• Tactile melee combat. You deal damage when the shovel literally cuts through enemies. There are no abstractions or assumptions. The hit lands exactly where you strike. Everything is calculated in real time with high precision.

• Dismemberment System. You can shoot off monsters’ limbs and heads. Losing a limb doesn’t make them incapacitated but changes their combat style and movement. There are also 3 fatal critical injuries that can destroy the upper or lower torso or completely obliterate the body.