Point Zero - The Atlas Principle is about two technologies

How an infiltrator's ambition comes to his downfall.

And how the Atlas struggles to keep the heaven and the earth apart.

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Icarus was tasked to destroy Calypso—an artificial intelligence aboard the “Atlas.” There, where one-hundred-thousand prisoners are transported—to god knows where. On that faithful day of Calypso’s destruction, Icarus made an ambitious mistake and burned his wings.

He’s arrested, placed before Calypso for interrogation, and sentenced to death. Later, guards drag and strap Icarus into an executioner’s chair. He hears a hum followed by an electric fizzle; He opens his eyes smelling of burned copper and cackles like a maniac. Calypso frowns as she appears in her augmented form. She’s curious about the peculiar device in his neck. Once near, she strikes a finger along it and connects. Icarus draws an evil grin.

Calypso’s eyes widen when detecting malicious software. She spasms and yells her digital lungs out. There must be a place to upload herself before disintegrating—but where? Meanwhile, the Atlas drops out of FTL. Tremors from thunderous explosions, decompressions. Alarms go wild as fires erupt on every deck. While the Atlas struggles to keep the heaven and the earth apart—Icarus loses consciousness.

A long, dark, silence follows.

Icarus awakens. He groans and inhales with a shallow breath. He gathers his strength to crawl towards a hatch, kicks it and vaults down. His boots thud heavily on the floor. The sound of his fall travels before him into the shadowy corridors. A light flickers in thin smog and the metallic walls creak at the seams. It sends a chill up his spine; it triggers an oblivious thought.

“Where am I?”

“What happened here?” The question grasps his mind. He’s frozen in place, stuck in thought from a deep seep awakening within. A shudder as he snaps it a warm glow evolves in his neck. He hears a feminine voice in his mind calling his name. “Icarus, are you all right?”

His thoughts race with impossible uncertainty. It is real, yet nobody is present—only the body before him. “I’m not imagining dead people stalking me, am I?” He inhales, holds his breath, and asks with reservation. “Who… who are you?” She raises her voice as if they have known each other for decades. “It is me, Calypso. We have been surviving aboard the Atlas for the last month. Can’t you remember?” His head shakes—it answers reality simultaneously.

Calypso quickly explains what happened to the crew, the one hundred prisoners, and herself. Her well-articulated tone hints at the assertion and assures her to survive alongside her. Icarus's anxious breathing slows, his mind reeling, yet he rises to his feet—and during this matter of life or death, he must know where to go and ask the inevitable.

“Where are we?” The walls never came so close when eyes flash before his vision, as she speaks.

“Welcome aboard the Atlas. Icarus.”

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A dungeon crawler with an unique combat system and story. D100 Dungeon inspired some, but I decided parting with it and fully designing Point Zero in my way.

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To Be Explore - While lulled into the madness of this world, you'll explore increasingly more difficult pre-made decks.

To Be Dynamic - Exploration sheets change overtime the higher you reach, thus altering the game's outcome at every turn.

To Be Tactical - Position, weapon-type and tactics may win combat, yet not every fight needs to be fought.

To Be Crafting - Scrap and produce any item in the game grand the player the advantage

To Be Symbiotic - Symbiosis redefines the meaning of a nightmare.

After playing System shock II, I found the game missed something deeper. Thus is grabbed a piece of paper and drafted The first iteration of Point Zero.

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To Be Experimental - I took a vessel lost in space, an mad AI and a character in the middle. Point Zero perpetuated beyond System shock's story line, as I grew attached to its vast possibilities and thus I created a principle that's a fascinating game.

To Be Story-driven - Technology and philosophy drive the plot with serious topics, such as: AI, an existential threat, agency over body-and-mind and it adjoins with a sickening body-horror I named—Symbiosis.

To Be Nightmarish - A running dream, unable to gain the distance between the darkness that follows, you run, but you cannot hide—it's Point Zero?

Since 2022 I worked on Point Zero's gameplay and crafted a love for narrative writing. Which even got me into writing a story that fits the game's atmosphere.

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To Be Inspired - I thank the designer of System Shock II for Point Zero's inspiration as it's a difficult genre with fascinating cyberpunk components.

To Be Writing - A technical manual writer write telling, yet with Point Zero discover show, understood pacing, narrative structure, character development, world building and understood narrative on a different level.

To Be Philosophical - Combine AI, technology, psychology with an emotional deep and thrilling story does come at a cost. This game is rather heavy for me, but still it pays of.