MERC COMPANY

Merc Company is a rogue-lite action platformer game. Players will get to explore pseudo-procedurally generated maps filled with a variety of alien races, items, and enemies! As the game progresses, new playable characters known as 'mercs' (mercenaries) will be unlocked. For those who want more than just gameplay, Merc Company will also feature an intricate network of interweaving backstories revolving around each playble character.

Gameplay:

Choose from a variety of mercs that all have unique traits and abilities! Each merc will begin their journey in the "Scattered Shot", an infamous bar where many mercenaries and criminals reside. Within this bar you can find mission contracts with other characters where you are tasked with completing tough objectives that yield rewards. Missions get exceedingly difficult, so it is important to make good contracts and collect helpful items along the way.

Oh, and don't forget celebrating a completed mission contract with a fresh drink from the bar! Drinks are consumable items found only at the Scattered Shot and they have special effects and stat boosts... So drink up!

Features:

• A sizable roster of playable characters each with unique abilities.
• Semi-procedurally generated maps and distinctive locations.
• Permadeath (spooky stuff).
• Many items to collect, improve stats, and create interesting builds with.

Pseudo-Procedural Map Generation:

We originally wanted our maps to be entirely procedurally generated. During initial tests, we found that procedural generation lead to far too much inconsistency and randomness. Premade linear maps was another option, but we feared linear map design would get stale and repetitive over time and greatly reducing the replayability of the game.

Instead, we opted for a hybrid process of map generation that took elements of both procedural generation and linear map design. Basically, instead of having one large linear map, we designed several miniature maps that would fit together like a puzzle to form one large area!

Meet the Mercs:

Each merc will have distinct abilities and unique playstyles. We plan to have a large roster of characters in the future, but right now we are just focusing on completing 6 playable mercs for our updated demo. The first character we decided to work on was Gourmet! Gourmet is an anglerfish-type alien the currently spends his time slashing, seasoning, and devouring anything that stands in his way, all in the name of indulging himself in a quest for the perfect flavor! Check out other characters below:

Marine

Perhaps the criminal underowrld was unsightly at first for this ex-recruit. Simply known as the “Marine”, this character became disillusioned with the Galactic Metro. Politics forced the Marine out of the space force and into a life of hiding with bandits and thieves.

Gatekeeper

The keeper of the void.

Gourmet

Regarded as a master connoisseur to some, and a devourer for the unlucky. Gourmet is a highly dangerous criminal wanted for making delicacies out of civilians at the Galactic Metro. He now lives a life of crime, catching humans and other aliens and fashioning elaborate delicacies from their bodies.

Hunter

Ever since Jekyl was young he was a great sharpshooter. He’d hunt giant worms inhabiting his home planet Sterk—taking down even the most goliath specimens with skill. After one successful hunt, Jekyl discovered an orphaned worm and decided to look after it—attempting to atone for killing its parents.

Drunkard

A regular at the Scattered Shot. This hulking armadillo of a man is known as the town’s biggest drunkard—no one knows why he came to town, but his muttering makes everyone suspect he had experienced some kind of great loss.

Sandman

A robot who cannot recall it's initial programming. It only knows one objective: collect money for its master. Who might it's master be? Not even Sandman knows! At least it has the capacity for speech and a gun for an arm... collecting money should be easy.

Last updated: June 1, 2025