Tellumar
Solo Indie Ongoing Project
Project Tellumar is an ongoing solo game project and will continue to evolve over time.
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This post documents the current state of the project, focusing on system design, prototyping, and implementation. As development progresses, sections may be updated or reworked to reflect new discoveries and design decisions.
Project Overview
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Project Tellumar is a narrative-driven investigation Action RPG set in Rio de Janeiro during the second half of the 19th century.
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The player takes the role of a formally trained doctor who abandoned his profession and strongly believes in scientific reasoning. Despite this, he has experienced unexplained mediumistic phenomena since childhood, which he actively rejects.
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The game revolves around investigative scenarios such as crimes, medical cases, and interpersonal conflicts, all framed through the tension between rational and spiritual interpretations.
My Role & Responsibilities
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In this project, I am responsible for the design and implementation of the core gameplay systems.
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My work includes:
- Concept development and system design
- Structuring the investigation and hypothesis mechanics
- Prototyping gameplay features in Unreal Engine 5 using Blueprints
- Designing data structures for a data-driven workflow
- Iterating on UX and systemic behavior through testing -
This project reflects a design ownership role, where system definition, implementation, and iteration are handled end-to-end.
Design Intent
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The core design goal is to build an investigation system centered on interpretation rather than immediate validation.
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Instead of guiding the player toward a single correct solution, the system allows multiple outcomes — correct, partially correct, or wrong — each producing different narrative consequences.
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This shifts the focus from “solving correctly” to “forming and committing to an interpretation.”
Core System: Investigation & Hypothesis
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The core gameplay loop is based on collecting, organizing, and interpreting clues.
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Players explore environments, interact with NPCs, and gather information from multiple sources. These clues are placed on an investigation board, where the player constructs a hypothesis.
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A key design decision is the absence of feedback during hypothesis formation. The player can freely adjust their reasoning, but correctness is only evaluated after committing to a test action.
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Each hypothesis unlocks a specific action in the world. Once executed, the system evaluates the result and produces one of three outcomes: correct, partially correct, or wrong.
Implementation
The project is developed in Unreal Engine 5 using Blueprints, with a focus on modular and scalable systems.
Current features include:
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Data-driven clue system using DataTables
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Centralized clue management system
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Investigation board interface
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Hypothesis validation pipeline
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Derived clue logic triggered by player progression
The goal of this phase is to validate system flexibility and support different case structures.
Design Challenges
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One of the main challenges is balancing player freedom with clarity.
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Since the system provides no feedback during hypothesis formation, the player must rely entirely on interpretation. This requires careful control over information delivery and contextual clarity.
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Another challenge is maintaining historical consistency. Scientific explanations must be framed using period-appropriate concepts, avoiding modern terminology while keeping both rational and supernatural interpretations believable.
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Designing cases with multiple valid interpretations also demands precise control over clue distribution, ensuring that different reasoning paths remain viable.
Next Steps
The next phase focuses on expanding the system through a fully playable case.
Planned developments include:
- Implementation of the prologue case set in a cortiço environment
- Refinement of clue distribution within a semi-open level structure
- Expansion of dual interpretation paths (scientific and supernatural)
- Improvements to investigation board UX
- Continued iteration on narrative integration and pacing