Caroline's Underworld

A young and curious girl named Caroline falls into a fantastical underworld after following a mysterious goat down a hole. Now stuck in Limbo, Caroline must navigate her way through a mystical, hellish landscape. By talking to weird and wacky creatures, she uncovers clues, unlocks puzzles, plays mini-games, and discovers the way forward. Made completely from digitally hand-drawn assets, Caroline’s Underworld is about a girl's journey of learning lessons in loneliness and friendship, and discovering one’s true self.

In Limbo, Caroline quickly learns that things are not quite as they seem. There doesn't seem to be an easy exit, and the individuals she meets have a strange irreverence that she finds frustrating at times. However, she presses forward, hopeful to quell the looming threat of losing herself, and eager to find her way out. 

Caroline's Underworld features exploration, easy to pick-up puzzles, and influential dialogue choices. In our featured Chapter One Demo, Caroline must find her footing in the winding paths and catacombs of Limbo and make her way to The Ferryman, in order to descend further into the Underworld. Will she be able to find her way, and will her actions here have consequences in the future that she could not foresee? 

About the Devs:

Caroline's Underworld is made by Dead Curious Games, an indie team who met and began development in college. 

Amanda Powell (she/her) is the lead game designer and programmer. She designs and implements mechanics, lays out levels, and manages the narrative design. She has a background in digital illustration and teaching, having led several classes on art & technology in NYC and Washington, DC. Her professional interests include game design and narrative design, along with 2D illustration for games. Outside of her professional work, she works as a barista and volunteers at her local garden.

Matheson Malpass (he/him) is the creative director, animator, and render artist. Alongside coming up with the main concept of the game and coordinating its themes and aesthetic cohesiveness, he animates sprites and brings the prototype art to a high level of detail. His background in filmmaking and digital illustration are the pillars of his creative work. As a game developer, his focus is to make a seamless connection between art and design in order to tell the best story. Outside of his professional work, he loves to be in nature, practice guitar, or take ballet classes.

Sophia Thorne (she/her) is a visual artist and world builder. She concepts and creates complex environments with imaginative and fantastical elements. She is inspired by worlds built by J.R.R. Tolkien and Lewis Carroll. She creates concepts for characters, environments, and assets for flexible prototyping and design. She also helps to optimize the level design and handles in-engine effects like lights, SFX, and particle systems. Her interests include relief printing making, painting, and creating environments for world creation.

Other Collaborators: 

Carter Williams (he/him) is a student at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema working in collaboration with our team to design the main musical score for Caroline’s Underworld. The music tracks Carter develops help bring the wonderlandish world to life and provide the final polish for the pacing and mood of each area.

Future Goals:

We are planning for a full game release with four planned chapters brought to completion. In addition to the intro and first chapter we have fully developed, we will add three more areas with their own unique mechanics and environments. We also want to complete a satisfying narrative arc that will conclude Caroline’s personal journey. 

On a personal level, we want Caroline’s Underworld to represent us as a studio and highlight the passion we have for environmental and narrative design. This game is our love letter to the gaming industry, specifically within the realm of indie games. Our goal is to create something that we are proud to share with the gaming community and represents our commitment to artistic freedom. 

Thank you for checking our game out! We look forward to your support and the continued growth of Caroline's Underworld.