- A hand-drawn pixel adventure that started at a game jam in 2015 and took 10 years to complete.
- A survival story of dinosaurs and astronauts told through animation and sound without dialogue
The pixel art point-and-click adventure game ‘Theropods’ , developed by indie development studio Lost Token and published by Dionous Games, was officially released on Steam and GOG on August 20.
‘Teropose’ is a point-and-click adventure that tells a story using only animation, sound, and character actions, without using any dialogue, subtitles, or text. The project, which started as a Flash game at a game jam in 2015, was completed as an official title after about 10 years of development following a successful Kickstarter campaign.
The game features a hybrid worldview that combines sci-fi mystery with a prehistoric setting where dinosaurs and humans coexist. Players control a young hunter character to carry out the core mission of rescuing tribesmen kidnapped by a group of barbarians.
On the path of adventure, the player unexpectedly encounters a crashed spaceship and an astronaut. A prehistoric hunter and a futuristic alien, who cannot communicate a single word, begin a strange journey together toward the same destination.
Their journey, which began merely as a step to save a comrade, gradually transforms into a massive science fiction epic that uncovers the hidden true nature of the world.
A story conveyed through animation without dialogue
The most distinctive feature of ‘Teropose’ is its storytelling that completely excludes text. There are no dialogue options, nor are there subtitles or explanatory text. Players must understand the situation on their own by observing the characters’ facial expressions and gestures, changes in the surrounding environment, and the behavior of creatures.
The puzzles are also designed around these visual representations. Players must solve problems by examining surrounding objects and interacting with them in various ways. In dangerous situations, rather than fighting enemies directly, the game proceeds by utilizing the environment to avoid crises or divert the attention of predators.
In particular, the behavior of creatures, including dinosaurs, is utilized as a puzzle element itself. The core of the game lies in players observing and experimenting with the world to find solutions suited to each situation.
Hand-drawn pixel art completed over 10 years
‘Teropose’ was completed by hand-drawing all the characters, dinosaurs, and backgrounds, then producing the animation frame by frame, and finally converting it into pixel art.
Development began as a small-scale game jam project in 2015. Later, driven by player interest, the project shifted toward full-scale game development and successfully completed crowdfunding via Kickstarter.
The development process faced various challenges, such as switching game engines and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and the long-term development continued during the leisure time of the two co-founders. As a result, ‘Terropoz’ perfected a unique visual style that conveys character emotions and situations solely through movement and gestures.
The development team took the handcrafted aesthetic found in Amanita Design’s works, such as ‘Machinarium’ and ‘Creaks,’ as a primary reference point.
An adventure of observing and solving rather than fighting
The gameplay focuses on observation and puzzle-solving rather than combat. Instead of facing predators and enemies head-on, you must utilize the surrounding environment and objects to find a safe path and understand the behavioral patterns of each creature to bypass dangers.
Through this, players solve problems by directly understanding how the world works, rather than simply finding a fixed answer.
Here, the relationship between a young hunter trying to save his tribe and a stranger who crash-landed from space is added, unfolding a story of survival and friendship. The process of two people who cannot speak continuing their journey together connects naturally with the game’s stage direction.
The music also combines the contrasting atmospheres of the prehistoric era and science fiction. It emphasizes the game’s mysterious atmosphere by adding unsettling sci-fi synthesizer sounds to primitive tribal rhythms.
Lost Token co-founders Kostas Skiftas and Sarah Duffield-Harding stated, “We could have released the 2015 Game Jam version and stopped there, but we kept rebuilding it until it became the no-story adventure we wanted. Seeing the game released on Steam and GOG today is the moment our long-cherished dream has become a reality.”
“Terropoz,” which began as a game jam and took 10 years to officially release, strips away dialogue and subtitles to complete its story solely through visual effects and puzzles. This unique prehistoric sci-fi adventure featuring dinosaurs, humans, and astronauts is currently available to play on Steam and GOG.
Information regarding ‘ Theropods ‘
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Lost Token |
| Publisher | Dionous Games |
| Genre | Point-and-click adventure, puzzle, pixel art |
| platform | PC (Steam, GOG) |
| Release date | August 20, 2026 |
| Development period | About 10 years (started as a 2015 Game Jam project) |
| characteristic | Storytelling without dialogue, subtitles, or text |
| graphics | Pixel art created by producing hand-drawn animation frame by frame |
| worldview | A world combining prehistoric times and sci-fi mystery |
| Key elements | Dinosaurs, Puzzles, Environmental Interaction, Predator Avoidance, Survival and Friendship |
| crowdfunding | Kickstarter campaign success |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
