BONEYARD / TOP-DOWN ACTION-ADVENTURE 2026
After two third-person projects, Echoes and After The Ashes, I wanted to build a complete game from start to finish: small in scope, but with every piece in place.
Boneyard is a top-down action-adventure inspired by the early Zelda games. A skeleton wakes up in a graveyard with missing bones. Angry ghosts have hidden them in three crypts, and each one holds a new ability needed to reach the final boss.
The look comes from 1930s cartoons like The Skeleton Dance: black and white, film grain, rain and flickering light. It's a playful subject with a darker, vintage mood.
Compared to After The Ashes, Boneyard introduces:
Real-time combat with melee, a thrown weapon and a dash
Enemies with different behaviours, and a boss fight
Ability-gated progression: each crypt unlocks a new tool
An upgrade economy based on collected souls
A full game loop: menu, save system, settings, credits and end screen
Keyboard and gamepad support
Everything is built entirely in Blueprints in Unreal Engine 5.
Note: A playable build will be available soon.
CREDITS :
Game Design & Development : Julien Pietri (Third Hand) with the help of Claude
3D Models & Sound Effects : Kenney
Music : HydroGene
SYSTEMS
Combat & Abilities.
Three abilities, each earned in a different crypt:
Bone Boomerang: thrown weapon that hits enemies and switches at range
Bone Dash: quick dash with invincibility frames that breaks cracked walls
Lantern: lights the darkness and reveals hidden souls
Enemies.
Each ghost type asks for a different approach:
Angry Ghost: chases the player and deals contact damage
Wailing Ghost: keeps its distance and throws projectiles
Golden Ghost: rare, runs away, drops a big soul reward
Boss: bigger, tougher, waiting at the end
Progression & Economy
Souls dropped by ghosts or hidden around the levels
Spent at graves to upgrade maximum health
Secrets reward exploration
Save & Persistence
Graves act as save points: heal, upgrade and save
Saves level, health, souls, inventory and upgrades
Separate settings save
Level Design
A graveyard hub, three crypts and a boss arena
Each crypt follows a clear structure: combat hall, item shrine, hidden alcove, save point, boss door
Layouts planned from top-down reference maps, then blocked out in engine
UI & Presentation
Health HUD, profile menu with inventory and controls
Data-driven item descriptions and on-screen hints
Settings menu, credits and end screen
Typography inspired by 1930s cartoon title cards
Look & Sound
Black & white post-process grade with film grain and an old-film effect
Night, rain and wet reflections with Ultra Dynamic Sky & Weather
Music and sound effects
