Unwhole Hill:LAKE
Release date: Nov 1, 2024
Developers: Return Circle Games
Publishers: Return Circle Games
Genres: RPG, Early Access
Categories: Single-player, Family Sharing
Supported languages: Simplified Chinese

About Us Hello everyone, I’m Plutinos, a developer from ReturnCircleGames and the producer of Unwhole Hill·LAKE . Over the past two years, we released some early concept previews of Unwhole Hill on Bilibili, mainly showcasing the game’s art scenes. In its initial design, Unwhole Hill was conceived as a first-person narrative game, blending action elements with survival gameplay and puzzle-solving mechanics. At the time, we aimed for Unwhole Hill to provide a highly realistic first-person visual experience, which is why we chose Unreal Engine for development. We also sought to create environments that closely resemble real life, spending considerable time crafting many art assets independently rather than piecing together pre-made ones from asset libraries. However, as the producer, I made many mistakes during this process. First, I severely underestimated the complexity of developing the game’s content. As development progressed, the trials, errors, and continuous learning caused time to slip away much faster than anticipated. Additionally, I mistakenly led the studio into a scam, resulting in the waste of a substantial amount of time and resources. Worse still, we lost the fruits of our hard work. These failures severely damaged the trust among the studio members. Ultimately, we had to face the reality of disbanding, and the team members each sought new directions for their careers. By mid-year, I managed to settle the remaining debts. Afterward, I reached out to an old colleague from the studio. Over the past few months, the two of us recovered and reorganized some of the original art assets, and in our spare time, we completed the early version of Unwhole Hill·LAKE . Unfortunately, due to the lack of sufficient time, the game will not include English localization at launch, and for that, I sincerely apologize. We plan to release additional levels and English localization by Christmas. After experiencing these ups and downs, I’ve come to deeply understand the importance of steady and deliberate progress in game development. Moving forward, we will be much more cautious, learning from past lessons and striving to deliver a more sincere and high-quality game to all of you. Thank you for reading this far, and I hope to witness the completion of the game alongside all of you. Plutinos September 27, 2024 – Evening About the Game This is a first-person puzzle-solving game. In the northwest outskirts of Cangling City lies a lesser-known national nature reserve, Ping Lake. In 2011, a new campus of Cangling University was built on the shores of the lake. In the game, you take on the role of an ordinary student living in the dormitories of the northern campus, temporarily assigned as the 'Dormitory Inspector' for the day. Within the allotted time, you must gather clues from various pieces of information scattered throughout the rooms and inspect the dormitory thoroughly. Analyze and Uncover As the Dormitory Inspector, you need to follow the guidelines in the distributed 'Management Regulations' and the clues left in the previous inspector’s 'Head Resident’s Notes' to find a way to escape the dormitory. In addition to the regulations and notes, you may occasionally receive messages on your phone, which will help you gradually unravel the mysteries hidden within the dormitory. As the Dormitory Inspector, you need to follow the guidelines in the distributed 'Management Regulations' and the clues left in the previous inspector’s 'Head Resident’s Notes' to find a way to escape the dormitory. In addition to the regulations and notes, you may occasionally receive messages on your phone, which will help you gradually unravel the mysteries hidden within the dormitory. As you unlock more doors, you’ll realize that the layout of the rooms conceals deeper secrets. Strange anomalies begin to surface, exposing eerie and unexplainable phenomena. Damaged dorm rooms, inexplicably leaking rooms, and rooms marked with bizarre traces all seem to point to an unknown secret. Driven by both fear and curiosity, you are forced to confront the hidden truth behind this dormitory. Key Features: Four Independent Levels The game currently features 4 standalone levels, each with its own unique puzzle mechanics, offering players a variety of challenges and difficulties. Every level is designed with a distinct style and story background, allowing players to enjoy a sense of accomplishment from solving different types of puzzles and mysteries. Ongoing Content Updates During the Early Access phase, we will continuously update the game with more levels, expanding the overall experience. Each update will introduce new puzzles and stories, ensuring players can always find fresh challenges to enjoy. Powered by Unreal Engine 5 Thanks to the powerful Unreal Engine 5, the game aims to deliver realistic visual and physical effects. Whether it’s lighting, environmental details, or character interactions with the world, the engine creates a highly immersive experience with stunning, lifelike graphics. Modern Dormitory Setting The game is set in a modern campus dormitory, with a strong sense of realism. We have paid close attention to the details of campus life from a contemporary perspective, recreating the atmosphere of a unique school environment for players to fully explore. Story-Driven Puzzle Experience In addition to solving puzzles, players will gradually uncover the secrets hidden within the dormitory. Each level not only presents puzzle challenges but also reveals an underlying story that drives players forward in their quest to uncover the truth. Freedom of Gameplay Players have the freedom to either focus purely on solving puzzles or explore the entire dormitory, discovering hidden clues and details along the way.