One of our newer members of the team, Damani, has already made put in so much hard work for Zakumba as a Programmer. Outside of AfroDuck, Damani thoroughly loves drumming. One fun fact about Damani is he has actually performed live in Las Vegas!
#afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev #indiegame

white duck with black afro holding a sign that says “Blog post is up!!!” against an explosion background

“Getting Crafty with It: the Crafting Blog As a game mechanic, crafting is the bane of my existence.”

This week’s blog post is LIVE! #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev #gamedevblog #blog #indiegame #indiegamedev

www.afroduckstudios.com/dev-blogs/20...

Ducksona wearing cat ears and big spikey black boots. Very cat girl goth aesthetic. Against a black and neon green background.

From programming to level design to 3D modeling, no one can do it like our Technical Artist, Rose. One fun fact about Rose is she is colorblind! And no, that does not hinder her from being an essential part of the Art Team whatsoever!
#afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev

Ducksona with a paper bag over his head. The bag has a smiley face drawn on it. Against an orange and brown background.

As one of our Senior Programmers, Antonio has been a great help fine-tuning the mechanics of Zakumba: Astraia. With his background of video game modding, Antonio's insight and skills are super beneficial. Outside of ADS, he really likes musicals! #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev

Afro Fuck holding up a sign that reads “Blog post is up!!!” against a spiral background

“Note This: the Note Blog You want to know a cheap way of building a world that requires very few complicated assets, while also being really easy to implement? There are a lot of pages and notes scattered around the Abandoned Factory; pages and notes written by workers, engineers, scholars, and more, that offer insight into the world of Zakumba: Astraia, its inhabitants, and the Abandoned Factory itself”

This week’s blog post is live! #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev #indiegame #gamedevblog

www.afroduckstudios.com/dev-blogs/20...

"The Abandoned Factory" is the main track heard throughout the Vertical Slice for Zakumba: Astraia. Excitement, adventure, curiosity, and the unknown all await the player as they explore and unearth new discoveries throughout the game.
#zakumbaastraia #afroduckstudios #ost #gamedev #soundtrack

Ducksona with a pink mohawk listening to music through over the ear headphones against a bright pink and blue background.

Since we've been sharing more of the Zakumba: Astraia OST, it's only natural to introduce the man behind the music: Brian Skeel. Outside of ADS, Brian is a professional music producer who has many projects under his belt.
#zakumbaastraia #afroduckstudios #gamedev #indiegamedev #ost #videogameost

Juneteenth is not only a celebration of freedom, but a thank you to all those who sacrificed and paved the way for opportunities to share stories like ours. As we celebrate, we also reflect and are eternally grateful for the path carved out for us! Happy Juneteenth. #junteenth

white duck with black afro holding up a sign that says “Blog post is up!!!” against a gray background

“It’s Not a Vending Machine: the Vending Machine Blog Guys, kindly reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.”

This week’s blog post is up!

www.afroduckstudios.com/dev-blogs/20...

#gamedev #gamedevblog #indiegame #indiegamedev #zakumbaastraia #afroduckstudios

"Plenty of Detours" was composed to be our end credits music, but it is not meant to signify the end of the journey. Instead, the journey has just begun. Excitement, adventure, and danger await. Composed by Brian Skeel. #gamedev #zakumbaastraia #afroduckstudios #ost

"As New Friends Explore" feels exciting, new, and full of wonder. It is the beginning of a new adventure, the start of memories to last a lifetime. Brian Skeel captured that childhood experience perfectly in this track. #zakumbaastraia #afroduckstudios #ost #gamedev #indiegame

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text that reads “Using Junk to Create Junk: the Tool and Accessory Design Blog”

This week’s blog post is live! #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev #gamedevblog #indiegame #indiegamedev

www.afroduckstudios.com/dev-blogs/20...

Duck holding a sword while shedding a single tear. Against a yellow background.

Another member of the Art Team, Crystal, is a Blender guru. Her assistance in creating our 3D assets has been a godsend. Outside of ADS, Crystal is involved in an analog horror series on Youtube called The Walten Files.
@_lighth0use_ #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev

As the longest-standing member of the Art Team, Elena has done a little bit of everything. Character design, social media, assets, texturing, etc. you name it they've done it. Outside of ADS, Elena is an avid hiker and apprentice jeweler.
#afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev

Yellow duck with big round glasses and a blue hat filled with fun trinkets. Against a purple background.

Say hello to Jamie! Their skills as an animator have really shined in Zakumba, with one of their projects being a massive golem! Outside of ADS, Jamie is creating a small art business. Check out their art: www.tumblr.com/disanthropi-...
#afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev

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Text that says “A Guided Tour of the Abandoned Factory: the Exploration Blog “Welcome, everyone, to your guided tour of the Abandoned Factory!””

This week’s blog post is live!

www.afroduckstudios.com/dev-blogs/20...

#gamedev #blog #gamefevblog #indiegamedev #indiegame #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia

Since finding out about AfroDuck through the Ohio Game Dev Group, Matt has been a key member of the programming team. From writing code to debugging, we can always count on Matt as one of our dedicated Senior Programmers.
#afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev #seniordev #indiegamedev #indiegame

Ducksona of Skye against a light purple background. The duck is wearing a beanie and necklace and is dancing.

As one of the Senior Programmers, Skye has played a huge role in creating the mechanics of Zakumba. They especially helped flesh out the battle system. Fun fact about Skye, they are a collegiate champion level standard dancer! #zakumbaastraia #afroduckstudios #afroduck #gamedev

Serena's ducksona is a yellow duck with her eyes closed and a tear forming at the corner. She is covered in a big blanket, wearing slippers, and is wearing a spikey collar. Against a purple background.

As a member of the art team and marketing department, Serena is always hard at work. From the animatic to content creation, she can do anything. Outside of ADS, Serena is the vocalist for two different metal bands. Check out her Linktree: linktr.ee/opalestia #gamedev #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia

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“Narrative Moments: Writing Writing When Writing Shouldn’t be Written”

This week’s blog post is live! #gamedev #blog #gamedevblog #indiegamedev #devblog

Our Senior Narrative Designer, James, has been an integral part of fleshing out the story, the characters, and the overall lore of Zakumba: Astraia.
Check out James' works outside this project on his Linktree: linktr.ee/jameskoehlerjr
#afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #indiegame #gamedev

This is a picture of Ren's ducksona. She is standing with a zone-out expression on her face and a little leaf sprouting out of the top of her head. She is against a red background.

As our Lead Character and UI Designer, Ren has played a key role in brining the characters of Zakumba Astraia to life. All the character portraits in the game are made by Ren herself! She is inspired by the works of Satoshi Kon and Kentaro Miura. #gamedev #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia

This is a picture of the ducksona of Tully, our second Lead Artist. He is dual wielding a sword and a lightsaber. He is set against a green background.

Next up is our second Lead Art Director, Tully. Whether he's creating textures for our 3D assets, or creating affects through our game engine, Tully is always grinding away making Zakumba Astraia what it is now. #gamedev #indiegame #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia

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Text that reads: When One Choice Leads to Untold Hours of Work: The 8-Directional Sprite Story

This week’s blog post is live! Learn more about the making of Zakumba: Astraia! #gamedev #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia

www.afroduckstudios.com/dev-blogs/20...

Image of Astraia and Belles looking excited and standing in front of a blurred out city. "Call for Play Testers" is seen above them.

The same background as the previous image, but instead of the girls it has the Discord logo and text saying "Zakumba: Astraia test build is AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD! Join our Discord for more info. Link in bio."

Join our Discord, The Pond, to stay up to date on any changes, updates, and announcements related to Zakumba: Astraia and AfroDuck Studios itself. There, you will receive exclusive access to the latest builds and the ability to play test our Vertical Slice! #zakumbaastraia #gamedev #afroduckstudios

This is an image of the ducksona for one of our two lead art directors: Ellie. She is depicted as a yellow duck with a leaf sprouting on her head, holding a cup of coffee, and wearing big black boots. She is against a purple background.

To kick this next round of introDUCKtions off, we'd like to introduce the person who made all of our ducks, one of two Lead Art Directors, Ellie. Besides being an incredibly talented artist, Ellie thrives in rock climbing and pottery. #gamedev #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia

A picture of the ducksona of Nick, who is mentioned in the post's caption, against a red background. He has on a gray beanie, glasses, and is holding a shuriken.

Alongside Kwesi and Jason, Nick is the third in the trio of heads of Afroduck Studios. As the co-founder and lead programmer, he is able to bring whatever crazy ideas Kwesi has to life. A fun fact about Nick is he is an amateur woodworker!
#gamedev #afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #indiegame

White duck with a big black afro holding up a sign that says “Blog post is up!!!”

A sneak peek of today’s blog. The text reads: Zedi, the Currency: A Shell of a Time “It’ll be less confusing if you just use paper money as a game’s currency,” the people may claim. But, while paper money may be efficient in today’s societies, that doesn’t mean it isn’t boring as sin. You hear that, world governments? The people clamor for cooler currency!

This week’s blog post is up! This time we really take a deep dive into the world of Zakumba by focusing on its currency!

Next up on the introDUCKtions list is none other than our CEO, Jason, who has been a part of the team since the very beginning. Jason saw the potential of AfroDuck Studios and has supported us ever since. We would not be where we are today without him.
#afroduckstudios #zakumbaastraia #gamedev

As one of the heads of ADS and the Creative Director of Zakumba, Kwesi's excitement and dedication has been one of our biggest motivators to bringing Zakumba to life. A couple fun facts about Kwesi are that he's studying Jiu-Jitsu and enjoys participating in Spartan races!