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[In Progress] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]

DYD

DYD

  • Great Ball Yellow Heart Poké Ball
    • 21
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    • Seen Jan 4, 2026
    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]


    ALPHA OUT NOW!

    👉 Download via itch.io (Windows only!) 👈

    ➡️https://dyd-zoa.itch.io/zoazero
    • Keyboard controls only: [WASD] for navigation, [E/Return] for Yes/Confirm, [Esc] for No/back.
    • Exit the game with Alt+F4.
    • Your save files will likely be compatible with future updates! :)
    Spoiler: Known "big" issues:


    Attention: This is an unfinished Alpha build!
    This version is functional, but lacks polish and refinement. Also, you're likely to run into bugs or missing content that has not been implemented yet.

    You will eventually hit an invisible wall, preventing you from progressing any further.

    We hope to gather as much feedback as possible, so that we can build the game of *your* dreams. :)
    Click to expand...

    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]

    ZOA:ZERO is a science-fiction RPG, crafted with passion since early 2019. In this expansive adventure, you will:
    • Explore a vast planet teeming with otherworldly life, then journey to its orbiting moons and distant exoplanets.
    • Discover and tame over 160 unique species of fully animated Zoa, each with distinct abilities and characteristics.
    • Train your Zoa and lead them into strategic, high-stakes battles.
    • Unravel a dark conspiracy and dismantle the mysterious organization known as the Void Brotherhood.
    • Immerse yourself in a living world with hundreds of side quests and engaging activities.
    • Build and customize your own base of operations, from a resource-rich farm to a high-tech workshop.
    • Become the most legendary Zoa Tamer this world - and others - have ever seen!

    Animation Progress:

    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]


    This game has been designed and coded from scratch: It does not use any pre-made engine (such as Pokémon Essentials), and it does not include any intellectual property held by third parties. The content is entirely original. In other words: Look forward to an experience you've never seen before :)

    Gameplay video:


    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]

    Spoiler: Ingame Screenshots


    Spoiler: Artwork & Design

    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]

    RPG MECHANICS
    • Tons of Main- and Sidequests, some with impactful choices
    • Hundreds of interesting NPCs
    • 12 Towns and Settlements to explore
    • Farming and Crafting
    • Character Customisation
    BATTLE MECHANICS
    • 160 different Zoa species to choose from
    • 100+ moves, many of them with unique and interesting effects and twists
    • 15 elemental types for Zoa and Moves, with complex interactions
    • Double battles for strategic depth
    • Passive Abilities
    • Held Items
    • Weather effects
    • Limit Break: Every fully-evolved Zoa has a special form that can be temporarily unlocked.
    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]
    Current state of the game?
    • Core programming: 98% completed. There is roughly 350,000 lines of code in the engine, enabling all of the game's core mechanics. There's just minor adjustments and bugfixing to be done.
    • Assets: 30% completed.
    • Writing / Story: 85% completed. Only some side quests still need to be designed and written properly.
    • Actual gameplay: 5% completed, which equals to 2.5 hours of functional and continuous gameplay.
    Release window?
    Mid 2028, if everything goes according to plan. We will drop unfinished demos along the way.

    How can I support the project?
    We're currently not looking for additional developers or designers. You can join the Discord if you want to keep posted about upcoming opportunities.

    Will you release the game engine for others to use?
    Yes, very likely. Once the engine is 100% completed and bug-free, we'll release it for others to build their own games in it.

    AI usage?
    Some background assets are AI-generated as a placeholder. They will be replaced by human creativity before release.
    AI has occasionally been used for bug-fixing purposes.

    Who is behind the project?
    A Germany-based group of friends who would like you to have fun! :)


    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]


    Credits

    Tileset: Hyptosis
    Icons: Henrique Lazarini (7Soul1)
    Tileset: https://kauzz.net/free-tiles/
    Tileset: Viktor Hahn [email protected]
    Support character animations: Artyssala
    Tileset: https://limezu.itch.io/

    Final Words

    ZOA:ZERO is a project of passion, and we'd LOVE to engage with like-minded games throughout the development. Please feel free to reach out! We're looking forward to your feedback, ideas, and suggestions!

    Regards,
    DYD
     
    Last edited:
    Yeah, it is! :)

    Florabolt is the Grass-type starter, though it has Electric as a second type. It will evolve into a fast physical attacker.

    The Florabolt-line is one of my favourites in the entire game, not gonna lie. A lot of thought went into its design, both visually and gameplay-wise.

    Here's some artwork of the full evolution line, if you don't mind getting spoiled. :D

    Spoiler: Artwork
     
    DYD said:
    Yeah, it is! :)

    Florabolt is the Grass-type starter, though it has Electric as a second type. It will evolve into a fast physical attacker.

    The Florabolt-line is one of my favourites in the entire game, not gonna lie. A lot of thought went into its design, both visually and gameplay-wise.

    Here's some artwork of the full evolution line, if you don't mind getting spoiled. :D

    Spoiler: Artwork
    Click to expand...
    is rabbit/bunny and dog hybrid clearly can see its gonna keep its type like bulbasaur do
     
    Hey folks! Quick update on Zoa:Zero.

    :coolrim:

    With most core systems in place, we've shifted hard into worldbuilding - populating the map with NPCs, events, and secrets.

    Zoa:Zero runs on a custom engine built from the ground up (no RPG Maker or other pre-made frameworks). To move fast, we use our in-house tools to script NPC behavior and in-game events comfortably and efficiently - and today we're sharing a look at those tools in action.

    As a reminder: Alongside the game, we'll release the entire toolkit - free - so anyone can build their own projects with it.


    There's probably noone interested in this, *but* I figured I might show you guys a bit what's happening in our office these days. :)
     
    Last edited:
    Hey! I signed up here specifically to tell you I'm very hyped about this project!

    Usually I just come here to look for games to play, but this one has me really excited. It looks very professional and modern, but gives me a lot of Gen2 vibes. Amazing work!
     
    Rewarding Type Loyalty: Our Take on STAB

    In many RPGs, there's a familiar rule: an attack gets a huge damage boost if its type matches the user's. While this seems like a great strategic layer, we found it has an ironic side effect: it punishes roleplaying.

    Players are heavily pushed to use matching-type moves, which in turn forces them to build teams with a wide variety of types to get type coverage and STAB. The result?
    • Roleplaying as a "Dark-type specialist", for example, is a losing strategy.
    • Type-focused bosses (like Gym Leaders) become a total pushover.
    • Using mismatched moves is often pointless, limiting your creativity when it comes to movesets.
    Essentially, the old way puts you at a disadvantage for loving a specific type, and it makes specialized opponents easy to "cheese."

    We do it differently!

    To solve this, we've overhauled the STAB-system from the ground up:
    1. The standard "Same Type Attack Bonus" is toned down significantly, from a massive 50% to a more subtle 15%.
    2. We're introducing the "Party Synergy Attack Bonus": For each other party member that shares a move's type, that move gets an additional 5% damage boost.
    This seemingly small change has a huge impact. It rewards you for building a cohesive, thematic team (while still rewarding diversified teams!).
    The loss of type coverage is now balanced by a powerful, stacking synergy bonus. Now it is your choice: Type-coverage or PSAB?
    • Your dream of leading an unstoppable Poison-type team is now viable - and rewarding!
    • And that type-specialist opponent? They now benefit from that same synergy, turning them from a pushover into a powerhouse.

    We also added held items, passive abilities and moves that interact wit this new mechanic. For example, the "Pack Tactics" passive will increase the PSAB from 5% to 8% per matching party member. :)

    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]
    (Work in progress)

    What do you think about this change? Please let us know! :)
     
    Last edited:
    I think we 've been a bit too silent in the past, so:

    Time for the first weekly update!

    Going forward, we'll be posting weekly updates alongside a video to track progress. I bet it will be cool to look back on this in a few months. :)


    Here's the changelog for this week:
    • Passive abilities are now live in the battle system.
    • Manage held items from the Zoa menu or Inventory.
    • Inventory UI overhaul: better descriptions & gold values.
    • BGM now loads correctly from save files.
    • Shader filters now save and load properly.
    • NPC trading is now functional (UI coming soon).
    • Added 2 optional sidequests in the starting zone.
    • Added 2 new moves
    • Added 1 new status condition ("Focused", reduces AP cost for subsequent moves.)
    • TONS of custom tileset enhancements.
    • Replaced 4 placeholder battle backgrounds with hand-made pixel art!
    • Optimized the particle system for a smoother experience.

    PS: We'll be ready for a very limited Alpha release soon-ish.
    :cool:
     
    DYD said:
    View attachment 179305


    View attachment 179308

    ZOA:ZERO is a science-fiction RPG, crafted with passion since early 2019. In this expansive adventure, you will:
    • Explore a vast planet teeming with otherworldly life, then journey to its orbiting moons and distant exoplanets.
    • Discover and tame over 160 unique species of fully animated Zoa, each with distinct abilities and characteristics.
    • Train your Zoa and lead them into strategic, high-stakes battles.
    • Unravel a dark conspiracy and dismantle the mysterious organization known as the Void Brotherhood.
    • Immerse yourself in a living world with hundreds of side quests and engaging activities.
    • Build and customize your own base of operations, from a resource-rich farm to a high-tech workshop.
    • Become the most legendary Zoa Tamer this world - and others - have ever seen!

    Animation Progress:

    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]


    This game has been designed and coded from scratch: It does not use any pre-made engine (such as Pokémon Essentials), and it does not include any intellectual property held by third parties. The content is entirely original. In other words: Look forward to an experience you've never seen before :)

    Gameplay video:


    View attachment 179309

    Spoiler: Ingame Screenshots


    Spoiler: Artwork & Design

    View attachment 179321

    RPG MECHANICS
    • Tons of Main- and Sidequests, some with impactful choices
    • Hundreds of interesting NPCs
    • 12 Towns and Settlements to explore
    • Farming and Crafting
    • Character Customisation
    BATTLE MECHANICS
    • 160 different Zoa species to choose from
    • 100+ moves, many of them with unique and interesting effects and twists
    • 15 elemental types for Zoa and Moves, with complex interactions
    • Double battles for strategic depth
    • Passive Abilities
    • Held Items
    • Weather effects
    • Limit Break: Every fully-evolved Zoa has a special form that can be temporarily unlocked.
    View attachment 179322
    Current state of the game?
    • Core programming: 98% completed. There is roughly 350,000 lines of code in the engine, enabling all of the game's core mechanics. There's just minor adjustments and bugfixing to be done.
    • Assets: 30% completed.
    • Writing / Story: 85% completed. Only some side quests still need to be designed and written properly.
    • Actual gameplay: 5% completed, which equals to 2.5 hours of functional and continuous gameplay.
    Release window?
    Mid 2028, if everything goes according to plan. We will drop unfinished demos along the way.

    How can I support the project?
    We're currently not looking for additional developers or designers. You can join the Discord if you want to keep posted about upcoming opportunities.

    Will you release the game engine for others to use?
    Yes, very likely. Once the engine is 100% completed and bug-free, we'll release it for others to build their own games in it.

    AI usage?
    Some background assets are AI-generated as a placeholder. They will be replaced by human creativity before release.
    AI has occasionally been used for bug-fixing purposes.

    Who is behind the project?
    A Germany-based group of friends who would like you to have fun! :)


    [PokeCommunity.com] ZOA:ZERO [Alpha out now!]


    Credits

    Tileset: Hyptosis
    Icons: Henrique Lazarini (7Soul1)
    Tileset: https://kauzz.net/free-tiles/
    Tileset: Viktor Hahn [email protected]
    Support character animations: Artyssala
    Tileset: https://limezu.itch.io/

    Final Words

    ZOA:ZERO is a project of passion, and we'd LOVE to engage with like-minded games throughout the development. Please feel free to reach out! We're looking forward to your feedback, ideas, and suggestions!

    Regards,
    DYD
    Click to expand...
    This look PHENOMINAL! I love seeing non-Pokemon monster catchers, and I can't wait for release
     
    DYD said:
    Thank you! Unfortunately, the development is going through a somewhat difficult and uncertain phase due to some game mechanics having been patented by another company recently. We're currently pausing the development until the legal side of things has been resolved.
    Click to expand...
    that feels like a bit of a over-reaction, the chances of that effecting you and your game are incredibly slim surely.
     
    .hack said:
    that feels like a bit of a over-reaction, the chances of that effecting you and your game are incredibly slim surely.
    Click to expand...

    After seeking professional legal counsel, I decided against taking the risk. We plan to put this game on Steam and other storefronts (for free), which requires a certain degree of legal caution.

    Our course of action is to slightly alter some gameplay mechanics in a way that puts a greater safety distance between our game and any third-party patent.

    It is our firm belief that ZOA:ZERO does not violate any third-party patents, not even in its current state.

    But to make extra-mega-double sure that no company gets any wrong ideas, our legal counsel deems these safety measures to be a smart move.

    We're currently reviewing our game mechanics and evaluating possible conflicts / changes.

    Please note that this will not result in a downgraded experience. Our internal review process has already sparked a bunch of ideas that are not only legally safer, but also more interesting gameplay-wise. :)

    DYD
     
    Last edited:
    Milestone update: Save / Load System ✓


    First off, some great news: The legal hurdles we've been navigating are now mostly behind us, and I'm happy to report that development is fully back on track!

    Our big focus this past week was finishing a foundational aspect of our project: a brand-new save and load system. "Save systems" might not sound exciting, but this was a critical upgrade for both development and your future experience.


    The Problem with the Old Way

    Our old system was a simple "snapshot" method. It grabbed the game's state from RAM and saved it. This was fast to implement but had critical flaws:
    • Visual Glitches: It struggled to save dynamic elements like particle systems or shaders, causing them to break or disappear when you reloaded a game.
    • Broken Saves on Update: This was the killer. Any post-release patch would have instantly made all your existing save files incompatible, forcing you to start over.
    • Single Save Slot: You could only have one save game at a time.

    Introducing the New System

    We've rebuilt the entire system from the ground up. It's a custom-coded solution that intelligently serializes all game data into a JSON format. This new architecture:
    • Is Rock-Solid: It correctly captures the entire game state, so no more visual bugs or broken elements on load.
    • Is Future-Proof: It's designed to be resilient. Your save files will remain compatible with future patches and content updates.
    • Is Faster: It saves and loads more quickly than the old system.

    And one last thing for our friends in the speedrunning community: As huge fans of your craft, we've added new validation methods to the save files to make cheating significantly harder. 😉 For example: The game now keeps strict protocol on every RNG-based event, which can be later analysed for discrepancies. It will also flag any RNG result that should be impossible in a legal run.

    This week will be all about side quests. Stay tuned! :)
     
    Last edited:
    Looks interesting. Sorry for a nerdy question, but you mentioned there are 350,000 lines of code, so what programming language and/or graphics/audio libraries are you using? Just curious... Also, how long have you been working on this project?
     
    Eric the Sojourner said:
    Looks interesting. Sorry for a nerdy question, but you mentioned there are 350,000 lines of code, so what programming language and/or graphics/audio libraries are you using? Just curious... Also, how long have you been working on this project?
    Click to expand...

    The game is being made in GML, which is very similar to JavaScript. It uses the GMS2 libraries.

    The project started in 2019, but was originally planned to be a Farming Simulator. I pivoted to the new genre in 2021, but took a break from mid 2022 to mid 2023. Since then, it is under "professional" development by a small team, not just by me. :)
     
    Great News: Alpha release soon!

    Hello everyone,

    We have great news to share. The development of Zoa:Zero is progressing exceptionally well, and as a result, we've decided to release an alpha build on Friday, October 31st, 2025!

    This version will be a limited slice, containing roughly one hour of gameplay and a deliberate cap on how far you can progress.

    While it's still a long way from the final game, we believe this build will offer a very insightful first look for anyone interested in the project.

    Please note that you are likely to experience several bugs and systems that are yet to be polished and finalised. Nonetheless, we'd be very excited to hear your thoughts and ideas! :)

    Best,
    DYD

    Also:

    Changelog - 23. Oktober 2025

    UI
    • Added: When choosing a starter Zoa, the player now has a button labeled "Details", which will display moves, passive abilities and other data for each of the three options.

    Save/Load system
    • Fixed: Loading back into a savegame with a friendly NPC following the player sometimes caused that follower to duplicate.
    • Fixed: NPC trainers now remember that they've already been defeated between saving and reloading.
    • Fixed: A potential exploit to loot chests multiple times has been fixed.
    Battle System:
    • Added: A new UI box displaying detailed info after a level-up has occurred.
    • Added: Several safeguards for edge-cases (e.g. a move forcing the player to switch their Zoa, but none are available).
    • Added: UI element that displays loot collected from encounters.
    • Added: Case-specific error messages if the player tries to use moves / items that are not available (for various reasons).
    • Fixed: Overlay sprites will display with the correct scale of the respective Zoa.
    • Fixed: The victory theme now plays as soon as the last enemy Zoa has been defeated.
    • Visual: The battle start animation now looks more punchy and flashy.
    • Visual: The type effectiveness is now being displayed in the move animation, not only in the text box.
    Balancing:
    • Added: New status condition called "Fortified". It will negate the next incoming damage and then remove itself.
    • Added: New rock-type move "Fortify" that grants the status condition "Fortified".
    • Added: A new magic-type move, "Mind Twister".
    • Move: "Powder Shot" no longer lowers ATK or RATK at random. It now always lowers the higher of the two.
    • Zoa: Balshroom is now slightly slower, but has more HP.
    • Fixed: Several changes to some Zoa's movelists.
    Quest system
    • Fixed: Under some circumstances, there were visual gaps in the list of active quests (caused by failed quests not getting deleted correctly).
    • Fixed: Navigating out of bounds in the active quest lists no longer crashes the game.
    Inventory system
    • Added: Several new items that grant buffs in battle.
    • Fixed: If the player had two stacks of the same item and sold one stack, the game removed the other one as well.
    • Fixed: In the shop menu, items that the player can sell would sometimes display incorrectly.
    • Fixed: When receiving 2 or more of a completely new item, the game would incorrectly only add 1 to the inventory.
    • Fixed: Game no longer crashes when opening the inventory or a shop menu with no items in possession.
    Overworld events
    • Added: Several overworld objects can now be interacted with (flavour text).
    • Added (PC only): F5 and F9 for quick-save and quick-load.
    • Fixed: While jumping over a ledge, the main menu can no longer be opened. This is to prevent saving mid-air, which could cause the save game to break.
    • Fixed: Some doors would play their "closing" animation when the player loads a savegame near a door (due to incorrect initialisation of the animation variables).
    • Fixed: A certain event encounter would crash the game if the player did not win the battle.
    Sound
    • Added: New sound effects added to many UI interactions.
    • Fixed: All moves now have unique sound effects. (Some had placeholders up until now.)
     
    Last edited:
    Three more days! :cool:

    Hi everyone!

    Just a quick update as we get closer to our first alpha release: I'm happy to announce that we are right on track!

    It's an exciting and somewhat scary step to share our work, especially at this early stage, where issues and bugs are to be expected. Nonetheless, we're incredibly proud of what we've built and genuinely excited for you to get your hands on it.

    This alpha will give you a substantial first taste of the world. You'll be able to play the entire opening sequence (which is quite lengthy and complex), visit the first town, explore the area beyond that, defeat several NPC tamers and catch up to 9 different species of Zoa (excluding your starter). You can complete three main quests, a bunch of side quests, and discover at least one well-hidden secret.

    We hope to gather as much feedback as possible, so that we can build the game of *your* dreams. :)

    Best regards,
    DYD


    Changelog - 28.10.2025

    Spoiler: Show Changelog


    PS: Here's some of the music we made for the game. Maybe some of you will recognise the banjo sound bank! :)
     
    ALPHA OUT NOW!

    👉 Download via itch.io (Windows only!) 👈

    ➡️https://dyd-zoa.itch.io/zoazero
    • Keyboard controls only: [WASD] for navigation, [E/Return] for Yes/Confirm, [Esc] for No/back.
    • Exit the game with Alt+F4.
    • Your save files will likely be compatible with future updates! :)
    Spoiler: Known "big" issues:


    Attention: This is an unfinished Alpha build!
    This version is functional, but lacks polish and refinement. Also, you're likely to run into bugs or missing content that has not been implemented yet.

    You will eventually hit an invisible wall, preventing you from progressing any further.

    We hope to gather as much feedback as possible, so that we can build the game of *your* dreams. :)
    Click to expand...
     
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