BELORET - Devlog #01: From Grey Cubes to Gameplay Systems

Where it all begins

BELORET is a multiplayer survival sandbox set in a fully fictional post-Soviet region. I am developing it independently, on my own. I want to build a world where exploration, scarce resources, the environment and players' decisions shape what happens.

Before full locations, models and animations can take shape, I need to build the technical foundation. That is what I am working on now.

In this first devlog, I am showing BELORET as it is: a grey test scene, temporary models, simple geometric shapes and the first working gameplay systems.

Items, inventory and equipment

One of my main areas of work is the item system. The prototype already has a basic inventory. Items can exist in the game world, enter the character's inventory and move between supported storage locations.

I am also working on equipment. In the early scenarios I have tested, a tool can be placed in the character's hand, stowed on their back and taken out again. I have built an initial interface for accessing these systems.

The interface is simple for now: slots, labels and minimal styling. It is a working version for testing the logic; the final design is still ahead.

Containers and world interactions

Items need to exist beyond the player's inventory. In the prototype, I can already open containers, see their contents, take items out and put them back.

The next two screenshots show one such interaction: first, 10 units of wood are in a container; then they are in the character's inventory.

This is a small mechanic, but interactions like this gradually form the gameplay.

The first multiplayer tests

I am developing BELORET with multiplayer in mind from the start. I have carried out the first tests in a two-player session: a Host and a Remote Client. This included testing interactions with a shared container: one player's actions need to be reflected correctly for the other.

This is an early technical result. It does not mean that full multiplayer is ready: more gameplay scenarios, further tests and work on the networking infrastructure are still ahead.

Why is there a geometric shape instead of an axe?

Yes, the character is holding a geometric shape. My priority is to check that the item can be equipped, appears in the right place and works correctly in the supported gameplay scenarios. I can refine the model's appearance later.

I want to show the development process as well as polished scenes: the path from simple temporary objects to connected gameplay systems.

What comes next?

The next major step is developing the character's state: health, taking damage, and then death and respawning. These systems are not presented as finished; their implementation is still ahead. At the same time, I will keep developing inventory, equipment and item interactions.

BELORET is at an early stage of development. These screenshots were taken in the test scene; the temporary models and interface do not represent the game's final visual style.

This is only the beginning. In future devlogs, I will show how the technical prototype gradually becomes a game.