Returning to Game Development Through Horror
EvilKris has been experimenting with code and game demos since childhood. During the heyday of Macromedia Flash, he created over a dozen browser games. Although the financial reward was modest, the experience cemented his love for game creation. After stepping away for several years, he eventually returned, balancing his work as an English teacher by day with his passion project by night.
"Horror has always felt like a natural fit for me… it evokes a pleasurable mixture of atmosphere, tension, fear, novelty, psychological storytelling and stimulation."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
His current project, Famished, draws inspiration from the unsettling, character-driven storytelling of Stephen King. The game follows Oatmeal, a socially marginalized young man whose life takes a sinister turn when a mysterious hunger begins to consume him.
"You play as Oatmeal, a twenty-something outcast who's been kicked around his whole life due to his cognitive disability—seen as slow, dismissed as a nobody, and destined for nothingness. But then something weird happens: a mysterious and relentless hunger takes over him, starting as a quirky nuisance but growing into something dark and all-consuming that tests his sanity."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
The atmosphere is rooted in small-town grit, blending grounded realism with a creeping sense of dread.
"The result is a gruesome, unsettling tale that mixes horror with an occasional touch of dark humor. And Oatmeal's story is only the beginning — it's just one piece of a larger universe waiting to be explored in future games."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
But bringing such a complex vision to life as a solo developer was far from easy.
Challenges of Solo Horror Development
Building a 3D horror game independently presented a series of challenges:
- Sculpting monsters from scratch was slow and exhausting.
- Placeholder assets could not capture the intended mood or atmosphere.
- Solo work on 3D environments demanded more time and resources than one person could sustain.
- Creative progress often stalled when early models were unsatisfying.
"Before Meshy, sculpting every monster from scratch was a nightmare. My placeholders barely hinted at the mood I wanted, and progress crawled."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
These limitations pushed him to search for faster, more flexible tools.
Discovering Meshy
EvilKris first encountered Meshy through the indie dev community, where creators shared surreal creatures and props.
"I didn't expect much to be honest, but was very impressed with its features and the speed it operated."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
The decision to adopt Meshy was straightforward.
"Because life's too short to spend hand-crafting teeth!!"
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
Meshy quickly proved its value, expanding his creative vision and often producing variations and details beyond what he had initially imagined.
"Meshy let me bring the monster ideas in my head to life and then push them further, exploring variations and details that expanded on my original vision. Nine times out of ten Meshy came up with some new inspirational twist on the images I'd already sketched or made into simple models so I'd end up with better results than I'd expected."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
Integrating Meshy into the Workflow
Meshy became an integral part of his horror development pipeline:
- Ideation - He begins with prompts or reference images to generate quick models.
- Iteration - If results don't fit, he regenerates or tweaks prompts, sometimes combining mesh parts like Lego.
- Texturing - Using AI Texturing and Texture Edit, he refines details for a polished look.
- Integration - Models are imported directly into Unity as placeholders or final assets.
- Expansion - Beyond creatures, Meshy helps with clutter, props, and even retexturing older models.
"Meshy fits seamlessly into my Unity workflow. I can generate models instantly, drop them in as placeholders, and iterate quickly until they're final. It turns concept-to-playable into a rapid, fluid process."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
Results: More Time for Atmosphere and Storytelling
By using Meshy, EvilKris reshaped both the monsters and the mood of Famished. Assets now carry a sense of realism and detail that feel authentic even after simplification.
"The monsters feel more realistic and less Roblox because Meshy produces assets with believable detail and form."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
More importantly, Meshy freed up time for narrative and atmosphere.
"It's helped me focus more on storytelling through atmosphere. Since Meshy handles the heavy lifting on models, I can spend my energy on how they're framed, lit, and staged in the world."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
The impact is clear — playtesters and fans have responded positively to the screenshots and renders he has shared.
"My imagination feels less boxed in. Because Meshy delivers unexpected results, I'm not just chasing the first idea in my head — I'm exploring strange, sometimes unsettling directions I wouldn't have thought of alone."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
Looking Ahead
Without Meshy, he admits the game might have taken a very different path.
"A lot of devs lean into the retro psx and call it an aesthetic but I think it's also about limitations… with Meshy I can generate assets of a much higher quality while still keeping the workload light"
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
He believes Meshy could also benefit narrative designers, modders, board game creators, filmmakers, and more. For now, his focus remains on bringing Famished to players — with a Steam demo in progress, Early Access planned for late 2025, and a full release in 2026.
Conclusion
EvilKris's journey highlights what many indie developers face — limited time, small teams, and the challenge of creating believable 3D worlds without sacrificing narrative depth.
By integrating Meshy into his workflow, he not only accelerated production but also discovered new creative directions that made his horror game Famished more immersive and unsettling.
"If Meshy hadn't come along, the game would have suffered visually… with Meshy I can generate assets of a much higher quality while still keeping the workload light."
EvilKris
Indie Game Developer
For indie creators, hobbyists, and even professionals in film, board game design, or storytelling, Meshy offers a way to move past technical bottlenecks and focus on what matters most: imagination, story, and player experience.
If you're ready to build faster, experiment more freely, and bring your vision to life without being held back by 3D modeling limitations, now is the time to give Meshy a try.
