ENDHELL Demo Launch

For those curious, ENDHELL was originally a web game released on Newgrounds in 2024. At that time, we didn’t have enough time or experience; ENDHELL was both our second PC game and our first game entirely built on a 3D engine.

Owh- going from a simple platformer to an FPS… that was a huge leap! Whether in terms of design or programming, it was a challenge, especially with high school and final exams constantly keeping us busy. The result was a strange and rough experience, with, admittedly, somewhat amateurish visual and technical quality. Yet the game’s concept-an Endless Runner mixed with an FPS-clearly attracted a lot of attention on Newgrounds, even earning us a spot in the best games of the month! For that, we thank all the players of the original version, despite all its flaws. Originally, I (Shahine) had the idea for the game at the end of middle school.

I wondered how I could make a playable FPS on Scratch.

So I designed a system that wouldn’t require a 3D engine, imagining a long corridor where the player could only see enemies from the front, thus allowing the implementation of simple 2D sprites instead of 3D models. Wanting a retro feel and using a postmodern artistic approach, I combined several influences; first, the obvious ones: DOOM, Wolfenstein 3D, but also more niche games like ProgressBar96 or Don’t Look Back.

At that point, I was hesitating between making the game an endless runner or allowing the player to move backward: you know what I chose. As for the atmosphere, I wanted something quite satirical, with an undercurrent of social commentary, in a Paul Verhoeven-esque style, but even more exaggerated and absurd. The player was supposed to face terrorists infected by fungi, zombie capitalist CEOs

Ultimately, none of this—because it was too ambitious—was included in the NEWGROUNDS version developed two years later. Prioritizing a simple, narrative-free arcade game that needed to be developed quickly, I envisioned a simple universe in which the player was an Angel tasked with purging an endless corridor representing Hell of sins and demons (just to maintain some of the social commentary). Finally, the new version, released today, revisits this new universe, incorporating ideas from the original concept. The lore plays a much more prominent role, as do the humor and satire; all this, not to mention the gameplay improvements, added weapons, finally polished visuals, and a truly impressive level of technical polish.

I’ve been quite brief about the entire project, and I’ll likely make another post to explain its development and what’s in store for it in more detail.

What I sincerely hope is that you’ll enjoy the game and find it fun, funny, and entertaining, that you’ll have a good time and that it will bring a smile to your face. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this; Peace be with you.