Salamender

Grab a friend and get cooking in this whimsical
VR/PC co-op game!

With only La Tia’s old recipe book and some hints from her trusty pet grub Basurita to guide you, work together to harness the magic of the land and heal people’s souls with your delicious empanadas. Will your baking live up to the family name or will chaos reign supreme?

{ The World of Salamender }

Step into a magical empanada shop tucked away in a sleepy Sonoran desert town where all your customers are desert critters! The family shop has been passed down through the generations, and now it’s finally your turn to take on the mantle. Can you handle the heat?

{ Designing The Style }

As the sole developer, this project took about 3 months for the visual development stage and 5 months for the production stage. I took special care in fleshing out the game's unique and colorful style and defining how it would carry through to the modeling shape language and hand-painted textures, all the while incorporating as many elements from my Mexican background as possible.

From Mexico-native axolotls, to classic talavera tiles, and even a little grub inspired by the worms found in mezcal bottles, Salamender was a love letter to Mexico from the get-go in hopes of bringing more diversity to the VR gaming space.

Player 1 and Player 2 character sheets, original, smaller shop design, and architecture explorations.

What's Next?

Salamender started as a solo thesis produced at Ringling College of Art and Design. Already a fully functional demo and with more levels and game modes in the works, Salamender hopes to come to you soon via Steam! Click here to stay up to date with the latest news.