// Solo dev project — Southern New Mexico
Something is wrong beneath the desert sands.
Survival Horror · Open World · In Development
01 — About the Game
Dead Sands is a survival horror game set across the desolate basin and range country of Southern New Mexico — a land of brutal sun, ancient silence, and things that should not exist.
You are stranded. Your vehicle is gone. The nearest town is a two-day walk across open desert — if the desert were safe. It is not.
Manage heat, thirst, and exposure while investigating the disappearances that have plagued this stretch of land for decades. The danger is real. The landscape is your enemy as much as anything else.
Built by a solo developer, learning in public. Every location, mechanic, and horror is a work in progress — and this site is where you can follow along.
02 — Development Log
The project is officially underway. Initial development environment is set up. Got a startup framework set up using Claude to get me started. You've found the website for the project, and the subreddit is reddit.com/r/deadsands. Check back often for updates.
World Building Engine SetupHad a frustrating yet eventfully evening/early morning. I got a character imported as a standin until I get a proper character model for the MC. My first struggles were with Unity not automatically applyig the textures, but that was easy enougn to resolve. Bigger issue was downloading all of the animations and getting them assigned, and the loop time set to get them working correctly. Next step is to get a few weapons and work on the basically weapon loop of draw, aim, shoot, reload, holster, etc... I should get to that tomorrow if I am lucky. The main goal for me right now is to have a "playable" demo for myself by Sunday evening. Likely little to none of this specific demo will be the game specifically, but it will give me the proper mindframe and knowledge to start the actual Dead Sands build. Baby steps, but that's how we all learn to walk so why not apply what I know. Character Models Rigging and Animation
// More entries will appear as development progresses. Check back.
03 — Community
Southern New Mexico is full of strange, forgotten, and unsettling real locations. If you know somewhere — an abandoned structure, a remote stretch of road, a place with a dark history — submit it below. Good ideas may appear in the game.