CORPUS EDAX is an immersive first-person-melee RPG, set in a distant retro-futuristic city on the brink of a revolution and on a planet that hides its own secrets. Fight with your body, improvised weapons and ingenuity.
CORPUS EDAX combines the freedom of choice from immersive-sims like Deus Ex and Dishonored with RPG systems and dialogue choices from Fallout, blended together with a first-person-melee combat system similar to Condemned: Criminal Origins and Dark Messiah, where you can improvise and use the environment to your advantage.
It's an RPG that has no guns/firearms of any kind, so you can only fight (if you so choose) using objects you find (chairs, pipes, shivs, datapads, toilet lids) or using your fists, elbows and feet.
- A Skills and A.G.N.I.S. (Allure, Grit, Nerd, Intuition, Strength) system.
- A dialogue system that uses the stats of your character for special dialogue choices, so everything contributes to dialogue.
![]()
- Every character is physically-based so you can throw pipes at the legs, arms or head and they will react as they should
- A Faction reputation system based on your deeds and a personal reputation system. A lot of actions that you do will contribute to your personal reputation, unlocking new dialogue choices and reactions.
- Stealth system that takes into account light, noise and movement visibility.
![]()
![]()
CORPUS EDAX takes place in an alternate-reality where an elixir was created in the early 1800's that allows people to live well beyond their regular life expectancy. This creates a situation where "bad" people, dictators and war criminals for example, ended up living far beyond what was expected. This also means that inventors and other people are able to live more, accelerating the industrial and technological progress that would've otherwise taken centuries to complete.
With this in mind, as the years go by, Earth becomes unlivable due to global natural and man-made catastrophes. In this reality, Humanity is almost wiped out entirely by the 1990's but they end up leaving Earth in space shuttles and settling in a previously unknown planet.
A new city was built on this planet that was named shortly-after, "CORPUS EDAX". New rules and laws were created. Over the years its newly formed World Government struggled to lead a unified planet - any form of cultural identity expression from former countries was prohibited and made illegal. Citizens are graded from A to D based on their aptitude and contribution towards the government, and if you fall below Grade-D... well, you'll have to find this out by yourself.
From this frustration, an opposing faction called The Salvation was born out of anger and desperation for a better life.
![]()
After waking up from a medically-induced coma, you find yourself inside this city - assigned a new job and a new apartment. Create your character by choosing the gender, age, name and which Skills or A.G.N.I.S. to assign points to.
In one way or another, you'll get entangled in the fight for justice with The Salvation, as they see it, or in the fight for supremacy as you act as a double-spy for the Corpus Edax Security Forces.
The player and the supporting cast of characters belong to an opposing group that aim to overthrow the current "world-government" and implement their own with the voice of the people as a priority. You have the option to go about the game doing choices as you see fit - you can complete the entire game without killing a single character for example or even work as a double-agent in favor of this world-government.
![]()
The themes of the game aren't about how an AI has gone rogue or alien species that are hostile on first contact or anything of the sort. It's a game about people, authority, diplomacy, life and how we are doomed to repeat history lest we learn from it. It's about standing up to what you believe is right and fighting (diplomatically and/or physically) against the unfair.
It's also not about a single country or nation living on another planet. In this game, what remained of people from every country, were brought to this planet.
![]()
The main driving force behind the game's narrative is how you work together with The Salvation.
The Salvation has obtained a list from their former leader that contains the name of 7 high-value targets that need to be eliminated from their positions. They entrust you to carry out this job - however - how you deal with each of these targets is up to you. Maybe you can talk and convince them to leave or maybe you can blackmail them, or just straight-up kill them. Maybe have someone else do it for you...
The game will be level and hub-based. In the main hub, you can talk to the Citizens, visit shops, talk to merchants and even help them with some requests. This can elevate your standing amongst Citizens and Merchants.
Through this hub, you'll be able to travel to other parts of the city that count as levels for your missions.
![]()
Due to the precarious situation they were in, human life was considered incredibly precious and so guns, firearms or weapons were considered illegal and disposed of. This causes a situation where the game is entirely played with makeshift, improvised and unconventional weapons and also hand-to-hand combat.
![]()
Currently I'm unemployed due to reasons beyond my control and living off of savings. I used to work in a customer service position and since becoming unemployed, I've devoted all of my free time to learning about game development and working on the game. I would love, LOVE to keep doing this full-time as that is what the game really needs.
10,000€, after taxes and Indiegogo's cut, would allow me to have enough money for the rest of the year to pay for rent, food and bills.
![]()
I'm Luís, currently working on every aspect of the game except for sound and music - that's where my brother, Nuno Bento, comes in! Nuno is an accomplished Foley Artist, Sound Designer and Editor, who has been trying to pivot to games from film since last year.
I've been trying on and off to make games since 2013 but a couple of years ago I decided I would devote every bit of my free-time to learning game development and wouldn't stop until I had developed and release a full game. And so I did!
I developed and released my first game on Steam in 2020, a short horror-lite game and in 2021 I made a jam game called... Corpus Edax! That's right, this game started out as a jam game for the HPS1 jam. It was an overly ambitious little game but people still seemed to resonate very positively with the game, and I took that as a sign to create the full thing.
I don't tinker or create endless prototypes, I focus on a project and see it done to completion. This is how I've always been with my creative endeavors, be it writing short-scripts, feature scripts, shooting short films or making music, I always want to see it through.
![]()
![]()
- At 10,000€ the game is fully funded and I can keep working on it for the rest of the year!
![]()
- My brother is a Freelancer and is working on sound for the game in his free-time between paying projects. This would allow me to pay him to work full-time on the game for a couple of months!
![]()
- With this goal, I could hire actual professional 3D artists to retouch some of the models or make new ones that I wouldn't be able to!
![]()
- At 16,000€ I could hire professional 2D artists to work on some of the textures to make it a bit better on the eye!
![]()
- SECRET COOL STUFF
![]()
- SECRET COOLER STUFF
![]()
- SUPER SECRET COOLER STUFF
![]()
- Anything beyond would be invested into all of the previous goals!
Risks & Challenges
Being the sole person responsible to bringing this game to life, there will most likely be some unexpected delays to features or other things that can affect the game's release window.
However, I am fully committed to making this game a reality and with Indiegogo's flexible funding, that means that every little bit that goes into the campaign fund will help me stay full-time on the game.
If I can't reach the campaign goal, I'll work on the game everyday until I can find a full-time job, after that, I would have to release the game as an Early Access title.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you're unable to monetarily support the campaign, spreading the word and wishlisting the game on Steam is super helpful! Thank you!