The developer of the PC game Enemy Inside is seeking funding of $120,000 to $150,000 for further development and marketing
Let's return to our series of articles about games that need investments or publishers. The current piece is dedicated to Enemy Inside, a single-player MOBA project with roguelike mechanics by indie studio Six Ways Games.
Anatoly Gerlits, CEO of Six Ways Games, shared insights about the project.
Anatoly Gerlits
About the Team
Due to the small budget of the debut project, the current development model is as follows — founder + outsourcing.
The founder is an experienced developer who has contributed to large projects like “IL-2 Sturmovik,” War Thunder, and Life Is Feudal. He worked as the head of the graphics engine development department (~A-AA level) and led its development from scratch — with a full range of both graphics and gameplay features, as well as development tools.
As for outsourcing, up to 10 people participated in the development at different stages — including well-known writer Sergey Chekmaev.
The project has been in active development for 1.5 years.
About the Project
Enemy Inside is a single-player MOBA with roguelike mechanics and a well-developed storyline.
Players need to control a heavy military ship, upgrade it by completing missions, collecting resources, and defeating enemies.
Similar projects: Dota 2, Vampire Survivors, Diablo 3-4.
The project is in early access on Steam. You can buy and play it.
The game also has a demo version. It is available on itch.io, and also available on Steam.
The technical part and all content are 100% ready. Work on gameplay is ongoing.
About Gameplay/Mechanics
In Enemy Inside, the player controls a heavy military ship.
The core of the project looks like this: the player fights, searches for, and collects resources on the map, directs them to upgrade the ship, and spends them as consumables for using abilities.
In the game:
- deep and varied hero leveling (similar to the talent tree in Dota 2);
- each ship type has its own unique talent tree;
- dozens of module types for the ship (the module system is similar to the item system in MOBA games);
- a system of global upgrades (meta), within which the player enhances the abilities’ potential outside missions;
- resource management;
- there are small game mechanics aimed at diversifying gameplay (including tower defense, interaction with ally hero ships, and later, the implementation of an aircraft carrier that can generate units on board).
I believe that if online is added, the game has the potential to grow into a live service free-to-play product.
About the Target Audience
The target audience is males aged 12-35.
The game incorporates many elements from MOBA and roguelike games. These are very popular genres.
We want to enhance Enemy Inside’s similarity to them. I am confident that this can be achieved by implementing two new additional modes with high replayability. This will help build strong relationships with streamers.
About the Business Model
Enemy Inside is a premium PC project. While in early access, it costs $13. Upon release, I plan to set the price at $20-25.
About the Plans
Current development plans for the project include:
- finishing the story mode;
- creating two new game modes that ensure a high replayability level for the game to emphasize its similarity with MOBA projects and roguelike titles.
I am also considering the possibility of separating the last two modes into a standalone project, with the story mode being called a prologue.
At the same time, I want to shift the focus towards LiveOps development — intensively working on launching small updates with new missions, maps, game mechanics, modes, and actively engaging in project marketing.
The project completion target is the end of 2025.
Finishing the story mode should take three months. The two new separate modes, together, should take about six to eight months.
The plan is to conduct open development with regular project updates and work based on feedback.
Concerning long-term plans, I aim to implement:
- a mobile version;
- a console release;
- an online component (with a potential free-to-play transition for part of the project).
About the Metrics
So far, little time has been devoted to marketing. A lot of promotional activities are planned now.
I am collaborating with the European PR agency Player4.
If the project interested you, feel free to reach out, and I’ll share the latest information.
Whom We're Looking For
I am looking for an investor, preferably one with relevant experience.
It is crucial that the investor believes in the project’s potential and is willing to invest $120,000-150,000.
Half of the allocated funds will go directly to development (primarily for refining game design, the story, effects, and UI);
The remaining half will be spent on promotion (working with the press, influencers, and creating various promotions).
The $120,000-150,000 range is set because there are many marketing options.
I am willing to share up to 50% of the project’s revenue depending on the offered conditions.
If the project interests you, I would happily share additional materials (regarding the project’s development and marketing) and have a personal discussion.
How to Contact
- Email: SixWaysGames@gmail.com
- Discord: wizard_357
- Telegram: @anatoliygerlits