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Discover Old D'Hanis
Step into the past and unravel the rich history of Old D'Hanis. Explore this 19th-century town, from Alsatian and German settlers of 1847 to Black and Mexican families post-Civil War. Unearth archival fragments, archaeological photos, and oral histories to piece together the town's alluring stories.
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Release Date:
Coming soon
Developer:
Publisher:
Saltbox Interactive

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Features
Single-player
Profile Features Limited 
Languages:
Interface Full Audio Subtitles
English ✔ ✔ ✔

Coming Soon To Early Access

The developers of this game intend to release as a work in progress, developing with the feedback of players.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“We are releasing Discover Old D’Hanis early access in order to provide play-testing to community members, educators, students, and other players who can help us improve the game. We may request or offer a mechanism to provide feedback to certain players. Some information, design, and game-play may change based on feedback. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with inquiries or questions.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“4-12 months”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The finished product may include some extra features or information suggested by some of the students and teachers. We may adjust some of the content to better fit the demographic, and we may introduce a few new mechanics to allow for better access to different types of people (people who may just want to watch and not actually play).”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current state is playable and nearly complete in our eyes. The game is short, as it's intended to be, and plays similar to the feeling of walking through a museum.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“No, the game is free as it's funded by education and intended for education. - The game will always be free.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“We plan to have the game be played by some students, teachers, and professionals at some Universities and community centres. We will collect feedback from these people and make adjustments accordingly.”
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About This Game

Discover. Learn. Preserve.

Discover Old D'Hanis is an immersive educational experience that invites you to explore the history of the old town of D’Hanis, TX. The game is based on data from the Old D’Hanis Archaeological Mapping Project, a real archaeological project that examined the ruins, stories, and landscapes of the historic town, alongside community members, in 2018.

Enter D’Hanis and you will find yourself in front of the ruin of its Catholic church, grass beneath your feet, the sound of wind and the occasional bird in a landscape empty of people. You stand at the intersection of past and present. Walking through the historic streets, you will find virtual reconstructions of white-walled cottages from the 19th century alongside 21st century ruins scanned by archaeologists.

Scattered throughout the landscape are pieces of D’Hanis’ story – a 19th century photograph, archaeological field notes, a quote from an oral history, a newspaper article. Alone, these provide small snapshots of the town or the archaeological project through time. Together, they paint a fuller picture of D’Hanis and its residents, from the Alsatian and German migrants who founded the town in 1847 to the Black and Mexican families who made it their home following the Civil War and Mexican Revolution. Your role: to explore, to collect fragments, and to piece together the stories of the Old D’Hanis.

Based on the history of a real Texas town, Discover Old D’Hanis features ruins, historically-informed landscape and sound design, interactive features, artistic reconstructions, and an original musical composition based on old German folk songs. It provides a glimpse into a real archaeology project and demonstrates how we come to understand the past through its fragments.

Discover Old D'Hanis is more than just a game; it’s an invitation to join the efforts preserve and share the historical legacy of an historic place. Are you ready to uncover the stories and experience the old town?

Project Citation

Markert, Patricia G., Michael Salton, Emily Missetta Grant, and Joyce Lee. Discover Old D’Hanis for Windows/Mac, V. 1., Saltbox Interactive.

Project Support and Acknowledgments

This project has been supported by Western University, Binghamton University, the National Geographic Society, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the Mellon Foundation/American Council of Learned Societies, the Council of Texas Archeologists, and the Medina County Historical Commission. It features data and research from the Old D’Hanis Archaeological Mapping Project and Castro Colonies Oral History Project, with credit to online archives such as the Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries) and UTSA Special Collections. Most importantly, it has been made possible by the community of D’Hanis and Medina County more broadly, who continue to be involved in the development of the game and future research directions.

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • OS *: Windows 7 SP1
    • Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300
    • Memory: 8 GB GB RAM
    • Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 2GB / AMD Radeon R9 280
    • Storage: 10 GB available space
    Recommended:
    • OS: Windows 10
    • Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
    • Memory: 12 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB
    • Storage: 10 GB available space
* Starting January 1st, 2024, the Steam Client will only support Windows 10 and later versions.
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