Help Us Create Video Game Born from Pain, Hope, and Passion

Hi, my name is Carlos Rodríguez. I’m a mechatronics engineer with a specialization in software development and embedded systems. Over the past months, I’ve been working on the dream of creating a video game that combines adventure, emotional storytelling, and mythical exploration:

Bellator Ex Astra, a title inspired by classics like The Legend of Zelda, Dark Souls and The Never Ending Story but rooted in a very personal and deeply human story.

This Game Was Born from Pain

Last year, my family and I went through one of the most difficult times of our lives:

-My mother-in-law was diagnosed with bone cancer and had to undergo spinal surgery.

-At the same time, I suffered a lumbar disc hernia, which forced me to reassess both my physical and emotional health.

-To cover medical treatments and support my household, I’m currently working two jobs while developing this game in every spare moment I have.

Instead of giving up, I decided to channel that pain into creativity. “Bellator Ex Astra” is more than a game — it’s a story of healing, inner struggle, and the strength of hope when all seems lost.

What is Bellator Ex Astra?

A third-person action-adventure game with stylized art, original music, dynamic combat, and a mythological world full of secrets.

Our main character, which can be chosen by the player, walks the hero's path and must save beautiful world where he/she lives — a metaphor for the journey many of us face within ourselves.

Game Features:

Open world with exploration, dungeons, and hidden lore

Stealth and combat system

Development done in Unreal Engine 5.6

A deep story about identity, grief, resilience, heroism and personal growth

Original cinematic and soundtrack

Why We Need Your Help

We aim to fund the full development of the game within three years. With your support, we can:

Build a professional creative team (art, sound, animation)

Invest in licenses, development tools, and production infrastructure

Market and launch the game on Steam platforms

Goal: $4,000,000 MXN (~$220,000 USD)

With your help, you’ll not only support a Mexican indie game with a unique emotional and artistic vision — you’ll also be helping a family that has stayed strong through adversity.

Kick-off date for development: January 12th, 2026

How Can You Help?

Donate any amount you can — every peso or dollar truly makes a difference

Share this campaign with friends, gamers, and anyone who loves art and storytelling

Follow our journey — we’ll share game progress, concept art, music and more on my dev YouTube channel and my dev webpage:

https://rocapps.dev/

https://youtube.com/@rocapps?si=5Ilq9DCc7lJp7I1U

Thank You for Believing

Thank you for reading this far. This project is more than just a dream — it’s a way to heal, to connect, and to create something beautiful from hardship.

If you’ve ever wanted to support a game that comes from the heart and soul, this is your chance.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping us create Bellator Ex Astra.

—Carlos Rodríguez

Independent Developer