For Deer Life

For as long as memory itself, we have been hunted. Not for survival but for pride... fun... For the simple proof that we are weaker. In their world I was never meant to fight back. Tell me, what kind of world calls this fair? Where one life decides the fate of another? But we no longer wait to be chosen as the losing side. If they call it a hunt. , then we will answer with something else... A war.

After centuries of coexistence the fragile "peace" between humans and deer has finally shattered. Driven to the edge of hopelessness, the deer have decided to change their fate on their own. Not as mindless beasts but as a disciplined and experienced armed force, determined to reclaim their freedom... In For Deer Life you assume the role of the deer army’s strategic general. You will not fight on the battlefield yourself, instead you stand above it all as a mastermind. On a grid-based battlefield you deploy and position your brave deer units, each with their own strengths and roles, to defeat the human enemy. As the battle unfolds automatically, you must plan your formations in real time to hold the line. But your enemies are relentless. If more than five humans break through the front line… the forest’s last hope begins to fade, and with it the future of deerkind.

For Deer Life is not only a strategic auto-battler, but also a perspective shift of our society. The game forces players onto the side of the deer, opposing waves of hunters who treat them less as living beings and more as targets or trophies. This role reversal is intended to create a contrast between gameplay enjoyment and underlying discomfort. While the mechanics focus on planning, positioning, and sacrificing own deer units, the setting and narrative aim to achieve a quieter and more reflective tone. The war torn environments and the defensive nature of the deer highlight themes of survival rather than human war-like conquest. By combining strategic gameplay with this perspective, the game encourages players to experience both joy and a slight sense of unease. For Deer Life is a game with an ethical background, showing how we humans treat hunting often as a hobby just like any other. Deer are reduced to be not more than sport equipment in this world. We call fawns adorable, seeing them as a symbol for innocence, all while hunting their mothers to death. Perhaps it is time for a change...

Colonel Simon Camembert one of your most seasoned subordinates, will await you as soon as you step foot onto the burnt ground that once was a thriving forest. As a veteran deer who has fought since the very dawn of the war had begun, Colonel Camembert is the perfect soldier to demonstrate how things are done around here. In the Tutorial he will instruct you on how to choose the optimal position for your soldiers, (select a tile with the left mouse button) and how to assign the correct profession (select a Role with the right mouse button).

Every single line of code was carefully written by hand, improved through failure, testing, and patience. All visual assets (deer, border, dialogue, startscreen...) were hand drawn by the creator (myself), giving the world its own special identity and a little imperfect and human-made character. The main-game's background artwork was created by a (soon to be) MMA student, whose contribution helped bring depth and atmosphere to the environment. The soundtracks were composed and produced by an external mathematics student from the University of Vienna, adding an emotional layer that ties the experience together. Every person who contributed to this project gave something far more valuable than time alone. By choosing to invest their effort and creativity here they helped develop a game that is intentionally personal, handcrafted, and built with care, attention, and genuine dedication in every detail.

To the people who assisted me: Oleksandra Ivashchenko - Game Background Texture (MMA 2026) Eros Adonis Pop - Soundtracks (University of Vienna)

Every time you manage to defeat 20 enemies, they can’t help but let a note slip from their pocket… Old, crusted, and timeworn pages, edges frayed, ink smudged by ash and blood, but what is written upon them? Perhaps, even as a general, you do not yet know the full truth of this war. Perhaps your Colonel has more to reveal than meets the eye. Keep on fighting and keep on collecting the 5 randomly dropped pages scattered across the battlefield. Maybe then the hidden truth begin to surface… and what is truly happening here.