New game
The collaboration with the designer and graphics artist Bart Metselaar takes shapes. Over the past 2 weeks we had frequent meetings to get an idea of the collaboration game we want to make.
Our goal is currently the process. We value the process more than actually building stuff, because we both want to get experience on how we can create a game in (time-sense) maintainable way.
The main character is a fox, in search for food, and winter is coming.
Here are some initial drawings to get a feel for the characters and their surroundings:
The next question is: what kind of game will this be? We don’t fully know the answer yet, but this is what we got so far.
- Multiple animal-like character with each one specific abilities to get around obstacles
- Different seasons that influence the gameplay
- Progression mechanics: an increased toolset to complete your objectives
- Full 2D with sprites or 2D sprites in a 3D world
- Direct character control, with side view or 45-degrees 3rd person view
Here is a video of one of the prototypes that resonated the most with Bart and me:
Stay tuned for more updates! Follow me on twitter to receive the latest updates, you get an update every day I work on the project and that’s 2 or more times a week.
Post release: Gearful
My just launched game ‘Gearful’ is in the android store. This was a collab from a gamejam, see Gearful.
I got a lot of positive feedback on the game. It seems to be pretty funny and quite challenging at times, more than I imagined. Thanks for playing!
If you haven’t played it yet, I even have a Google Playstore download now! Due to the worldwide Corona pandemic the store rollout got slowed down by Google, but nevertheless here it is:
And, in case you just want to play it in your internet browser, for free: https://gamefeelings.itch.io/gearful
O, and for those wondering: hey in the Google Playstore it is called Gearfull with to ‘ll’. Yeah, that wasn’t supposed to happen 😛
Business side
On the business continuity side things are still going well. In 1 or 2 months the project is completed. This is good news! However this also means that I am ‘funneling up new work’ to preparing for my next pays.
Depending on the situation in the world and progress on the new game project I can choose to spend some dedicated time on the new game or to get another business project.
- Dedicate time to the new game: due to the Corona pandemic gaming is facing all time highs so releasing a game during these times could really pay off. Financially I can already sustain a few weeks without income so it is a viable option. I could even use it to search for a new project without the need for hasty decisions, so this option is the most likely for me if the game is at a viable stage.
- Get another business project immediately: there is a lot of uncertainty in the economy currently but even now there is a visible need for software developers. Taking on another project and build up more money savings could be a wise move because I’m a starter.
So overall I am optimistic of the prospects of my company. I have a lot less to worry than a lot of other freelancers at this moment. I am very grateful that I still have payed work, my wife can make a difference as a nurse in the lung ward, and I don’t have serious ailments in my family at the moment.
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