Making a Game is Fun(ny)
When I started working on The Skeleton King for a game jam. I just wanted to make something that was evocative of Castlevania. While it was a very short game jam (72 hours) I think I achieved something. My first released gaming thing and it technically functioned (with multiple bugs) But it was something and I was proud to have set a goal and achieve it.
Then as I revisited The Skeleton King to make it a real thing...it got...moodier. I think the combination of playing Cyber Shadow, watching Blasphemous and Dark Souls, and just really going through it in life had a profound impact on the direction of the narrative. And it was really difficult to work on...I was definitely pursuing this game as a magnum opus without realizing it. Like, let's bank on the story because as my first game? How good could I make the gameplay? And I realized this was all silly. All of it.
So I scraped most things. I still worry about the narrative but I'm pretty sure it'll be fine. I think I just like to worry. I even redesigned the player character because I didn't want it to be as serious. Can it be? Sure. But I really wanted to embrace more of the dorky 90s platformer hero vibes.
At the end of the day the player character is a little dingdong, who is in over his head. It isn't deep. He just wants to save his friends and protect his community at the end of the day. No trying to destroy inner demons or have the plight be some kind of allegory. I'm just making a doofy little game I hope some people enjoy and can spy the little references hidden through out.
But making games is fun and funny because I'm constantly trying to wrangle my ideas back. Because it is all new to me but I have so many ideas for later on for other games and experiences. I've always wanted to tell stories...and I'm not the best writer (as you can clearly see) but, I do love...and have...some level of proficiency in visual storytelling so...games just make sense...How did I not end up here sooner?!
Anyways, I'm going to get back to building the UI so we can not only have some gameplay but also some visual feedback of what the heck is happening.
Happy gaming!














