Hello again! This is the second devlog, first of the month, so I'd say I've been pretty consistent with the schedule I've set for myself so far. Big moves over here. 

For this month, I wanted to focus on the ‘What Comes Next’ for the game, both in the short and long term. There have been quite a few developments, so without further ado, let's experience my rambling together.

I needed to get a whole new computer. This has been a completely new thing I was (kinda) not expecting, but we're here and living in it. Crazy thought, but games are made on a computer, and mine has decided that it's time has come, much like Master Oogway. And I get to be Shifu, watching as my hardware fails me one by one, sans the cherry blossom petals. Thankfully, it's been taken care of, and I can continue working once I get that all set up. That is one thing I appreciate about having a full-time job on top of making the game. This is a PSA to anyone who is thinking about making their own stuff, it’s nice to have a consistent stream of income haha. 

Now, onto updates about the game itself! 

The Final Demo:

Originally, the demo was going to be what it is now. But as I was getting closer to the deadlines I set for myself, I realized that I wanted more from it. I had other ideas that I felt would add to the overall feel and how I wanted to convey the message of the game. So, why not do it? 

So now, there’s going to be more. 

There will be changes to the entire level, mechanics added, and one of the biggest things, completely new music. The composer for the game,Guilherme Alexander, who has been so kind and so great, has revamped all the tracks. They’re already in the game, and I’m very excited to share them out when the final demo is released. Everyone say, “Thank you, Alex!” and go check out his other work! I’m putting the link to his portfolio here, so you better check his stuff out. I’ll know if you don’t. 

And with all of the changes, more polishing will be added as the cherry on top. The ‘demo’ is technically the first level of the game, so I feel like it should be a reflection of what comes next. 

All of this to say, the final demo of ‘Oops! You’re the Hero!’ is set to release in a few months. On my calendar, it’s set to April 28th, so I’ll be getting streamers and a party hat for it. 

Can I get a wahoo for that. 

Now we ask ourselves, ‘Then what? What comes next?’. And this I say to you, 

Don’t stress about it. 

I doubt you were, that was more for me, actually. 

But that brings us to the last update. 

Finishing the Whole Game: 

Wow. What a wild thought! 

But let me break this down for you. This is my own studio's first game, so this is crazy to me. This is my first time, planning, financing, vibing with what’s happening all around me as I intended to stick with this game no matter how long it took. 

So how do we do this? 

First things first [I’m the realest]

Second, as I’m working on the final demo, I’m also planning and starting work on the rest of the game. As of now, it’s going to be about 5 levels long, so nothing that is going to be a huge time commitment to any player. I’m still working with the same composer and 3D modeler, and I have full trust in their talents and abilities because they were amazing in the demo. 

Third, I’m looking to start expanding the group working on this as well! I’ll be starting the search for a 3D animator, as well as other roles that will be announced shortly. If this sounds like you, PLEASE feel free to reach out. This will be a paying gig. 

Then there’s the business side of things, like taxes (blegh) that will be a blast to work on. 

And the cherry on top, getting the word out for this. I’ve talked to a marketing expert recently, and will be taking steps towards that. But as I work on this and build out how I want the studio to continue running, I want to not only focus on what I’m doing, but give others a space to show off what they’re doing. On my personal socials, I want to start doing ‘Showcases” every month or even every week to encourage others to show what they’re doing. I know there are tags for different days of the week, and I would love to be a part of giving creators a space to connect, whether they’re in games or artists or writers. I know people host them on socials, as well as make entire Discord servers for these types of things, so there are options. All of these are just thoughts that I’m thinking about. 

All in all, this is the update for this month. Thank you for reading! There’s a lot going on, and we’ll see what this month ends up bringing.

If you want to follow along the process, share your thoughts, or think you might want to work on it as well, there are ways I can be reached! 

Me: https://linktr.ee/katiea_athanatosdev

Guilherme Alexander: https://www.guigagliardo.com/

The Studio: 

        Bluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/artificiumgames.bsky.social

        Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ArtificiumG

The Game: 

        Itch:  https://athanatos-dev.itch.io/oops-youre-the-hero

        Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3166160/Oops_Youre_the_Hero/?beta=0

If you want to tag along, thank you <3 

- Kit 

PS. I also got a new tattoo, which I think looks pretty cool