Devlog

4 years of invisible work

Since the end of 2019, I've been working on a game that has undergone several transformations. Initially named "Chimes", it started as a side-view farming simulator centered around Wicca. The team consisted of three members, including my partner. We dedicated a few months to the project, but when our friend became a parent, balancing a full-time job, a side project, and parenting proved challenging. We collectively decided to halt the project.

In 2020, my partner and I started a new project "Spirit Inn", a social sim/farming simulator. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with our location in Canada and winter weather, made outdoor activities less appealing. Trapped indoors for months, designing a game centered around outdoor settings became challenging. Consequently, we shifted our focus to managing a hotel for spirits within the confined premises. As months passed and isolation deepened, the lack of social interactions led to depression. The project was put on hold for months due to a lack of inspiration and the toll on our mental health.

In late 2021, the isolating nature of the Covid situation heightened our anxieties, leading us to reflect on global social issues. Feeling powerless in the face of these challenges and witnessing the escalating inequalities fueled by capitalism, we aim to create a meaningful game infused with hope. The project, now named "Wastern," shifts its focus to showcase alternative forms of protest within a community facing challenges. While retaining the spirit hotel concept, we venture outdoors into a waste-ridden city isolated from the world. The game becomes a blend of convincing inhabitants to join an union to improve city conditions while managing the hotel for spirits.

As 2022 unfolds, we persist in working on "Wastern" alongside our full-time jobs. However, this year brings a pivotal decision as we opt to return to France, entailing the challenge of managing our departure plans and wrapping up seven years of life in Canada. Upon reaching France, we become entwined in administrative procedures, housing searches, and various mundane yet time-consuming tasks. The silver lining is our acceptance into a free incubator program meant to support the establishment of our future game studio.

In early 2023, as the incubator concludes, we regain time to focus on our game. What's more, we're lucky enough to be mentored by a game developer and studio founder who regularly calls us each month, addressing our questions and helping us overcome challenges. For several months, I've been noticing a significant issue with the game, with many elements in dissonance, causing us to lose the intended message. I've been struggling for months to make the game systems as non-capitalist as possible. However, for a first-time experience, I don't recommend tackling such challenges. Releasing a game is already challenging enough. I plan to write an article later on the observations and conclusions drawn from this experience.

In mid-2023, upon recognizing the inconsistencies in the game concept and considering the saturated market for cozy farming sims, my partner and I decided to change direction, we named the new project "Solen".

To preserve our progress and reduce the scope, we've chosen to maintain the spirit hotel but shift the focus to an investigative game with light management elements. This involves:

• Time-in-game consumed by actions with a clear game ending.
• Elimination of farming and minimal foraging to avoid item overconsumption.
• Progression achieved by discovering pages from the former manager's journal and following the leads written there.
• Reduction in the size of the city, modeling the areas as dioramas.
• Decrease in the number of NPCs—instead of using the community for change (union), it becomes a mechanism of stagnation, with inhabitants guarding secrets to prevent the player from escaping.
• Addition of a darker twist to the game.

End of 2023, we have been selected for a game design/writing residency that comes with a grant, and we have also secured another grant to develop our prototype! We are wrapping up the year with some very exciting news 🎉

In early 2024, we're still working tirelessly on "Solen", and though the journey has been long and challenging, I am proud of the path we've traversed and the invaluable lessons we've acquired along the way. While progress may not always be visibly tangible, the journey has equipped us with numerous new skills and insights, a testament to our dedication and growth as a team of two.

We've put in 4 years of unseen work.

But not for much longer. ✨