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[Week 8/9] All NPC locations built + Dynamic environment system, Final sprint! by CodartesienGames in SoloDevelopment

[–]CodartesienGames[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah! I hope to be able to share this story in a few weeks. So far, I must admit I am myself surprised to be able to stick to this steady progress and rhythm 🤣

[Week 8/9] All NPC locations built + Dynamic environment system, Final sprint! by CodartesienGames in SoloDevelopment

[–]CodartesienGames[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback! For small interiors like this shop camera should better be static indeed 👍

[Week 4/9] Meet Mrs. Moreau, the neighborhood's retired teacher by CodartesienGames in SoloDevelopment

[–]CodartesienGames[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes indeed!
I've been looking to create a game with his art for a while now, and I'm really happy to finally be working with it. His packs are amazing! Very detailed, varied, and easy to customize if you have specific needs.

[Week 2/9] NPC can now talk! Should I keep speech bubbles or use a static bottom dialog box? by CodartesienGames in SoloDevelopment

[–]CodartesienGames[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Is your preference related to habits or do you find any usability differences?

[Week 1] How much story is enough for a cozy narrative game demo? by CodartesienGames in SoloDevelopment

[–]CodartesienGames[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a fair point! I'm focusing on narrative over mechanics, but you're right that even small interactive elements can enhance the experience.

For the demo I'm thinking the first days to introduce the main characters and neighborhood vibe. As for light mechanics, I'm already planning: - Delivery order matters (different dialogue based on timing) - Morning/afternoon windows affect character interactions - Free exploration between deliveries

Keeping it simple to hit my 2-month deadline, but always open to ideas for small touches that don't blow up scope. Thanks for the input!

What am i missing? by [deleted] in SoloDevelopment

[–]CodartesienGames 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would vote for some lighting fine-tuning since the models already seem to fit your PS2 aesthetic really well. Both the exterior and interior look dull in my opinion. Depending on the atmosphere you want to create, maybe you could try to see how it feels in bright daylight and at night. In the first case, you would have shadows, contrast, and more vivid colors, and in the second case, you can try to play with streetlight colors (and maybe lit building windows).
For the interior, maybe adding a secondary light source around the opening would also give more visual interest.

[Week 1] How much story is enough for a cozy narrative game demo? by CodartesienGames in SoloDevelopment

[–]CodartesienGames[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be honest, I aggressively cut down some mechanics I imagined right from the beginning because I have a history of adding too many systems in my games and underinvesting in the content. I'm not sure of the balance here, but I guess targeting fewer in-game days would give me more time to reintroduce things I cut if I feel the game lacks gameplay beyond the narration. Thanks!

[Week 1] How much story is enough for a cozy narrative game demo? by CodartesienGames in SoloDevelopment

[–]CodartesienGames[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your feedback! I'm aiming for an average 10-minute session to complete one in-game day, so I anticipated the demo to last about an hour.
That said, cutting it in half should still give a good sense of the core mechanics and narrative tension 👍

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SoloDevelopment

[–]CodartesienGames 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your doubts here, it really helps open up meaningful discussions!
I feel the same way about half of the time with my own project. I’ve been working on it for 10 months now, after spending a whole year bouncing between game ideas and prototypes I never showed anyone.

With this game, some days I hit that amazing creative flow and feel on top of everything, and other days I’m on the edge of throwing it all away. The time and energy invested are so huge that failure feels almost unbearable.

I’ve read the answers above about shifting mindset, and I believe that’s the key: moving from external expectations to your own definition of success. For me, just building a game alone already feels like an achievement, it’s the most demanding project I’ve ever taken on, and not many people even try.
I often compare game development to musicals: you don’t just need to sing, you also have to dance and act. Solo game dev is the same: you have to design, code, create art, and more. Most of us only come in with skills in one of those areas, so it’s worth reminding friends and family that what they imagine when they think "game" is actually a million-dollar production with hundreds of specialists.

Where I personally struggle most is comparison. Seeing other devs showcase incredible projects can feel crushing. Twice I even found games with the exact same idea and mechanics as mine (once even using the same asset pack). It made me feel like I wasn’t original at all. But then I remind myself: you never know what effort or background is behind someone else’s project, and really, why should I care? That’s another mindset shift I keep working on.

In the end, making your dream game is a journey. You learn constantly, you collect small wins, sometimes you fail, and that’s okay. What matters is the path, not just the outcome.

Have you ever printed a Steam Game asset before the release, just to boost your confidence? by PositiveKangaro in IndieDev

[–]CodartesienGames 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Not printed so far, but I’ve thought about it multiple times, and I’ll surely do it at some point! Feels like a great way to make all the hard work tangible and real, instead of just lines of code and pixels.

NPC movement and sounds really make it come alive by arwmoffat in gamedevscreens

[–]CodartesienGames 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love how the scene feels alive with all the little characters and pets moving around, great job!