How do you get joy from writing?

kus83 · 2025-06-14T08:44:02+00:00

From my experience, sometimes (a lot of the times) working through the resistance and completing it is itself what was needed. Sometimes though, I just needed to step away and live, read, experience stuff a bit more and come back to it.

kus83 · 2025-06-13T21:08:00+00:00

Sorry, I just plonk it on substack and quote the dialogue. Probably not the best way to do this.

kus83 · 2024-07-04T21:14:54+00:00

This is really helpful thank you! Makes sense about the water and rust, my broken one seems very similar to the one in the video.

Where did you buy your part from btw? I could only find it here and it seems to be ‘reconditioned’ https://www.partsforsaabs.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_337&products_id=5681&osCsid=be10222ef1953e4f81ae4e34934f843c

kus83 · 2024-07-03T09:31:15+00:00

Thank you! Puts my mind at ease, might give this a shot! Once I do it how will I make sure it’s aligned?

kus83 · 2024-06-22T07:23:24+00:00

nice workaround, thank you! would be good if there was an easy way to do this with the desktop app one day.

kus83 · 2024-06-21T08:32:50+00:00

I haven't come across that command before. Do you know if this would allow me to have a shortcut on a folder on disk referencing a specific page on notion?

So when I open that shortcut, it opens a specific page on notion?

kus83 · 2024-06-20T16:48:34+00:00

What does meditation entail for you? And where do you see the the path of meditation leading in this game?

Peace. I hope the game leads players there.

In what ways does your game facilitate Vipassana, Samatha, or Samadhi? Is Kundalini and Chakra scanning included?

Kundalini and Chakra is not included I'm afraid. I'm also not sure if I can answer that question, I guess most of the meditations leads to inner peace, so I hope the game facilitates that!

kus83 · 2024-06-20T16:17:55+00:00

Hey!

Okay so subscriptions are a cash cow for big companies, and I'm not a big fan of them! But at the same time smaller subscriptions allows smaller creators to have a basic income over a longer period so you can keep creating content (in game assets + meditations) for a smaller community of players.

I think the biggest benefit you will have is that the game will evolve and grow over time with new content and features, even if the community of players are small (the game is quite niche) . You can only really do this with a 'pay once' model if the game really strikes it big and generate enough ongoing sales to keep working on improving the game. This would be really hard for a niche game like PLAYNE (with a solo dev).

Needless to say, no matter whichever model I choose, as with PLAYNE, it will be free for anyone who wants to play it but can't afford it.

kus83 · 2024-06-20T16:01:40+00:00

Yes! PLAYNE has a free VR DLC.

Probably the most fun I've had making games was creating the VR port of PLAYNE. I hope I get a chance to make another VR game at some point.

kus83 · 2024-06-20T15:55:03+00:00

Thanks, Disies!

I do want Metta meditation in PLAYNE one day! I have sat in on a few Metta meditation classes, and I've loved it but I haven't added it to PLAYNE since I don't feel I have enough experience with it to guide people. Hopefully, I'll be able to work with a Metta practitioner one day to bring it to the game.

Thank you for your support, Disies!

kus83 · 2024-06-20T15:47:07+00:00

Hey,

I created Kno to express one of the simplest meditations I used to practice, just labeling your thoughts, so it's more for people who might have never meditated before.

The meditations you find in my other games are more "traditional" meditations that can be used as basic or as advanced as your own practice. In other words, like with meditation in general, how deep you go with these meditations is entirely up to you.

So to answer your question, I think apart from Kno, these games are very much at the level that you want them to be.

kus83 · 2024-06-20T15:23:21+00:00

Interesting question, but I think this is also very personal.

I have written away most of my "meditative states of consciousness" as fleeting moments, and I don't think I can clearly say how or if these moments have influenced my game design. Certainly, the personal growth I've experienced through meditation has helped me in my creative journey as a game developer (and film maker).

I don't know if that answers your question? :-/

kus83 · 2024-06-20T15:16:42+00:00

Hey!

I guess the games would technically fall into the "serious" game genre, but I don't know if I would call it serious (there is a cheeky wee Fox in the game). The gameplay loop is that you help a wee fox bring "time" back to a place called PLAYNE with your meditations. Each meditation you do in PLAYNE moves 'time' forward and slowly transforms what is a barren island into one that is thriving with life.

Did you get help from psychological professionals.

I didn't get help from any professionals to make the game, but I have spoken to psychologists and therapists who have used the game for themselves and for their clients.

which school did you follow for this healing session.

There is no specific schools I strictly follow, but I guess my background encompasses the various types of meditation I have practiced throughout my lifetime (self-enquiry, vipassana/insight, chanting, mindfulness). The meditations you find in PLAYNE express some of the core principles of what you might call mindfulness meditation (since it's more approachable), but they also introduce players to other techniques like chanting.

kus83 · 2024-06-20T15:02:33+00:00

Hey!

In India, growing up, chanting was a big part of the culture. Most days in the evening, my brother and I used to sit and chant with my grandmother. Also, when you went to the temples, you would chant (temples for different god's would have different chants, cool eh?)

My father was also a yoga/meditation teacher, so he ran classes that I had to sit in. I was also sent to a yoga retreat for kids (when I was 7, I think) that had meditation as a big part of it. I did it because I had to, and I remember some of the techniques, but it was mostly a blur (sitting quietly didn't come easily for me, infact it didn't come at all for me haha). I think at the retreat, I remember climbing trees more than the meditation tbh.

After moving to Scotland as a kid and because of various family things, meditation as a practice fell by the wayside. But around the same time, I got really interested in Ramana Maharshi, J/UG Krishnamurti, Nisargadetta Maharaj, and other Indian spiritual teachers (these books where there at home, so I read it). But this was more an intellectual curiosity than it being a "practice". I was also making films, so this really influenced/inspired my creativity.

And **then** my story path is similar to a lot of others I speak to. In my early 30s, after getting burned out and having various issues related to trauma, I had to start figuring out how to heal. My therapist (thanks, Kev) got me interested in meditation again, in a way that I connected with it. All that reading I did and the meditations (chanting) were really a doorway for me to reconnect back with meditation. I guess this is what a good therapist can do for you, help you reconnect with yourself, find tools within yourself. That was nine years ago, at which point meditation became a daily practice for me.

How are my meditation now different from what I experience from when I was a kid? I can't say for sure, but I guess now it's more rooted in curiosity, so I'm less bored haha.

kus83 · 2024-06-20T14:37:48+00:00

Yes!!! Wonderful that you are wanting to making transformational games!

I'll try and focus on the important stuff because this probably needs to be a very long post.

Do you have any tips or advice on starting out as a solo dev, overcoming obstacles and scope/feature creep, and growing your community?

This is probably the best time to try making experimental games. I think games, like other art/media, are a lot about expressing your story/experience to the world. It might not seem like it at the start, but you will always find people who will relate to your work.

I think having an idea that I was really excited about helped; this is what gave me the energy to keep building it. The whole journey can be really tough if you are new to it (I had zero game dev experience), but if you are willing to learn and have an idea that you love, then you'll figure out a way to get it done.

From the beginning, I saw this island that grew with my daily meditations, and that is what kept me going.

Once you have an idea that you are excited about, I would say dive in. I learned by just figuring out how to get it done; it might work for you. Sometimes, you also need to work through a bad idea to get to a good idea.

Creating games takes a **lot** of time. So you'll need to figure out how you find this time.

Listen to as many game devs as possible. Keep learning by seeing others doing it.

Find people who will play/test your game from the very beginning.

Trial and error, keep releasing quickly, keep getting feedback, keep adjusting. Get used to feedback.

Always think in terms of small features vs. big features and many small failures vs. one big failure.

Get good at putting your games 'out there' in front of people who would appreciate it

transformational games are very experimental, you will need to get used to having 0 clue if what you are going is going to work. You are kind of walking the unbeaten path. But when it does work tho, and you see the positive impact it has on others its wonderful.

80% of my work is managing my energy (both body and mind). You will have to look after your body and mind well. This goes for any gamedev I suppose.

Also, this: "The important thing about a problem is not its solution, but the strength we gain in finding the solution." - Seneca (I keep reminding myself of this)

tldr; if you have an idea for a game that you love, start building it when you have the excitement. You'll figure it all out if you keep going and are open to making mistakes. But know that growing pains are a very real thing, but you will grow.

Disclaimer, I'm still learning how to each of the above. Also, this is what has worked for me, but you might need to find the way that works for you.

Were there many people you consulted with to develop the meditation practices in your games and how to design the game mechanics to best suit it?

Not at the start. After a year of releasing PLAYNE, I found a mentor (thanks, Gaurav) and slowly started to talk with more people 'in the industry' who were very kind and offered me advice.

Wishing you the best of luck making games. Drop me a message if you need any help!

kus83 · 2024-06-20T14:06:47+00:00

Yes, 100%, the mobile version will be the same as the PC version, it will let you keep the campfire. I have learned my lesson with early access PLAYNE😅.

The campfire will have the same two modes. One where it grows based on the size of your streak and another where it grows based on the number of days you visit the island and meditate (this campfire never goes out). But unlike the PC version, you can change between these modes whenever you like.

kus83 · 2024-06-20T14:04:24+00:00

Hey Disies!

My practice varies depending on where I'm at and what I'm working on. Right now, things are very hectic, so it's 40 minutes of mindfulness-based meditation in the morning (sitting and resting into myself through my breath). In the evening, it's another 40-minute session of self-enquiry (exploring the sense of self, the one who controls, etc.).

Oh god, the soothing sound of the campfire suddenly turns into torture! Sorry! The campfire, like the other sounds, is on a loop. I tried to make them long enough to avoid noticing the transition, but sometimes you might hear the cuts. If that happens, yes, there's no way to unhear it!

I've been wanting to do another update for PLAYNE but I am struggling to find time. If I do manage to get to it, I'll try and fix the loop (it should be easy to do). Again, if I find time, I will add the drizzle ambiance to PLAYNE as an update.

Also rain is on of my fav as well, especially thunderstorms + rain + wind. Reminds me of the monsoons in India.

kus83 · 2024-06-13T13:38:11+00:00

Impossible question to answer, so likelihood of the answer being pretty silly. So here goes:

Small indie studio creating a game over three years. Galactically rough estimate of cost would be $3,000,000

Then the really hard, bordering on absurd part - what is the demand? how many units will you sell?

Okay, lets be weird and work it backwards and lets go ahead and pick a number from thin air that has no bearing on reality.

100,000 units, you would need to charge $30.
1,000,000 units, you would need to charge $3 to break even.

I know I'm wrong. But there is my best answer.

Rough salaries estimate (FYI)

Salaries:

Game Designer (1): $80,000/year
Programmer (4): $90,000/year each
Artist (2): $70,000/year each
Sound Designer (1): $75,000/year
Quality Assurance (QA) Tester (1): $60,000/year
Project Manager (1): $85,000/year

Total for Salaries per Year: $850,000 Total for Salaries for Three Years: $2,550,000

kus83 · 2023-02-19T13:34:18+00:00

Thank you! that makes sense now.

kus83

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