A Year Later: Our Game Dev Journey Continues

A year after our post-hackathon spark, we’re still deep in the grind of making our quirky, story-driven puzzle game. The dream hasn’t faded—it’s only gotten sharper. This year, we’ve locked in our visual style, leveled up our skills, and pushed the game closer to reality.

We settled on pixel art as our visual backbone. Why? It’s not just nostalgia, though our love for retro classics plays a part. Pixel art fits our small team’s scope—its constraints force creativity without demanding massive resources. It’s also timeless, letting us craft a distinct vibe with limited manpower. Plus, the crisp, deliberate aesthetic aligns perfectly with our game’s absurd humor and puzzle-heavy world. Every pixel feels like it matters, and that’s the kind of care we want players to notice.

To get there, I, the author, dove headfirst into becoming our team’s artist. Five books on pixel art and animation—covering everything from color theory to sprite movement—became my obsession. Titles like Pixel Logic and The Animator’s Survival Kit were game-changers, breaking down techniques I could actually apply. Over 500 hours this year went into sketching, spriting, and animating. From clunky first attempts to smooth character walks and punchy effects, the progress is real, even if the learning curve was brutal.

On the dev side, we’ve made serious strides. The tutorial is done, teaching players the core mechanics with a mix of wit and clarity. The first combat level is playable, packed with puzzles and enemies that test the brain as much as the reflexes. We’ve also built out the main menu, a slick hub that sets the game’s tone. It’s not perfect yet—bugs creep in, and balancing is a nightmare—but seeing these pieces come together keeps us hooked.

The obsession from last year hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s stronger. Every sprite, every line of code, every late-night debug session feels like a step toward something bigger. We’re not just making a game anymore; we’re building a world we can’t wait to share.

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2150210/The_Chronicles_of_Overlord/