next »

[Cosmocat Games]

Well, I'm back! I took a couple weeks off to prototype something for the Unity 2D challenge--and to start learning how to draw!--but now it's full steam ahead.

Here's what I've been up to lately:

• fixing an obscure issue with Unity/FMOD; a really strange issue that seemed to have to do with a corrupt Unity scene (creating a new scene and copying everything over fixed it--somewhat disconcerting)
• implemented a main menu
• more progress on the intro scene: animated clouds, dialog
• added FMOD logo, Cosmocat splash
• added a new "long" module type (a twisting, spiky section)
• more prototyping for the transition levels: I have this idea of navigating one or more coloured orb "key" into position to unlock a door (still very much a WIP)
• integrated some new sprites from Thomas (new spikes, low-def steam/smoke particles, new boss sprite, etc.)

Here's a video showing most of the above:




With respect to a release date, I should have a solid release candidate by the end of the year but I'm not going to rush it. There's enough stress leading up to Christmas etc., so I've put "2019" on the Steam store page. I'd be happy with a January or February release.

[Cosmocat Games]

I'm spending some more time working on peripheral things, like credits and such. In the past I've tended to put this stuff off until the very end, often leading to self-induced frustration/annoyance

Here's how the credits screen is shaping up... simply stated, and playing off the whole rotation theme:



(unfortunately, the GIF doesn't do it justice, it's much smoother IRL--I'll include a video of this the next update)

[Cosmocat Games]

Well, I had a nice long break from the day job over the holidays (11 days). I wasn't able to get quite as much focus on the game as I had hoped, but still some really decent progress:

• added pause menu, and with a proper "confirm exit" mechanic (I've been pretty lazy about this in past games...)
• auto-transition to credits upon beating boss
• finished prototyping transition levels--still needs some polish but the foundation is there
• knocked a few items off the backlog of bugs
• uploaded a test build to Steam

The game is now fully playable from start to finish with no "dead ends" and almost no "placeholder" content! There's still lots left to do, but getting close to a being able to run a play-test/closed beta, and then start polishing/iterating where needed in preparation for release. On that note, registration for the closed beta is now open!

[Cosmocat Games]

It's the little things that matter

[Cosmocat Games]

Phew, well it's done! I pressed the button to make it live yesterday.





In the end, I stopped posting updates here in favour of using my Discord as a quasi-devlog, since it was generally getting more interaction/engagement. I'll probably do the same for my next game, but hey, if you're reading this and interested in what I'm doing, drop a quick line

Onwards and upwards!
Adam/Cosmocat

[Cosmocat Games]

Well, the game is released, but that's not going to stop me from continuing to work on it. I like to think the release is just the begininng, not the end!

So in the interest of making the game more visually appealing, and hopefully more marketable, I spent some time overhauling the visuals. Specifically:

• all levels now have proper floor tile details
• the main and transition levels have some extra background details
• background fan blades are now animated (not pictured)
• spinning objects now have a little "anchor" point (rather than just fading to nothing)

Here's how that's shaping up:




It's currently in the preview branch on Steam, pending a bit more testing (and refreshing of marketing assets) before promoting it to the main branch.

[Cosmocat Games]

Well, I'm taking a quick break from Undermine to finally follow through with that Android port I had planned from the get-go! (pre-register)



Because I built with this in mind, it's been a pretty painless process, mostly just:

• Doing a bit of optimization: reducing pixel light count, increasing physics timestep (I was probably running it way too fast before!)
• Reducing build size: there were some massive intro images not being compressed, music was being compressed at 100% quality, etc. All things that didn't really matter on PC, but could be a deterrent on mobile.
• Finishing touch control implementation: I had done a crude test implementation last year, but had to ensure touch controls were appearing properly in all scenes, as well as add some more virtual buttons (skip cutscene, pause, etc.).
• Finding testers: tapping into those who helped with the last beta test, plus finding a few more (if you're interested in testing, hop on the freshly-verified Discord and drop a line in #brainmelter-deluxe).

I'm going with a "premium" model for this. It seems to be the exception, not the norm, but the game wasn't built with the freemium model in mind. Really, I'm just looking to capitalize on the work I've done so far, taking as little risk as possible. I have no real expectations at this point. Whatever happens happens.

If I were to go freemium, I would either build with this in mind, or perhaps take something more content-heavy like Operation Hardcore and adapt it (i.e. first few levels are free, buy the rest).

The biggest challenge so far has been navigating Android builds, Play console, etc. I've done a little bit of this in the past, but there's a lot I don't know. It's been a really great learning opportunity, though.

Here are a couple shots, courtesy of one of the testers:





Oh yeah, I'm also testing some new logos/promotional stuff. I found the original too bright in comparison to the game itself, so I've gone with something a bit darker. I tried to coordinate with the purple accents from the game, and I also added a spiral, which I feel really captures the spirit and "flow" of the game.

(before/after)



Lastly, I've recruited someone to help with trailers. I'm perfectly capable of doing my own trailers but I tend to procrastinate about this more than anything else, so it's really good to have help here. I really appreciate the work he's done so far. Here's the latest he's done for me: