Hello people. Despite releasing a game yesterday, this post will go over it since the timeframe this Creative Progress Report covers does include it (regardless of the fact that I literally released a post mortem for it).

Introduction

... that seemed oddly familiar...

Some IGM Games

After Listen to the Phone Ring released, I noticed that my avatar (the chips icon from Literally Watch Paint Dry) for itch was off center. So I went and fixed it and also added an outline to it. This lead to me making some other changes to the game as well. Nothing in terms of content, but those changes should of made the game an much better. That's all I did in IGM, outside of some minor Ice Cream Fusions changes.

Twine

I mentioned in the last CPR that I was thinking of possible ideas for my Games Made Quick game entry. I then remembered about the Neo-Twiny Jam, a jam where games have a 500 word limit. I thought about just making a game for both since I thought it would be fun. I might of had I different reason when I did that back at the start of June, but I don't remember now.

A few ideas after I made that decision were.

And finally...

Listen to the Phone Ring

I said this in a post mortem, but the idea for Listen to the Phone Ring came from the intro scene of Literally Watch Grass Grow (a game that is not finished), where Jay tries to call someone the phone. I decided to make an entire game based off that intro scene.

Working to fit the game into 500 words was an interesting challenge. I explained my methods in the Post Mortem on how I barely made it work within the 500 word limit. I learned a bit about Twine too while doing it. In the end of it all, I made a... bad game, but I still made a game regardless so I guess I completed my first jam!!

In regards to the names of the 3 characters, Jay, Lia, and William, all three were just thought of and I went with it. William and Lia weren't named in Paint Dry. They instead went by Friend and Other Friend. Lia received her name for Watch Grass Grow and William received his name for Listen to the Phone Ring (the meaning of William is "protector" which, while a simplification, fits with his character).

goodnight

goodnight was one of two ideas I had for a second game for Neo-Twiny (GMQ ended at that point). goodnight though, even in it's 2nd form, is a bit too dark to discuss here in this post, so you can take a look at the game page and perhaps the post mortem too for more information on it.

I will mention how interesting it is to see a game called goodnight be the first entry of the Trans Representation Jam 2023. It isn't all irony though, since it was one of the last games submitted to Neo-Twiny as well.

That's all for this month, but I also wanted to do a mid-year update for the 2023 goals I set 6 months ago.

Mid-Year Update

I have to hold myself accountable somehow, and I was inspired to do that by another developer who likely also thought the same thing. Anyway, I'll go over the goals.

  • Work on Untitled Novel Project for once.

    I did that, but only like, half a sentence.

  • Finish Milk Game.

    This goal wasn't meant to be completed in the first half of the year, so that fact that it's still incomplete doesn't matter too much.

  • Release a sequel to Literally Watch Paint Dry.

    I was thinking about Literally Watch Grass Grow when I wrote the goal, but the goal didn't specifiy it had to be Literally Watch Grass Grow, so it has been done. I still want to do Grass Grow at some point.

  • Maybe release a non-igm game.

    Listen to the Phone Ring and goodnight.

  • Maybe make updates for Ice Cream Fusions

    This was done too.

    Three-fifths of the goals were completed in the first 6 months. I wasn't intending on doing that, since I was supposed to be on break for the first 5 months of the year, but I can't really complain about my own decisions here. The last two goals are a bit large, so I'll focus on those for the next 6 months when I have time.

    Conclusion

    My biggest priority this month will be to transfer my IGM Games List to a site, but outside of that, I will work on a game solely for the Trans Rep Jam. The current title is Aquarius, and while I don't have much of a plot yet, I know the general direction will go in. Hopefully I won't go and change this, despite how interesting it would be. Anyway, I'll see you all soon!

    Edit (4/15/2024): Spelling and grammar corrections as part of the site redesign.