Devlog 1: A very lazy start

Hello! I am writing this devlog in hopes of somehow encouraging myself to work on this game. This game has gone through so many changes, it is absolutely urecognizable from the original idea. I originaly had planned a giant space western with multiple gameplay aspects and characters, spanning a story of around 20 hours. I then realised I would actually like to finish making the game in my lifetime, so decided to make a game with a shorter length that I could complete before September. It is now three days before September and I am nowhere close to finishing the game. Turns out, you need to put in work to finish things on time. Though to be fair to myself, a lot of time was not wasted due to laziness but creative block. I just didn't know what this game was going to be. I knew I wanted my character to control similarly to a cinematic platformer character, and that I wanted him to run from a big monster, but that was it. 

Thankfully, a great idea came to me! My character was going to have a controlable projectile on which he can jump and I would make a game on this interactivity between the two. That sounded like a great idea to me until I realised I had already come up with it in my last published game. My first published game is called Disk Knight, and was entered into a game boy jam a few years ago (we scored 13th in the "Gameboy-ness" category, not to brag). The game had the main character throw a disk and, by jumping on it, would propel through the air.  This game also shares a lot of similar game design ideas. I am okay with this similarity though. The aim here is to create an interesting game which is fully completed. Thats all.

To give myself credit, there are quite a few interesting gameplay ideas I have added to the game. The "controlable projectile" is now capable of picking up and moving different types of blocks. For example there are floating boxes that the player can walljump off, so the player will need to figure out where to place a block, and then use it as a platforming tool. Some blocks will have to be placed in certain spots (to flick switches for example), so the player will have to work out in which order to do things. This limit to where blocks can be will also help me introduce new ideas to the player, without having to explicitly say it.  I think my most interesting idea (and hardest to implement) is that the player will have to design rooms such that when they get chased by a monster, they could easily run away from it (or even trap it). But I will get my basics done first. Since we are talking about adding ideas I wont have time to do, I will also love to add a Portal-like laser and mirror interactions: Blocks that redirect lasers to buttons. The player will have to place the block so that it directs a laser to open the door, but also in a way that it can be used for platforming. I realise now this stuff is hard to explain, so it will be best to talk about it when I actually have something to show.

So far I have half a test "tutorial" level that I hope to be able to upload soon-ish. I will ask experienced and inexperienced friends to leave feedback, but anyone who stumbles onto this mess is more than welcome to leave feedback. It would be very appreciated! With this post I will share a few sprites and animations that I have made as a teaser for the playtest. In a few days, I will  upoad a short clip of some of the (very early) gameplay.

I'd also like to add a small section and thanks to my friend kyoomeme who is doing the music for the game.