Gosh, my last post was over a year ago!
Good news—the development is still going, just quietly. But I feel like it won’t be long before I can finally announce the game. What does that even mean? I guess it just means I finally have something presentable to show the world.
So, what’s been happening this past year?
The biggest thing: thanks to a grant from the UK Games Fund in summer 2023, we were able to complete the prototype for The Daughters of Time. Since then, we’ve been slowly building on that skeleton, filling in all the actual bits.
Right now, we’ve just wrapped up a pre-alpha demo, which showcases the final art style and core gameplay. It’s ready to show to potential publishers—exciting (and nerve-wracking)!
Embracing Collaboration
The thing I love about being an indie dev? It’s this weird mix of pro and amateur—one foot in serious game development, the other in pure creative chaos. It keeps me constantly learning new things and questioning old beliefs.
I’ve always been quiet independent—not because I think I can do everything, but because I just hate bothering people. Don’t get me wrong, being self-reliant has its perks. I’m disciplined—if I’m not at my desk by 9 AM, I feel weirdly guilty. And nothing beats the satisfaction of crossing tasks off my list, it get things done.
But sometimes, independence turns into over-ambition. For a while I got way too inspired by solo devs like Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone and convinced myself I had to do everything—coding, art, animation, music, marketing—just to prove I was capable. Spoiler: it didn’t go well. I still have huge respect for solo developers, but I’ve learned that approach just isn’t the right fit for me.
Luckily, my fellow dev friends eventually talked some sense into me. They reminded me to focus on what I truly love—storytelling, world-building, directing, and making art. Collaboration isn’t a weakness—it’s a superpower. It allows me to focus on my strengths, trust and rely on others, and learn from their expertise. It speeds up development, sparks new ideas, and makes the journey less lonely. My vision was too big for a solo project, but with a team, it’s now achievable. And the best part? I don’t have to do it alone!
Happy to know 1 + 1 > 2, especially in game dev.
What’s next?
Our next milestone is the alpha demo, which means the whole game will be playable from start to finish—though with plenty of placeholders.
Game development is a lot like filmmaking—things don’t happen in order. We don’t finish level one first and the final level last. Everything is developed at the same time, and right now, we’re about 30% of the way there. And every day brings more new challenges, from game design hurdles to technical issues like figuring out SPF and DNS settings for work emails. But indie devs have to be patient and resilient.
Slow is steady, steady is fast.
I first heard this from Bear Grylls (apparently, it was originally the motto of the Navy SEALs), and I love the confidence and calm it brings me. It’s oddly fitting for game development too. I promise I’ll write more soon—stay tuned or drop by anytime!
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