2019 Update on Boneko’s Development
Hey there, it’s been a while. This is PICOID, the guy responsible for most of Boneko. If you’re interested in the game, you’ll want to read this till the end.
So, why has it been a month since the last Screenshot Saturday? Truth is, I was looking for a job, and still looking as I’m writing this (hopefully that should settled soon). Before this my main activity was working on the game and a few freelance commissions. It’s been a while since my partner and me started this, and now I’m in need of a sustainable income. So it’s pretty simple, I’m going to get a job.
What does it change for Boneko?
Well obviously I’ll have less time to work on the game, but I won’t have to take any more commissions. I’ll put aside all other projects so that Boneko is my only personal work.
That’s still less time than before, so I’ll cut some time spent on social media. I won’t upload a screenshot every Saturday anymore. I’ll do it only when there’s something really cool or new to show. We’ll come back to a bigger online presence later in development.
Now for the important changes to Boneko… I’ve been replaying what I’ve done so far, and I feel I did not get the “metroidvania” experience right. So I’m thinking of going back to the original prototype formula of a game divided in levels. No more interconnected world, no more mini-map. That doesn’t mean there won’t be power-ups and exploration anymore though. I’m planning on keeping that in some way.
My goal is to make the game’s structure simpler and easier for me to develop. This also allows for a greater flexibility, making it really easy to move, cut and add levels. This will prove useful if we want to make the game shorter to release it quickly, or longer if we can. With a metroidvania I would have to rethink the whole level design with each change.
Because of this I also won’t have to wait until the game is almost finished to release a demo. I can just pack a few finished levels and voila.
That’s it for the big news. Next time I should come back with some actual game footage.
Take care,
PICOID
sixteen-bit