2016 in Review
So, I wrote one of these for the first time last year; which was a year spent largely swanning around, making whatever I felt like. This meant I worked on a load of little things, and rounding them all up made loads of sense. I've probably done more work this year than last, but it's been focused into fewer places. I figure it's still worth taking stock sometimes.
Loot Rascals
So the biiiiig thing for me this year was working on Loot Rascals with Hollow Ponds. It's been a fun project!
My role's been a sort of game programmer/game designer hybrid thing. It's suited me pretty well, and after a year working solo it's felt great working with some really fantastic people.
I wrote the level generator, the AI, and generally argued about, fretted around, and implemented a load of the little moving parts that make it an interesting place to be. On top of that, I've been in charge of balance, trying to make sure it doesn't get impossible even while doing it's best to make life hard for you. If it's too hard, or it's too easy, it's probably my fault.
At the time of writing we've not quite released (it's not far off though!) but you can buy and play the early access itch.io refinery edition. If you want to bully me into changing things, you don't have much time!
A MAZE.
I did a couple of fun things at A MAZE last year. I gave a talk on the creation of Knossu in 2015 (frustratingly a section of the recording is permenantly missing, but it is what it is).
I also 'played' some hand-coded visuals for my brother's Demoscene Time Machine set. I had so much fun with this with this, opting to mash keys on-beat instead of writing clever beat matching software. Dancing and sweating into my keyboard while David did the real work. I'd love to do it again sometime. Maybe you should book us ;)
Nest
I made this little game for Ludum Dare 37. It's actually a much improved remake of a glorious trainwreck I made in 2012 . I'm pretty happy with how it came out, more medative than the single-joke concept initially struck me.
Slate
I did a bunch more work on the zelda-like thing this year. It's still miles away from being a finished thing. I still want to finish it. We'll see I guess.
Little things
Inspired by this tweet by Thomas Bowker I played around with some verlet rope simulation, and then wrote up a broad stroke how-to for the technique.
I attended Feral Vector (my favourite games event, don't miss it!) and right before David Hayward asked me if I'd be interested in running an outdoor + natural material game jam, the Wicker Jam. I had a lot of fun running around 'organising' in the forest while people made games from sticks and stones and waterfalls.
I also got to help out with Adam Dixon's business LARP, Business Year 2000. Which was, quite something... This is what I looked like for most of it:
Oh, and I've been doing some prototyping work for a Hollow Ponds future project. It's pretty exciting! I can't tell you about it. Sorry.
2017
So, for the moment I'm still tying up loose ends on Loot Rascals, but not for much longer. Seems I'll be doing some more work on Hollow Ponds' next thing; but it sounds like I should have at least a little space for other things too. I've been putting some time into a cute personal project, not quite ready to talk about that one either.. and there's always Slate.
