So status update on the game: I wanted to wrap development up before 2020 ended but with the way things are progressing... it’s not looking that way. The "skeleton" of the game is almost done so to speak, but there's a lot of leftover gaps, I also figured that if I'm not going to finish by the end of 2020 I might as well put the time in to clean up some inner workings.

The main issue has been that the identity of the game hasn't really been fully ironed out, I originally envisioned it to be a 2D Resident Evil clone, but I think it's worth pivoting the game to be more of its own thing. Inventory management, exploration, narrative, and combat are still the main cores of the game, but I think I need to recalibrate in regards to how they relate to each other. I feel like the most overwhelming thing about development has been keeping everything together- this is the first game I’ve made where areas and scenarios aren’t completely linear. What would really help for me is to just sit down and figure how to get all the elements working together and making sure certain things get the attention they need. Not just for the betterment of the game but also for my sanity for when I actually release this thing. Without going into too much I just want to build this game to last, and aside from the 2 major bits of content left to finish I'm just going to put in the extra time to adjust. I wouldn't call it polish necessarily.

That doesn't mean I won't be steamrolling through development, but I also won't be sacrificing my holiday time. I’ll have a release date once I know for sure it’s done, but I’ll keep you updated as it goes along. It’ll be done when it’s done. By January the game will be in its second year of development, which isn't bad considering my last major game took 3 years, so as long as I can finish before then I'll be happy. This game was supposed to be done in 6 months, believe it or not! For future projects I’m going to accommodate for potential roadblocks and become more realistic. Ultimately though, I’d feel really relieved if what I release is something I can be proud of and look back on.

Anyway, keep your stick on the ice and stay safe.