Announcing an Indie Game

Last year, I made a discovery about myself. I was searching for the answer to one of those simple questions whose answer can sometimes be elusive but is of great importance. What am I on the Earth to do?

I thought I would find the answer by pondering the future of my life, and my future legacy. But I realized that that’s where my question is coming from. I needed to look elsewhere for the answer. I started looking backward instead, and I realized that I have been given gifts and passion and it is in bringing those to the forefront that I can become the best version of myself.

I discovered that I need to make a video game.

And not just any video game. The Video Game. If my working life only produced one product, what would I want it to be? A video game. If I could only make one video game, what would it be? If I could only write one kind of story for the video game, what would the story be about? This is self expression. I need to express the ideas I’ve had since youth with the skills I’ve developed since then.

I think that for my entire life I’ve wanted to make a video game. I remember in kindergarden I drew cross sections of ant hills. There were red ants. Black ants. And when they mixed, there were fighting ants. Dead ants. The drawings were formulaic. There was a surface, there were tunnels winding underground, and there were ants. Lots of ants. I loved inventing new ant hills and finding new things to do with this simple formula.

I was designing a game, I think. Even if I was only playing at designing a game. I didn’t know much about computers at the age of 5. This was 1991. And it would be years before I would take up an interest in programming (I wish I could go back like Biff Tannen and show myself how to do it).

The designing trend continued through all my schooling, though with different types of games I progressed. Each game had its own rules. Even today, I can remember how to design scenarios on paper in all the games I played at creating. There were space battles, there were Indiana Jones style archaeology adventure games, there were puzzle games, etc.

As I looked back on all of those designs I invented with so much detail it was clear that that was what I really wanted to do. And I was shocked when I realized that I possessed most of the skills necessary to make a video game, I just need to improve and combine them. I’ve always drawn. I’ve studied animation. I’ve made sprites for web design. I’ve always been analytical, paying careful attention to details. I’m a self taught programmer. I have a BFA in Graphic Design. I’ve been interested in music for a long time. And I possess a great appreciation for the fine arts, including storytelling (novels, films).

So I’m making a game. I’m doing it alone (with input from trusted friends). It will take years. When the game is maybe 60% done, I’ll be able to share more. Down the pipe I’ll shed light on the name, genre, style, platforms, characters, etc. I’ll also share art and videos, etc. But for now, I’m brewing. I’m iterating. I’m keeping secrets.