Pixels & Play: Life of an Indie Game Developer

Hello everyone, Michael here, and I'm thrilled to bring you an exciting update! In the world of Defend from Candyland!, there have been some behind-the-scenes developments, and I'm excited to share them with you. I recently had the privilege of collaborating with a talented artist named Millie Elsdon-James. You know how I've always been enthusiastic about game development, but when it comes to creating intricate artwork for larger images, I must admit, it's not my strong suit. That's where Millie stepped in to save the day. But before we dive into the artistry, I want to give a huge shoutout to Millie and her incredible skills. You can explore all her work through this Linktree link: Millie's Linktree . If you're in need of artistic expertise, don't hesitate to reach out to her! Now, let's talk about the fantastic journey we embarked on together. Millie was an absolute gem throughout the entire process. We had a seamless flow of ideas and concepts, making this collaboration a breeze. First, Millie presented me with four initial concepts to choose from. Each one had its unique charm, but ultimately, one stood out as the perfect fit for Defend from Candyland!

Hey everyone, It's been a while, hasn't it? I hope you've all been doing well. I've been caught up in a whirlwind of events, work, and the ups and downs of life. But I wanted to take a moment to catch you up on what's been happening in my world. First, let's dive into some exciting news. I recently completed the Launch-it creative-tech accelerator program, and what an incredible journey it was. I've learned so much about running my own business, made valuable connections, and even secured a few potential job opportunities along the way. At the program's conclusion, we had a big networking event where some of us pitched our ideas. I was fortunate enough to take second place, earning myself a Touchscreen laptop from Basildon Council. I'm thrilled about this because it's helping me create new pixel art sprites directly on the computer using Aseprite. It's a bit of a learning curve, but I'm enjoying every moment of it! If you're curious about the accelerator program and the networking event, check out this video with some of the highlights:

Hello everyone! I've been putting in some serious work lately. A while back, I had a bunch of folks express interest in an art pack for Defend from Candyland! To be honest, I never really saw this coming. Between my not-so-confident art skills and a personal preference against making DLC, I was initially hesitant. But hey, these folks enjoy Defend from Candyland! and they asked, so why not deliver, right? After some contemplation, I settled on creating a Halloween-themed art pack. My original idea was to revamp the characters' looks, giving them spiffy Halloween costumes. But as my creative juices flowed, I decided to sprinkle in a bit of retro charm, drawing inspiration from old-school games and classic movies. And I'm thrilled to show you how a few of them turned out!

Heya everyone, it's Michael here, and I've got an exciting update on Defend from Candyland! In this blog post, I'll be delving into the challenges of marketing this game, sharing insights into its development progress, and giving you a peek into my personal quest to conquer the leaderboard. Let's kick things off by mentioning that Defend from Candyland! is currently on a special sale until August 21st, 2023. If you're intrigued by the game, now's your chance to grab it for less than a fiver! Speaking of marketing challenges, I have to admit I made a rookie mistake. When I embarked on creating this game, marketing wasn't exactly at the forefront of my mind. I was purely focused on crafting an enjoyable gaming experience, drawing inspiration from the classic Flash game, Desktop Tower Defence. As development progressed, I excitedly shared the game on Twitter and Facebook, even collaborating with awesome YouTubers like ChaoticFear19 and Ember Shadow for some thrilling gameplay streams. Witnessing others enjoying the game brought me immense joy. I also tried leveraging Steam's Curator system by distributing numerous game keys, but the results were modest, with only a handful of reviews trickling in. While the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, the game's visibility didn't witness a significant boost.

Hello everyone! Kirsty and I just celebrated our wonderful four-year journey together, and for this enchanting anniversary, we chose a truly magical destination: the Warner Bros Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter. While I had visited this captivating place once before, many years ago when it was a novelty with tickets priced around £30, Kirsty had never experienced it and had always dreamt of doing so. We stumbled upon a fantastic deal that included a three-day, two-night hotel stay with breakfast, early entrance tickets to the tour at 10 am, and free parking both at the hotel and the WB Studio. All of this was just £424, quite a steal. As we embarked on our drive from Essex to Hatfield on a Monday, excitement buzzed in the air. Typical us, we arrived at the hotel well before check-in time, around 11 am, so we decided to explore the Galleria shopping centre. A spontaneous detour led us to a TK Maxx, where Halloween decor quickly caught our attention – it’s just normal home decor for us, isn’t it? However, I did have a comical encounter with those pesky Flying Saucers…

Hello everyone! I've got some exciting news to share, and a little spoiler too! Many players of Defend from Candyland! have asked me about the possibility of DLC, specifically optional art packs. They expressed interest in having additional content to support me further beyond the base game. Now, when it comes to DLC, I must admit I'm not a big fan, especially when it introduces necessary elements like new levels or characters. However, optional cosmetic art packs are a different story. They provide an opportunity for some creative fun! While I haven't received much direction on what people want in terms of art packs, there was a special request from ChaoticFear19 for a Dragon Ball art pack. Although I haven't created that specific pack, I did draw a Super Saiyan Jellybean for them before. What do you think of this Super Saiyan Jellybean?

Woo, back to business as usual! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending Develop:Brighton, and what an incredible day it turned out to be! My day started early as I dropped off my other half at work before making my way to Brighton to meet my friend George. The excitement was building as I grabbed a delicious breakfast at McDonald's along the way. Arriving at George's around 9:15, we made our way to the Expo and got inside by 9:30. It had already been a busy morning with all the driving involved.

Hello everyone! I have an exciting blog post to share with you today. I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be attending Develop:Brighton on Wednesday! It's an event I've been eagerly anticipating. While I've been to Develop:Brighton before, this time it's different as I'll be going on my own, representing my own company. Recently, I received 500 business cards with QR codes linking to my website and the Steam page for my game, Defend from Candyland. I'm really pleased with how they turned out, so a big thanks to Vistaprint for that! However, there's a small hiccup—I just found out that the shirts I ordered won't be delivered in time. Despite Streetshirts' promise of same or next-day dispatch, they informed me that the shirts won't be printed until next week and won't arrive in time. It's frustrating, and now I'm scrambling to find a solution for the day. If all else fails, I might just have to rock up in a Dragon Ball shirt since it's a staple in my wardrobe. xD

Greetings, everyone! Today, I want to share a heartfelt blog post about the challenges my partner, Kirsty, and I have faced this month. To be honest, it hasn't been an easy journey. On May 13th, during my Nuclear Race event, Kirsty unfortunately broke her hand. Dealing with the healthcare system has been quite frustrating, as we've faced numerous scheduling conflicts and miscommunications among doctors, leading to delays in her treatment. It turns out that her previous hand injury, which occurred a few years ago, was not properly addressed by the hospital at the time. They only conducted one X-ray before discharging her, neglecting to follow proper procedures. Now, it appears that she not only has a fracture but also a cyst in her scaphoid bone. Surprisingly, the suggested course of action from the doctors has been to do nothing and hope for the issue to resolve on its own. It's disheartening to think that the initial mishandling of her injury may have contributed to this current complication. Meanwhile, I underwent dental surgery recently, which may not be classified as a major procedure, but my fear of dentists made it quite daunting for me. Due to past negative experiences and my high resistance to most forms of local anesthesia, I had been waiting for this surgery for several years. Over time, I was referred to multiple dental clinics without success in finding a suitable form of sedation or anesthesia. Additionally, I finally had a sleep nasendoscopy to address my sleep apnea, a condition I've been living with since I was 16. For 18 years, I've sought answers from my hospital regarding the cause of my sleep apnea, only to be met with dismissive responses emphasizing weight as the primary issue. It reached a breaking point a few years ago when a doctor agreed to investigate if I consistently used a CPAP mask for three months. Yet, after completing this requirement, he reneged on his promise and returned to the familiar refrain of "You're overweight, use your CPAP machine." Frustrated, I sought help elsewhere and eventually underwent a sleep nasendoscopy. The results revealed that my nose had been broken internally, likely during childhood, and left untreated. This has caused a significant blockage in my airways, necessitating three separate surgical interventions: repairing my nose, undergoing a tonsillectomy, and having my uvula raised and throat widened. Once these procedures are completed, I will likely be free from sleep apnea. Furthermore, it's become apparent that the CPAP machine provided minimal assistance due to the underlying issue, and weight loss has been exceedingly challenging for me. Reflecting on these health-related challenges, it's evident that this month has taken a toll on both Kirsty and me. However, we've been there for each other throughout these difficulties. Our love for one another is profound and has played an instrumental role in shaping the people we are today. It's important to remember that we are not alone in facing life's troubles. Recently, I've had conversations with individuals on Twitter and at the gym who have their own share of problems. While Kirsty and I have been feeling down, we decided to reignite our passion for a game we both adore—a game that she actually introduced me to: Terraria. Funny enough, she managed to trick me into playing it a few years ago. Knowing my fondness for pixel art games, side-scrollers, and hack-and-slash adventures, she presented Terraria as a game where we could indulge in all those elements together. Little did I know that while I embarked on killing sprees, she would focus on constructing elaborate buildings. You see, Kirsty possesses a genuine love for building and crafting games like The Sims and House Flipper, while I thrive on the thrill of platforming and combat. Together, we form an incredible team within the world of Terraria. We've decided to start fresh with new characters once again, this time tackling Master Mode in a Drunk world—a combination that promises an adventurous experience. And during this playthrough, Kirsty has crafted a delightful Rainbow Pride house, which seems fitting to share with all of you on the final day of Pride month.