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A lone developer making games (although my wife helps out quite a bit!). Our latest game is "Chests O' Booty". A fun puzzler for all ages.

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My latest game, Chests O' Booty, has been out since the 25th of October and the "pay what you want" sale ended yesterday. I created the game design about 8 years ago. I originally began to develop it in Cipher Engine with c++. I didn't have the time to finish it and have been playing it in my mind ever since. Recently I decided to pursue my own projects and start a game company. I revisited the Chests O'Booty idea so that I could finally get it finished.

What Went Right
1. Support SystemI don't mean a support system in the sense of supporting customers. I mean getting support for myself when I start to have doubts. I had been working on several projects and most of them fell through for various reasons. I needed to get Chests O'Booty done quickly and there were times when things got rough. It was in those moments, when I started to doubt myself, that a strong emotional support system was crucial. It could be the difference between a day, a week, or even a month with the to-do list not shrinking. When you are an indie developer that time difference is huge. The support from my wife helped me to get going again and to press on.

2. Unity3D
I've been working with Unity now since 2009. My development system is based around a State Machine system that has a similar structure to visual scripting systems. Overall, the quality and speed at which you can develop with Unity3D is amazing and is a godsend to developers.3. TimeTime is not something that most people would group in with the “what went right” part of making a game. I may have missed all my own personal deadlines but the game took me 3 months to develop. In the beginning of the development process I produced more artwork than code but as time progressed I worked exclusively on code.

What Went Wrong

1. MarketingWhile developing Chests O’Booty I didn’t mention the game to anyone. I'm a bit of a hermit and it was just more comfortable that way. I was also under the impression that people were more likely to impulse purchase a game that they just heard about. From what I have now heard other developers say I was wrong. I have learned from my mistake though. For my next title I will get the word out sooner and more often (perhaps with something like a blog o.O).

Also, when I finally put the information for the game out there I missed the mark again. I was under the impression that people would see the game and understand it right away. I posted a few videos and only a small amount of information. I really thought that would be enough but I was wrong. People didn't understand the game mechanics. Thankfully, they left great feedback and told me that they wanted to know more.

Conclusion
The game hasn't done as well as I would have liked but it is Wildmane Studios’ first product. I knew that there would have to be brand building and that I would have to get the word out about the company. The game was more of a proof-of-concept to see if I could, if necessary, construct an entire game solo (although my wife helped out immensely with various aspects of development and really couldn't have been finished without her). While not a huge success it did provide a huge learning experience and sometimes that is worth more than money. The game also garnered enough attention for a highly talented artist to join the team. His assistance and influence will be huge for a company as small as Wildmane Studios.

Thanks for reading and for your support!

-Kenji

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Wildmane Studios

Wildmane Studios

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A small game studio consisting of a husband and wife aimed at creating games for all to enjoy.

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Latest posts from @wildmanestudios

Chests O' Booty is now on the Wii U! Nintendo.com

Oct 16 2014

The "pay what you want" sale for Chests O' Booty will be ending today so grab it now! Wildmanestudios.itch.io

Nov 8 2013

Chests O' Booty is released! Grab your copy today for any price! Wildmanestudios.itch.io #screenshotsaturday T.co

Oct 26 2013

"Chests O' Booty" has finally shipped. Pick up your copy today for any price at Wildmanestudios.itch.io

Oct 25 2013

Chests O' Booty: Youtu.be via @YouTube

Oct 18 2013

Chests O' Booty - Versus Mode: Youtu.be via @YouTube

Oct 18 2013

Chests O' Booty - Casual Mode: Youtu.be via @YouTube

Oct 18 2013

Screenshot from the versus mode in our upcoming game "Chests O' Booty" #screenshotsaturday T.co

Sep 21 2013

We just posted Chests O' Booty to Steam's Greenlight section! Please vote for our game. Steamcommunity.com

Sep 19 2013

Chests O' Booty - Versus Gameplay: Youtu.be via @youtube

Sep 18 2013