After Ludum Dare 58 I hit a wall.
I had poured energy into that jam game and ended up feeling drained and oddly disconnected from it afterward. There were so many ideas I wanted to include, but with limited time I had to cut features that actually made the game fun. It is always a strange balance in game jams, deciding between finishing something and making something you actually enjoy. This time, finishing won.
Once I stepped back, I realized I had actually enjoyed the process more than I thought. I remembered how much I love building systems, experimenting with mechanics, and watching things come to life on the screen. That feeling reminded me why I started making games in the first place.
I have had this idea floating around for a clicker or idle game, something simple but satisfying. After not doing any real game development for about two years, I finally feel like I have a concept worth pursuing. Right now I am building a small proof of concept to test the core loop, to see if it is as fun as it seems in my head or if it falls flat.
This will not be a short project. My time for game development is limited, and I am not expecting to finish in a few months. But hopefully it will not take years either. If the prototype feels right, I might actually plan things out properly this time and aim for a Steam release. That would be a first for me.
I am a programmer at heart, not an artist or composer, so I will probably look for help when it comes to visuals, sound effects, and music. I can make placeholder art, but it is not something anyone would want to look at for long.
So, long story short, I have a new project for the first time in two years, and it feels good. I do not know where it will go yet, but for the first time in a long while, I am genuinely excited to find out.