Solo Developer, Two Kids, One Wacom Tablet: Creating The Abandoned Planet

Sure thing, let’s dive into this. So, imagine juggling your job and two tiny humans, one of whom decided to show up right smack in the middle of a big adventure—life, huh? Anyway, there I was, stuck in this multi-purpose corner of a Florida bedroom, which was doubling as my office and, well, toddler play zone. You’d see maybe a Moleskine notebook there, clinging to life on a crowded desk, with pages full of scribbles—rooms, arrows, chaos. My toddler, bless his heart, helped by crawling right over my laptop. What I thought would be a quick one-year side mission somehow stretched into two and a half years of solo crafting—coding, sketching, composing, you name it. Oh, and I even whipped up this alien language. A base-7 number system too. Why? I don’t even know.

Flash forward, and I’m knee-deep in pixels on my trusty Wacom tablet. Obsessing over each tiny detail—pixel-art, frame-by-frame animation, the whole eerie soundscape thing. Movement’s kinda retro—like, four-way D-Pad-ish—but with this slick touch. Frantically wandering through an alien world, trying to crack some cryptic symbols and grabbing weird stuff. It’s like those 90s adventures, but, you know, with a modern twist. Retro meets now. Sort of.

And, oh! Eye candy everywhere. Imagine stunning pixel art, but jazzed up by this smooth, high-def UI. The gameplay? Zippy. Like, the navigation just feels nimble. It’s a point-and-click lover’s dream from back in the day, with totems and all those mysterious devices waiting to be powered up. Five acts, people—over 300 crazy areas to roam. And those cutscenes? Brief, yes; dynamic, you bet—adds to the storyline.

Not just in English either; fully voiced in 11 languages, and they’ve even thrown in some alien lingo. Talk about commitment!

This isn’t just a game; it slots into this larger tale, some Dexter Stardust thing. Every puzzle, every alien squiggle, they’re all born from that messy little corner bedroom. Keeps you on your toes, that’s for sure. It’s not just about exploring a lost world; it’s a tribute to the quirky joy of building a universe solo from your makeshift nursery office. Craving a wild ride, exploring lost civilizations, maybe? Dive into The Abandoned Planet this weekend—just let yourself get lost.

Oh, what’s it gonna cost? Less than 15 bucks. And if big questions like, “What happens when a wormhole opens up?” keep you up at night, this game’s the ticket. You’re the lone astronaut, crashed on a strange planet. Solve the mystery, piece things together. Nostalgic feels, a pinch of those old LucasArt vibes. Beautiful pixel bits to adore and tons of places to explore. All wrapped up in a fully voiced experience, ‘cause why not?

Anyway, there it is—the messy, delightful chaos of indie-game dev in a nutshell.