hi there,

i'm jude! thanks for checking this out.

devlogs! i actually started writing these on tumblr a while ago but i'm deciding to move them here for the sake of organization. you can check out the previous ones here (though if i'm being honest, i was not very timely with them): garden robot's tumblr

this time will be different!

what's this game?

Ponch: Cyberspace Investigator started as a collection of scribblings, markings, and short stories born from my desire to see flawed lesbians prevail in a genre of storytelling that we rarely see ourselves truly reflected in. it stayed that way for about 3 years before it took on a new life.

 at the NYU Game center, i met Jay Guisao, our narrative designer, who gave this game a voice. and KT Mclain, our systems designer, who gave this game structure. of course, both of them did a trillion other things that would take me years to list out :)

also, my girlfriend, Eva, is doing our video production and social media (she edited our trailer!!!!) and is always helping me organize ideas as i talk endlessly about Ponch into the night (god bless her)

Jay, KT, and I developed this prototype for our master's program thesis from September 2021-May 2022. 

what's going on with this game right now?

in June, we applied to the NYU Game Center Incubator and were gifted $15,000 to keep working on it through to May 2023 (which is still utterly mind-blowing to me !!!! )

since graduating, Jay and KT both got (REALLY COOL) full-time jobs in the industry, so they're going to be working part-time throughout the year. while i am freelancing, i would say that i'm beginning to kick it up a full-time schedule, now.

managing myself has been incredibly difficult. i have to set my own deadlines, which is an odd transition following an intense master's program. i have certainly fallen off these last few months as i dealt with a sudden, tragic death in my family and a short bout of homelessness (due to the nyc housing crisis). however, i finally found stability this last week as my girlfriend Eva, and i are moving in together and creating a lovely home! i'm also trying to pick up gardening in hopes of learning how to nurture life in my home, and in my day (while trying to convince my cat not to eat the plants i'm propagating) 

(don't worry, they're all cat-safe)

what's the plan?

firstly: mindspaces. i'm still tossing and turning over our mindspace mechanic. i feel like there is something missing from it. so i'm in the midst of re-prototyping and re-editing to get closer to something that feels right for this world, for the game, and for players. here's a video of my favorite visual prototype which got some really kind comments on twitter :) 

even with this, i still feel like i'm quite far from what i want to build, and im certainly struggling with designing puzzles in this display that properly represent the world and characters. time will tell!

next: plot. jay and i had a meeting the other day and discussed a more exciting and thematically appropriate premise for this game's opening. so we'll be doing some more content design and implementation.

then: funding. we need a sustainable way to keep development going. im planning to pitch this game to WINGS as suggested by a professor. i'm actually drafting up an email today to her, to talk about what we should prepare to deliver for a pitch. If that doesn't pan out, i'll probably look to some other potential publishers, though it seems more likely that we'll begin organizing an IndieGoGo in 2023.

ultimately? by May, we want to create a true demo of the game that lasts about 1-2 hours. it will be free, and it will capture the most important parts of Ponch and this world. 

from there, if people support our vision, we'll garner some funding to develop and release Episode 1 on Steam. and someday i hope we'll release Episodes 2-5 to tell Ponch's full story.

so yeah, that's it for now.

if you have any questions/comments about game dev, the game, or you just want to talk, feel free to send me a message on my personal twitter! thank you for checking our game out, and reading this. it really means the world.

-jude