Blog
How GateCaster was made.
One short story for each day. What I tried, what went wrong, what I hoped for. Written for the people who are testing the game.
GateCaster
A frame rate measured at last, a crash survived, spells that can be pushed too far, and a name for the wild half of the game.
Many hands
I stopped doing one task at a time and handed the whole list to a swarm. By two in the morning the game had spells, a chat, a spellbook and a dozen new worlds.
A list of wishes
Almost no code. A list of what every game has, and nine wishes typed after midnight.
Thank you
Analytics that know your name, a spell that stops making you wait, and a diary for the people who play.
The longest day
The first releases, the real name, a spell that needed more awe, sound, a controller for the sofa, and nine worlds I had to let go.
The night everything crashed
A small world made denser, six assistants working at once, and a reboot that made me choose one road.
Watching it think
Most of the day was waiting for a machine to match a painting, and learning to ask whether it was stuck.
Build it ourselves
I stop borrowing other people's art and decide every model will be made here.
A quiet day
Nothing dramatic. The work ran on without me, and I asked it to stop for the night.
I want awe
Small comforts in the headset, a usage limit, and a wish for something amazing.
Sticks with joints
The first real pictures, a fight over a name, and a pair of hands I did not love.
Everything looks perfect
A room in the headset, a tall man at a desk, and the idea that changed what the game is.
Before the first line
A plan, a list of rules for my assistants, and a headset I had not tried yet.