PLEASE START US OFF BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF:
Hello hello, my name is Nick Oztok, and I've been coding since I was 11 years old! I absolutely love playing, and of course making videogames!
TELL US ABOUT AURASCOPE.
Aurascope is a 2D collectathon adventure platformer with some light RPG and puzzle elements. Focusing on fun and smooth movement to really let the player be in full control of how they want to tackle objectives and obstacles! Whether you're someone who plays casually or a dedicated speedrunner, Aurascope has something for everyone!
The idea behind Aurascope was very different from what it is now! Originally the game was actually going to be a block-placing puzzle platformer with very short levels sort of in the style similar to Mario VS Donkey Kong series to give an idea. The game first went under the name "Project Renegade", because I wanted to make a platformer defying the norm, but still with a sense of familiarity. As time went on I started adding more mechanics to the game, like giving the player a walljump, a roll, a diving leap, and more to the point where the game blossomed into so much more than a simple puzzle platformer!
HOW HAS THE DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY BEEN
Development has been a very rocky to say the least. It wasn't for a while until Aurascope finally found it's footing, nearly 4 years after development first started back in late 2019. If you look at the game even 2 years ago from now you'll see it's a completely different game. It took quite some time to really get something that I truly like and felt like it was truly fun, and not just some gimmick shoehorned in. Something that any player could just play and enjoy whenever they feel like it.
WHICH GAME ENGINE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
I chose GameMaker Studio as Aurascope's engine since GML is the coding language I'm most familiar with, and it was the language that got me into coding as a whole.
WHAT'S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT HURDLE SO FAR?
There are multiple hurdles with making a game of this scale, of course the biggest development hurdle I'd say for Aurascope would be getting a proper team. Finding like-minded people that share the same vision I have for making my game truly special. Anyone can just be part of a group ONLY for a paycheck, but it takes some really amazing people to want to help make this game truly shine bright and make it the best it can be! Wanting to put 1000% into their craft, like I do mine.
ADVICE FOR FELLOW DEVS?
Game development can be very straining and even down the line there can be moments where you just aren't happy with what you made. Even over 3 years into development, Aurascope got a complete semi rework and is completely different from the original project it once was!
It was definitely one of the best decisions I've ever made because I absolutely love what the game is now than it was before! Don't be afraid to try random concepts, you never know which one might just stick that you could really build off of! Sometimes a drastic change or even starting over can really make your game shine brighter than ever! Always give your all when making something, because that reflects not just the effort you're willing to put, but also you as a person!
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
No matter how long it takes, have fun and take as much time necessary to develop your game. Everyone knows the famous quote "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad." It's your game, your story, your world, your vision, your ideas it's all YOU. Make sure people see the best version of you they can! Keep going at it until you're truly happy with what you've made!
Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity, Rob! Have a great day!
-Nick
❤️
