Hi everyone! I'm Marco, an Italian indie developer. I come from 15 years of JavaScript programming experience, primarily working on software and mobile apps for both large companies and small start-ups. A year and a half ago, I decided to go full-time into indie game development and bring my strategy game, Rising Army, to Steam.
Rising Army was born from my passion for strategy and management games. My main inspirations were WarTales, Battle Brothers, and Mount & Blade. I combined this with my love for board and card games, aiming to blend these elements into a single video game. Thanks to a collaboration with a 2D artist, Rossella, we decided to hide deep, complex gameplay behind cute, cartoony, and cozy visuals. Rising Army is a strategy game with camp management, resource allocation, and individual troop control, featuring auto-battler-style battles where death is permanent and the King’s favour is your only goal.
Development has been tough; as a strategy game, there are many variables to consider, and it’s still ongoing.
I chose Godot as the game engine. Why? It was love at first sight. Like a bolt from the blue! I started using it, and day by day (with some online courses), I grew more confident. Godot has simplified many aspects for me, especially with its incredibly useful Resources system.
Technically, balancing and progression have been the biggest challenges. But I believe the hardest part isn’t technical…it’s mental. Staying mentally resilient throughout development is the toughest task. Real-life events, burnout, or other pressures can make it difficult. Staying clear-headed, grounded, and giving your mind rest is the greatest challenge in the development process.
My advice is to always start with small projects and game jams. Listen to friends and community feedback…it’s gold. And most importantly, to you who’ve just started your development journey (and to myself, who often needs to hear it too): ”Don’t give up! Believe in yourself!”
Thanks for hosting us.
Marco
❤️
