WHAT'S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT HURDLE SO FAR?
Puzzle games are challenging to create, and Xenospore is no exception. Designing levels for Xenospore is particularly tough—there's no single method or approach that always works, and it involves a lot of trial and error. With countless combinations of tiles, puzzles can have multiple solutions, ranging from easy to difficult, making it hard to find the right balance. Moreover, creating a puzzle is a puzzle in itself; you need to ensure it's solvable by actually playing through it, and it must be challenging without being frustrating or overly complex. The puzzle should also be engaging and provide that "eureka" moment that makes players go "aha!"
Another challenging aspect has been Xenospore's infrastructure. After developing this game, I continued learning and created several new projects, significantly improving my skills in game development, Godot, and programming. As a result, I often find myself having to dismantle and reassemble parts of the game when making updates or changes. It’s a valuable lesson—you work with what you have and make the best of it. It doesn’t have to be perfect as long as it works.
Additionally, working on the same game for a long time can be exhausting. There’s always a "creative urge" to dive into other exciting projects, but I can only focus on one at a time (with the occasional jam game thrown in). Despite this, I'm incredibly proud of Xenospore, grateful for every player, and thrilled to see it on Steam. I'm excited to return to it after working on several smaller projects, and the positive feedback from players really boosts my motivation.
