PLEASE START US OFF BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF:

Hi, I'm Tapio, a hobbyist retro game developer from Finland. Nice to meet you! I recently released my first commercial game on Steam and GOG, a retro JRPG called Whispers in the Moss.

I've been coding little games ever since I was about 10 years old, but only recently, now that I'm approaching my 40s, have I started to release some of my games too. For the longest time, I developed games just for my own enjoyment, but seeing people play and enjoy my games has taken this hobby to a whole new level.

TELL US ABOUT WHISPERS IN THE MOSS.

Ever since I was a child, it was my dream to develop my own Final Fantasy-style JRPG, but it took until my late 30s to fulfil this dream. I started developing Whispers in the Moss back in 2011, but it’s been an on-and-off project. The project became more serious about three or four years ago, and since then, I’ve been glued to my laptop in the late evenings.

The game is a love letter to old Final Fantasy games and other NES- and SNES-era JRPGs. It combines a rich, mysterious world with a classic, fun turn-based battle engine. It is a full-scale game with at least 20 hours of gameplay.

The aesthetics of the game are very unique and have received excellent feedback. I decided to use ASCII graphics but applied a different level of artistic ambition and detail to this medium than has been seen in video games before. Some people have found it even too retro, and I don't blame them, but I’m very satisfied with having developed something truly unique.

HOW HAS THE DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY BEEN

Developing a single game for 12 years is way too long. In the end, I felt imprisoned by many design choices I made early on. My skills and vision in art, game design, and coding improved significantly over the 12 years, which has surely caused the game to feel a bit layered—after all, I was a completely different person when I started developing the game compared to when I finished it. The game starts a bit naively, representing me in 2011, but then shifts to darker and more serious themes, reflecting my growth as a person.

WHICH GAME ENGINE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?

As for the engine, the game uses a custom engine made by me. I coded the game in QB64, a modernized version of the legendary QBASIC programming language. It’s a strange choice, I know, but frankly I’m not fluent enough in other programming languages or game engines. I’m also too impatient to start learning new systems from scratch at this point when I can create something cool in QB64 right away. I’m really happy that there are still some cool people developing QB64!

WHAT'S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT HURDLE SO FAR?

The biggest hurdle has definitely been time. I'm a hobbyist solo dev with a full-time job, two kids, and a pretty serious running hobby too. I've been able to work on my game for a maximum of two hours per day, and often much less.

Developing an entire game as a solo dev is quite brutal because you really have to do EVERYTHING. In the earlier stages, it's pretty cool because if you don't feel like doing art, you can work on the game engine. If you don't feel like doing that, you can focus on marketing, etc. But in the end, you still have to go back and finish all of those things.

For me, the toughest challenge was actually composing the game's soundtrack. I play a couple of instruments and know some theory, but I wasn't sure if I was capable of composing a soundtrack that I would find acceptable. In the end, it turned out I was. I've been thrilled with the positive feedback the game's soundtrack has been getting.

ADVICE FOR FELLOW DEVS?

First, I'd like to point out that finishing a game project and doing everything that comes with it is a core gamedev skill that needs to be practiced. I know many indie devs struggle to finish projects, but it's absolutely essential to force yourself to go through with it multiple times and practice all aspects involved. Whether it's about letting go and deciding a game is finished or handling technical stuff like uploading builds to store sites and marketing your game to influencers and media, it’s all crucial. Start by releasing small game jam games and gradually build up the scope.

Another tip, and something I've personally failed at badly, is to start building a community or social media following as early as possible. I believe each game should be original in some sense and cater to a specific niche. Even if you have a niche in mind, locating the right people in today's media environment is very difficult and time-consuming. The earlier you can start getting the right people to join you on your gamedev journey, the better off you'll be when you release your game.

ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?

- It took me almost 30 years to complete my childhood dream and release my own JRPG. I hope this example encourages other aspiring game devs and hobbyists to keep dreaming and grinding towards that finished product. You'll get there!

- Tapio

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1944310/Whispers_in_the_Moss/

❤️