I go by the name Dekaytainment (or Dirk in real life). I'm from Germany, Europe, and I'm a 39-year-old JRPG fan and game development hobbyist. I'm married, have two kids, and also work a full-time job.
Originally, Leyline Chronicles was just a small passion project meant for my friends and acquaintances and now it is on Steam. I still can’t believe that it was really released.
The game revolves around the mysterious Leylines, a powerful energy that flows through everything. Some individuals, known as Ley-Sensitives, can sense and harness this energy to perform supernatural feats. But not everyone uses this gift for good, setting the stage for a battle between light and darkness.
Without spoiling too much, a sequel is already in development, continuing the story and leading it to an epic conclusion.
Leyline Chronicles features ten playable characters, a deep, tactical, combo-based combat system, and a simple yet effective crafting and upgrade system.
Although the game follows a strictly linear narrative, I made sure to include small side stories that expand the world, deepen the main characters' backstories, and enhance immersion.
Additionally, it offers classic party equipment management, allowing players to optimize their team and take on even the toughest bonus content.
The idea for this story has been in my head for many years—maybe even decades. Ever since I was a child, I devoured JRPGs: Suikoden, Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy, Star Ocean—I played them all, some even multiple times. The dream of creating my own game grew stronger over time.
However, during the first alpha tests, players asked many questions about background details that would have been better explained in a prequel. So, I decided to translate and remaster the original project—and that’s the game you can now buy on Steam.
The sequel is also currently in development.
So, I started experimenting with RPG Maker 2003, creating small RPGs that my friends and family had to play. It was fun, but the games weren’t exactly serious. Taking the leap to develop a truly ambitious project felt out of reach.
Two decades later, when RPG Maker MZ was released and the gaming industry was producing fewer and fewer classic turn-based RPGs, my cousin convinced me to give RPG Maker another shot.
The desire to create a "real" RPG and tell my story suddenly felt as alive as ever—thus, the first version of Leyline Chronicles was born. Early on, I already had ideas for a sequel and wanted to incorporate feedback directly into it.
Time. Definitely time. Family and a full-time job already take up a large portion of it, so the moments when I can work on my project are very limited. And even when time is found, you also need to mentally immerse yourself to work creatively.
The second big hurdle is being a solo developer. You’re simultaneously the writer, animator, composer, and world architect. While it’s fun, it’s also incredibly exhausting and time-consuming. The ability to delegate tasks in a team would be a real blessing.
Of course, I’m not working entirely alone. It would be presumptuous to claim that I can do everything as well as a professional composer or artist. That’s why I seek external help where necessary.
The third and perhaps most obvious hurdle is money. External help costs—after all, everyone has to make a living—and the budget I can allocate to my hobby is limited. That’s why I’m planning a Kickstarter campaign soon and hope that people will appreciate my work and find my story interesting enough to trust me and offer their support.
Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do it or that you won’t make it. If it’s your dream or passion, go for it! If you invest enough passion, you will find your audience who will appreciate your work and love the project.
Also, don’t be too hard on yourself and your project. Sometimes, you need to let things slide and not get caught up on every little detail. A project that eventually consumes you isn’t fun anymore, isn’t good for you, and will never be finished. Some small imperfections have their own charm!
A small game with quirks, but built with passion, is worth more than a million-dollar game designed solely for profit maximization. Long live indie developers!
- Dekaytainment 🍎
