PLEASE START US OFF BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF:
My name is Juan, and I’ve wanted to make games all my life. I first learned about the Unity engine back in 2014 and started creating small prototypes for college while completing my computer science degree. In 2017, I began working as a freelance game developer. I’m fortunate to have made a living from game development since then, but this year I paused my freelance work to focus full-time on developing my own Steam game.
TELL US ABOUT MIND KEEPER.
Mind Keeper is a game about preserving your mental health from relentless waves of inner demons, blending the styles of tower defence, bullet hell, and rogue lite progression.
The idea was born during a game jam at the end of 2022. The theme was “every 10 seconds,” and I wasn’t particularly fond of it. I wanted to bring some philosophical depth to a simple game, and the only concept that came to mind was a platformer with an archer as the main character who defends his brain from demons. Every 10 seconds, an entity would appear and give the player a heart token to heal them, a metaphor for time healing wounds. My team and I decided to turn this idea into a full game, adding more complexity to the "brain" by making it a whole base where you can raise different buildings, add power-ups, fight bosses, and experience a deeper narrative.
HOW HAS THE DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY BEEN
The development journey has been exhausting, joyful, and productive. We’ve received positive feedback on the art, and we’re still iterating on the gameplay until it delivers the experience we want for players.
WHICH GAME ENGINE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
We chose the Unity engine because of my years of experience working with it.
WHAT'S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT HURDLE SO FAR?
The biggest challenge has been achieving the player experience we originally imagined. We're getting closer but still need a few more iterations. The game combines tower defense mechanics with a main character that can fight like in a platformer. We want to create lots of potential synergies among all elements, emphasizing strategy and creativity to beat the game. Our goal is to allow players to "break the game" through clever choices. I don’t like roguelikes that prevent players from doing that.
ADVICE FOR FELLOW DEVS?
Don’t stop pursuing what you want and what your dream is, but be clear about the endpoint of each project and step.
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
Making a successful game is more about resilience and maintaining a positive attitude than it is about programming and art.
-Jean
❤️
