I'm Mirza, I'm actually a teacher and 3d animator, I created the animation studio DDDBANDIDOS in 2017, we worked on many animation projects in 2017-2023, but actually the dream of mine was making a game, so in 2024 i decided to go solo and learn game development from scratch to make PORADORA vs Monsters of the World.
The idea of creating a travel-centered action platformer stems from a lifelong passion for exploring cultures and mythologies. As a child, I was fascinated by the world’s diversity—I had countless books on traditional clothing, architecture, and folklore from various regions. My curiosity deepened when I got my first Nintendo console in elementary school and became captivated by Pokémon. That’s when my interest in monsters and mythological creatures really took root.
In fact, my final university thesis focused on “Mythological Creatures of Indonesia and Their Impact on Art, Culture, and Religion.” That project further solidified my fascination with how myths shape societies. Combining this with my love for Mega Man—a classic 2D action-platformer—I envisioned a game that let players adventure across the globe while encountering mythological creatures from different cultures.
Balancing Vision and Realism
Originally, I planned stages in Bali, Japan, a West African country, Brazil, and Belarus. However, as a solo developer creating my first game, I had to balance my ambitions with practical limitations. Learning new coding techniques, working within my own budget, and ensuring the quality met my expectations made it clear that creating every asset from scratch was unrealistic.
I decided to focus on Bali—designing all assets myself since nothing fitting was available in existing marketplaces. For other locations, I scouted the Unreal Engine Marketplace, carefully curating free and purchased assets. I modified textures and topology in Blender to match the game’s aesthetic, ensuring the stages still felt cohesive and unique.
While I’m proud of the locations I’ve included, I still dream of exploring the cultures and mythologies of the regions I couldn’t include this time. Hopefully, future projects will give me the opportunity to bring those ideas to life!
A Blend of Passion and Possibility
Ultimately, PORADORA vs. Monsters of the World is a blend of my personal interests, creative imagination, and the practical realities of game development. It’s a love letter to the rich cultural tapestry of the world and the joy of uncovering its myths through an interactive and action-packed experience.
Why I started my development journey in 2024 and not before that? Was because previously I don't have the money or privilege to do it, before 2024 I always save some of my earnings from teaching and animation project until i have enough to go on a full unemployment in 2024 and focus on my game.
on the 1st of January 2024 was the first time I learn Unreal Engine, work hard learning all the necessary skill for my game, and on October I finally got approved as a steamworks developer, and now on November the demo of my first game is finally LIVE, I'm actually proud of myself lol!
I choose Unreal Engine 5 because in the long run I want to do a 3D horror game, and I figured unreal engine is the best path for that because I don't want to keep switching between engine I just want to master one engine and then go all the way with it.
I made this game myself, the coding, blueprint, art, pixel art, level design, and everything, it was stressful and there were times when i was mentally exhausted, but i can handle it, but when it comes to MARKETING, oh man I have no clue what I'm doing!!! I'm an online introvert I don't really use social media that much so it is awkward to reach out to other people online! MARKETING IS SO SCARY!!!!
If you are going solo and learning everything by yourself like me, there will be time when your confidence took a hit because of some mechanic you couldn't work on because you don't have the skill for it, the only thing that will help you gain that confidence back is by forcing yourself to LEARN ABOUT IT.
Ultimately, PORADORA vs. Monsters of the World is a blend of my personal interests, creative imagination, and the practical realities of game development. It’s a love letter to the rich cultural tapestry of the world and the joy of uncovering its myths through an interactive and action-packed experience.
-Mirza
PORADORA vs Monsters of the World on Steam
❤️
