I'm not entirely sure how to start, but I want to mention that I haven't dropped a single game this year, which is a first for me. It's unusual since I usually drop at least three games each year. Sure, my earlier games weren't the highest quality in terms of gameplay or visuals, and my releases did need more polish, but every developer starts somewhere, There are two main parts to my experiences this year

1. I’ve improved my skills as a coder and a Blender "artist", It took me time and luck to get better in these areas, which I only implemented effectively in my games behind the scenes.

2. I experienced heavy burnout and a loss of motivation. I once heard a quote from Willfaz that I didn't fully understand until it applied to me: "post-game dev depression." While I wouldn't call it depression, it felt more like a constant burnout that followed me and negatively impacted my work. Tasks became unfulfilling, and projects I was once excited about slipped away as I shelved them for "later," alongside all my other ideas. I first experienced this feeling after I released Donald’s. I think I spent about four to five months feeling burned out after that release, particularly after the numerous updates I made for it (around ten updates). After that, I picked up the Mac Tonight 2 recode, which I started in July but finally finished in late October.

I believe the reason that game got completed is that I had invested so much work into it before putting it on the back burner for Donald’s. I didn’t want all that effort to go to waste. After those two projects, I fell into a bit of a messy cycle. I began the year working on an Onwyn fangame that I eventually canceled, as I explained in my Game Jolt post, which I recommend checking out. Following that, I think I started recoding Nightshift at Chungus, where I worked on updating the recode my good friend Mr. Malos had done. However, that took a backseat as I began recoding the infamous trtf rebuilt. Unfortunately, I lost the MFA file, but I remember learning a few things about Fusion and experimenting with instance values. Ultimately, I didn't finish it because I struggled to define the mechanics. After those projects, I started developing probably the only public game I revealed this year, titled November Chills at the Factory. This game had a unique vibe. I started making it out of spite for someone and something, which I won’t mention out of respect. What was supposed to be a fangame that would take two weeks to complete ended up taking much longer because I really liked the camera effect I created. I made a page for it for some reason, but I decided to drop it because I didn’t like the vibe anymore. After that, I went through a weird period and wanted to experiment, which sparked the development of what I consider the black sheep of my games "The Chica Game" (working title)". Unlike November Chills, this game had a darker theme focused on corruption. I was heavily inspired by Mr Malos’s Weekend at Fazbear Storage, and I tried to add more contrast and effects. The game developed from just an idea based on the Chica logbook image into a game with three mini-games, each introducing a new animatronic. The first mini-game was set in Chica's room and was almost finished, while the second one was set in Bonnie's room. Unfortunately, the project stopped there. The game had a darker tone because I was going through a tough time in my personal life. Thankfully, I have moved past that stage, but I realized that The Chica Game reminded me of that period, After that, I started working on the Toony Recode, and we all know how that turned out. That brings us to the present, where there hasn’t been much progress. I don’t want to jinx anything by claiming I’m working on something, so I think it’s best to end this update here. I know some people might say I shouldn’t worry about finishing games, which I understand, but for me, making games is like solving a puzzle. I find fulfillment in figuring out how to address each problem and issue. Thank you to everyone who has read this post, and i am sorry if it seems a bit haphazard and AI'ish, I’m kind of rushing this post and using im Grammarly to fix any grammar issues cuz im lazy. And as a final gift to the community, I’ve uploaded some of the games I’ve worked and scrapped this year, along with their source code. You’re welcome to use these projects however you want, as long as you credit me. Once again, thank you all, and Happy NewYear.

Chica Game (credits to hattytheguy and bixqa for testing)

November Chills