Hello everyone! Here are the results of 2024. I am writing a bit late, but better late than never. So, let's get started!

Manus Dextra

A project that was developed for the ERPLAY YouTube contest. How did I even come up with this project? Let me tell you the story of how the game was created.

On April 21, ERPLAY publishes a contest where you have to create a video game in 1 month. I send Maxim a screenshot with the announcement of the contest and we start discussing ideas.

Almost immediately we decided on the genre - horror. After some time, Maxim sends an idea

During the week, Maxim and I came up with and discussed ideas.

Initially, I wanted to do the father's gameplay, but Max took the initiative. I was worried that the gameplay would be dull (in the sense that we would stand and... that's it, almost no gameplay), and wrote to Maxim asking him to pass the initiative to me. After the conversation, Max allowed me to make the level.

Yes, to put it mildly, the level did not turn out very well, but it looks interesting. Many will think that the level's mechanics are reminiscent of Five Night's At Wario Origins, and you will be right! A long time ago, I played this game and I really liked the setting, where we walk around the restaurant, trying not to die.

Finally, on April 30, I get to work. I open Clickteam Fusion 2.5, create a scene and start making primitive mechanics - examining the room, etc.

At the same time, Andryukha Samosval joins the development of the game.

Well, after about 2 weeks, the development of the demo version of the game is completed. There was so little time that everything had to be done on the fly.

And, on May 19, the game was released! How happy we were, it is impossible to describe. After some time, ERPLAY filmed the playthrough of our game.

As a result of the competition, Manus Dextra won! Hooray!

After this, update 1.1 was released, which added new content to the existing levels.

On September 1st, the development of the full version began, and from that moment on, something I didn't want began. To be more specific, due to personal circumstances, I just took and... stopped making the full version of the game. Unfortunately, something made me stop.

I offer my deepest apologies for the big delay. The original plan was to release the full version in the summer of 2024. If the game was developed in 2 weeks, then it would have been possible to develop the full version in a month or more, right? That's what I thought...

Then the date shifted to the end of 2024, that is, in the winter.

So when will the full version of Manus Dextra be released?

At one point I thought about it and decided that I would set the date - summer 2025. At the moment, Manus Dextra is the priority on the list. I want to see the project through to the end.

Sift Heads: On The Run

Oh, and I managed to tinker with this project more than with Manus Dextra. It all started at the end of October 2022. In one conversation, my friend decided to organize a game jam, the goal of which was to create a video game in two days. Any graphics, engine and sounds were allowed. After thinking for a while, I decided to create a platformer like Super Meat Boy!

Yes, we had to jump and slide on walls. Later, when I made the menu, I changed my mind and decided that the project would be a fan game based on Sift Heads, where the main character has to jump over obstacles. Somehow I got the character, added it to the menu, and I started creating the level. I set up the scenery, added a running stickman (Vinnie), and set up obstacles. I designed a screen with the results and sent it for review. Imagine, the game was created in literally a couple of days! As a result of the game jam, a draw won!

The most interesting thing I got from the game jam was the desire to work on the game! I worked and worked... and then I abandoned development for a month. Already in December 2022, I decided to recreate the gameplay of Sift Heads Cartels 1-3 separately from the game. And then the situation repeated itself again: part of the gameplay was done in a couple of days, but then I took breaks and started working only after some time. Finally, having finished the gameplay, I added a level to On The Run.

After adding the store, I stopped. I noticed the main problem - the AI ​​of enemies in a shootout. The thing is that if I create the same copies of enemies, they will not work. Because of this, I had to make crutches, and I could not add repetitions to existing enemies. At this point, the Clickteam Fusion 2.5 engine began to load scenes for a long time due to the large number of images. After so much time, I decided that it was better to stop and release the game as a demo version. Having fixed some bugs, the game was released. Judging by the comments on YouTube and GameJolt, people liked the game, which makes me happy.

What is the future of the game?

I noticed that some users asked me about the full version of the game, I will answer: at the moment the full version of the game is not being developed and even I do not know the release date. I want to switch to another engine and am already considering several options. When this will happen is unknown, but I need to work and work with this.

But! Even despite such sad news, I am still writing down ideas for the full version of the game (there are so many notes that they do not fit on my monitor).

What are my goals for 2025?

I decided for myself that I will not make big plans, the main goal is to finish Manus Dextra before summer. I want to inform you that Manus Dextra has its own discord server, where you can look at the game's devlogs and chat with people (and with the developers).

Yes, yes, I understand that the game will not please everyone, but I want to finish the project and start working on new games.

Anyway, finally in 2024 I was able to be active and release even one project (and another one with friends). Thanks to everyone who downloaded and played Sift Heads: On The Run and Manus Dextra. Thanks to everyone for your attention!