Post Mortem February: What I've learned from Jetpack Pants

This is another Post Mortem blogpost, and it's all about the lessons I have learned from my second game: Jetpack pants! It' a real simple jump'n'runner game (the pants are automatically running, tho) and it was done probably in about a week (stretched out through February).

Less time leads to less game, no quitting, crunch through the end, bugs can be features, testplaying is essential, graphics are not

Less time leads to less game

I knew there was not enough time for the game I was imagining... I was happy for myself that I've learned this fairly early in the progress. I started early and had something playable even before February. But then finals started and I've spent most of my time learning for exams, obviously!

So basically the game wasn't progressing ... at all.

I had to cut down mostly ALL of my features I planned, aka level selecter, different levels, super-mario-like-jumping. But oh well, at that point I knew the product of this month was kinda trashy anyways, so I was okay with it.

I was very close to, but...

I did not quit.

I was super close. Really. At one point late in the month I was going back and forth from putting it down or quitting that month of gamedeving. And I think that in fact is the most important step in a project: Turn around, look for the reasons why you have started the project, and don't give a fuck about time or quality, just get the fuck up and end it properly! Every project deserves to be done, and after you have crunched through, you will be happy and satisfied with it, and you can be proud that you did it. Reeeaaal proud dude. I mean, now I can be all like "dude I've already made two shitty games hell yeah!".

Once I've reached the wall, I just crunched through it.

This was very helping. I was using the OneGameAMoncth Crunchtime to finish my game. I basically had a 48h deadline to have a finished game! And I was not alone. That way it was easy to get motivated and stay focused on my task. You I even had to finish early because I wanted to go to a party that night, and on the next day I was leaving for an awesome vacation, and I simply knew that theres only one way, that I would be going to other places with an awesome feeling: finish that damn game!

Testplaying is essential, graphics are not

The graphics all costed me about... maybe.... one hour in total? Well, they totally look like it as well, I know I know. And I should've put more testplaying time into it. I barely had time for level design tho, so I will use this knowledge for the next game!

Well. Today I wil start to dig into this month's game!

Let's go!