Leonardo's Island News

Hello, everyone!
Today is my birthday, and I'd love to share a video highlighting the results of the work from the past two months. Initially, I was thinking not to post anything about unfinished features, but since it's my birthday, why not! Yes, the demo is live for everyone to try, and rest assured, development is not stopping. So, here’s the video:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Previously, I mentioned that I would participate in Steam Next Fest in October. Well, I’ve changed my mind!

This weekend, I attended IndieDevDay in Barcelona. I wasn't an exhibitor, as I discovered the event after the submission deadline, but I went to talk with developers, artists, publishers, and marketing professionals. It was my first game-related event, and it was an incredibly cool experience. Here are a few things I realized:

1. If you want to make a game, you need to attend events like this. You’ll open your mind to new experiences and connect with incredibly talented, inspiring people.
2. I’ve decided to reschedule my participation in Steam Next Fest to February 2025.
3. For now, I’m focusing on the demo and gathering feedback.
4. I’m also working on a big update to improve the look and feel of the game and adding exciting new features (like caimans!!!). Screenshots and videos are coming soon!

I’ve prepared a stream of me playing the demo. Since I’m working solo on this game, I don’t have the time and resources to do a live stream, so it’s pre-recorded.

I would really appreciate any comments, questions, or suggestions you might have. You can leave them in the Demo feedback sub-forum:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1449590/discussions/1/

Enjoy the building and the atmosphere!

This is a big step for me, and I’m excited to share it with you just before my birthday!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

About 8 or 9 years ago, I honestly can't remember exactly when, I stumbled upon some YouTube videos of the game Besiege. I was absolutely blown away. The fact that you could build something that moves, destroys, and explodes was fascinating. At that time, I was just starting to learn programming, and the idea of creating a game where players could build and interact with constructions really intrigued me.

In the first two years, I developed a core system that essentially replicated Besiege's building mechanics. If you're curious, there are some videos on the game's Instagram showing how it all began. You’ll see things flying, moving, jumping, exploding—you get the idea.

But as I progressed, I started asking myself: what should my game be about? I was fascinated by Besiege's building system, but I didn't want to create a Besiege 2. That didn't make sense to me. Then I found my second big inspiration: the adventure novel Captain Blood: His Odyssey by Rafael Sabatini. That’s when the game began to evolve into an adventure with a building system.

I've been developing this game on my own in Unity. When I first started, I didn't have any friends with programming or 3D design skills to collaborate with. So, when it came time to choose an engine, I went with Unity (using the Built-In Renderer Pipeline) because of its community, the wide range of assets available, and the time it saved me from having to develop everything from scratch. (A few years later, I even started creating assets for Unity myself—like cut trees mechanics, roll paper shaders, and an environment pooler, etc.)

...Maybe that's enough for the first post. There’s more to come in future posts, so stay tuned!

Thank you for following and for your support!

Danilec