Devlog #1: Setting the Right Goal
This first devlog outlines a systems-driven approach to game development—why sustainable goals matter, how assumptions shape scope, and how those ideas translate into the early design of a turn-based tactical simulation in a speculative near-future setting.
This is my first devlog.
Building a game is difficult and complex—no way around it. The market is crowded with countless games across every genre, many of them free. Setting a concrete outcome-based goal, like “I will build and sell a game on Steam,” can sound motivating, but in reality, it’s fragile.
That kind of goal rests on a long list of assumptions:
- that I already have (or will quickly gain) all the required skills
- that I can consistently carve out enough focused time
- that the market won’t shift dramatically
- that I will finish the game
- and that once it’s published, I’ll know what to do next
That’s a lot of unknowns.
So instead, I’m setting a different kind of goal—an intentional one:
My goal is to be a game developer.
This goal doesn’t expire. It assumes continuous learning, adapting to new tools and technologies, and steadily building skills over time. It also aligns well with my broader interests in simulation and software development, where many of the same principles apply.
- If along the way I publish a game on Steam, that’s a win.
- If 1,000 people buy and play it, that’s an even bigger win.
- And if it gets torn apart by bad reviews? I still move forward—because the goal remains the same: keep learning, keep building, and make the next one better.
The Game (So Far)
I have a working concept and a potential name, though nothing is final yet.
The core idea is a turn-based tactical decision simulation embedded in a narrative cyberpunk world.
By cyberpunk, I’m not talking about neon aesthetics or visual clichés. I mean cyberpunk as a branch of speculative fiction. The game is set on Earth in a not-too-distant future—but I’ll save the details for a separate article.
Technical Snapshot
- Bird’s-eye / isometric view
- Turn-based strategy and tactics
- Phase-based turns
- Three human characters
I’m currently working on the first “gym” level, which focuses on player character movement. I will also explain what I mean by a "gym" level in a separate article.
More to come soon.