Hello! Today we want to share how Drawtober led to the creation of Tales from Candleforth 🎮🎃 [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43158114/5c4a07d9f040b2bd0f0b0aec6b9d8ca26ac38970.png[/img] First, for those unfamiliar with these drawing challenges, it's basically about drawing different themes throughout the month, whether they're weekly, daily, etc. Some people use it to draw their own characters, others to step out of their comfort zones... I've been drawing since forever but I'm not doing it professionally. That year, I wanted to jump in and I had a specific setting in mind and wanted to play around with it during the Drawtober 2021: a village nestled in a valley, shrouded by a forest, inhabited by a demonic creature with a pumpkin head, and a girl entangled in dark magic... all very folk horror, as I was highly inspired by similar themes seen in "Over the Garden Wall" or the movie "The Witch". [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43158114/0f847e0d35519d613ac200942bc5b8d0e591dc75.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43158114/3a667995a4d458e16a0416eb0ce54b3d3b09fb56.png[/img] After finishing the challenge, I wanted more than just drawings. That's when the thought of making a video game popped into my head. I've been a gamer since forever, so the idea excited me. But I'm all about the art, not the techy side. I felt like a complete rookie to do it like a solodev. Then, in the months that followed, I jumped into a program that helps projects grow, where you meet others looking for teamwork. I hoped it would help me figure out my game plan. All I had were some rough ideas and sketches. But I emerged with a demo, a studio and investors in my corner. It's still unbelievable. I know loads of amazing projects never see daylight, so I'm beyond grateful that we have come this far in the game. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43158114/0fe4ac73c80aef09d9dccb6739ccf46caa1cf8cc.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43158114/498cbee9234e3c428dc03646dd3b3f137b3be742.png[/img] In the incubation program, spanish industry pros like Luis Oliván (Do not Feed teh Monkeys) mentored me, pushing me to turn my idea into a game. They helped us shape the concept: a 2D puzzle game with a surreal folk horror style. I laid out the plan and teamed up with the right crew to make it all real, and after about 9 months of hard work, we had a demo for "Tales from Candleforth". It was a tiny, humble start, but it totally had the vibes we wanted for the full deal. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43158114/f8bb251f32b944a85f13aeccdd3ca8a6943103a2.gif[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43158114/57bf91f45d43c8035e3390f94180fca36b327471.png[/img] Despite battling imposter syndrome, seeing people try the game and win awards at events was surreal and thrilling. I mean, just a year ago, being at a game expo with my own booth and people trying out our game was beyond my wildest dreams. We were over the moon. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43158114/a9e74bac4c5308064b75449d0736dd5535798b74.jpg[/img] I'll stop here to keep it short, but if you enjoyed reading this, I'd love to share how we got investors for the full game, its development, and suddenly becoming the head of my own studio and company. By the way, we're aiming to release the game in the next 6 months (date to be announced) Thanks a bunch for reading! And if you're into folk horror and puzzles, adding Tales from Candleforth to your wishlist would make our young studio very happy 😊 https://store.steampowered.com/app/2200410/