HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025!

Codename: Zalidium

Grab your standard issue pistol and join the agents in Codename: Zalidium. Explore the mysteriously deserted town of Turpentine Ridge. Run and gun down vicious goblins as you try and survive. Search for clues to uncover the strange events that led to their existence. Can you uncover the truth?

Hey, happy 2025! I hope this little update finds you in good spirits as you get back into the post-festive routine. Last year was a roller coaster for Iconiel and Codename: Zalidium. The demo didn't hit the mark despite my best efforts. I thought people would find the game more appealing, but I was wrong. So over the festive break, I took some time to reflect and research. Here's where I think my design and philosophy went wrong: [list] [*] [b]Aesthetics matter –[/b] Personally, I liked that my game looked different from others that shared similar gameplay to mine. I thought there was a bigger audience for this type of low-poly chicanery, but I was living in the past. But not living in the past enough to appeal to the retro gamer either, as I was not trying to make it look like something you'd play on an old console. Therefore, it lost out in a couple of ways and probably others. [*] [b]Worry –[/b] What started out as a game designed to be fun and frictionless became more about not upsetting anyone and making the game inclusive. Then there was the worry about budget and time, being a self-published, solo-developed game. I spent too much time worrying about marketing and hustling for likes and follows because I was worried the game wasn't going to be seen. This all took focus away from the gameplay itself. [*] [b]Godot –[/b] Godot is a cool game engine, don't get me wrong. Switching to it was essential for me to keep developing something after turning my back on using Unity. But it has its limits and drawbacks. I really didn't want to listen when other developers said it was only good for rapid prototyping but, to be fair, they were right. Of course, as an open-source project, it is constantly improving; however, for what I need as a solo game developer, it just isn't there for me. [/list] There are more points I could make, but those are the main ones. At this point, I feel the only way to get over the disappointment and relight the fire of this project is to redesign it. Focusing on gameplay first, developing for modern and future platforms, and stopping worrying about what people are going to criticize next. [b]Unreal Engine[/b] I am moving development to Unreal Engine. I have experience using it and in a lot of ways I regret not going back to it when I stopped using Unity. The reason is simple: as a solo developer, the access to high-quality assets, plug-and-play tools, and overall scalability of Unreal outstrips any competitor out there. I will no longer have to limit the graphics quality, and I can publish on more platforms much easier than I can with Godot. [b]Future proof[/b] From what I see on social media and in the news, most people are pessimistic about the future of technology right now. I am not one of them. I am excited by XR glasses, generative AI, and cloud technology. I want to move my efforts to making a game that I can easily port onto new platforms like Meta Quest, XReal Air 2, as well as desktop PCs, etc. [b]Final thoughts[/b] As I go into 2025, I want to be an optimistic voice for technology. I'm building the game differently and I hope some of you will stick around for the ride. If not, that's okay too—maybe you'll come back around in time. Either way, I wish you all the best and positivity for the year ahead. Nate.