7th Anniversary Update V1.2.7.0
Hello again! On May 1st it'll be the 7th Anniversary of Jump Off The Bridge on Steam. I've decided to post this update a couple of days early since I'll be going hiking and then camping for the rest of the weekend. In this update, I've added three new levels, and one new achievem
Hello again!
On May 1st it'll be the 7th Anniversary of Jump Off The Bridge on Steam. I've decided to post this update a couple of days early since I'll be going hiking and then camping for the rest of the weekend. In this update, I've added three new levels, and one new achievement. One of the levels "Potential," is unfinished. The others could use some work as well. Earlier back in February I talked a bit about artistic liberty and freedom. I've always felt some invisible standard that I set myself, and ofttimes it changes, expands infinitely into this unachievable unattainable goal. I wrestled with this in one of the previous levels I introduced in February: "Moving Goalposts." The goals are set, and yet they keep evading me, at every turn, kicking me away, and shrinking from my vision. Defeating it was a matter of using the goalpost's own slipperiness against him. Much the same symbolically, I feel, needs to happen here as well. So I set a goal to release something for the 7th Anniversary, with the expectation I'd just release whatever I had by the end, no expectations. If it sucks, is ugly, is unfinished, is primitive, is coarse, is unrealized, all of those things didn't matter. What was more important was simply showing up despite that. So here we are now, a little bit rougher around the edges, but here. I'm embodying that more, and removing these previously self-imposed limitations. It is fun to fail. (It isn't lost on me that there's something hilariously ironic about a level about "Potential" being "up in-the-air," like half-finished, and a work-in-progress. Very on brand for "Potential.")
So "Potential" is currently beatable (as in: has a solution), but in a rougher state. "Small Town" still needs some refinement (more obstacles I have in mind), but the joke is there. "Commitment" is good to go. I'm a bit concerned "Commitment" may actually add quite a bit of gametime, since I'm worried I made the puzzle solution too difficult. But I'm looking forward to seeing if anyone comes up with an alternate solve I didn't come across. If you've the time, let me know how long it took you to beat the level.
In other news, last week I was invited to give a presentation and convey advice at my former college to the aspiring students in the game development classes. It was a fun and introspective experience to try and offer some semblance of my advice or insight. I spent a lot of time beforehand trying to imagine myself back in their shoes, and what I wish I knew then when I was just beginning my game making journey. What I wished I had most was just an example of execution, and what that looked like for someone else. School gives you the tools, the programming, the knowledge, the skills, and capacity to make something, but it fell short on what the execution looked like. When you're sitting at your desk, burning the midnight oil, and silhouetted by the dim light of your computer monitor, what compels those previously idle hands? What kind of wooden spoon stirs the soul to color the page? Unfortunately it isn't something that can be easily discerned; it is something innately personal that everyone has to develop on their own - which is what I wish I knew then. That it isn't "found" in some sense of trapesing through sunlit moments and lifting up muddy rocks to pick out happenstantially amongst the bugs in the dirt, no, that it is "built," through doing, iterating, and refining. I really wanted to emphasize this sort of unfurling through action. Every decision sorta ripples out and expands into more little problems that need solutions. Reflecting on it, I'm happy with how it turned out. The original footage I took I borked the audio, so instead I re-streamed it, and gave the presentation again. If that's something you're interested in, or just want to see some behind the scenes motivations for me creating some of the levels of "Jump Off The Bridge," here's a link to the video: "How I make game"
Until we meet again, enjoy,
Happy 7th Anniversary,
Sincerely,
Cody Penn
Level Potential (WIP):
Level Small Town (Rough)
Level Commitment:
New Achievement:
V1.2.7.0 Patch Changelog:
- Added a small thud sound if player falls from tall height and collides with ground (More immersion).
- Didn't like the inconsistent water blop noises on Escher Level, so fixed that.
- Also didn't like the silence of walking through teleporting doors on Escher, so I added a noise.
- Added code that makes it so items that "cannot be grabbed" aren't even considered for pickup, to avoid missing picking up when overlapping two or more items.
- Added level Potential (rough state but outline is there)
- Added level Small Town (mostly finished, needs some more elements so WIP).
- Added level Commitment (Paint Bucket Door Level).
Coming Up Next: Level Pointless:
Social Media Stuff:
I sometimes stream on Twitch and Youtube:
cody_penn
This is the YouTube I archive all of my streams to, and stream on:
https://www.youtube.com/@Cody_Penn
This is my main YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@c0dy821
I sometimes post stuff to Twitter or Bluesky:
https://x.com/c0dy821
https://bsky.app/profile/codypenn.bsky.social
If you'd like to support more directly what I do, or read more posts, I also have some stuff on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/codypenn
Level: Maybe Tomorrow 
Level: Moving Goalposts 
