Good day Heroes!
Can you believe It's already D-4 before Forgotten Mines' release?!
So, to show you how far the game has come since the First Demo back in 2022, here's a blogpost to explain and show you the major changes!
First Demo
For starters, I had never published a game on Steam before, but I did some research and knew it needed a good vertical slice. I developed a substantial demo that showcased the game up to its midpoint (but with a lot less content, of course), and despite my initial uncertainties, many of my decisions proved effective and contributed to my current progress. Essentially, my aim was to demonstrate that the game offered lots of content despite its minimalist appearance.
The core mechanics of Forgotten Mines have remained largely unchanged from the project's inception. While numerous enhancements have been added since then, the fundamental gameplay elements were established early on. Essentially I aimed to highlight the demo's extensive content, the distinctiveness of each character class and show that the classes were different from each other. I recall releasing the demo only after creating the Druid, which was the most distinctive class available at the time.
Now
Concerning the most significant changes; the UI was the standout. Until December last year, it hindered both players and the game itself. Substantial overhauls were made to the entire UI, marking it as the most evolved aspect of the game during its development.
Before changes
After changes
After the first demo, I received much more feedback than I expected, including from prominent streamers whom I admired and followed. This feedback proved invaluable in shaping the game’s direction. Following a video on Forgotten Mines made by Retromation, I released the first update, addressing the initial difficulty that was deemed excessive. And after a video from Splattercat, the game’s music underwent a significant transformation, evolving from a neutral concept to a more thematic approach, aligning more closely with viewer comments.
But, what I remember being the most critical decisions shaping Forgotten Mines’ would be the turn limit. This mechanic, along with reinforcements and related elements, sparked recurring debates among the players I closely followed—from streamers to testers. But really, I feel that this somewhat contentious mechanic serves as the backbone of Forgotten Mines' gameplay loop. Just like the E.M.M.I from Metroid Dread: the game wouldn't exist without the discomfort these antagonists create.
As you can see, Forgotten Mines wouldn't be where it is now if it wasn't for the players' precious feedback, so if you have any thoughts to share, please do! And a huge thank you to everyone who takes the time to provide constructive criticism!
That's it for today, thank you for reading! I'm looking forward to you playing Forgotten Mines in less than a week!
Because: Forgotten Mines will be available on July 23rd!
Until then, you can of course wishlist the game:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2238630/Forgotten_Mines/
If you want to chat with me and other players, you can join the Discord and Twitter!