"Where Are the Mythical Creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas?" wasn’t the first game I intended to create. When I quit my job and started making indie games, I initially wanted to make an action game with elements of Chinese culture. I’ve always wanted to showcase more aspects of China to players all over the world and let them learn more about it.
However, for a newcomer, creating an action game right from the start is too challenging. So, I changed my plan and decided to spend six months making a casual game first to gain development and publishing experience. This led to the idea of "Where Are the Mythical Creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas?": finding escaped mythical creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas in various Chinese city landmarks to showcase Chinese landscapes and knowledge from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
All the scenes and characters in "Where Are the Mythical Creatures?" are hand-drawn. Only the puzzle illustrations and music used some AI assistance. However, it took me three months just to draw the scene for the first level, which was far beyond my expectations. Although I later adjusted the process and became more proficient, it still takes about a month to complete the scene and character drawings for one level. Therefore, finishing this game within six months was impossible. I plan to have 12 levels, and with other necessary scenes and programming, it will take at least one and a half to two years.
Regardless, I am determined to complete this game. Some players might not be interested in this type of game or art style, but indie games inherently reflect the developer's personality.
The game was released on June 25th. I will further optimize the game experience over the next two weeks and add a hidden level within 2-3 months.
I hope players will continue to support me.
Thank you.
(and my tools are a Macbook Pro and an iPad Pro)