It's been 12 months since I started developing Neon Dystopia on my own. The demo came out on May 6, and before diving into October's Steam Next Fest, I wanted to take you behind the scenes: what I learned, what made my life harder, and what makes me love this project.

Where the game comes from

Neon Dystopia was originally born in 2023. I just wanted to have fun and improve my Java skills through a small video game project: a puzzle-style dungeon builder. That project is still available on GitHub for the curious. Two years later, while playing Soul Knight, I wanted to play it with my friends. But a few problems got in the way: the game is on mobile and limited in the number of co-op players, like most games. So I set out to code my own game inspired by it, but with mechanics and gameplay I actually want to play, in a setting I'm especially fond of: synthwave and cyberpunk. I reused the assets (the graphic and sound resources) and some foundations from my Java game, then started developing in Unity.

The longest phase: development

First challenge: co-op with no player limit. Few games dare to offer this. You need a network that holds up and a world that adapts. I went with peer-to-peer (one player hosts the game and acts as the server for the others) using the Steam relay.
Second challenge: a procedurally generated dungeon. It's complex to code and to synchronize over the network, but that's not all. You have to think about generation rules: where to place this or that room, what pattern to follow, and so on. And you have to avoid generation glitches: it's pseudo-random, so I don't control everything.
Third challenge: the artificial intelligence. Every room is full of enemies. They have to attack, follow players, and move through the environment. Movement first: navigating an ever-changing environment, avoiding obstacles that can appear at any time, and not leaving the room (oddly, one of the trickiest problems to solve). Then the network: every AI action has to be synchronized without saturating it. And finally optimization: each AI picks its target, then runs all its calculations on that one.

Your feedback shaped the game

Developing is one thing, but you also have to know how to test. I gathered about ten testers and ran play sessions with them. It helped me find bugs and limitations, but also gather their feedback. These moments are essential in a game's life: they let you catch problems in real conditions before they reach you. And it was also the first time I got to enjoy my creation for real, with other players. Thanks to them for everything.

My weak point: communication

Developing, I can do. Talking about it is another story. I found out that releasing a game is also a communication job: social media, trailer, press kit, events... A constant learning curve, often far from my developer comfort zone. But I'm getting better, and this post is proof.

What's next?

The next big milestone is October's Steam Next Fest. Until then, I'll keep improving the game based on your feedback. If you want to follow along:

• Try the demo and tell me what you think

• Add Neon Dystopia to your wishlist to follow the release

• Join the Discord to follow development closely and help shape decisions

Thanks to everyone following the project. See you very soon for what's next.