Good day, friends! My name is Danila Mesenko, and I'm working on this game alone (with a little help). In this first Devlog, I'd like to briefly introduce myself and tell you what I plan to include in the final version of the game, and what you can expect.
Let me introduce myself briefly. This is my first PC game; it's small, but bigger than anything I've done before. I've been studying game development for about eight years now, releasing several small mobile games and apps. But The Beginner Investor is much more ambitious than all my previous projects. I learned a little programming and 3D graphics. Nevertheless, I develop games in my free time. My biggest hope is that the release of The Beginner Investor will allow me to develop games full-time.
That's why I've set the release date for just a few months from now. It's very ambitious, and I'm not entirely confident I'll be able to get the game in tip-top shape by then, especially considering I don't know how much free time I'll have and that I live in a very unstable region with unpredictable changes.
But I simply can't afford to drag out the game's development for years. So, regarding the release date, I've set it for January 21, 2026—as soon as possible, but barely realistically. I'll work on the game as hard as I can to meet this deadline. I'll also keep you updated on my progress and upcoming work in subsequent devlogs. About two weeks before the current release date, I'll publish a devlog in which I'll describe the game's current state in as much detail as possible and ask you whether to release the game as is or to delay the release and improve it. While it's important to keep development on track, building a reputation and releasing a high-quality, engaging game is more important to me. I truly value the trust of all of you who have subscribed to the game's page and added it to your wishlist, and I'll do my best not to disappoint.
Working on graphics
And this is the result of my work over the past two weeks: the second version of the apartment. There will be many versions before the release, and even after the release, I will continue to work on improving the graphics.
When you're not investing, you'll be busy with the daily routine of life in your apartment. I don't want this part of the gameplay to take up too much of your time or attention. There will be few mandatory actions: eating regularly, sleeping, and going to work (in the story, you're a young financial sector worker). I'll likely add a few optional actions for fun and variety, and I'm open to suggestions in the comments.
The apartment—according to the game's plot—is about 26 square meters. It's located in a prewar building in the Astoria neighborhood of New York City. It's currently mortgaged and requires monthly payments. But perhaps I'll change that to something more realistic. I want to make it possible to upgrade the apartment for a more spacious, luxurious one, or even several. But I'll likely only have time to implement this feature after the game's release. There will definitely be the ability to buy, change, and add furniture and interior items, but it will likely be a modest system—I'm creating an investor simulator, not an interior designer.
The first and second version of the computer for investment.
Investments
Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be refining the investment system. You can already buy and sell shares of four companies and receive dividends. I'll primarily be working on share price changes (once a day; we're investing, not scalping), price charts, dividend gaps, bonds, and new companies. By the way, I'd like to hear your opinion: would it be better to include 30-40 different companies in the game, or 100-150?
Stock prices will fluctuate roughly as they did historically from 1990 to 2025. There will also be random fluctuations, as well as changes based on historical events, of which I want to add a lot to make it more interesting. The stocks will only be from US companies; I'll save other countries for a possible sequel. I haven't yet discussed copyright with business representatives, so all the companies in the game are fictional, but each is inspired by real economic history.
So, the game's essence is to grow and accumulate your money while living your daily routine, receiving a salary and paying mandatory and optional expenses, allocating a portion of your money to an investment account. You'll begin the game as a young 20-year-old financial sector worker in 1990. And the main question: how much capital can you accumulate by the end of 2025, using investments and the magic of compound interest?
P.S. As a player, I really love the Steam Achievements system, so they will definitely be in The Beginner Investor, although perhaps not right at release.
P.P.S. I have a long list of ideas I want to implement in the game. In addition, I have an additional list of ideas suggested to me by the AI assistant, some of which are surprisingly worthy. I consult with it on issues I'm unsure about. But I believe the opinions of real people, my subscribers, and future players, on whom my future depends, are much more important. I will definitely read all your comments here and all the threads created in the Discussions on the community page.