Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev

Solo indie dev making small games in Godot. Game jams, prototypes, mistakes, fixes, and finished games. Play them ↓

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

I made my first 3D game, and now it finally has a trailer.

3 minutes. One bike. As many deliveries as you can make before the world ends.

Built solo in Godot for Godot Wild Jam #97.

Play it here:
https://t.co/SpuEaFnEe1

#Godot #gamedev #indiedev

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

Day 6 of DETOUR was about making existing systems matter.

Fuel became real route-choice pressure, and shortcuts got tougher without cheap hitboxes or worse controls.

Devlog:
https://t.co/tmS7KwfItB

#Godot #gamedev #gamejam

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@MoyloGame Already on my wish list. This game looks awesome!

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

Then while rating other GWJ entries, I noticed something else:

A lot of the games with very few ratings also have nearly blank/default itch pages.

Mental note for future jams: finishing the game is only part of shipping it. Make the page worth clicking too.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

Small jam lesson I didn’t expect: your itch page matters a lot more than I thought.

I launched DOOM DELIVERY with a browser build, but no trailer or screenshots. It got noticeably less attention than my previous jam games.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

Later I added screenshots, a trailer, a better cover, and actually styled the page.

Then engagement picked up.

Not exactly a controlled experiment, but enough of a difference that I noticed.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@noninesdev Thanks! No upgrade path in the jam build. Progression is mostly learning the bike and routes.

For a fuller version, I’m thinking more objectives and shortcuts over stat upgrades. I want the skill to stay with the player.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

I made my first 3D game, and now it finally has a trailer.

3 minutes. One bike. As many deliveries as you can make before the world ends.

Built solo in Godot for Godot Wild Jam #97.

Play it here:
https://t.co/SpuEaFnEe1

#Godot #gamedev #indiedev

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

Day 5 of DETOUR had smaller purpose.

I added new nighttime hazards; barriers, potholes, debris. But the bigger lesson was knowing when to stop.

Game jams reward momentum. They don’t reward burning yourself out.

New devlog:
https://t.co/1lln3BMeBe

#gamedev #indiedev #gamejam

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@sophie_warm23 I think I want to keep the timer, but make the game less about one objective.

More like Tony Hawk: a few minutes on the map to chase deliveries, collectibles, challenges, shortcuts, whatever.

Learning the map becomes part of getting better.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@indieforgames DOOM DELIVERY - Arcade / Time Attack

The world ends in 3 minutes. Build momentum, grab deliveries, and squeeze in as many as you can before doom hits.

Made solo in Godot for Godot Wild Jam #97.

Browser + Windows
https://t.co/9jqvfqOeO8

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@KickDom_Game Exactly! Same mechanics, completely different feeling once there’s that warm light waiting at the end.

Funny how much atmosphere can change the game before the gameplay changes at all.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

Day 4 of DETOUR: I turned out the lights.

Headlights, soft shadows, illuminated highway signs, glowing fuel pickups, and a warm light waiting at home.

Same game. Completely different mood.

Devlog:
https://t.co/72JUyb9a3w

#Godot #gamedev #indiedev #gamejam

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@ChiveArcade Couldn't have said it better myself.

The rating period is a gold mine of experience just sitting there for the taking.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@Studio_Evil Sad to see there are no more updates. I was late to the party, but I've been playing non-stop for the few months I've had the game.

One of my favorite platformers AND favorite Roguelikes in the last few years.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@SPGMedia101 @elosgames The gameplay for this looks really fun.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@FlexbergGames This looks fun!

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

WAIT, I WON?! 😂
I won the #GoedWareGameJam promo challenge and a $50 Amazon gift card!

DETOUR isn’t even finished yet, but this jam has already been a blast.

Now back to the long way home. 🚗🌙

#gamedev #Godot #indiedev

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@stickdevx That’s pretty much exactly what happened. I got so focused on making the bike feel good that I totally forgot to explain the actual objective. Definitely fixing that after the jam.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

Getting some useful feedback on DOOM DELIVERY:

“Interesting concept and controls… no idea how to play.”

Perfect.

The bike starts to click, but the objective doesn’t.

#Godot #gamedev

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

@gamelawless Thanks! That was the biggest thing bothering me after the first prototype. Once the car started having some weight, the whole game immediately felt more like driving. Definitely glad I tackled it before piling more systems on top.

[Ryan Pond | Indie Game Dev @RyanPondBuilds]

Day 3 of DETOUR was all about making the car feel less like a spaceship and more like a big old boat.

Momentum, body roll, better hit recovery, smarter obstacle spawning, and a proper opening/tutorial are all in.

Devlog: https://t.co/ywJwTC8Jnd

#gamedev #Godot #GoedWareGameJam