Exactly two years ago I posted a demo online for a game I had been making in my spare time during the pandemic.

This game came to be known as Wintertwined, my first ever long term project.

I had spent most, if not all of my free time during the lockdowns working on my little game.

With the amount of free time I had, it slowly changed into something a little bit bigger than I had anticipated.

What was supposed to be a little side project, got out of hand and slowly turned into something a little more profound and personal.

Looking back, I don't know whether releasing the demo, when the game itself was just 25% finished, was a good call or not.

On the one hand, it made the game better. The amount of feedback I'd gotten was both kinda scary at first, as much as it was welcome. It all helped to shape the game into a better overall product.

On the other hand though, 2 years down the line and it still isn't done yet and I feel like I've killed most of the momentum the demo had.

Since the pandemic restrictions got lifted and I got back to working my day job, I got to spend less time on the game.

I was working a job that, to me at least, felt restrictive and kept me from growing into the industry.

This slowly started to burn me out, especially since it had been my intention to work full time from the very start.

Instead I got covid, which damaged my lungs and made me exhausted whenever I had to do anything physical.

I've also had multiple health related setbacks that made it impossible to sit for hours.

For almost the entirety of 2022, I'd slowly chip away at the game, desperately clinging to the idea that the game must be released that year.

Obviously, that didn't happen.

I've since put the development on hiatus and it hurt to post that.

No more estimated release dates, this created so much unnecessary pressure before.

I also had to learn the hard way, that making a game is hard, and when I say hard, I mean it's HARD fucking work.

I've gained so much respect and appreciation for developers and the medium as whole through this journey.

Something you can really only learn, by making something yourself.

Sometimes I rewatch live streams and let's plays from time to time, and I get a weird sort of reassuring feeling that I made something good. So, to those people a genuine, heartfelt thank you.

Luckily, the road ahead is looking bright.

I've switched jobs recently, and I think I've finally found a place I love and will love for a long time.

Not only that, but most of my health related issues are getting better as well!

Currently, I'm getting used to my new job and with this, comes a new schedule.

One that allows me to make time for my hobbies, which in terms means development time.

I'll be trying to pick up development once a week, keyword being try!

But I'll be doing my best, I can't wait to share my game with the world.

I’m beyond excited to start working on Wintertwined again and want to thank all of you for being so patient with me.

Thanks for reading my ramblings <3

And happy 2nd birthday to my little demo