I Made a Game About Magnets

The development of the puzzle game Mind Over Magnet reached its conclusion in late 2024, marking the end of a three-year production cycle. The primary objective of this final phase was to transition from active content creation to a rigorous polish and quality assurance process. This involved finalizing the game’s core features, including the implementation of a developer commentary system inspired by Valve’s design philosophy, which provides players with insights into the creative and technical decisions behind specific mechanics and puzzles.

To ensure a stable release, a dedicated team of testers recruited from the Game Maker’s Toolkit community identified nearly 100 bugs. These issues were systematically categorized and prioritized using a numerical scoring system, ranging from minor visual glitches to critical, game-breaking errors. This structured approach allowed for efficient resource allocation, ensuring that high-impact problems were addressed before the final build was uploaded to Steam. The process required multiple rounds of testing to resolve secondary bugs introduced by initial fixes.

The project relied on a collaborative development model, utilizing community feedback, professional advice, and various third-party Unity assets to refine the final product. The game was designed for PC and Mac, with specific optimizations for the Steam Deck. Following the successful completion of the release build and the distribution of press keys, the project transitioned to its public launch. This milestone concludes the primary development phase, with a comprehensive post-mortem analysis planned for a future release to detail the broader lessons learned throughout the three-year journey.