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Thomas Brush2 Jul 2019

Prepping to launch my next game after ~3 years of work... (Launch Diary #1)

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
The developer is finalizing a narrative-driven adventure game after a three-year development cycle, acting as a spiritual successor to a decade-old browser title.
02
The project utilizes a collaborative development structure involving a publisher and a secondary developer to manage the complexities of a polished commercial release.
03
Final-stage focus testing is conducted with a sample group of approximately 50 testers to evaluate narrative, gameplay loops, and user experience.
04
The current production phase requires balancing the integration of user feedback with rigid, two-week deadlines for final code submission.
05
Technical refinement is occurring simultaneously with platform porting, requiring the developer to hand off the codebase while managing final quality assurance.
06
The launch strategy necessitates a multifaceted marketing effort, including the coordination of press releases, trailer production, and active community engagement.

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Transcript

alright guys I want to give you an update on once upon a coma it's a game that I've been working on for two and a half years I think it's two and a half years or three years it's my second commercial release and I got to admit I am terrified of launching this game I feel more nervous about launching this game than I do when I did when I launched my first game pin strike which pin stripe you know it was challenging the entire project was challenging I made that game completely alone and then I launched it on every platform which I had never done that before but I assigned an agreement that I would armor games my publisher was incredible to work with and they helped me a lot with that but I was really I was nervous but I got it may I'm Way more nervous about once upon a Comus launch I don't know why I don't know why I wish I could tell

you it was a reason that maybe the game wasn't as good or maybe it wasn't good enough but anyway I want to give you like some updates on what the game is and what's about the game is about a little boy who wakes up from a coma and he finds out that he is responsible for his best friend getting kidnapped because he was too scared to help she got kidnapped and all of the adults in the town are missing because they all went looking for this girl and so this whole world it's a very dreamy hunting world is completely empty void of adults and they've been gone for a while and so it's a very strange weird creepy adventure about a boy who goes looking for his best friend while also looking for the adults

now the thing is is this game was interesting when I first started working on it it was very interesting because I actually started working on this game when I was in 18 I'm 28 almost 29 it's almost 10 years ago it would be cool if we launched it at the 10-year anniversary actually the first game was called coma and I launched that game on Newgrounds calm and some of you have probably played it it's a little boy who's running around in this strange eerie world and it's it's not it doesn't really make a lot of sense the original and so that's why me and my publisher they were very passionate about the original game so they reached out and they actually wanted to and there's called serenity Forge they reached down they wanted to help me make the next game and so this game has been a real interesting game making because it's the first time I've ever worked with a developer and partnered with a developer and his name is Eric and we have put together a what something I'm really proud of a video game that I'm really

proud of and it hasn't been without its road bumps is that a word yeah it's no speed bumps it hasn't been without its speed bumps and its potholes and it's breakdowns and it's flat tires there's been a lot of things about this game that has been a challenge but I just wanted to tell you guys about the game and get you ready because it would really mean a lot to me if you guys supported the game shared the game grabbed a copy of the game when we do launch so I just want to give you heads up that it's coming most of my time is not spent on YouTube in fact it's like an hour to a week spent doing YouTube the rest of my time is getting this game ready for launch so I'd like to start giving you updates I'd like to start giving you updates about how it's going how it's coming along how launches is is coming along because

there are guys this is the best time to start following a game developer is during launch because launch is it's incredibly complicated it's it's one of the most complicated parts of making and releasing a game so I want to give you a quick up like a snapshot of what I'm working on this week and maybe I'll start doing this more and more and you guys let me know if you want to hear more updates as we go along and get this game ready for launch what this week is all about is focus testing and I've got two weeks left two weeks I think it's two weeks left and I'm handing off the codebase everything to my publisher to start porting the game so I've got two weeks to focus tests with you guys I've got about 50 of you who are getting a free copy of the game and you're going to basically fill out a form and it tells me what you think about the game this is the most nerve-wracking part of making a game and

this is also the the worst time to to quit vaping which I quit vaping because it's incredibly stressful and it'd be nice to have some relief it's very stressful because it's not people like telling you hey there are bugs in your game fix these bugs it's people saying hey this story doesn't make sense or I don't like it or I think it's a bad game or the core game loop sucks when you hear these kinds of things especially with two weeks left of production it's demoralizing and frustrating unfortunately nothing like that has come through yet in terms of comments but there's always a fear in the back of your mind that that you're gonna get a comment like that and it's gonna be the majority of people playing the game something systematically wrong with your game so there's always a worry and there's always sort of a general anxiety hovering in the room during launch and

so that's what I'm working on this week is trying to stay positive and focused and not getting worried about any opinions that come through by the way I'm holding earplugs if you're wondering what's orange in my hand that I'm playing with it's earplugs people there's houses being built all along around my house so like in the middle of this crazy stressful launch week I get to listen to hammers all day so anyway all that said I think that's all I have to update regarding the game's launch is we're doing focus testing this week wish me luck guys thoughts and prayers please that would be great and I'll give you guys an update on how the game is coming along through the port and the marketing phase and the and the press releases and the trailers and there's a lot to do regarding marketing and we'll talk about all that in future

episodes of this dev blog or vlog thanks again guys my name is Thomas brush if you don't know me if you like this video please hit subscribe leave a comment hit the like button this is gonna be a fun week or a fun three months of prepping for launch I'll keep you posted bye

Summary

The transition from development to commercial release represents one of the most complex and anxiety-inducing phases in the independent game development lifecycle. As a developer approaches the launch of a title three years in the making, the process involves balancing creative pride with the psychological pressures of public reception. This specific project, a narrative-driven adventure centered on a boy navigating a surreal, adult-free world, serves as a spiritual successor to a decade-old browser game, developed in partnership with a publisher and a secondary developer to ensure a polished commercial release.

The current phase of production prioritizes final-stage focus testing, a critical period where the developer hands off the codebase for platform porting while simultaneously gathering user feedback. This process involves a sample group of approximately 50 testers who provide qualitative assessments of the narrative, core gameplay loops, and overall user experience. While this data is essential for identifying systemic issues before the final submission, it introduces significant emotional strain, as developers must reconcile potential criticism with the rigid constraints of a two-week production deadline.

Beyond technical refinement, the launch window requires a multifaceted approach to marketing, including the coordination of press releases, trailer production, and community engagement. The developer notes that the intensity of this period is compounded by external environmental stressors and the high stakes of a second commercial release. By documenting these challenges, the project highlights the reality of indie development, where the final months are defined by a shift from creative construction to the logistical and psychological demands of bringing a product to market.