This is the second Guac & Load update, check out the first one to see how I got started.

Status Update

Game screenshot

Alright, first thing’s first: I’ve completed the game & it’s live now on Steam!

My first blog post about Guac & Load went into detail about the development process, but I’ll keep that section short this time.

I decided (a bit late in the process) to publish the game on Steam. I wanted to add some end goal without spending too much time working on the game, so I added some achievements.

Achievements

I won’t list all of them, but here are a few notable ones:

Going deaf

Screenshot of going deaf button in pause menu
  • This was mostly just to test the achievement API, but ended up being a fun addition.
  • To get this, you open up the pause menu and click the “Go Deaf” button.
  • Once you click it, the THX sound plays at full volume & you get your achievement.

Washing your hands

Screenshot of player washing hands
  • I had a sink in the kitchen, so I made it useful.
  • If you wash your hands during a shift, you won’t give the customers Z-Coli, meaning they won’t turn into zombies.

Lasting 5 zombies rounds

Screenshot of zombies
  • If you didn’t wash your hands, you’d eventually give the customers Z-Coli & turn them into zombies.
  • This achievement is pretty self explanatory.

100% perfect orders

Screenshot of taking orders
  • If you make all the bowls perfectly (before the outbreak), you’ll get this one.

Lessons Learned

In working on the game for 6 months, I learned a thing or two.

1: To make a game, I had to wear many hats:

  • Programming
  • Art (3D models + screenshots + trailer for steam page)
  • Game / level design
  • Project Manager
  • Play tester
  • …and more

2: To release a game, I had to:

  • Let it be a bit janky
    • Getting an MVP out there was the goal, so some features were scrapped
  • Context switch for most of the project
  • Spent a lot of time working on the game
    • Pushing through the last stages is hard
    • Not letting myself get burnt out was very important too
    • Balance my after-work time, I can’t just grind for 6 months and ignore my other duties.

3: I needed a clearly scoped goal

It turned out, I didn’t have a clear gameplay loop planned out. This proved to be an issue.

When I started the project, I wanted to make a Chipotle Simulator. Just cooking food & preparing bowls. This got boring to play, and it was going to be a lot of work to add progression to try and make it fun.

I came up with the name “Guac & Load”, which was great, but there was no “& Load” aspect to the game yet. I wanted to make a zombie game before, so I figured I could just add that.

The problem was the transition from one game mode to the next, how would I turn a cooking sim into a zombie game?

This is where the motivation of making the game was starting to get lost, and I had to stick with being disciplined to make it to release.

I ended up making a day cycle, and on the 3rd day there would be a Z-Coli outbreak if you didn’t wash your hands. It’s okay, but good enough.

4: The 90/90 rule is real

If you aren’t aware, the 90/90 rule states that:

The first 90% of a software project takes 90% of the time. The remaining 10% takes another 90% of the time.

In other words, getting the gameplay loop going, adding features, making the game look like it’s ready takes up the majority of the time, but the polish takes just as long.

Getting the game-breaking bugs fixed, UI working, save systems, exporting, and all the things to make a game feel completed takes just as much time.

Retrospective

Meme

For all the work that it took, it’s an okay game. I’m proud of it, but it’s not breaking any sales records.

I’m happy I spent the time learning how to make a game, and I’m really happy that I put in the work to finish the project. I really didn’t want a half finished demo that was too buggy to give out.

I released the game as early access, so I’ll eventually add some more features & bug fixes.

I would make another game, for sure. I think instead of planning out how I’d implement a game, I’d plan out what I want the game to be. More focus on the gameplay, and less on the technical side.

I am saying that now that I have made a game & know how that’s done.

What’s Next

Now that I’ve completed my game, I’m going to take a break from game dev. This probably means I’m going to forget my Godot specific knowledge, but that’s alright.

I have a backlog of other projects, and other hobbies to get back into.

Once I get the gamedev itch again, I’ll be more prepared.

Thanks for reading!