Nonadecimal in 2014

2014 was a big year for Nonadecimal that marked a transition from “hobbyist” to “real game dev.” Here’s what happened last year.

Looking Back on 2014

• Halted development on Afterdeath after almost 2 years. It was being developed on Microsoft’s XNA framework which they discontinued support for at the end of 2013. I couldn’t get XNA to run smoothly on Windows 8 either. Without extra porting work, my release options were limited to XBLIG on the Xbox 360 and non-Windows 8 PCs. Focusing on a new project seemed like a better use of time, especially since learning to make games with Unity would expand my release options.

  

• Released Social Justice Warriors. I made SJW in April as an expression of frustration with how I saw people treating each other online. After working on Afterdeath for so long, a short project was refreshing. I released SJW on May 11th after a 5-week dev cycle.  Over the course of 2014 it sold more than 7000 copies, reached the #6 spot on Steam Greenlight, raised $200 for suicide prevention, and was invited to enter the Games For Change awards.
  
• Attended GDC and Indiecade. After being part of the gamedev community for a few years, it was great to interact with other devs in person.  Talking with them and seeing their projects was a big influence on the decision to stop working on Afterdeath and release SJW.
• Started development on BIKE GAME. At Indiecade my girlfriend had an idea for a game to enter in the Leap Motion game jam using their hand-sensing controller to steer a bike.  While the jam ended up being for 3D games only, we started making our 2D BIKE GAME together, splitting the code and art. You can play it now and win free games as part of the 2014 Festivus Showdown.
  

I learned a lot about development, marketing, and the videogame ecosystem in 2014 so I think 2015 will be an even stronger year for Nonadecimal.

Looking Forward to 2015

• We’d like to release BIKE GAME early in the new year once its reality-shifting mechanics are perfected.
• I’ve been trying to decide which of 3 new game projects to work on for the rest of the year: a cubicle roguelike set in the 90s, an abstract sidescrolling shooter about a terraforming accident, or a larger squad-based strategy game.
• I’ve been slowly working on a few story-telling projects for other indie games that will continue in 2015.
• I will have a booth at PAX South in January with Social Justice Warriors and BIKE GAME available for play. I’ll also be attending GDC and Indiecade again after enjoying those last year.