What to do when we hit a wall?

Disclaimer: This DevLog is intended to help anyone, who is in a similar situation we are in at the moment. Everyone has to make their own decisions. This merely is our own honest view and opinion, based on our experience. We would love to hear from you, what you think about it all. We wish you all the success and fun you deserve with the development and release of your game! eXplore Studio

Developing an indie game for the world to see is not a simple, straightforward task that one can achieve in a matter of weeks. Rather it is a long, tedious process full of unexpected bugs and unforeseen, well-hidden issues. Therefore, when the finishing line is in sight, and the release date is fast approaching, we might expect all the ultimate implementations to run smoothly so that we can fully appreciate and savour the last moments of developing our game. Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong. Too much pressure and stress, too many last minutes changes, lack of sleep and accumulated fatigue, all combined in a very short period of time are a recipe for mishaps!

We developers hit a wall! Time to pause, reflect and act methodically. In such a situation, where panic can easily prevail and the origin of the problems seems impossible to identify, it is definitely important to protect ourselves and take some time to rest before looking for answers.

With a fresh and calm mind, and supported by the relevant members of the team, looking for the coding errors becomes finally possible. Working systematically, isolating one part of the game from the rest, trying out some potential solutions, and supporting one another are the ingredients for success.

And if you are a single developer, you can always ask a trusted person to help you. Remember that similar ‘mountains’ have been conquered during the development process, and then forgotten, replaced by the positive feelings of successful outcomes. So let’s stay positive. Nothing is impossible, we can do it! In the end, we will be extremely proud of our achievements and ready to enjoy the release of the game we truly put our hearts in.

Let us be kind to ourselves and others – and allow ourselves some time away from the computer before fixing the issues. It’s usually worth it!