Hey man, hobby-game-dev here. I just wanted to say, I really like the more "gritty" or "raw" style of your videos. It feels a bit more authentic. Many other channels give more a "youtuber-vibe" than an "actual-gamedev-vibe" (which is fine of course, but there are so many of those channels already).
Full time job + kids and having a nearly finished game in the pipeline. You can be proud of you. I am a full time dev myself and since 10+ years I didn't get stuff done and I have NO kids. xD Wishlisted your game :)
The way you talk about game development always inspires me to keep making things. I don't necessarily need more inspiration, but you still provide that extra boost. Great to see how the game has come together and how muchy you've learned over the years!
Thanks for the update, good to see you. I wish you good luck and God speed! I appreciate just how much work is involved and how exausting it is to maintain this level of commitment. Stay strong and steady and it'll all be worth it. Rooting for you! Hope you make more content about what you've learned through the process once you've shipped.
I've been following along with the game's development since you first started and it's been quite a journey. Most game devs give up after working on something this long so I'm glad you've been able to stay motivated. Good luck
I had seen your interview earlier this weekend and I have to say your methods, style in art, depictions of the characters all great! Listening to your video I can see your passion in making games. It's a tough battle to say the least in keeping focus, tweaking small nuances yet you've done this very admirably. I am excited to follow along and to see Blood and Mead be released. Kudos to you.
Hope you know how appreciated your thoroughness and transparency are! You're doing more than just posting your process. You're creating a survival guide for all of us who are in the gamedev journey with you!!
6:04 - Same here. But honestly I think you chose the correct path. Early on I tried using a lot of Unity asset store tools to speed up the process. But in the long run, it's much more work to incorporate into my own scripts because I didn't fully understand how to trouble shoot issues. Nowadays if I can't code it myself, I won't put it into the game. Keep up the grind. 💪
Good luck and courage for this year ! I would like to have your animation workflow video coming, because I'm like you : solo, with a full-time dev job aside, a family; and I do gamedev every week and expect to go fulltime in the future. My first commercial project is taking me lots of time and I'm not familiar with animation. With you, Thomas and other gamedev channels, it's really motivating earing you all about emotions, feelings and so. Keep it up and happy new year !
Great update, I am really excited for this game and it will be a day one purchase for sure. The last push towards completion is quite the hurdle, but it was videos like yours that helped me get over the end goal of my own game. Inspiring stuff dude.
Great to hear some honest talk about all the work that goes into game dev, and how real life has to have priority, especially when you have a family! Your game looks cool and fun to play, hang in there and do what you can when you can!
Love seeing the direction the game is going and to see you back on UA-cam! I've had your game wishlisted for quite a while and plan on buying it the second I see it for sale on Steam! I love the berserker looking mode and the violent viking vibes you have. The additions of different enemy types like poison seems like a good call. It's a classic mechanic and it works so well in so many games. I also love hearing about the addition of RPG elements.
It’s been a joy watching your videos and being a part of your game development journey. You are an inspiration to us all! It will be such a joy to experience a game that has received so much passion and care. Good job 👍 Keep on grinding, buddy!
I am in awe of what you have done to build this game. It already looks like a masterpiece. I look forward to playing it once published. Happy to volunteer as a play tester too. Wishing you all the best and happy new year :)
Have been following you for a couple of years now. You've honestly been such a huge inspiration in my game dev journey. I cannot wait to play this game! Keep up the great work!
Well done John! You seem to be very clear and focussed in what you have to do next. Having the bulk of the artwork done is a major plus. I would however recommend lots of playtesting ASAP and allow time for fixing issues and balancing based on their feedback - There's nothing quite like 100 players to break your perfect game and find a 100 new issues! :) As developer also making a game on Steam, I'm super interested in your release phase, timing, numbers, strategy etc. I hope you will be covering that part of your journey (and beyond) in detail. This kind of information is pure gold. But please take care of yourself and don't overdo it - put your health first. We'll be cheering you on in any event! Best of luck! DaleJ.
I just wanted to say, I've been following the development of this game since the early days, before you upgraded the graphics and character models. I was excited for it back then, but I'm even more excited for it now. Seeing where you are at, and the creative decisions you have made. I love the devlogs, and just kinda coming along in the journey with you. Much love, keep up the good work. And I'm buying this day one when it comes out.
Really enjoyed the talk, especially the part about making systems instead of a game. As my technical and artistic skills have grown, I've noticed that game design is still perhaps the biggest nut to crack about being a solo developer. Having a better first guess at things and reducing iterations here would save so much time. Wish you all the luck for 2025!
Hey John you are such an inspiration! Stay Strong! I find myself kind in the same place (but with far less experience than you). Thank you for all the wonderful videos. I really like the splatter aspect of the game and the theme!
Hi! Creating a product from a some code, art, and other elements is incredibly challenging, whether it's a game, software, or something else. I'm really excited about your focus and dedication. Keep going! 😊
Just wanted to say I appreciate all your content and the fact you built this in public! You’re a brave man. Regardless of how this adventure ends. Your content and vibe is awesome, stay even mate.
John you are an inspiration man. I want to jump into game dev myself and watching your videos makes me want to take that first step! I can’t wait to play Blood and Mead when it is ready, what you have shown so far looks simply amazing. Cheers!
Always happy to see an update from you John, good on you, good luck for your plans, and by the sounds of it a possible launch later this year?! Wishing you all the buffs to avoid burnout and super excited for you to feel the satisfaction of completing this mamoth project and reaching Orion!
Great video sir! Keep up the great work! Game development is a journey for sure. Its good to see how much you have also grown and learned from developing your project. I think that is important and the game itself I think it will be done when its done. You know? Things just take longer for whatever reason. And even if you say 90%-100 % done there may be something coming up which cant be helped. So yeah keep your head up your doing great and look forward to the future devlogs. All the best!
I hear the pain in your voice, but that glassy look in the eyes man, wow, you are already cooked! :) Keep grinding, the game looks great, I wish you all the best!
Good luck with the project make it come to fruition. The level sweat and blood poured I to this is admirable specially given that you are still going strong on the project. Can't wait to play it. It feels and looks fun 😊
dude, I watched some of your unity tutorials like a couple years back and you still working on your game, its crazy. Respect for dedication, I would've abandoned the project 2-3 times by now
The game is looking even more amazing than it previously did! Psyched to see you cross the finish line, and I'll be waiting to cheer you on when you get there :)
Followed for a while, loved the raw interview with Thomas and I really wish you all the best this year finishing this game! Reach out if you need any support.
Good video, was thinking about your game the other day and was wondering how its all going. These games are not really my cup of tea but the polish is incredible so I think I will enjoy this and purchase it!
it's tough to be by yourself, man. I did that for a while and luckly I could find people to work with me on the second project. (find = be able to finance it myself). Keep it going! Almost there!
Dude! Respect! Game look pretty fun and diverse. Will be ready for play when its done. Odin, give him strength and time! Also, encouraging videos. Really understand about animating)
Almost there!!! 💪 If you can make a video about your animation knowledge, that would be awesome. I totally get it about creating your own systems. I like to understand what is happening with my creations (games or web apps), so I try to do as much as possible by myself. It is a nice trait, but it works like a sword, and sometimes it can hurt you. Anyhow, your game looks awesome and all the time you spent learning for it is paying. Not sure if it is going to give you the monetary reward you are expecting, but you are already a more robust game developer because of Mead & Blood (and a role model to follow, at least for me) ✌
Keep it up, always an inspiration watching you lead the charge. I just entered the art phase, I built the core gameplay first, so starting to feel that pain 😅
Happy for you John! :D doing my game solo but without the additionall responsibilities you have. I'm 40 LOL we're all get there to finish...we just need to keep on fighting! :D Animation wideo would be welcome!
Nice progress, the struggles are real. With where you're at I'd say focus on the nearest finish line. Get a demo out , get play testers, get a stable enough V1 released and worry about minor details after (if they're still even relevant at that point). Good luck!
14:09 bruh wtf I didn't know that, you're a beast if you did the entire game all by yourself while having a full-time job AND a family. Deep respect to you
Yes, please share your knowledge on art and animation in a separate videos! Would be very interesting and useful. You are a mountain of inspiration. Trod forward, it's almost there!
hey man, just wanted to say you're a huge inspiration...regardless of what happens, you are a G, and the youtube content alone is a bigger contribution to the society as a whole than most of us will ever manage to achieve...that said - the game looks incredible
Building everything from scratch is hard and time consuming. But level design is even harder when you are a regular dev without art skills like me. I am very impressed by people like you who can do both coding and art! It's great to see your progress. Good luck!
@LostRelicGames keep pushing. Ship it! So close! You got this! When you step away and get clarity - it does an amazing thing. It gives you new perspective and re-open creative flow. Game looks damn good! Cheers 🍻
Congrats on the vacation and the new monitor, it looks dope! Also keep sharing these devlogs, they're really inspiring. Could you also show your wishlist numbers? It would be really useful to other indies, especially after you've done some marketing. Best of luck!
As a professional animator from the TV and Movie space I have been thoroughly impressed with you animations. They seem both fluid and economical at the same time, bravo. For my game all the animation is traditional, throwing economics out the window, and its rough.
The process itself is what makes the end result extraordinary. Blood and Mead is more than a project; it’s a labor of love, and love always finds its way to the hearts of those who are willing to see it.
You are I think my exact inverse. Your development, systems side is incredible, a part of who you are, and the design of the game itself (levels etc) is what you're "left with". EXACT opposite to me, so I sympathise a lot.
So this game looks really good. I've wishlisted it and I'm going to check it out when it's published on Steam. I would really like to see a full video on this: 14:22. What would you do differently if you started a new game project. I bet you've learned quite a few important lessons from working on Blood and Mead. And also yes for 3:14 - the Animation Lessons you learned from Etienne (Berzerk studio).
Hi John. Blood and Mead is looking good. I have a few suggestions regarding the artwork. I think the player's axe should get bloody everytime you attack the enemy. It helps sell the carnage on the screen. In Berserk Mode, I would suggest changing the colour of the aura from blue to red to signify the rage of the character. You could also have blood splatter on the character's body during this mode.
Hey man, hobby-game-dev here. I just wanted to say, I really like the more "gritty" or "raw" style of your videos. It feels a bit more authentic. Many other channels give more a "youtuber-vibe" than an "actual-gamedev-vibe" (which is fine of course, but there are so many of those channels already).
I know how challenging it is to launch a game as an indie. I wish you all the best in your journey.
Full time job + kids and having a nearly finished game in the pipeline. You can be proud of you. I am a full time dev myself and since 10+ years I didn't get stuff done and I have NO kids. xD
Wishlisted your game :)
Hey thanks heaps! It's been quite the ride
Hey man, I'm glad my rambling about animation help you ;)!
Ppl like you sharing knowledge is what makes these kind of journeys possible!
They certainly did brother! My workflow was pathetic, all those vector patches...
Guys, please share that call you got where you discuss the animation prinnciples, huh? Would be fantastic!
3:14 - Yes! (Animation wisdom)
Second this
I also would like a deep dive into this and other topics you mentioned (level design would be a great addition, especially covering your workflow 🤩)
The way you talk about game development always inspires me to keep making things. I don't necessarily need more inspiration, but you still provide that extra boost. Great to see how the game has come together and how muchy you've learned over the years!
The finish line is in sight now. Keep it up, you're almost there!
Thanks for the update, good to see you. I wish you good luck and God speed! I appreciate just how much work is involved and how exausting it is to maintain this level of commitment. Stay strong and steady and it'll all be worth it. Rooting for you! Hope you make more content about what you've learned through the process once you've shipped.
I've been following along with the game's development since you first started and it's been quite a journey. Most game devs give up after working on something this long so I'm glad you've been able to stay motivated.
Good luck
It's going to be a good year for you.
indie games: The highs are really high, the lows are really low, and we're all a little insane by the end.
I had seen your interview earlier this weekend and I have to say your methods, style in art, depictions of the characters all great! Listening to your video I can see your passion in making games. It's a tough battle to say the least in keeping focus, tweaking small nuances yet you've done this very admirably. I am excited to follow along and to see Blood and Mead be released. Kudos to you.
Hope you know how appreciated your thoroughness and transparency are! You're doing more than just posting your process. You're creating a survival guide for all of us who are in the gamedev journey with you!!
6:04 - Same here. But honestly I think you chose the correct path. Early on I tried using a lot of Unity asset store tools to speed up the process. But in the long run, it's much more work to incorporate into my own scripts because I didn't fully understand how to trouble shoot issues. Nowadays if I can't code it myself, I won't put it into the game. Keep up the grind. 💪
Good luck and courage for this year !
I would like to have your animation workflow video coming, because I'm like you : solo, with a full-time dev job aside, a family; and I do gamedev every week and expect to go fulltime in the future. My first commercial project is taking me lots of time and I'm not familiar with animation.
With you, Thomas and other gamedev channels, it's really motivating earing you all about emotions, feelings and so.
Keep it up and happy new year !
Lovely summary of Your progress and experience, good luck with the game! ^^
Great update, I am really excited for this game and it will be a day one purchase for sure. The last push towards completion is quite the hurdle, but it was videos like yours that helped me get over the end goal of my own game. Inspiring stuff dude.
Great to hear some honest talk about all the work that goes into game dev, and how real life has to have priority, especially when you have a family! Your game looks cool and fun to play, hang in there and do what you can when you can!
Love seeing the direction the game is going and to see you back on UA-cam! I've had your game wishlisted for quite a while and plan on buying it the second I see it for sale on Steam!
I love the berserker looking mode and the violent viking vibes you have. The additions of different enemy types like poison seems like a good call. It's a classic mechanic and it works so well in so many games. I also love hearing about the addition of RPG elements.
Saw you on Thomas's stream, game looks awesome! ❤🎉 subbed
I love seeing how far this game has come!!
It’s been a joy watching your videos and being a part of your game development journey. You are an inspiration to us all! It will be such a joy to experience a game that has received so much passion and care. Good job 👍 Keep on grinding, buddy!
Keep up the great work John!! Love these videos, thank you for finding the time to get them out!
This was a really positive Dev update. Good to hear. Good luck with the launch.
You're doing great man! Even more than great I would say. Keep going at your own pace
Wishing you the best with release, excited to support you!
Delighted to hear all the progress that has been made John, the games looking great and can’t wait for the release !
I am in awe of what you have done to build this game. It already looks like a masterpiece. I look forward to playing it once published. Happy to volunteer as a play tester too. Wishing you all the best and happy new year :)
Have been following you for a couple of years now. You've honestly been such a huge inspiration in my game dev journey. I cannot wait to play this game! Keep up the great work!
Thank you for being so authentic John, I feel proper invested in your journey and I know that you will pull Excalibur from the stone in the end!
Well done John! You seem to be very clear and focussed in what you have to do next. Having the bulk of the artwork done is a major plus.
I would however recommend lots of playtesting ASAP and allow time for fixing issues and balancing based on their feedback - There's nothing quite like 100 players to break your perfect game and find a 100 new issues! :)
As developer also making a game on Steam, I'm super interested in your release phase, timing, numbers, strategy etc. I hope you will be covering that part of your journey (and beyond) in detail. This kind of information is pure gold. But please take care of yourself and don't overdo it - put your health first. We'll be cheering you on in any event! Best of luck! DaleJ.
Ahh we are getting there man! I've been following you for 2-3 years, and I am so glad that you are finally at this point.
Stay strong bro!
I just wanted to say, I've been following the development of this game since the early days, before you upgraded the graphics and character models. I was excited for it back then, but I'm even more excited for it now. Seeing where you are at, and the creative decisions you have made. I love the devlogs, and just kinda coming along in the journey with you. Much love, keep up the good work. And I'm buying this day one when it comes out.
Really enjoyed the talk, especially the part about making systems instead of a game. As my technical and artistic skills have grown, I've noticed that game design is still perhaps the biggest nut to crack about being a solo developer. Having a better first guess at things and reducing iterations here would save so much time.
Wish you all the luck for 2025!
Good news, mate!
Keep it up, already in a wishlist!
Hey John you are such an inspiration! Stay Strong! I find myself kind in the same place (but with far less experience than you). Thank you for all the wonderful videos. I really like the splatter aspect of the game and the theme!
Hi! Creating a product from a some code, art, and other elements is incredibly challenging, whether it's a game, software, or something else. I'm really excited about your focus and dedication. Keep going! 😊
Just wanted to say I appreciate all your content and the fact you built this in public! You’re a brave man. Regardless of how this adventure ends. Your content and vibe is awesome, stay even mate.
Nice to see you in videos again, keep it up - no pressure :D.
John you are an inspiration man. I want to jump into game dev myself and watching your videos makes me want to take that first step! I can’t wait to play Blood and Mead when it is ready, what you have shown so far looks simply amazing. Cheers!
Great to see your continued progress... It can be hard sticking to things with all the other things in life trying to get in the way.
Good to see your face popping up in my feed. I love getting your updates and can't want to get my hands on the game.
Always happy to see an update from you John, good on you, good luck for your plans, and by the sounds of it a possible launch later this year?! Wishing you all the buffs to avoid burnout and super excited for you to feel the satisfaction of completing this mamoth project and reaching Orion!
Great video sir! Keep up the great work! Game development is a journey for sure. Its good to see how much you have also grown and learned from developing your project. I think that is important and the game itself I think it will be done when its done. You know? Things just take longer for whatever reason. And even if you say 90%-100 % done there may be something coming up which cant be helped. So yeah keep your head up your doing great and look forward to the future devlogs. All the best!
Hello John. All the best wishes to you and your family for the new year. I'm sure the game will come out great. Ship it when it's ready, not before.
I hear the pain in your voice, but that glassy look in the eyes man, wow, you are already cooked! :) Keep grinding, the game looks great, I wish you all the best!
Looking good, John. Been following this journey for awhile. I feel like, if you pushed yourself, you could get it done by year's end.
Good luck with the project make it come to fruition. The level sweat and blood poured I to this is admirable specially given that you are still going strong on the project. Can't wait to play it. It feels and looks fun 😊
dude, I watched some of your unity tutorials like a couple years back and you still working on your game, its crazy. Respect for dedication, I would've abandoned the project 2-3 times by now
The game is looking even more amazing than it previously did! Psyched to see you cross the finish line, and I'll be waiting to cheer you on when you get there :)
Followed for a while, loved the raw interview with Thomas and I really wish you all the best this year finishing this game! Reach out if you need any support.
Good video, was thinking about your game the other day and was wondering how its all going. These games are not really my cup of tea but the polish is incredible so I think I will enjoy this and purchase it!
Keep at it mate! Wishlisting now. You have been such an inspiration to watch progress. Always upfront and honest content which is refreshing! 🍻
You channel has been the biggest inspiration for my second game (hopefully coming out 2026)!
Good luck with B&M!
I love your videos John - looking forward to playing Blood and Mead!! 😊
I have it wishlisted. Looking better and better bro :-)
They game is coming along great! I look forward to seeing the bosses :D
Looking good. All the best for the new year.
it's tough to be by yourself, man. I did that for a while and luckly I could find people to work with me on the second project. (find = be able to finance it myself). Keep it going! Almost there!
Dude! Respect! Game look pretty fun and diverse. Will be ready for play when its done. Odin, give him strength and time!
Also, encouraging videos. Really understand about animating)
Blood and Mead looks so good! Also your journey is very inspiring to new game devs like me. Thanks for doing what you do!
Almost there!!! 💪 If you can make a video about your animation knowledge, that would be awesome. I totally get it about creating your own systems. I like to understand what is happening with my creations (games or web apps), so I try to do as much as possible by myself. It is a nice trait, but it works like a sword, and sometimes it can hurt you. Anyhow, your game looks awesome and all the time you spent learning for it is paying. Not sure if it is going to give you the monetary reward you are expecting, but you are already a more robust game developer because of Mead & Blood (and a role model to follow, at least for me) ✌
Thanks for sharing your journey and good luck for your launch🍀✨
gamedev, as fascinating as exhausting... 😅
Keep it up, always an inspiration watching you lead the charge. I just entered the art phase, I built the core gameplay first, so starting to feel that pain 😅
Good job man. I'm proud of all the hard work you've done. And I am so excited, I can't wait to play this game!
I am sending you some wind dude. Go far. Looking forward to playing the game. Cheers.
Nice to see you, secret sage! God bless you and may you always succeed in life!
It's almost here! So excited, I'm gonna buy it IMMEDIATELY
Happy for you John! :D doing my game solo but without the additionall responsibilities you have. I'm 40 LOL we're all get there to finish...we just need to keep on fighting! :D Animation wideo would be welcome!
this guy needs a MOTIVATION GO GO BOOST!!!!
Can't wait to play this! Keep it up!
Nice progress, the struggles are real. With where you're at I'd say focus on the nearest finish line. Get a demo out , get play testers, get a stable enough V1 released and worry about minor details after (if they're still even relevant at that point). Good luck!
14:09 bruh wtf I didn't know that, you're a beast if you did the entire game all by yourself while having a full-time job AND a family. Deep respect to you
Yes, please! I would love a video about the knowledge you gained on animation and animation workflow.
Just for clarity, your game looks 500x better than anything thomas brush has ever done EVER EVER
Yes, please share your knowledge on art and animation in a separate videos! Would be very interesting and useful.
You are a mountain of inspiration. Trod forward, it's almost there!
hey man, just wanted to say you're a huge inspiration...regardless of what happens, you are a G, and the youtube content alone is a bigger contribution to the society as a whole than most of us will ever manage to achieve...that said - the game looks incredible
Building everything from scratch is hard and time consuming. But level design is even harder when you are a regular dev without art skills like me. I am very impressed by people like you who can do both coding and art! It's great to see your progress. Good luck!
Wow, you've really talented and I hope I can play your game when it's out (already wishlisted) Thanks!!!!!!
@LostRelicGames keep pushing. Ship it! So close! You got this! When you step away and get clarity - it does an amazing thing. It gives you new perspective and re-open creative flow. Game looks damn good! Cheers 🍻
Congrats on the vacation and the new monitor, it looks dope!
Also keep sharing these devlogs, they're really inspiring. Could you also show your wishlist numbers? It would be really useful to other indies, especially after you've done some marketing.
Best of luck!
Always glad to watch your tedtalks,and I really cant wait to play the game. Good luck this year for blood and mead and you too 🫡
Cannot wait, it is looking amazing!
As a professional animator from the TV and Movie space I have been thoroughly impressed with you animations. They seem both fluid and economical at the same time, bravo. For my game all the animation is traditional, throwing economics out the window, and its rough.
"The last 10% takes 90% of the time" - My life
Happy new year ! Looking forward to play Blood and Meal but also very interested in what will be your next Project ;) Cheers
You got this bro, almost there!
The process itself is what makes the end result extraordinary. Blood and Mead is more than a project; it’s a labor of love, and love always finds its way to the hearts of those who are willing to see it.
You are I think my exact inverse. Your development, systems side is incredible, a part of who you are, and the design of the game itself (levels etc) is what you're "left with". EXACT opposite to me, so I sympathise a lot.
Good to know you are almost there 🤟🏼
Hell yeah man it looks so good. 1 step at a time and it will be done.
Animation wisdom/workflow video please!!!
Best of luck with the rest of development :)
So this game looks really good. I've wishlisted it and I'm going to check it out when it's published on Steam. I would really like to see a full video on this: 14:22. What would you do differently if you started a new game project. I bet you've learned quite a few important lessons from working on Blood and Mead. And also yes for 3:14 - the Animation Lessons you learned from Etienne (Berzerk studio).
Having this game since don't know how long on my Wishlist and recommending it to everybody 😅 Can't wait for release!
Hi John. Blood and Mead is looking good. I have a few suggestions regarding the artwork. I think the player's axe should get bloody everytime you attack the enemy. It helps sell the carnage on the screen. In Berserk Mode, I would suggest changing the colour of the aura from blue to red to signify the rage of the character. You could also have blood splatter on the character's body during this mode.
I hope your hard work pays off... ❤️
Some more wind for your sails John. You rock!
➤See the BenQ programming monitor: benqurl.biz/RD280U-LostRelic
➤Wishlist Blood & Mead: store.steampowered.com/app/1081830/Blood_And_Mead/
➤My unity platformer game kit: assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/easy-2d-player-movement-184734
6:45 (FYI, you can't "parry" with a shield. Parrying is a bladework technique used in fencing.)
Ludology and programming are two distinct professions. A lot of people assume coding alone will supplant ludology.