Reflections

As we enter 2025, I look back on the last year of development on Axia: The Grim Reaper, but also on my own personal life. This time last year I was working a day job as a QA Tester for a company I loved, and I had put game development on the back burner as I got comfortable. 2023 was a great year for me to rebuild my life and figure out where I wanted to go. I went into 2024 excited and ready to push the boundaries of my game like I had never done before, but I never could've imagined how it would go, both ups and downs. 

2024 was a crazy year, with some of the highest highs I've had in development, but also some of the lowest lows. I've learned so much about game development in just this year alone, and it's helped shape my vision for what's to come in 2025. In March of 2024 I committed myself to making a Kickstarter to finally push myself to get this game made, and launch it in February of this year, but things didn't go as I had planned (like many things). I launched the Pre-Launch Kickstarter in June of 2024 fully expecting to launch it within a month or two at most, and here we are and I'm around a month out from launch. 

Despite my struggles, I'm more motivated than ever to make this game all that it can be, and I'm glad to have you all here with me along the way. It's my hope that this new year will be the year everything I've hoped and dreamed of comes to fruition. That everyone can see what I've put my heart and soul into over these past few years. I may have started working on this game in August of 2021, but it feels like I've only just begun on this massive journey that's ahead of me.

Expectations

With a new year ahead of us, I think it's more than fair to have a set of expectations for what's to come, or what could come. With how bumpy the road of game development is, my plans could easily be shaken up, but I figure I'll publicly lay out my plans so that we can all look back and see how far we've come from this point. Keep ourselves accountable. Without further delay, here's what I have planned for the year in no particular order.

•  Wrapping up development of the Demo
  • This demo is something I wanted to have finished by the launch of the Kickstarter, and represents a small piece of my vision, built with the limited resources at my disposal. While it's not pretty, it's my hope that by the end of development, it can give a glimpse into the vision that is this game, and where I want to take it
• Finalizing the new model for Axia
  • I've been working with a new artist for the upcoming player model for Axia since October, and things are looking great. She still needs some work, but it's my hope that by the time the Kickstarter is ready for launch, that the model is ready for the game to show a better representation of how she'll look in game.
• Kickstarter launch
  • By far the biggest thing for me in 2025 is the launch of the Kickstarter. Without the funding from this, Axia: The Grim Reaper could not be made to the best it can be. It's the culmination of years of work, and will change everything related to my work on the game. It's my hope that the Kickstarter is a success, and I'm able to bring my vision to fruition for everyone to see.

Now that we have expectations for what is coming in 2025, I'll lay out when you can expect these things to happen. A roadmap.

• Mid-Late January: 
  • The demo development has finished and is ready for the Kickstarter launch
  • The model of Axia is finished, only requiring new animations and rigging
  • Steam page for Axia: The Grim Reaper goes live, allowing for wish listing and following

• Late January: 
  • The Kickstarter launches
• The demo wraps development and is released with the Kickstarter
• New original music is made for the game

Conclusion

After reflecting on what has happened, and setting my expectations for this new year, it's my hope that the lessons learned will help me with the many decisions to come, both easy and difficult. Life always has its twists and turns that throw off our plans and schedules, so I won't be too surprised if I look back on this in 3 months, frustrated that I didn't see X event happening to throw off Y plan. 

Here's to a happy new year, and a fresh start for all of us!

- TechMaster