Hello!!!

I have reached the end of this project (for now, there's always a chance I decide to work on a full version in the future), and it is now available! There have been some changes between this version and previous versions, and I would like to discuss why I made those changes for the current state of the game.

Changes

• Removed the feeding system. Players can no longer feed or purchase feed for their chickens.
• Added an intro for the game.
• Updated the game's current story to read more like dialogue instead of descriptions of a scene

Feeding System Removal

The reason I removed this mechanic was because during playtesting, players would often forget to feed their chickens. It is a fairly menial task to do everyday, and it feels too small of a task to have that big of an impact. If players don't feed their chickens, the chickens will begin to die, and chickens will not lay eggs the following day. Since the game is supposed to be casual, it felt like it added to the already large number of variables players had to always keep track of. For a casual game whose mechanics are mostly designed to aid in storytelling, it felt overwhelming for players.

Story update!

I added a one page introduction giving the game's world some context and backstory. Previously, the only story in the game was Farmer Dan working to pay off his debt, but the game introduction gives a bit more context to how and why Farmer Dan is in his current situation and why Spongy can speak.

Additionally, I changed some of the game's story to read more like a conversation between characters. Before, story events were descriptions of what was happening during scenes. It worked to get the point across, but I felt it would be better to have the characters themselves tell the story.

This has been a rough few weeks, but I am pretty happy with what I accomplished! I spent many days parked at my laptop for hours at a time. One day I looked to see how long I had been working, and it said 12 hours! I am extremely tired, but I'd like to think that I did my best, given my situation.

If I have the energy after I finish up my readings, then I'll post another dev log later today going more in depth into certain design decisions, the process, playtesting, etc., but for now it is back to the grind.. ┏ʕ　·ᴥ·ʔ┛