“Idk what this is still, but I had an idea.”
That’s how game developer @davemakes started a January Twitter post last January, sharing a GIF of colorful tiles floating through a diagonal game space. However, follow Dave’s thread, and you’ll see how they develop this one idea into a full grown rhythm and puzzle over the months Mixolumia, available on Itch.io from last weekend.
The game itself looks extremely fun, pairing a simple and bold artist with loud music and sound effects, and gameplay that seems to be a cross between Tetris en Puyo-Puyo. What’s very fascinating about the thread, though, is how it offers a glimpse into the often opaque world of game development, following Dave’s work and experiments.
Follow the thread, and you can see how Dave adds new features over time, testing certain mechanics. One early question is how should the tile blocks move when they hit another point-to-point? Should they break in half? Should they slide alternately downwards? Or should they search-zag on the screen to avoid this problem altogether?
A big question mark is: what should happen when you hit a corner? It probably should not choose any direction to stream. Should it all go one way? How should it break? Hmmmm … pic.twitter.com/BqflrpEOQw
– davemakes mixolumia ✨ (@davemakes) January 30, 2019
As you can see Dave finally solved the problem by moving the blocks in the direction where they were last shoved. While observing, it makes it easier for players to straighten the tiles, and adds more depth and strategy to the gameplay.
Blocks no longer break at corners. They fall in the last direction you push. Makes things way more predictable, should be better for strategy! pic.twitter.com/3GXfriocM1
– davemakes mixolumia ✨ (@davemakes) February 2, 2019
We’ll not re-gather the whole thread here, but click on that first tweet, and you can see how Dave adds sharing effects, examples from where each block will land, a score and level system, otherwise gameplay mode, and more. It’s fascinating to take the title form, and it feels like a timeline of a painter looking at a fresh landscape.
What starts as a game in simple primary shades becomes colorful as new palettes are added:
Then the musical elements of the game evolve. Dave starts with her own dynamic music effects, but collaborates with musician Josie Brechner to build a more complex sound image. I especially like the example track below, called “Summer Shower”, which has rain sounds that build up intensity as you play through a level.
Throughout the game’s development, Dave takes the title to Tokyo Indies (a monthly meeting for game developers), starts a Patreon to support development, and is finally able to launch the title as a full game, complete with customizable color palettes and music effects. You can buy Mixolumia currently available for Mac and PC for $ 9 (10 percent off the regular price).
It’s great to see what happens when you have one idea in your head and just … follow through.
