Hi Everyone, here's my little story.
For nearly 20 years, I worked as a software programmer, building systems, solving problems, and honing my craft. I'm a gamer just like all of you. I am also a self-taught graphic artist. For so long, I have enjoyed games from behind the gamepad. But deep down, I always carried a dream to create video games. Life, however, has a way of pulling us in different directions, and that passion sat quietly on the backburner.
Everything changed last September when I lost my job due to health issues. Shortly after, I received a diagnosis that turned my world upside down: lymphocytic leukemia, a type of cancer. Battling cancer and facing an uncertain future was daunting, but it also gave me time to reflect on what truly mattered to me. I decided to embark on this journey to be a gamedev. If not now, when?
In december, while undergoing treatments, I found a spark of hope in an unexpected place: the AI revolution. Advances in technology were making game development tools, assets, and resources—such as art and music—more accessible than ever. Making games alone once seemed an insurmountable task, it now felt within reach. I know that AI is not popular in some gamedev communities. But as small gamedevs, it gives us an edge against big AAA studios. So I advocate the open use of AI: if you use it, tell the public how you used it and let them decide if they want your game or not.
Rotem, my first game, was born. It is a relatively simple tile puzzle game for Casual gamer and puzzle enthusiasts. It has 3 types of puzzles with different different difficulty settings. It's development phase is done. I am making an official launch on Steam, Epic Games Store and Itch.io on march 1st. I am pretty excited about it. I have slowly started my next project, a deckbuilder RPG based on tarot cards. This will be much more for the hardcore gamer.
I hope to continue growing as a game developer. I’m fighting cancer, but I’m also fighting for my dream, and with the support of the gaming community, I hope this is only the beginning of something great.