I finished my game late last night, and I gotta tell you - I was not prepared for how I felt. Or how I feel. The first feeling was elation. I've struggled for a long time with this weird sense of guilt from dropping in an out of various hobbies and projects. I have a ferocity that I tend to attack things with, and that gives way as soon as I get to the boring parts. So after years and years of trying, I was just about at a point in my life where ever completing a game felt like a joke.
This jam came along at the perfect time. It was Godot only, small teams, and a duration that seemed perfect for my schedule. I figured - why not just submit something - even if it's a super-simple game, it will be a finished product. Early on, I teamed up with someone else - another first time jammer. The night before the project we both had second thoughts. How will we collaborate if we don't even know how to do our own thing? How do we use github from multiple machines? Personally, I was afraid of getting stuck in a problem and holding up the timeline.
So solo-dev it was. I started out with some rules for myself: 1 - dump anything I couldn't figure out before I went to bed each night. I did not want to waste any time on features that would never work. 2. - keep track of anything I didn't make myself the moment I download it, no matter if I was using it as a placeholder or not. 3. make a complete game, no matter how simple.
And I did it. I made a game and I am elated. I can't wait for the judges to try it, and the feedback from friends and community members has been extremely gratifying.
I'm also really tired and sad it's over. It feels like the post-show blues I've been getting at the end of performances since starting that hobby. It's good though. Sadness is not a disqualifying factor from doing this again. :D