So. Let’s talk X-Joy.
A couple of weeks ago, I made the difficult decision to close up my business as X-Joy Games. I tidied up all my affairs and re-uploaded my one commercial project, Dash Blitz, right here on Itch.

Before I get carried away with my self-indulgent blog post, I’ve uploaded the other two and put together a collection of The X-Joy Games Saga. It's nothing much, looking at it critically, but I’m damn proud of what I did make.

Honestly, as hard a decision as it was, I’d known for a while that I was done with game development in any serious capacity. Realistically, I’m 30 years old now. I’m getting married in 2 weeks, man, how crazy is that?
I’m at a crossroads in my life now where I need to consider where my priorities lie, and that’s simply not with game development. I’ve known that for a long time, even if I’ve struggled to admit it. Cleaning house with X-Joy Games was just the final step.

I’ll make no secret about it, it’s been a really rough road. Looking back I can acknowledge that my poor posture and computer habits were a ticking time bomb already, but Dash Blitz development seriously accelerated that process, and it’s hard not to look at it as stealing the best years of my life right out from under me. There were a good few years there where I never thought I’d be able to just, sit down and type at a keyboard without pain - let alone playing games.

And that pain was serious, it wasn’t just being cut off from the hobby I was so passionate about. I’m an office drone by trade. I was struggling to hold down work after Dash Blitz because I just couldn’t use my hands. At my lowest point I was basically bankrupt. The official business address for X-Joy Games was my parent’s house at one stage.
But god, what a high it was. I wouldn’t do anything differently. One of the happiest memories of my life will forever be exhibiting at PAX and seeing people genuinely enjoy the thrill of lightning-fast platform action.

I’m incredibly happy and satisfied with where my life is at, and damn it, I’m proud of the work I did. It might be rough, unfinished, practically unplayable on high-end rigs and jank as hell. But it’s mine. Dash Blitz in particular is such a sick game, and even in this broken, unfinished state, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Hell, I look forward to showing it to my kids one day. And then I’ll bully them with Arrhic and call them a nerd. I’m gonna be a great father is what I’m getting at.

So, going forwards. I still love games, and I still love game development. I have a dozen different tabletop projects cooking at the moment, and I know I can’t quit software development cold turkey either. But I’m approaching this from the mindset of a hobbyist now. Chasing profit nearly ruined my life, and for every genuinely exciting idea I got carried away demoing, it drained the soul out of ten more brilliantly inspired ideas that “wouldn’t work”.

Paper Story remains my pride and joy. I’ve loved sharing it with the world, and that’s the kind of fun game I want to make now – works that celebrate everything I love about games.
So whatever I cook up in the future, it’ll be here, as myself. I have no intentions of masquerading as an important, professional entrepreneur ever again. I have a job, I don’t want to turn games into one.

This work is just a Plus. Now and forever more. Thanks everyone for supporting me throughout my journey.
Anyone who knows to pronounce it "Cross-Joy", you're a real one, and I look forward to showing you my siiiiiick Rondo juggles sometime.