hi, it's austin.

it's been over a month since i last made a devlog.

in the next few days, i'll be sharing the release date of the full game along with an updated version of the trailer. the updated demo will be available to play, too. in a previous post i mentioned that the demo will have fewer battles (bye ananke!), but will also have all the featured updates and tweaks from the previous devlogs.

the steam page and logos will also get a small makeover.

i redesigned the logo and marketing materials to be more centered around the game's ensemble cast, an element that i think sets checkmage apart from other chess-like games out there. i'm proud of the variety of characters, so i'm putting them in front!

the tri-color title text was always a little hard to read, so i made it the brightest element. the orb i used as a symbol for the game is also not as attention-grabbing or iconic as i wanted it to be, so i pushed it to the back of the capsule art.

in other news, i showcased the new build of the demo at the Portland Indie Game Convention this weekend. jusentari and i were able to fly out our good friend and composer of the Checkmage! soundtrack Alastair to promote the game a bit with us (and chill out in portland !!).

PIGCon was a great event for reaching out to game developers and indie game enthusiasts for feedback.  their perspectives are often very useful and well-informed on game design, so we've come out of this weekend with some good information.

for example, we got to meet with Kyle and Nattie, the creators of HyperTyper 2000, who gave us some crucial feedback. in checkmage, if the player puts the enemy into check in any way, their turn ends immediately. one of their suggestions was simply to not end the players turn, instead disabling any action except for the undo and end turn button. this incentivizes full exploration of all the player's possible moves. 

it was such a good idea we had to implement it as soon as we got back home. this skipping mechanic was kind of vestigial after checkmage moved away from the strikes system anyways, and as such it will not be missed.

these devlogs will change from weekly(ish) to monthly, and there will be a shift towards more social media engagement and teaser videos. thanks for your patience.

as a side note, i recommend you try out some of the demos and wishlist the games from some fellow indie devs. there's a lot of creativity and some brilliant ideas in this field, and any kind of support is always appreciated.

Bellua by Crunchysoft

HyperTyper 2000 by NanoBoss Games

Bun G Bop by Groundwater Studio

Wasteward by Sam & Corwyn

Checkmage! is still in active development. If you want to support me, please consider sharing with friends. The game will be released on Steam and Itch for sale when I'm done making it.

Checkmage! on Steam  - play the demo now!

Bluesky - more updates, videos and sneak peeks