Mark's Month (October 2025)

Mark's Month - October 2025

Hello Patrons! Welcome back to my monthly catch-up article.

Videos

So I released a new video at the very start of October. It's called How Games Do Destruction and it looks at different techniques that game developers use to introduce dynamic, destructible environments to games.

It was one of those topics where, going into it, I have to admit I didn't really know the answer! Beyond the obvious grid-like nature of Minecraft, I wasn't sure how games like Red Faction, Battlefield, and Donkey Kong Bananza worked. So it was really interesting for me to do the research and learn. And then explain that to all of you.

It was also a pretty large project with lots of games to buy and record, lots of research to do, many drafts to write and re-write - but that's all the stuff I love. And it just felt great to get back to "classic GMTK" after a long time focusing on game dev and the like!

I also started working on two other videos.

The first of which is almost done and should be out this week. This is episode two of my series "Game Dev 101", which breaks down the indie game production pipeline and gives tips and advice for making your game in a sensible, structured way. Episode one was about ideas. This new episode is all about prototyping.

So expect lots of stories about how game developers make prototypes, footage of unfinished games, and expert advice from special guest Luke Muscat (the designer of Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride).

There wasn't supposed to be such a big gap between episodes. But as I made episode one and talked about my experience of making Mind Over Magnet, I realised that I would only be able to use the game as an example of "what not to do"! So that was part of my inspiration to make Word Play - and try to get the production "right" this time.

Which certainly worked out - as the game went from idea to Steam in 7 months. And so it's nice to have two game projects to talk about in this series - with both "what I got right" and "what I got wrong" covered!

I'm also working on the Boss Keys episode of Hollow Knight: Silksong which I hope to release before the end of the year.

I finished the game (including Act 3!), and then played through it again - this time with my tried-and-true Boss Keys method of playing with the full map beside me, and making notes of locks, keys, progression blockers, bosses, upgrades, and so on. The game actually has some really interesting stuff for Metroidvania design and so I'm looking forward to getting that out.

Hopefully I'll be able to get that out before... things kick off!

Baby

So if you missed my previous post, you'll have missed that I am expecting to have a baby in January! I'll be stopping work for three months (I'll be pausing Patreon payments during this time) to focus on being a dad!

I'm really excited. But I am very unsure how I'll juggle GMTK with this new responsibility. I know it's possible - lots of creators have kids! - but I'll only know how to do it when it happens.

I think a big part of it has been streamlining, and focusing on fewer things. While I'm normally juggling video-making, game dev, interviews, secondary projects, and a hundred other things, this past month I've just been making videos. And that seems a lot more manageable. So hopefully that well help.

Also - I'm already being slowed down because, as it turns out, preparing for a baby is a lot of work too! There are loads of things to buy, I've had to get his room painted and decorated, and there are endless appointments, lessons, and sessions!

Games

I finished Silksong in October. But I'll save that for Boss Keys.

I also played Little Nightmares III. My wife and I enjoyed the first two games - and so I was excited to play this third instalment. It's not made by the original developer (Tarsier is making a new game called Reanimal), but it does have co-op, which is exciting. Unfortunately it's not couch co-op! It's online only. Which feels like a bit of a cop-out. I imagine that makes things easier for the camera (no need for splitscreen), but it's still annoying.

So instead we played it like the other games (swapping the controller when someone dies), but with an annoying AI-controlled buddy following behind.

Overall the game is still good - it hits the same beats as a Little Nightmares game with hideous monsters, light puzzle solving, and interesting locales. But it also feels like a lesser entry - it's not doing anything new or imaginative (bar the co-op thing), it's got a surprising number of bugs, and - to be honest - the focus on trial and error is wearing thin.

The game is supposed to be scary. And the first time you're chased by some nightmare baddy, it is. But when you inevitably die, go back thirty seconds, and have to re-do the exact same thing again... well it's not so scary anymore. Now you know there's no real stakes for dying. And also, you start to see it less as a scary monster and more as a predictable collection of triggers, canned animations, and safe zones. The repetition reveals the artifice. And artifice isn't scary.

I also played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I didn't play this at launch because I'm not a big JRPG fan. But that was a mistake.

This game is a triumph. The story is engrossing, and well-told with a cast of likeable characters. And the combat system is a joy. Not only does it have the Mario RPG-style interactivity (where well-timed button presses let you do more damage or dodge incoming attacks), but each character has an almost roguelike design with synergising weapons, perks, and attacks.

For instance - one character changes between different sword stances after moves. So I gave her a weapon that makes her start the battle in the best stance (Virtuoso, which does double damage), gave her a move to set enemies on fire, gave her an ability to let her play twice in a row, and then gave her another move that lets you go into Virtuoso if the enemy is on fire.

You can basically break the game with this stuff. And, to be honest, the balance in this game is all over the place. I beat the final boss in like 3 hits, which was - I'll admit - a bit anticlimactic.

But I didn't actually care because it just made combat - a thing I usually dread in JRPGs - just utterly addictive. Which easily carried me through 30-odd hours of gameplay.

Other Stuff

And, to be honest, that's about it! October really was just focused on getting stuff ready for the baby - and squeezing in some video work or some Clair Obscur when I had the chance.

Oh, I did make this LEGO Game Boy. That was fun.

See you next month!