November Devlog!

Happy Holidays! This devlog is going to be a little different than usual. Instead of our normal bullet points and features, I want to give you an honest look at the current state of Rolling Hills. Rest assured that everything is going according to plan... especially since we started planning!

The theme of this article is twofold: for one, we're more focused than ever thanks to interest from publishers and game conventions. Nothing kicks you into gear like the fear of squandering a great opportunity. Secondly, I want to address how the game has changed thanks to feedback from players. So as we approach the end of 2019, let's review the current state of Rolling Hills!

How we got here.

Pictured above: all the smart feedback catching up to us.

Although James and I have shipped two games before Rolling Hills, both were made practically in secret and then released. That means there was no feedback except from our friends and family. When we began working on Rolling Hills we were inspired by Rebecca and Ben from Ooblets to be more transparent and share development directly with would-be players. 

There's been a lot of writing about how this concept of marketing-by-developing is good business and perhaps even essential to being a successful indie, but for James and I it was all about getting feedback directly from the players who will (hopefully) buy our game. We've learned that getting feedback is great, but getting feedback from your target audience is really great. As you can imagine, critiques from a Stardew Valley player are more valuable to Rolling Hills than from a Super Smash Bros. player (though I should be clear that all feedback has value if you know what to listen for).

In another first for us, we started Rolling Hills with more of an established vibe and art direction. We knew we wanted to make a life-sim for consoles and PC. We knew we wanted to make a wholesome game. We knew we wanted characters we could fall in love with. 

So naturally the first thing we asked players who responded to the style of Rolling Hills was "what do you want to do in this game?" By this point we already had some cooking and serving mechanics, and we also had footage of exploring town. As you might expect, many players said a combination of cooking, exploration, and collection were their top priorities. What surprised us more was that almost everyone mentioned management gameplay. For some that meant customizing the restaurant with new decorations and seating, but for most it meant hiring and managing employees. 

We were already planning on restaurant customization, but managing employees took me by surprise. For one, it was surprising that practically 100% of players brought it up, and also surprising because it wasn't the most wholesome feature. We expected to have a chill game with meditative puzzle mechanics about figuring out what the customer wanted and then serving it.

But here were our players telling us they wanted something a little more. A little different. And although it wasn't in our plans, it did sound fun. So over the course of the next few months, the game changed.

The game we're making

These tidy notifications are an example of how our management gameplay keeps working even when you leave the restaurant.

Let's start with management since its inclusion is entirely the result of feedback. Figuring out the type of gameplay we wanted here came down to a process of elimination. We knew we didn't want a traditional sim where you were removed from the action and spent most of the game optimizing numbers. We also knew we needed employees that could be steadily upgraded and work around the clock, even when you're out of the restaurant gathering ingredients. So how did we combine the satisfaction and steady progression of a business sim while staying approachable and wholesome? Stay tuned to our Patreon for the big reveal!

Making new friends, growing fresh veggies, and fishing to your heart's content. These life-sim features were among the first ideas we had for Rolling Hills, so we feel they're important to the soul of the game. There's a really satisfying loop of gathering and purchasing ingredients, using them in the restaurant to generate currency, and then using that currency to purchase things in town that will grant you new opportunities to hang out with your friends and progress the story. 

Finally, Rolling Hills is about sushi. That means unlocking new recipes and ingredients is essential. While we're on the topic of collection, you can expect new customers and furniture, both of which will have a direct effect on gameplay.

When we'll get there.

Don't worry, I'll keep shaking it every month,

Although I can't give an accurate answer just yet, I can say that James and I are breathing much more easily now that we've whittled down the feature list to something we think is fantastic and still accomplishable for our small studio.

Every project is unique, but this process of brainstorming and play-testing followed by buckling down and making tough decisions about exactly what the game will be is something we're familiar with because of our previous projects. As much as we're enjoying the development process, James and I pride ourselves on being able to finish projects. Thanks to your support and encouragement, we couldn't be more excited to get Rolling Hills in your hands.

One lesson that I really love from this whole experience is how creative feedback can be. When presented with a game that reminds them of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, our players didn't just say "Yeah, yeah. Give us more of what we already like," they thoughtfully considered what ideas excited them most and gave us as game designers a wonderful challenge to marry all those ideas together. The games I love most are the ones that activate my imagination, so I can't think of more pure way to develop a game than collectively asking ourselves and our players "what do you imagine?"