Development Updates

DEVLOG 1 - I FIXED the player movement in my enemy possession game

After two months of fine-tuning, I’ve overhauled the movement in Returner to find the perfect balance between weight and responsiveness. By implementing asymmetrical gravity for more controlled jumping, a multi-state running system that uses variable acceleration for realistic turns, and a high-momentum ledge-climbing mechanic, the gameplay flow is smoother than ever. The biggest takeaway from this polish phase was that "feel" is driven by art; using a data-driven animation system with modular transitions has allowed me to ensure the player never feels stuck, keeping the action fast-paced and fluid.

I Built a Game Animation Tool inside Figma

Struggling with complex art software? Discover how I, a UX designer ditched industry standard tools like Krita and Adobe Animate to build a custom, animation workflow inside Figma for my new metroidvania, Returner.

DEVLOG 0 - Two Years of Learning: How I Found the Path for "Returner"

After two years of development, I’ve finally found the right path for my Metroidvania, Returner. In this post, I break down why I moved away from being a "Hollow Knight clone" to focus on a unique lunging and enemy possession mechanic. I discuss the challenges of character controllers, how I simplified enemy "steering" to keep gameplay fast-paced, and my solution for infinite possession time to give players more freedom.