Josep Monzonís discussed how he stays motivated while balancing his full-time job and game development, spoke about Rise of Fox Hero's combat and puzzle mechanics, and gave advice to aspiring indie developers.
Introduction
Hello, my name is Josep Monzonís, I am an independent game developer from Cullera, a small and beautiful city near Valencia (Spain). I have been developing games for many years, more than 10, although it was in 2018 when my first commercial game, Micro Pico Racers, was released. And since then I have developed and released different games: Horned Knight, Castle Of Pixel Skulls, and Formula Bit Racing. Most recently, on February 17, I released my latest project, Rise Of Fox Hero.
I don't really consider myself to be in the industry. Game development is a hobby of mine. I'm not doing this full-time. I have a daytime job where I work as a computer science teacher at a high school. I love both my job and my hobby, and I take game development very seriously.
Perks of Developing Games Independently
I love to make games, the feeling of creating something from an idea you have in your head is great, and when people try it and see that they like and enjoy your product is fantastic.
I think that considering it as a hobby and not as a job gives me a lot of freedom and takes a lot of pressure off me when it comes to creating the projects that I am really passionate about. I would like one day to be able to live exclusively from my games and I hope I can achieve it with my latest project Rise Of Fox Hero, although I also love my job and enjoy being a teacher very much.
I started playing video games when the first Nintendo Entertainment System was launched in Spain and I started writing code when I got my first computer, a ZX Spectrum 128.
As long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by game development. I'm a very nostalgic person and I guess my childhood dream of becoming a game developer never really left me
I absolutely love designing games, especially creating new or different kinds of interactions players can do in a game.
Challenges of Indie Development
I think that making games is similar to a handmade process. I am a programmer but I like to manage all aspects of the games that I'm creating. I have no background in art or music, and that's the biggest challenge, many times I use commercial assets in my games, or I create them myself – I put it all together coherently and fit like a puzzle. I solve it with a lot of work. I could also outsource the graphic or music part but my resources are limited. The marketing issue is another issue, but normally my publisher takes care of all that part.
Balancing Creative and Business Aspects of Game Development
It’s quite hard! With the number of games being released, it’s very difficult to stand out, meaning you need to have a good marketing and business plan to get yourself some attention. Making a game is already a challenge but marketing it is another beast. And in order to be successful, you’ll need to do both. On top of that, there’s of course a lot of luck and timing involved.
Usually, I contact publishers and have them take care of the whole process as they do it much better than me. And I leave the whole business issue in the hands of my manager.
In any case, I try to be constant on Twitter posting between two and three times a week from the beginning of a project, when there is something visible to show.
Staying Motivated
I always feel motivated! In any case, when I feel a little burnt out or exhausted I try to stop for a few days, rest, and take a little distance and after a few days, I get back to it with more enthusiasm.
The opposite also happens to me, there are days when I can't take time and dedicate it to development and it's very frustrating. Balancing a full-time job with solo game development and family life can be difficult.
Rise of Fox Hero
After Horned Knight, I wanted to create a 3D platform game. I had no experience but I wanted to learn. I have always loved 3D platformers, I think my favorite games are Mario 3D World (WIIU), Mario 3D Land (3ds), Mario Galaxy, Crash Bandicoot, etc.
In the end, the project has evolved and I've been adding other combat and puzzle elements and I think it's a very fun mix.
I have been inspired by many games, some well-known ones like the ones I mentioned above and others more indie like The Lightbringer, Suzy Cube, etc.
The Art Style of the Game
Rise Of Fox Hero has been influenced by Super Mario 3D games, the Crash Bandicoot saga, and many others. I wanted a very colorful and toon visual style. From there, I had to go looking for different assets and artists that fit the style I was looking for and put everything together cohesively.
Tools That Helped Bring Rise of Fox Hero to Life
I always use Unity for my games, I feel very comfortable with it and it has become a standard within the industry. Anything you need to do, you have documentation and thousands of examples to do it. I also use other tools like GIMP or Blender.
Gameplay Pillars
In each level, I'm looking for a balance between platforms, action, puzzles, and collectibles. Combining these elements I think each level is fun and with different situations. Inspiration often strikes me at various times, whether I'm at the gym, with my family, or even while I'm working. Therefore, I must quickly jot down the idea and develop it later at a more relaxed pace. When I begin designing a level, I plan diverse situations to ensure that the player experiences variety throughout.
Enemy Types and Boss Fights
When I am designing a game, I plan how many types of enemies it should have and from there, I design each type of enemy and its behavior. You must find a balance because each type of enemy is hard to design and program. In addition, the player must not perceive the replay.
I also deeply analyze the games that I take as a reference, I repeat each level over and over again taking note of all the details that make it fun or I like.
Regarding the design of the final bosses, it is the same as with the puzzles, often the inspiration comes at times when you are not working on the game. There are also references to other games, for example, the level where the bird chases you is a clear reference to the levels in crash bandicoot where you are running in front of a rock.
Rise of Fox Hero's Collectibles
Regarding the collectibles, I timed each level and it took a minute and a half to complete it, I had to find a way to make each level replayable and longer. It's a way to increase the difficulty. It's really easy just to complete the level but more complicated if you want to get all the collectibles.
The Rotatable Camera Feature
There were no technical challenges to implementing camera rotation. However, there were gameplay challenges in determining the ideal camera height to ensure that certain elements did not obstruct visibility or hide certain level features that were only visible when the camera was rotated.
The decision to include a rotatable camera feature had both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, designing levels that looked great from any angle required a significant amount of additional design work. On the other hand, it opened up numerous gameplay possibilities, such as hiding objects or secret paths.
Preparing to Release the Game on Steam
The truth is that my publisher manages all of these aspects. I prefer not to worry about the technical and marketing processes involved in releasing the game on the Steam store and in console stores. For me, it is a tedious process, and I would rather focus on game development. Of course, I provide the publisher with necessary materials such as screenshots, game descriptions, videos, cover images, and so on.
The Steam page is a critical component of the game's success, and my publisher has more experience in these areas than I do. They also handle localizing the game into different languages.
Advice to Aspiring Indie Devs
I think my main advice is to start with small, very simple games and finish them. Try to be original and different, with great art and very polished gameplay. If you start with a project that is too big, you will not finish it. With small projects and you will learn with each game and you will have things to show.
I also think it's important not to self-publish your games (I've learned this after many failures), look for publishers who take care of all the publishing process on different platforms and marketing, it's a very tedious process and they are experts in these topics. I always prefer to focus on the creative side.
Whenever I start a project I try to create a prototype with one or two fully playable levels, with an attractive visual aspect from there I start showing it on social networks, sending it to publishers, and getting people to try it.
One more crucial thing – play a lot and try many types of games.
Advice to Aspiring Indie Devs
I think my main advice is to start with small, very simple games and finish them. Try to be original and different, with great art and very polished gameplay. If you start with a project that is too big, you will not finish it. With small projects and you will learn with each game and you will have things to show.
I also think it's important not to self-publish your games (I've learned this after many failures), look for publishers who take care of all the publishing process on different platforms and marketing, it's a very tedious process and they are experts in these topics. I always prefer to focus on the creative side.
Whenever I start a project I try to create a prototype with one or two fully playable levels, with an attractive visual aspect from there I start showing it on social networks, sending it to publishers, and getting people to try it.
One more crucial thing – play a lot and try many types of games.
Josep's Future Plans
After the release of Fox Rise Hero, I need to take a break before starting a new project. When I am close to releasing a game, stress usually increases a lot and after the launch, I feel that I need to stop for a bit. I take my time to decide what my next project is going to be. I usually play a lot, especially games similar to the ones I plan to develop.
Although I try to keep the projects short, I think I won't release a new game in 2023. Although perhaps at the end of the year, I could show something new playable.