A really satisfying week of refining the opening puzzle and dialogue scenes.

I've played the opening a few times now - it looks terrible, but it's playing well. I've found a good style for the game: this means that all descriptions are consistent, the dialogue trees are organised, the character look is settled.

I've really got the hang of creating pixel-art characters now. I've gone for a big head/small body look. This is what you'd see on Maniac Mansion or Thimbleweed Park, but it's not why I've done it. I found with Undy that my preference is to see the whites of the characters eyes. I also just value more face space to create interesting-looking characters. Nu-Edda looks great, but no reveal is happening here yet.

Now I have big confidence in making my characters and backgrounds, that just really leaves objects and interiors as challenges I'm trying to ignore right now. Luckily, because I can just use placeholder graphics, I don't need to worry yet.

I got a very cheap drawing tablet this week. It's very nice - I'm intrigued by the possibility of what the game may look like if I draw it all using the tablet. Drawing these scenes using a mouse has been great, but this might feel more spontaneous. I really don't know yet.

Edda currently is outside her hut, looking in the window at a mad man. She needs to figure out what to do with him. Luckily, I know what that is. Once that is coded, I can work on the next puzzle and we'll already be near the end of Act 1. There are 4 acts now, so it's surprising how I'm suddenly at that point.

Act 1 seems like it is tiny, but that's OK, because 2 and 3 will be the significant puzzle-based sections. The beginning and ending acts are inevitably more lore-heavy.

I don't really have a preview graphic this week, so here is a drawing I did of my dog on my tablet.