A Solo Developer, Two Kids, and a Wacom Tablet: Creating The Abandoned Planet

Sure, here’s a reimagined version of the article:

You ever try to build something monumental while managing two little whirlwinds at home? Let me tell ya, I did exactly that with The Abandoned Planet, right in a chaotic corner of my Florida apartment. Picture this: a cramped makeshift office doubling as a nursery. My Moleskine notebook scribbled with sketches and maps, all while a hyperactive toddler decided my laptop was their new jungle gym. Me? I thought—naively I might add—it’d be a quick project, a year tops. Fast forward two and a half years and I’ve somehow conjured coding, art, music, even a quirky alien alphabet. What can I say? Sometimes creativity just takes time, or maybe it was divine procrastination. Who knows.

So here I am, sketching every tiny detail on my trusty Wacom tablet. Each pixel art piece, every frame of animation, and a soundscape that might haunt you in your sleep—everything’s handcrafted. There’s something about the game’s retro feel, like four-way D-Pad navigation, but with this unexpected modern twist. You wander through an alien world, deciphering mysterious glyphs and collecting objects that seem plucked from a 90s adventure dream. Kinda charming, huh?

Okay, sidebar here. I’m a sucker for tangents. The game is literally this blend of ancient and new: think vibrant pixel art matched with a clean, high-def UI. Movement? It’s snappy, like really responsive. I guess you could say it’s point-and-click nostalgia, but with a modern flair—a twist of old and new like a vintage car with Bluetooth. Anyway, you get five sprawling acts and over 300 areas to explore, plus some cutscenes that blend into the gameplay, keeping you on your toes. Did I mention it’s fully voiced? Yeah, in 11 languages. English, sure, but also this alien tongue I cooked up during late nights, probably fueled by caffeine and lack of sleep.

Oh, and the game’s kinda part of a bigger picture, tying into Dexter Stardust: Adventures in Outer Space. It’s like a nod to past spacey tales, with hints of more cosmic escapades lurking in development. Everything—each complex puzzle, every alien script—it all stems from the cluttered chaos of my bedroom-office-nursery. It’s unpredictable, a reflection of life with kids in tow.

Anyway—or wait, what was I saying? Oh, right—the essence of all this? If you’re hunting for an adventure that celebrates exploration as much as the quirky joys of solo game creation, take a leap into The Abandoned Planet. Perfect for a weekend dunk into another world.

Maybe it’s not perfect, or maybe it is. A messy marvel of creation from a slice of organized chaos.