Blind Postmortem

I’ve wanted to make games and share my feelings through them for a long time, but I’ve always been held back by anxiety over my lack of ability and fear that I would be mocked for sharing my feelings through art.

Because of this I’m very glad that I fully completed and released this game, no matter the quality.

I signed on for NaNoRenO 2020 very early, and had the story planned out from the first week. Unfortunately, the virus and other personal issues caused me to shelve Blind until the start of April. Thankfully the deadline had been extended so I could still participate.

I was forced by the time restraints I was facing to cut down on the story length and original presentation plans. I think this might have been a blessing, because I feel doing this PSX inspired minimalist approach is a lot more unique and interesting than a traditional visual novel, even if that would be more aesthetically pleasing.

I was able to learn a lot through the development process which I am grateful for. I have gone from having no knowledge of Ren’Py to being able to construct a full game with it. I made a few images and sound effects also, the latter of which was a new experience. I also had the opportunity to research these old PSX sound novels which I found fascinating.

This game utilizes a lot of royalty-free assets which I’ve still attributed to the creators. I think that leaning on these was the only way I could have completed Blind within the submission date, and it also reduced the stress of completing a game, which I had never done before.

Ultimately this was a positive experience for me and I am proud of Blind despite anxiety about its content and execution.