Solo Developer, Two Kids, One Wacom Tablet: Creating The Abandoned Planet

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

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So there I was, juggling a full-time gig and trying to keep two kids alive (one decided to show up right smack in the middle of everything). All of this while attempting to piece together The Abandoned Planet from my little patch of Florida—a spot which, I kid you not, doubles as an office, baby zone, and general chaos nesting ground. Imagine a Moleskine diary perched on a nearly nonexistent desk space, scribbled with doodles, arrows, room layouts, all as my toddler clambered over my keyboard. Yeah, maybe I was a bit too hopeful thinking I’d wrap this up in a year. Two and a half years later, after coding, sketching, animating, and even cooking up a new number system and alien alphabet (don’t ask why), it finally landed.

Am I overselling it? Probably. But I poured so much of myself into every pixel of The Abandoned Planet—each pixel hand-drawn on my trusty Wacom. I fixated on the pixel art, the pixel-perfect animations, and even the soundscape that gives you goosebumps. Movement has that cool vintage feel—like when you used to slide around with a D-Pad. So anyway, you wander through this alien realm, cracking glyphs and collecting oddball items. It’s got this whole ‘90s adventure vibe but refurbished for today’s gamer. Nostalgia, anyone?

Now, I’m not saying it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen—wait, maybe I am. The game’s this quirky blend of retro pixel art mixed with a modern UI. Snappy navigation keeps things lively. It’s classic point-and-click, sure. But you get to mess around with items and environments to, I don’t know, wake up ancient totems, power up forgotten devices, maybe just unleash chaos on these strange territories.

But the world here? It’s massive! Five acts, 300+ unique spots to poke around in. And yeah, there are animated cutscenes, but don’t worry, they don’t drag on. Add in full voiceovers in English, plus this whole made-up alien language, and you’re swimming in stories.

Now, let’s be real—this isn’t just a one-and-done game. It’s a piece of a bigger puzzle, you could say (pun intended), linking back to Dexter Stardust: Adventures in Outer Space and hinting at more cosmic shenanigans. Each puzzle and squiggly alien symbol has roots in my chaotic bedroom-office-nursery haven, keeping development fun (if you like “unpredictable”). So yeah, if you’re into piecing together lost civilizations as part of your leisure, splash into The Abandoned Planet. It might just become your next weekend thing.

Jumping to the nitty-gritty, right? Snapbreak Games put it out there, and for a mystery buff like me, well, diving headfirst into a wormhole in space was oddly comforting. Or disconcerting. Or both. Because one moment you’re crashing on an unknown planet, and the next? It’s all about navigating the mystery and finding your way back. Think Myst, think Riven, with just a hint of those classic LucasArts adventures.

Yeah, you’ll feel a flutter of nostalgia. Gorgeous pixel art? Check. Endless locations to uncover? Oh, absolutely. Text translated into, like, every imaginable language. You can dive into this world whether you chat in English, Spanish, French—heck, even Korean. It’s got something for everyone, really.