Hello from the new issue of GameDev’s Journey! Thank you for those who have subscribed the newsletter since the last issue. I hope you enjoy and find these things useful as much as I do. In today’s issue:
Do you feel stuck with your game? Why not take a walk?
Recently released assets
Useful Reddit posts and more
LET’S GO.
Motivation & Productivity
The Power of Mindful Breaks
Have you ever experienced that brilliant "AHA!" moment while indulging in simple tasks like showering or washing dishes? Or perhaps you've found yourself solving a seemingly unsolvable problem while taking a walk?
Studies suggest that “moderately engaging” activities such as cleaning, walking, washing dishes can fuel creativity. When we embark on these activities, we not only set our bodies in motion but also take our minds on a journey.
When we shift our focus away from external distractions and engage in "mindless" work, certain regions of our brain, known as the Default Mode Network (DMN), begin to interact with each other. Neuroscientists propose that this internal communication leads to enhanced creative thinking. Activities that evoke feelings of relaxation and pleasure, such as these "mindless" tasks, have been found to increase dopamine levels, which is crucial for fostering creativity. It's during these brief respites that our brains find the much-needed relaxation to take a deep breath and generate brilliant ideas or solve complex problems. Our brain is able to respond to new stimuli with new insights and creative ideas.
Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates are known to wash their own dishes every day. That’s probably because chores not only fuels our creativity, but also acts as a meditation and reduces our tension.
So, the next time you find yourself in a creative rut, consider taking a walk. You might just discover that a change in scenery and a shift in focus can ignite your imagination and lead to breakthrough ideas.
All Truly Great Thoughts Are Conceived While Walking” – Friedrich Nietzsche
Assets
Here are some recently published assets that caught my eye.
Retro Horor Template
Considering that Itch.io has been flooded with retro horror games for the past few years, I'm surprised that this kind of template hadn't been released until recently. The pack comes with a combat system, inventory, save and load system and more.
UI Particle Image
The game I’m working on at the moment consists of only texts and icons. That means I’m dealing with UI in Unity all day long. That's why I'm happy to come across this package that allows us to create UI particle effects. I haven't tested it yet. I will try it soon.
TCG Engine - Online Card Game
A complete template to create online card games in Unity. Features: Desktop and Mobile controls, User Login and User Database (Web API), Card Collection, Pack Opening, In-Game Currency and more.
Other
The most detailed database of indigames publishers
A programmer's guide to learning game art
Game Development Resources for Intermediate Developers
An article on how to research the market for your indie game
Tim Cain has started a YouTube Channel
Me
Reading: Just finished The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie. One of my favorite characters really shined in this one. My other favorite character, on the other hand… Well, let’s not talk about that.
Watching: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The final season is going strong so far. Not my favorite season, but I’m still having fun.
Playing: Pathfinder: The Wrath of the Righteous. This will be the case for a while.
Listening:
And that’s it from today’s issue of GameDev’s Journey. I hope you enjoyed it and find it useful. If you did, please like and leave a comment. Let me know your thoughts, suggestions, objections, etc.
But regardless, thank you so much for reading, and have a great game dev journey.