Interview with SweetChiel

SweetChiel: Hi there! I’m SweetChiel, a Visual Novel Gamedev. I focus on Romance, Fantasy, and Comedy genre, though I recently found myself drifting closer to Dark Fantasy., I had 2 completed projects so far, “Nusantara: Legend of the Winged Ones” and “Nusantara: Bermuda Triangle”. My 3rd on-going project is called “Saving Grace”!

Squeaky: I know you have a job in game development and make your own games as well. What have you found that really helps you balance the two?

SweetChiel: I usually spend most of my time with my day job, but I always make sure I at least have an hour to spare. Whether it’s sketching backgrounds or polishing the story-plot, I do whatever comes to my mind first. My motto is to write/do first, polish later. As long as I keep moving and don’t stop, as long as there is progress every week, then it’s good! Well, with that said, not long ago, I found myself losing my job to AI. My boss wanted to give AI a try so we separated *awkward laugh, but the good news is I have more time to spend on my projects now & to rest–Here’s hoping things will get better for us artists!

Squeaky: Can you walk me through your development process for both games you have created from start to finish?

SweetCheil: Of course! You’ll find that many gamedevs will have different ways of doing this, but let me explain mine: first of all, before you start a project, the plot/story you have in mind must be completed first. It doesn’t have to be super detailed, a rough idea from beginning to an end is good too. This is to prevent getting bricked/a writer’s block later. It’s best to make a mindmap so you can arrange or re-arrange the scenes you have in mind. Next is the world-building. You need to decide: Western or Eastern? Modern or Ancient? Then start looking up for references for the colors or atmosphere you want to create. Characters are the last since their designs are usually related to its surroundings (the skin color, clothes, accessories, etc)

Squeaky: What advice do you have for people starting their first games?

SweetChiel: Consistency is key. Never stop progressing, it’s fine to do it slowly/at your pace. Because once you stop, it’ll be hard to start your creative engine again.

Squeaky: What are some unexpected issues you experienced when you first made and launched your first game?

Squeaky: I know as an indie developer you wear a lot of different hats in the development cycle; how did you balance polishing multiple skills?

SweetChiel: Do one at a time or do whatever you’re in the mood to do. Be flexible and don’t overexert yourself! Drink lots, eat, and rest!

Squeaky: Do you have any tips on improving multiple skills at once?

SweetChiel: Watch lots of videos on Youtube, play games, or even watch Netflix. We can learn a lot from them, like what kind of artstyle you strive for, the story you want to make–I find myself writing lots of notes when I found a movie with lines that’s to my liking. English is not my mother language so I still make mistakes, but dang, English can be so beautiful when written correctly and spoken at the right moment.

Squeaky: What are some things you wished you had done differently when you started both your projects?

SweetCheil: Hmm that’s a difficult question. You see, when I release a game, I usually triple check everything so it’s to my liking/standard at that time. Winged Ones is certainly not perfect, but I did my best at that time and I’m content with it. Once I’m finished, I usually never look back and start to improve myself more–for example, I do better with the background details and costume design in Bermuda. So the improvements can be seen from one project to another.

Squeaky: What marketing tips do you have?

SweetChiel: Oh dear, this question is not for me lol. Marketing? I once had planned to hire someone to do the marketing for me, but I didn’t know anyone back then and I was afraid I’d get scammed. So, I ended up not doing any marketing… The best thing I did/does is probably the weekly updates I do on itch.io/patreon/lemmasoft. I mean, people probably get to see my updates lingering there whenever they browse on every Monday. They know I’m alive and loud with my updates lol.

Squeaky: I know you did a funding platform for your projects, can you walk me through the process and what you recommend in making a strong page for your funding platform?

SweetChiel: A strong funding page requires lots of art assets. So, make sure you at least prepared 60-75% of art done. Video Teaser is a must and prepare a few lines that you think will be interesting enough to catch the audience’s attention! First impression is always about how your project looks like (because we receive information 90% from our eyes) and whether people like your artstyle or not? All I can say is make your project looks attractive enough until people want to give it a try!

Squeaky: What are some tips you have on building a community?

SweetChiel: I’m no expert, but like I said above, update consistently and interact with any comments that comes your way. You can slowly build your community that way.

Squeaky: Is there any advice that comes to mind that you wish you knew when you first started your creative journey?

SweetChiel: When I first started with Winged Ones, I doubted that people will like it, but the warm welcome surprised me and I ended up where I am today. If you have people that supports your idea, then give it a try and do your best! Don’t stop halfway/half-hearted. Give it your best and see where you stand. Life is hard, so if you can pay your bills by doing what you like, then grab the chance! If not, then at least you’ve given your best and gave it a try. It’s better than to give up without trying.