João

oh, and btw just a quick plug I'm a sound designer/composer too. If you know anyone needing audio, I offer a finder's fee for successful intros. Could be a cool win-win! that's it, thank you!

Awesome, totally met the vibe, he's really talented. and thx for the chat man! Wishing you and Soda-Powered Penguin all the best. I’ll be following along!

Got it that's a really clever way to turn a limitation into a core feature, so, with that unique phasing mechanic as your foundation, what's the current biggest challenge you're facing with the game right now?

No worries at all! That's super exciting that you're in the final stretch. Wishing you and the Desert Race Adventures team all the best. I'll be keeping an eye out for it!

That's such a cool concept. When you say it 'makes use of all the negative space', did that happen naturally as you built the mechanic, or was it a conscious design goal from the start?

Awesome! yeah, sounds like a really healthy and productive way to build a game, It's cool you saved the specialized fun for last, a great way to keep the energy high toward the finish line, Stoked to see it all come together! All the best to you guys! thx for the chat 🙏

Wow, that's a huge journey, massive congrats on the commitment, it really shows. I can totally see that passion coming through, and I'm personally loving the music and sound design I'm hearing in the trailer! Is that your work as well?

i can see myself losing an hour or two in this hah, curious to know how the idea for switchtrack came to be, was it mechanics first, did you have minecart in mind or anything like that?

Whoa, just saw it took 3 years to get to the demo, that's a huge milestone, congrats on the release! How's the response been? many fires to put out, or has it been mostly chill? Best of luck with Steam Next Fest, and by the way, Yestersol looks beautiful!

Got it, lots to do then! I can tell you go hard on it. Is the game something you're tackling full-time every day, or more in your spare time?

A jam game origin is always so cool to hear, early 2026 is a solid target, Having spent so long with the idea, what's your personal favorite thing about the game now? A specific level, a visual detail, or how a mechanic feels?

Cool! I'm sure they'll come, I'll try to get to it soon too xD. Does having the demo live now make it hard to stay in a creative headspace? I can see feeling like it'd be a constant pull towards analytics and community reaction instead of pure building.

Nice! Got a keep it fresh, so what's on the other end of the spectrum? Any particular task that's an absolute drag you have to force yourself through?

Got it that makes sense, a lot to do then, now with the list collapsed down, how have roles shifted? Is everyone in the team still able to stay in your specialized lanes?

Wow, massive congrats on 500 wishlists! Huge milestone. With launch getting close, what does the to-do list look like? Is it all about marketing and momentum, or are you still polishing the game itself?

Free as Birds is shaping up to be a fantastic game, you can really feel the love and care behind it, was there anything you learned from making it that you didn't know going in?

Flipping Phantom looks like such a fun and charming game! How long has the journey been so far? Feels like there's still a long wait until release?

congrats on the demo release,it must be great to get people's first feel of the game, how's been the response so far, lot of bugs to fix or its been chill so far?

Damm that's impressive, respect! So what part of the process you find yourself enjoying the most?

oh thanks, i wasn't familiar with it, i'll check it out, cheers!

wow, i'm loving the atmosphere! its eerie and cozy at the same time what game is this?

That's great to hear! Must be exciting to be in this next phase. So are the priorities still purely on building out the main content and levels, or has the focus shifted a bit?

A unique track per level is an awesome goal, it would really make each one stand out. Since the core mechanics are done and the team is deep in level content, does it still feel like there's a long way to go before a release, or can you start to see the horizon for one?

Yeah, for sure. It's a lot of tasks, can feel overwhelming, but like you said, keeping organized is key. One step at a time, it's a marathon, right? oh and btw out of all the parts of developing what's the one you enjoy diving into the most?

That's great! it looks like a huge amount of work with all the action happening on screen. Are you tackling all that content solo, or do you have a team to help you out?

oh yeah, marketing it's another job in itself hah and totally crucial. It's a beast for sure, what's been the most effective platform or strategy for you so far in getting the word out?

Oh thank you so much! And yeah, totally get it, it's a long process. What's the biggest thing you're trying to solve in the build right now?

Congrats on the upcoming release, must be exciting! Anything you didn't expect coming your way getting to this point?

Love the detail, adds so much personality. What's the main focus for you right now in development? any short-term goals you're working toward?

Hey Chris, it's super cool how Tales in the Undergrowth has been taking shape. The atmosphere and colors are great! How's the solo dev journey treating you? Do you tackle the game every day, or is it more of a side project when you have time?