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30 Days or Bust – Week 2: Mixed Signals and Forward Motion

Week 2 just wrapped, and I’ll be honest — it came with a shift in energy.

There’s still fire in the tank, but this was one of those weeks where the business side of things hit a little harder than expected.

The game’s still moving forward. The dream is still alive. But not every update is packed with wins, and that’s part of building in public too.

💬 The VA Conversation

I had a meeting with the VA this week. Let’s just say… it wasn’t the most optimistic chat I’ve ever had. It’s not a full stop, but it didn’t inspire a ton of confidence either. They might still come through — but “might” doesn’t help much when the clock is ticking.

📤 More Investor Outreach

I kept pushing forward on funding. Sent out a couple more applications to small investors and indie-focused groups. There’s interest, but timelines are long, and I don’t have the luxury of waiting around forever.

Still, every message sent is a step forward. And every connection made is a seed planted, even if it takes time to grow.

💭 Considering Kickstarter?

This week I started to seriously ask myself: Is it time to launch a Kickstarter campaign?

On one hand, it could buy this project more runway. Enough to cross the finish line, maybe even start building a player base.

On the other hand… a proper campaign takes serious time. Time I’d be pulling from development, or investor outreach, or (you know) sleeping. So I’m weighing it carefully. If both the VA and the investor paths stall or slow down, it might be the lifeboat this project needs.

But if I do it, it’ll be for the right reasons — not just as a Hail Mary.

🔧 Quiet Progress

Behind the scenes, I kept building. Most of it wasn’t glamorous. More infrastructure work, planning, decisions that won’t make it into public updates (and honestly, probably shouldn’t).

It’s that invisible layer of indie development — the foundation-building that nobody celebrates but everyone depends on.

🧭 What’s Next

  • Keep refining the prototype
  • Apply to more investor groups
  • Decide (quickly) on whether to move forward with a crowdfunding campaign
  • Finalize the third robot (art sneak peek coming soon)
  • Try to make it all work without burning out

It wasn’t the easiest week. But I’m still standing, still building, still pushing.

I said I’d give this everything I had — and I meant it.

Thanks for sticking around.

– Chris
Imagine Beyond Games

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🧠 DevLog #7 – Walls, Demos, and Deadline Energy

This week officially kicked off the final 30 days of funding. It’s a weird mix of adrenaline, optimism, and existential dread — but in a productive way.

Even with a ridiculous number of admin tasks and funding logistics taking up headspace, the game is making steady, meaningful progress. It’s not polished, it’s not perfect… but it’s getting very real.

🧱 Wall Prefabs: Ready to Rumble

The wall system is done — simple prefabs that finally let me crank out actual puzzle levels. That may not sound glamorous, but this changes everything on the level design side. No more reinventing the wheel for each build.

Now it’s just: drag, drop, test, repeat.

🤖 Robot #2 Joins the Team

Our second robot is now fully colored and integrated! Like the others, this little bot can only interact with switches and gates that match its color — so visual distinction really matters.

The gameplay is all about switching control between bots and figuring out how one robot’s path unlocks another’s. The color coding isn’t just for looks — it’s the whole puzzle.

📱 The First Mobile Demo Is Almost Here

This is the closest I’ve been to getting the game on an actual phone. Nothing fancy yet — no menus, no polish — but I can finally see the moment coming when I tap that little icon and the game launches. That alone is wild.

🧾 Admin Avalanche

I won’t sugarcoat it — a lot of this week was paperwork, funding forms, and planning. But it’s all part of giving this game a chance to go beyond just “cool personal project.” I’ve got a VA meeting lined up next week that could make a huge difference.

🔜 What’s Next?

  • Build a playable test level
  • Push the first mobile prototype
  • Continue funding outreach
  • Wrap the third robot’s art (no spoilers yet)
  • Try to sleep, maybe?

Even in the middle of the mess, it’s starting to feel real. I’m finally building levels — not just systems — and that means players aren’t far behind.

Talk to you next week, hopefully with a demo on my phone and a few less to-do list items on my desk.

– Chris
Imagine Beyond Games

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30 Days or Bust – Week 1: Prefabs, Pitches, and Pushing Forward

This past Tuesday, I kicked off a final sprint — 30 days to get this game, this studio, and this dream as far forward as I possibly can before the funding runs dry.

I’ll be honest: there’s a lot on the line. But I’m not here to spiral. I’m here to ship.

Each Friday I’ll be sharing these updates — what moved forward, what hit a wall, and what’s next. Welcome to “30 Days or Bust.”

🚀 This Week’s Highlights

  • ✅ First investment application submitted
    One down. A few more lined up for next week, and I’m tailoring each one carefully. It’s time-consuming, but critical — and I’m optimistic.
  • 📅 VA funding meeting scheduled
    I’ve got a meeting next week with the Veterans Affairs office to see if they’ll move forward with supporting this venture. If that door opens, it could be game-changing.
  • 🔧 All essential prefabs created
    Core systems are in place, and I can now start building actual levels. They’ll be barebones for now, but it’s enough to test puzzles and mechanics.
  • 🤖 Second robot graphics are done
    Two of the four robots are now visually distinct. Each robot has a different role, and bringing them to life is key to making the gameplay feel intuitive and fun.
  • 📱 Instagram and Threads launched
    I’ve expanded beyond X/Twitter to start sharing daily updates in more places. Right now they’re mostly reposts, but it’s about being visible wherever potential players and supporters are.

🧠 This Week’s Mindset

This week wasn’t about finishing — it was about setting the stage to finish. Getting the tools in place, the outreach moving, and the systems stable enough to sprint on.

There’s no denying the pressure, but I’m not panicking. I’ve come too far to flinch now. The game is fun. The idea is solid. What it needs is momentum — and that’s something I can build.

👀 What’s Coming Next

  • 🧩 Start building and testing early levels
  • 💼 Prep and submit additional funding applications
  • 🏛️ Attend the VA funding meeting
  • 🎨 Begin work on the third robot’s graphics
  • 📢 Grow visibility through daily build-in-public posts

If You’re Following Along…

Thank you. Seriously. This project might be one guy with a vision, but every like, share, or comment helps more than you know. I’ll keep showing up, keep building, and keep sharing it all — the wins, the worries, and the weird little robot puzzles in between.

See you next Friday for the Week 2 recap.

– Chris
Imagine Beyond Games

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🧠 DevLog #6 – Menus, Maps, and Mayhem

Hey everyone, welcome back.

This week was a bit of a whirlwind — one of those classic indie dev stretches where you get a lot done, just not always in the order you expected. Or planned. Or even fully remember.

But somehow, it’s all moving forward.

🧪 What’s New This Week

🧭 Main Menu + Level Selection

You can now navigate between levels from a central menu — a small win that feels huge. It’s basic, functional, and perfect for testing. One click, boom, you’re loading into the next puzzle.

🧱 Room Switching + Scene Loading

Actual level switching is working! I can hop between puzzles mid-session without the whole thing falling apart — which means I can finally build, test, and tweak without relaunching the game every time.

🎨 Visual Experiments (AKA “Oh Shiny!” Moments)

I played around with new room tile graphics and some early tests for switch and gate visuals. No permanent changes yet — just seeing what sticks, what pops, and what feels right.

🧾 Business Side Adventures

Also: I spent too much time doing business-y things. Paperwork, planning, and prep work to get the studio side of this dream off the ground. It’s not glamorous, but it’s real — and it’s happening.

🚀 What’s Next

  • Continue refining the level loading system
  • Finalize core visual style for gates, switches, and floors
  • Start rebuilding levels using the new loader + menu flow
  • Keep pushing forward on the company side so I can do this full-time

🙃 Final Thought

Some weeks are about building. Others are about unblocking the stuff that lets you build better. This week was a little of both — a few solid wins, a lot of little tests, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.

Onward.

– Chris

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🧠 DevLog #2 – Foundations First

Hey folks, and welcome back!

This past week has been a little less about moving robots around and a lot more about laying the foundations to actually finish this game the right way. It’s not the most glamorous part of development, but it’s absolutely necessary.

🧰 What I’ve Been Working On

🖥️ Website Overhaul – I gave imaginebeyond-games.com some much-needed love, including setting up this DevLog section. It’s officially the home base for all game updates from here on out.

📚 Business Planning – I’ve been focusing heavily on getting the business side of things in order — writing a full business plan, planning out next steps, and making sure Imagine Beyond Games has a real shot at long-term success.

🧩 Game Design Document – Progress here too: fleshing out the core systems, puzzle mechanics, and robot behavior so I have a solid blueprint to work from as development ramps up.

🐦 Twitter (X) Setup – I’m not usually big on social media, but I’ve set up a Twitter account for quick updates, screenshots, and dev thoughts. If you like seeing confused robots (and mildly confused devs), it’ll be a good time.

🛠️ Level Editor Polish – I managed to squeeze in a little work on the level editor inside Unity — not as much as I would’ve liked, but some progress is better than none. The custom room-building tools are already making prototyping way faster.

📌 What’s Coming Next

  • Continue refining the business plan and design doc
  • More level editor improvements
  • Prepping the first playable rooms
  • Getting the robot ready to show off publicly

🙃 Final Thought

Game dev sometimes means writing more documents than code — and that’s okay.
Every piece of planning I finish now is a piece of chaos I won’t have to deal with later.

Thanks for sticking around while I build the unsexy but essential side of the project.
Next week, I’m hoping for a little more action and a little less paperwork.

– Chris

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🧠 DevLog #1 – So… I’m Actually Making a Game

Hey there, and welcome to the very first devlog for my mobile puzzle game — name pending, robot approved.

This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid glued to Super Mario Bros. on the NES. I’ve worked in software development for years, earned a degree in Game Design along the way, and spent more time than I’ll admit just “tinkering” in Unity. But now? I’m really doing it.

🔧 What I’m Building

This game is a free-to-play mobile puzzle game where you control a small robot and navigate hand-crafted rooms filled with logic-based challenges — switches, gates, obstacles, and whatever else I cook up between coffee breaks. No timers, no lives to refill, no shady ads every 3 seconds. Just puzzles and chill robot vibes.

I’m aiming for something smart, clean, and satisfying — a game that respects your time and doesn’t shove monetization in your face. There might be optional ads, and maybe a way to buy extra hints or lives, but those features will never be the core of the game. You’ll be able to pay once to remove ads forever if you want to. Fair and simple.

🛠️ What’s Done So Far

So far, I’ve got:

  • A working movement system for the robot
  • A grid-based room structure that supports obstacles and interactive elements
  • Prefabs for switches, gates, and goals
  • Level loading from text files (so I can design quickly and flexibly)
  • A basic non-rectangular room layout system that will let me make weird, interesting puzzles

Right now, the robot can walk, bump into stuff, and get confused. Same, buddy.

🧪 What’s Next

  • Finish the prototype before May 1st
  • Launch a one-week Kickstarter to raise $4,500 so I can keep working full-time on the game
  • Set up a community Discord where backers and players can help name the game, suggest ideas, and test early builds

💬 A Question for You

Would you rather see the robot with wheels, legs, or some kind of floaty hover system?
I’ve got a soft spot for hover-bots, but I’m open to being outvoted.

🙌 Thanks for Reading

This devlog is going to be pretty chill. I’ll post updates here each week (or when something big happens), and I’ll keep it honest — the wins, the bugs, the coffee-fueled code sprees. If you’re into that kind of thing, stick around.

Thanks for being here. Let’s see where this robot goes.

– Chris

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