Devlog #8: The Foundation and The Road Ahead

Welcome back to the Ki10 Games devlog!

Seven weeks ago, we kicked off these weekly updates with introductions to our story, character design, and camera work. Since then, we’ve covered iterative design for the logo, collectibles, and finally, terrain art with grass and rocks.

This week, however we’re pausing to to look back at all the hard work we put into KIT: Knight In Training including talking about stuff we did before we started documenting our efforts in these devlogs, and then we’ll clearly map out the next steps towards a public showing.

Looking Back: The Unseen Development

While we’ve been busy showcasing visual progress, a huge amount of time has been dedicated to implementing the core features that make this a complete, playable game. This isn’t just a collection of features; it’s a cohesive platform that we can now build upon rapidly.

Here is a snapshot of the robust systems already implemented in KIT:

• Core Player Mechanics

  • Implemented foundational movement: Jumping, double jump, and coyote time (for forgiving jumps).
  • KIT’s enemy-launching spin attack.

• Level Interactivity & Hazards

  • Fully functional breakable objects.
  • Various hazards including stationary spike traps and moving saw traps.
  • Logic for toggling environmental objects (blocks, bridges) on/off via buttons.

• World Flow & Progression

  • Level select hub that tracks main collectibles (coins and paws).
  • Sophisticated content gating logic (e.g., unlocking a level requires a certain amount of collectables or beating a certain stage).
  • Mid-level checkpoint feature allowing players to resume from defined points in our levels, very useful if the player is missing an item in our expansive open areas.

• Polish & Presentation

  • Dynamic Camera Manager that switches camera types on the fly.
  • Working Pause/Options Menu.
  • Comprehensive Music and SFX system.
  • An end-of-level dioramas summarising player performance and stats.

• Persistence & NPCs

  • A save system using save files to track players save data and progress.
  • NPC dialogue system capable of triggering level events and side quests.
  • Functional Shop system where purchased cosmetics can be applied to the main character.

• Variety

  • Fun 2D style side scrolling sections to add some variety to levels.
  • Basic creature pick-up/drop system (more on this in the future).

The Road Ahead: Demo in Six Months

With the engine humming, we are now shifting focus heavily toward content creation and polishing.

Our immediate goal is clear: release a public demo within the next six months. This gives us a tangible target to aim for. We are hoping to get something into your hands quickly, but we’re focused on quality first, so we won’t release anything until we’re certain it’s ready!

This means the next few months will be less about inventing new systems and more about using the systems we’ve built to create something really fun. Expect more dev logs with more demo previews and insights as we get closer to releasing it.

A Quick Personal Update

Finally, a quick note from me, Mark. I’ve recently started a new position on the Tools Team at Cloud Imperium Games. While this is an incredibly exciting step in my career, I want to be perfectly clear: my heart and soul remains fully committed to finishing this project. The skills I gain will only make me a more efficient and better developer for this project. Rest assured, our weekly devlog schedule and commitment to this game will not waver!

Thanks for sticking with us through these first few weeks. We’re excited to show you what we can build on with this solid foundation

Until next time!

Mark

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