🐸 Creating My Cozy Frog Game | Frog Island Devlog #0 🐸

[@realdevfrog]

A lot of people have been asking for a discord server, so here it is! Hopefully the server will help organize things a bit better :) discord.gg/frogisland Thank you SO MUCH for all the unbelievable support! I'm still trying to process everything that's happening 😭 I didn't think this video would reach many people, so its incredibly surprising to see it do so well! I hope to continue to work hard and post more devlogs and updates very soon! Another thing, apparently I'll unlock a feature called the community tab in about a week, so I'll also be posting small updates there as well, so I don't have to pin long comments like these lol Thank you again for all your overwhelming kind words, feedback and support :)

[@10Dima01]

This video is really nice but the sound is really quiet. Please make it higher if possible. I use 100% everywhere and it's still really quiete (compairing to another videos)

[@realdevfrog]

@@10Dima01 Sure thing, I'll make it louder for the next video :)

[@caganlsandiwic8824]

Hey i really liked your brush is there any way to upload it somewhere?

[@realdevfrog]

@@caganlsandiwic8824 Thanks! I'm not really sure to upload brushes made in Krista, do you know how?

[@MrsJuicyDesigns]

Hey the link is not awailable for me as well. Do you have a new invite link? Game is looking awesome. I am happy to join your journey! :)

[@infinitenex8165]

Note that some people can only play at night after work, so if your current day/night cycle stays, they will only experiemce your game in night mode. You should make an option between real life day/night, and a Minecraft style where the day is 20 minutes and the night is 7 minutes.

[@realdevfrog]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll definitely change that soon, lots of others have also preferred the idea of a shortened cycle over a real-time one :)

[@anoukrothoff6143]

Animal crossing tho

[@honey3597]

@@realdevfrog i feel like you should have an option between the two. Like make it a choice of whether you want a shortened cycle or a longer one

[@tinkachu8743]

Ya I work 2pm - 11pm so I'd miss out on seeing pretty daylight. In animal crossing I have to change the time.

[@shaneeatmon9534]

That would be nice but many aspects of the game would have to be balanced twice to fit these drastically different approaches. All that effort would be at the cost of other features.

[@tuopi27]

how to make a successful indie game: 1- make a silly/cute game 2- devlogs 3- ??? 4- profit in all seriousness, I love this. i hope your game does really well!

[@realdevfrog]

Yep thats indie development in a nutshell lol, thank you for your kind words!

[@fernbear3950]

froig

[@MorbidGames666]

It truly is a mystery

[@CeeMonay]

step 3 is add frogs. it is a frog year after all

[@fernbear3950]

@@CeeMonay froig

[@Armadous]

You art really stands out. The house is nailing the aesthetic!

[@realdevfrog]

Thanks so much! I spent way too long drawing that house 😅

[@kanethedev]

A relaxing game on mobile about frogs?? Sounds perfect to play when I'm bored. Can't wait!

[@nintenvlogz]

Visuals are already looking surprisingly polished nice job

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you!! I might touch up and polish some of the assets I've drawn in the future :)

[@RainierFajardoProduction]

Hi Frog Island!! I love this devlog so much. I'm a mobile game developer and I target mobile for my games/fangames and I find my channel very,you know, Not what I expected. So I decided to make a devlog next week. Thanks for inspiring me

[@piichivy]

i'm only an artist, so i can't say much-but i would suggest experimenting with different color palettes during the day/night cycle. as it stands, it has a very "bright" feeling even at night, and some hue-shifting could really better communicate "sunrise" and "evening" more. my go-to quick fix would be try out some gradient maps at a low opacity, but if you're particularly savvy with colors, picking out the color palette by hand is also an option

[@realdevfrog]

That's a great suggestion, thanks! I'll definitely have to do some more experimenting to find a good balance :)

[@sxfria]

i know not everyone likes the idea of a real-life day/night cycle but i love it!! in real life there are certain crops that only bloom (and thus can only be harvested) at night, or early in the morning so the possibility of it translating into in-game features feels super immersive! like, having the option to develop your farm into a nighttime farm or a daytime farm (through options sort of like the crops that you choose to plant or the fish you can catch or the potions you can brew) according to your playing schedule feels immersive and innovative . i really love the concept so far and hope to see more of this! good luck c:

[@_faan]

For 1 month, this is amazing! I’m also the type of person who loves cozy games, like stardew. The unique design you were aiming for is great and the UI just fits. I have pretty high hopes for this and I cant wait for it! So far, I feel like I can play this for hours at a time. Good luck!

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you like it :)

[@_faan]

@@realdevfrog You’re welcome!

[@JoshtheGoldfish]

Here’s to a successful year for you! Please don’t give up on this you may have something going for you as the frog market is massive!

[@Kneem]

Not only does the game look great, but there’s also omori music in the background of the vid let’s goooooo

[@ThinMatrix]

The art style is delightful! Good luck with development, I'm looking forward to seeing more :)

[@realdevfrog]

ThinMatrix the legend! Thank you so much, I'm honored you found my video :)) Good luck with your gamedev journey as well!

[@missmann3360]

I love the isometric art and the conc!!! I do agree with some people that the farmhouse and the scenery look like they are slightly different styles. Isometric art can be quite hard so don’t feel pressured to keep it like that if you can’t achieve what you want the game to be with it.

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you! I'm super new to digital art and trying to improve, so I'll most likely touch up on some assets in the future :)

[@zynnonP]

Add random weather such as: Rainy(Boosts crop growth rate ), Windy(Has a chance to spawn seeds on the ground), Snowy(Decreases crop growth rate), Sunny(Plants need to be watered again). I'll look forward to this game !

[@anthares96]

that's a lot of progress in one month, and it looks very charming. will keep an eye on this, best of luck!

[@rubyrootless7324]

some small inspiration - I think some tiny brown and red mushrooms scattered around would fit your aesthetic beautifully and nicely extend the colour palette as accent colours. frogs just go together with shrooms idk

[@naramoro]

The algorithms have chosen you for my next devlog subscription. Looking forward to your journey and your soothing voice :D

[@wronghandlane9665]

I’d love to hear more about your personal story of how you came to wanting to do game dev, how you balance responsibilities, schedule etc! Absolutely stoked to see everything and I adore the premise and art of the game!

[@realdevfrog]

Thanks so much! I'll definitely talk more about my personal side of things in later devlogs :)

[@ActualTrash8]

I’ve literally been wanting a mobile farming game for like forever! i will enjoy seeing all the progress and dev logs :)

[@anonomousthebest253]

It's really nice when a game has accessibility features like subtitles if someone's speaking, being able to control the speed of text so people can read it ie. Text boxes, and keeping colorblind people in mind during the design process so that more people can enjoy the game. I don't know if this is easy or possible on such a small scale game of one developer but I thought I'd mention it.

[@O1NKery]

This video was so comfy and sincere, I love it! will be definitely following your devlog. It's so great to see people putting so much work into passions they enjoy! I'm wishing you ton of luck.

[@jazzp454]

I love xD how ur frog avatar just starts wiggling more and more O_O!

[@ellakz8963]

This is the first devlog series I’ve seen where I’ve genuinely been excited and wanted to play the game they were working on.

[@sam.serif_]

4:20 i see you

[@jennianis1811]

This looks like such a cute project. I love frogs and cozy farming games. So this game is perfect.

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you like the game :)

[@baronch-workaccount-gr9fx]

Amazing how you have little experience on game development but you already went further than 80% of the indie devs. Nice video by the way

[@terrypark3690]

The farm and frog looks adorable! I really like godot, it's lightweight and easy to develop. I also have a dream of making an indie farming game with cute animals and your reflection on past projects sounds just like my journey; I look forward to watching your development and the end game! Good luck!🐸

[@alasdairsorley]

I think something really important with the weather is getting the sounds right, like if it's raining or it's windy to have nice sounds you can stop and relax listening to. One of my favourite bits in Stardew is when you get to the Summit, or the wee cliff view on Ginger Island to the left of the Volcano, where you can just appreciate the view and listen to the wind and music, so great sound design is a must. I can't wait for more devlogs, this game looks like it'll be awesome! :)

[@starlingcrossing3563]

This is the first devlog I've ever seen, but your ideas and art style and concept seems intriguing, can't wait to see more! :)

[@0wlet290]

I am at the exact same spot as you now. And I was looking for videos and always thought "WHY is it all in pixel art??? aaa" And now I finally found someone with a non-pixelart style. I am really happy to have found you now. I absolutely love your style. I wish both of us luck on this journey! And I honestly can't wait for your game!

[@TheBoringDeveloper]

Make the island bigger, add more places to explore. I love exploring in games like this. It's beautiful and all I want to do is move forward and forward and see more. And yes I would love to see different seasons. Show us how something dull as rain can look good

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you! I haven't added it yet, but I'm super excited to eventually start designing the weather and seasons :))

[@TheBoringDeveloper]

@@realdevfrog ❤️

[@Cralax1Robot]

He's just one developer, bruh

[@ACouchpirate]

Just a small note of something that caught my attention: If the game is for de-stressing and allowing people an escape from real life, having a real-time day-night cycle will mean people won't be able to play at their own pace, but instead have their play be dictated by another rule outside of their control. This will likely work directly against the goal of providing a stress relieving experience. That aside, the game looks super nice and I am looking forward to see the progress :)

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you! That's a great point, I think moving forward I'll make the cycle a shortened period rather than a real-time one :)

[@ACouchpirate]

@@realdevfrog There's another farming game called Sun Haven where the player is given the ability to choose how long their day-night cycle is, which I think is a brilliant addition, as some people (including myself) have found that sometimes there just isn't enough time to do all the things you want in a day in some other games, but of course, depending on the game, having variance in that way could mean you need to have dynamic balancing in place, which might not be an appropriate workload for a solo dev. Just a little brain dump, also I love frogs

[@realdevfrog]

@@ACouchpirate Awesome, thanks for letting me know! I'll look into it :)

[@mushroomlena]

This is actually inspiring me to make my own game! Thanks for documenting your process and introducing me to the Godot Game Engine. I’m genuinely impressed with your art since you say you’re not as experienced with digital art. It is beautiful and has a unique style.

[@coreb7712]

U know you're a good fella when you hear omori music playing in the background

[@smol.TomatenSuppe]

5:53 yoo this ui animation is amazing

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you! :)

[@bioinvasion_]

Looks great. The only thing that I noticed is that the falling leafs instantly appear out of nowhere. It would look nicer if they faded in I think. Keep up the great work

[@realdevfrog]

Ah you're right! Thanks for pointing that out :)

[@martjanamoon1785]

honestly, this is one of the most interesting games i have seen in quiet some time ^-^ but i won't tell you that i am kinda hyped, in order to not put too much pressure on you i think the general aesthetic of the wind waker water looks very nice, it should just have the same "hand-drawn" texture as the rest, i think it will fit in quiet nicely

[@Finalldrace]

Great DevLog. Small thing i want to share because you might not know, there is a game on Nintendo Switch called "Time on Frog Island"

[@minteaspices]

I love your art style! As someone who's made a few very small games using GameMaker Studio 2 for school, I know that half the battle is the game design process. Just figuring out what the game is even going to be can take forever, so it's great that you seem to have a lot of that planned out already and have a feel for what your next steps are. I knew next to nothing about coding when I made my first game, but that still ended up being easier than the design process for me. Maybe it's different for others, though. As far as devlogs go, I think this is pretty good. It's nice hearing about your process with art assets and coding, and I can tell you genuinely care and are very passionate about what you're doing. I look forward to seeing your progress and wish you the best of luck!

[@realdevfrog]

Aw thank you so much!

[@katrinasaarnits574]

I really like the map animation - I think the "clunkiness"as you described it, fits perfectly with the style and vibe of the game. I'm looking forward to hearing more!

[@PloverTechOfficial]

Enjoy your game dev! This game already looks so awesome I look forward to seeing the progress and look forward to buying the game when it releases in 4048!

[@beat0s]

this game genuinely looks so charming! the inspirations are clear, but the game has its own unique oersonality and charm! ill be keeping an eye on this game for sure

[@InfoEmBits]

Awesome job, mate! I liked the idea of day/night system and I assume that you probably using this system to run some other logic such as the crops growth. The thing is, if you intend to monetize the game, with something like ads to speed up your grow rate or something like this, letting the play control this rate with their clock isn't good, it's just a matter of changing my clock or faking it and I'll have hacked the game, my sugestion is: from time to time, make a call to an online clock to know if the player have changed his clock, and if so, you could even trick him: slow his rates, but showing him the reason. That's it, waiting for the next devlog, keep it up!

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you so much! Yeah, when I implemented the feature, I realized how easily people could cheese it 😅I like your solution to it though, I'll definitely implement it eventually :)

[@olive5636]

Hey, I’m sure you’ve realised but just in case you haven’t - Godot’s Sprite2D’s are very good at turning any image into a spritesheet. Having a grid overlay in Krita is all you need, once you get an image into Godot you can tell it how big the grid is in pixels (both x and y) and it will split it up into different frames for the Sprite.

[@natefoldan]

Awesome looking farmhouse and aesthetic man. Got a good laugh from the 4048

[@fishspinejams]

This is so cool! Something i would suggest is adding a click and drag mechanic to planting and harvesting crops, since clicking a billion times might get exhausting in the long run! The game looks so cute already though, can't wait to see more progress!

[@realdevfrog]

Thanks! Haha yea I'll definitely need to implement a dragging mechanic when planting seeds :)

[@Kohi_of_Greed]

This is very cute, I love it a lot. I also felt that you were kind of inspiring, so I'm looking forward to this project!

[@lostraven734]

I will happily give you not one dollar, but 2 for this game! Even within the first minute of the video I was willing to buy and play, it looks beautiful.

[@masen0593]

This seems so cool and cosy man, i would love to play it when it is realised!

[@soloswcr]

wow this looks so relaxing! great job on the game so far! let me know if you'd like me to compose some relaxing game bgm to fit the atmosphere, id be willing to help!

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you so much!! I'm actually planning on implementing a "jukebox" system where players can listen to songs composed by others, of course itll be a while until I get started on it lol 😅let me know if that's something you'd be interested in!

[@soloswcr]

@@realdevfrog yea ofc! let me know when you start implementing it

[@yuzan3607]

I really like how your game is looking!! it looks so unique too which isn't easy to achieve! Congratulations.

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you so much!

[@Kevkf]

It is incredible what you already did, I'll definitely gonna follow the next Devlogs. In my experience it is just important to not set too high standards or pressure on yourself, so you don't get frustrated and demotivated if something doesn't ends up being like imagined in the first try.

[@romeISdead]

Your video is just right, It did what it needs to, but because you mad it short, by the time we are done watching we are searching for more. I love your game and can't wait to pay for it someday.

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you so much!

[@diCimia]

So, I'm showing this to my sister and 2:56 she goes "I thought I am the frog :ccc" hahaha

[@Sanisgillon]

This is absolutely gorgeous, I’d love to hear more about your experiences with Godot. The art is so beautiful

[@pedravoadora2230]

Only one video and this is probably the best programming channel I have ever seen

[@ilja615]

Cool !! good luck your gamedev journey!

[@coconut_sphere]

This looks so good already aaa It's a very promising concept and I'd play the hell out of a game like this. It also seems very ambitious (with all the featured planned), so I'm excited to see how this evolves over time. Even the video has cozy vibes!

[@theviniso]

I'm just gonna say that I realy appreciate you using open-source tools like Godot and Krita. Lovely game concept, wish you all the best.

[@dumbster7368]

lil' frog on the thumbnail immediately caught my attention lol The game looks fantastic! Wish you luck with the development and please take all the time you need, there is no need to rush things, ay?

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you! I'll definitely be going at a pace I'm comfortable with to make each part of the game perfect :)

[@Cabler]

Dude this is so cool u earned a sub i will promise u im the first one playing this

[@baumilus303]

I love everything about this! 2 little things: I think a Kickstarter or Patreon might do really good (at least I know I would like to support the project in some way). I know it might be harder than getting the game on the AppStore or Steam but I think this game would work great on the switch. Keep going! Love the art style, the premise and the vibe in general!

[@realdevfrog]

A few people expressed interest in a Kickstarter/Patreon so I might make one in the future :) Id love to release it switch someday too!

[@nicken._.chuggets]

I've seen a lot of RPG devlogs for PC games, so it's nice to see one pop up for a more chill, mobile friendly game. As many other commenters mentioned, setting out your goals with a prototype for everyone to get a glimpse of what you have to offer solidifies your drive. Lookin forward to more sir o7

[@jontedoesthings1633]

Easiest sub of my life - I’m gonna be happy as a clam no matter how long the wait is. I’ll be liking every video! Count my money as already in your wallet.

[@realdevfrog]

That's so kind of you, thank you!

[@LSPTaris]

Love this ! Definetly gonna keep an eye out ! Always cool to see new devs show off their stuff just like myself :)

[@neonsphere3129]

Great job on your first devlog. The game looks nice and the video was high quality. One thing i would suggest you would change is the story line. The idea of taking care of frogs for somebody while they are away gives the impression that when they come back, you loose all your progress and makes farming and collecting frogs less personal which could make the game less immersive.

[@Lazzarus7]

I am really impressed by your progress in only one month. The game looks interesting and nice, keep it up! I hope you'll be able to publish it

[@raintowns]

YT algo showed this to me. Sounds like a game I’ll love! Looking forward to your progress. 🐸

[@devkumo]

YO! The visuals are absolutely stunning, excellent work so far. I'll be surely saying up to date on this one! ✌

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you so much!!

[@daeeninside]

As soon as I read "frog island", I clicked on this video as fast as I could! I'm no dev, but I really think this is amazing and totally something that I'd play day and night! And sure after I liked the video and subscribed to your channel. Keep up the good work^^

[@realdevfrog]

Aw thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind words :))

[@bluefiregaming1755]

The world looks so nice, it really makes me want to know what else there is

[@Rando327]

It looks amazing! I know it's early for that but.. if you want some testers I'll be honored to take care of your cute frogs

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you! I hope to get a play testable version out asap :) If you'd like to stay updated on my progress feel free to join the discord! That's the first place I'll post when I do create it :)

[@iolaani]

Hi! This looks amazing!!! Visually and gameplay wise, the only thing i would say is at night maybe you could make everything like a purple/blue hue? It kinda looks like looking through a pumpkin in Minecraft if you know what I mean? It doesn’t really look as aesthetically pleasing/cohesive as the other hours. But obvs this is just a suggestion! I can’t wait to play this.

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you! I'll definitely be changing up the hues/gradiants/lighting and adding shadows as well to make it look a lot nicer :)

[@gbigs]

It's looking awesome! If I could give you some criticism: Try to keep the stroke consistency in every element of the game - I know this is hard, specially when you are drawing all the stuff, but look how the stroke is so tiny in the leaves particle from the tress... It could look better if you try to make it more like the stroke on the seeds (which is smaller than the main element's strokes but fits well in the game style). Another thing you could implement in you day/night color grading is: more light = more brightness, contrast and saturation | less light = low brightness, low contrast, and almost zero saturation... play with some filters and your night is going to look way better and more realistic. I hope these tips helps and make your game even more awesome!

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback! I definitely agree with what you've said, some of the line thickness on certain assets doesn't quite match, I'll have to go back and update a few soon :) I'll also play around with the filters/gradients to make the colors a lot better!

[@TheKosstImogen]

I've not got any feedback that others haven't already shared, so I'll just say that this looks completely delightful. I'm now subbed and I'm excited to follow and eventually play! Oh wait, one word: Moss. Moss is boss. Even just mossing up some decorative stones and logs would satisfy my mossy needs!

[@goldendragonbringer]

I think the most important question is, aside from being a game dev, how in the world were you able to get so many views and subscribers from one video. Hah! I'm glad more people are using Godot and I look forward to your progress. Good luck on your game dev journey.

[@realdevfrog]

Thanks! I'm not really sure myself lol, this was definitely incredibly shocking to me! Probably just a stroke of luck I guess :)

[@vanillamilkbread]

omg the froggy is so cute😭💚

[@benabbuhl7809]

I love how the 2nd to last bush stage looks like it is smiling

[@lisyarus]

Congrats on your first devlog! :) The art style, the colors and the visual effects are simply outstanding, great job. Good luck with your project!

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you so much! Good luck with yours as well!

[@swolerabbit]

amazing progress froggie friend! you're doing a great job! i'm so excited to see more progress on this, it looks so cute and accessible!

[@kaesh831]

Homie you're doing something right! Lets see some consistent content, focus on being proactive, the end in mind, and having a plan to stay organized! You got this!

[@floor.prawns7361]

I absolutely love the art style and I really hope your game does well, keep making devlogs to stick with it :)

[@em6644]

I’ve never seen a dev vlog before but this is so cute!!!! I LOVE the story. Taking care of a mysterious woman’s frogs sounds absolutely amazing!!! I know nothing about game development but one of the features of animal crossing that I love is how it teaches you about real animals. Not sure if you’re planning to do this already but if your game did a similar thing, depicting real frogs and sharing a little info about them, I think it would be really cool!

[@realdevfrog]

Aw thank you so much! And yes, I do plan on adding some real life frogs as well!! :)

[@kayaroots5386]

The game has a very sweet and comfy vibe, I like it. Wishing you the best of luck and success!

[@valentinaliu6303]

how cozy, gl mr. game dev! :>

[@feathercat9118]

When it comes to colour, please look into colour theory. Since even though the environment look great, it looks samey when it comes to colour. Using warmer colours for lights, and colder colours for shadows, it brings the drawing to life. A small change in tone, can change an entire drawing if done right.

[@realdevfrog]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll look into that from now on :)

[@grahambourque8428]

I love the art style you went with. Something to consider on farming mechanics - spacing is different for different crops. Instead of one carrot per “plot”, it’d be cool to have multiple carrots since you can grow them closer together. Bushing plants make sense to be one per plot but veggies like carrots and potatoes could be in groups per plot. Could make decision making in how you utilize your space more interesting.

[@buggy8188]

you got the chill vibes alrready down. also i really like your little frog guy. they look squishy and like a marketable plushy

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you! I plan on making froggie merch like plushies, stickers, etc in the future :)

[@buggy8188]

@@realdevfrog Yes! Froggy plushy!

[@Folkea1]

this looks amazing for being the first devlog! Can’t wait for the next episode!

[@bipbapboop1140]

ayoo can't wait to play this in 4048!!! also, one game dev to another: try focusing more on coding at first rather than visuals. Moving trees, particle effects, texture masks look nice and all, but working on them now will lock you into this theme and you'll have a harder time changing them later.

[@Wasapok]

This looks awesome, so much progress in one month and your art style is supperrrrr sick. Mega cozy vibes and your main frog character is so cute!!! Totally nailed the aesthetics, if you can manage to get this game out then I think it'll become a hit, good luck can't wait to see the next devlog!!!

[@realdevfrog]

Aw thanks, I really appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@MrJotaFelipe]

This is looking great! One thing, dont' forget that mouse is a precise input unlike touch is. Keep that in mind when you further work on the way you interact with the UI (selecting tiles or seeds as seen in the devlog). Good Luck!

[@LittleParade_]

I am SO smitten with your art style, the little farm looks so cozy, can't wait to follow along with you on your journey! Good luck! 💕💕

[@Mel-mu8ox]

I was so happy when you said 2024 as earliest release date :D Under promise over deliver. you've promised a lot of things, its nice you have a more realistic time frame. but don't be afraid to delay it if you need to :D

[@realdevfrog]

Thank you! I definitely don't wanna make the mistake of setting an unrealistic release date, I'll work on it at a comfortable pace :)

[@redwooid]

Insanely Well polished game, Good luck in future!

[@CanaanJMack]

lol, I knew I recognised that shake effect from somewhere 3:14 Filmora nice

[@asoupyferretnamedfar3634]

I'm really excited to see where this goes from here!!! This makes me wanna try and make a game or something

[@juliamelomelo]

godot family growing!!! absolutely loving the cute froggos:)

[@snailmeat2204]

I’m already excited for this! It looks amazing so far, and that is a lot of progress in one month!