How My Indie Game ALMOST won $10,000 [Disinherited Devlog #0]

WHAT A WEEK.
Wishlist! store.steampowered.com/app/29...
Threads: www.threads.net/@lighthoof_dr...
Discord: / discord
All music composed by Dryden Thomas
Special major thanks to BlackthornProd for the invitation, and all the support they've given me 🧡
COMPETITION VIDEO:
• 6 DEVS Compete to Make...
THE ILLUSTRIOUS COMPETITORS:
‪@bewky‬
‪@Codeer‬
‪@LixianTV‬
‪@ShorteDev‬
‪@strompy2007‬
JUDGES:
‪@Blackthornprod‬
‪@DualWielded‬
‪@LycheeGameLabs‬
‪@ThomasStewartDev‬

[@Zyppeh]

I'm saying it, you got that 1st place stolen! You had a huge disadvantage on that fan vote and it showed. In our hearts you are the clear winner

[@LighthoofDryden]

Aww, thank you!! I think there are a number of reasons the vote went the way it did, and it’s tough to disentangle them 😅 Regardless, winning in your hearts is all that mattered to me from the start 🧡

[@Sagecarp2]

So true

[@blakegocey]

Every person that wasn't voting on the "more subscribers" level thinks this ☝️

[@monke1340]

Fr

[@KajaWiese]

When I watched the competition, I really thought Disinherited is gonna win, but that might be just my personal opinion. I think this game was much better then others. And I wasn't Dryden's audience at the time.

[@monke1340]

Dryden, in the hearts of us you rightfully deserved that money

[@LighthoofDryden]

That’s so kind 🥲 honestly I’ll take you guys’s support over any prize, any day

[@earthisround6783]

Here’s my analysis: Lixian had a great game. Not only did he implement the theme well but he also incorporated the twists well too. It had pretty good art (and a unique style) which made it overall okay. However, he could have improved on the “virus”, progression and enemies. He only had 2 enemies (unless you count the virus). Speaking of the virus, the way to avoid it was just not so great. Pick up stuff, throw it together, bam. Also, the progression was just a bunch of rooms with keycards to go to new rooms. The limited content also restricted replay-ability. + Good art + Nicely implemented themes / Virus wasn’t that creative - Progression was boring - Not many enemies and/or replay ability. Now you had a complete monster of a game. Themes were AMAZINGLY well implemented, and rather than just add a random part of the game, they actually contributed a lot. There we SO MANY unique enemies and bosses, SO MANY cool items, SO SO SO MUCH replay-ability, a great art style, random generation (added to replay-ability), a stupid cool game idea that was actually well-thought out, and it was even executed extremely well! + AMAZING art + Plenty of enemies + Lots of bosses + Random generation + Great game idea + Well executed + So, so SO much replay-ability. Conclusion: Yes, he was robbed. For anyone who hasn’t seen the video or doesn’t understand, the only way Lixian won was because he had 1m+ subs. I think Dryden (creator of this vid) had around 2k at the time. The community decided who won, because they had a weight of two. Even then, I am SHOCKED the judges chose Lixian over your game, when your game did everything his did but better and more. I think the judges had some bias too. Anyways, please keep making games, you are such a cool creator. Plus, you’re really enjoyable to listen to and seem like a very friendly guy. Bye!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Yo I appreciate the in-depth analysis, wow! I definitely still have some minuses to work through in my game 😉, but I sure do love the support, a lot. Makes me feel quite happy 😃

[@FlawMinss]

Lixian talked about how he didn’t want it to just be keycards but he didn’t have enough time to change it.

[@RickIsHim.]

​@@LighthoofDryden you are too humble

[@Nabikko]

Dryden 100% deserves it. It was way more refined

[@LighthoofDryden]

Aw thanks, I appreciate that! But man, Lixians was so immersive too, really raised the emotions quickly and the staging of the events was masterful I always felt like it was gonna be a tough one!!

[@Terryotes]

@@LighthoofDryden Lixians feels like a good indie game that becomes popular and then dissapears (a trend game), yours feels like a polished indie game that is a game loved by the people

[@TheArmchairHistorian]

My wife and I watched the game jam and were rooting for you the whole time. I know how impactful $10k can be toward an indie project, we were really disappointed. We're happy you're going to continue the project and are definitely going to pick it up once it's out!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Aw, thanks so much, to both of you! The fact that it’s resonated with folks so far is gift enough, and might in itself be life-changing as an indie dev!! Thanks for the encouragement :)

[@joshuagop5909]

Im not taking anything away from lixian hes an amazing dev but you so got robbed of that 10k.... i cannot wait to see what you come up with next!!!!!

[@LighthoofDryden]

He really is fantastic, it could have so easily gone either way! And thank you 🙏 🤩

[@Jaddas]

Some of the other comments already told you, but i just have to say it aswell: That loss in the finals was a different level of bs. The fact that you got 30% of the votes against a youtuber with over 600 times your subscriber count speaks volumes. You didnt beat all the other devs. You slaughtered them. I am truely inspired by your humility, because if i lost a competition after outclassing everyone else by such a wide margin i would be furious. I know that i am probably being too harsh here. The other devs did a great job aswell and are clearly very talented, but especially after seeing how kind of a person you are, my anger issues simply get the better of me here.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Aww, I do appreciate your passion and support, but for my part, I can't feel anything but lucky. It's so hard to have your work seen as a dev, and so many devs who have incredible ability and work nonstop for years don't get an opportunity like this. It's genuinely a dream come true

[@Jaddas]

@@LighthoofDryden You had every allowence to be salty and chose to simply be happy with what you got instead. Absolute Gigachad. Cant wait to get my hands on the final game. If that wasnt clear already: It looks fantastic.

[@Kephazard]

I love Lixian, and his game was more my style, but you crushed the competition requirements at every turn. You took the twists and embraced them, rather than just finding a way to technically qualify. And your game had a level of polish throughout. The fan vote shouldn't have counted for 2 votes as that gave them a 29% weight. For what amounts to a popularity contest that really shouldn't have been the deciding factor. I'm waiting for BTP to catch on that some of their decisions are kind of inconsiderate for their guests This isn't the first time. But congrats on setting your new goal! Can't wait to see what becomes of this game. You did so much in a few weeks, I can't imagine what you can achieve in a year.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hey thanks so much for the kind words!! BTP has been soo supportive of me on and off the scenes, I know they catch a lotta heat but fundamentally they're good guys trying their best (I certainly would perish instantly if I had to run a contest of this size haha)

[@DissonantSynth]

Excellently articulated. I wholeheartedly agree.

[@HedgeByte]

I've watched all of Black thorn prods videos. Of all the pass the game challenges, of all the competitions, this game easily impressed me the most out of all of them.

[@LighthoofDryden]

That’s a huge compliment, thank you so much!! Means a lot

[@thatkidoverthere2925]

Dude,i was SO sad seeing you come second, lixians game was good, but you litrally had the best integration of the theme, the most interesting game and definitely the best gameplay. SO many spelunky vibes, 100% gonna wishlist this

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much for saying so!!! Appreciate your kind words and the wishlist a tonnnn

[@AramoniumGames]

As soon as a read "almost won" in the title I knew what had happened. Community voting just doesn't work, people 'cheese' it, becomes popularity contest instead of gamedev. Ways to prevent it could be: 1. Anonymous entry, that way no one knows who made which game. 2. Force playing of every single game before someone can vote (more work to implement), possibly too hard to vote. 3. Community given a random short list of games to play and rank (eg vote 1, 2, 3 for the following randomly chosen games). You'd think #1 would be fool proof, but I'm sure people would post on private facebook/patreon/discord/steam groups to vote for their particular creation.

[@LighthoofDryden]

No doubt, it’s TOUGH to run something like that. But I suspect it won’t be happening this way next time, given the response Despite that I think Lixian is wonderful and don’t begrudge him the victory at all

[@Lunartvis]

i found it very unfair you didnt win! Lixian was popular, thats all. you had everything required, the theme, story, mechanics, etc. i loved your work ^^

[@VoltageDevelopment]

Popularity had nothing to do with it. Do you think that if Lixian just made a simple game, and because he's "popular", everyone would play it and love it??? The issue with the contest was bringing in the community, as their voting went towards Lixian. If the voting was contained within the main judges, then Disinherited would have won for sure. So this was a bad decision/move on the judges end and nobody else is to blame for it.

[@pupnub]

@@VoltageDevelopment Yea thats what @Lunartvis was saying...

[@notcarte]

@@VoltageDevelopmentthat’s the point of the original comment

[@oliverlacika4994]

​@@VoltageDevelopment if lixians game was waay worse then even his community would probebly not vote for it. However, when it is like 9/10 for this game and 7/10 for lixians then the community will just vote for his one even though it is a little worse

[@bagtea]

they said, they didnt reveal whose game was whose during the community votings. I hate these fans dont drop deep down to the game, Dryden's game was more refined, looked more clean, had better UI and looked more fun, but the community probably thought 2D was boring

[@Akhlis]

Man..... you were stolen the win. Such an amazing game out of such a challenging theme! Wish listed it on steam! I know that after some more work on it, it will be an amazing game to add to my steam collection!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much! For the wishlist and the support! I for real can’t wait to get back in and make it live up to its potential.

[@SYSyphysDelta]

While others took the theme in a different direction (and in my opinion lost the theme in some cases), you stayed with the theme the best out of every single contestant. Personally, I would say you won the competition. I have Disinherited wishlisted on steam and look forward to the game's progress!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank youuuu

[@zawdan666]

I have an idea for a boss that might be interesting. Cats supposedly have 9 lives, so what if the way to immortality was to have multiple cats share one of their lives? A cat owner as a boss would be something I haven't seen in games before

[@LighthoofDryden]

9 lives is so interesting 👀 I mean, the main character’s dad’s cat is already gonna be a big deal, so that’s a perfect tie in!!

[@GojoSan-xe5lm]

@zawdan666 Bro just cooked 5 star meal

[@stickman8067]

Your creativity and music is insane! Cant believe that you have only been coding for 2 years!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much omg! I've been incredibly obsessed since I started

[@ChiriVulpes]

Part of me wonders if you’d have gotten anywhere near the growth if you’d gotten your deserved win. Everyone following you partly or maybe even mostly because they think it’s unfair lmao. Maybe you didn’t get the $10k, but you know it might lead to bigger things sooner anyway!! Wishing you luck for the rest of the journey and i’m excited to follow along!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you very much!! And I have definitely wondered what that alternate universe would have looked like, too. Usually what I imagine makes me more grateful for this one 😅

[@AthenaAGT]

Hearing your husband is supporting you so well while you do this challenge made me tear up!! I can't wait to see future dev logs

[@LighthoofDryden]

He's been a gem

[@Vedranation]

I watched that BTD competition, its how I found about your channel Dryden! You make really cool stuff, and as everyone said I feel like you were top contender. I've already wishlisted Disinherited and I'm really glad you're pushing for a release! :D

[@LighthoofDryden]

Oh man, thanks for coming over here! And for your kind words. Making cool stuff is all I wanna do 😄

[@kirito0126]

Bro you have no idea how much your game gave me energy to throw myself at gamedev again after a huge pause, i'll be following your work for sure and maybe finish a game of my own, thank alot. You should have won that 10k prize

[@LighthoofDryden]

Bro!! The idea of inspiring other gamedevs is so unreal to me. Make it happen, you got this 💪

[@jaylenrowe73]

If this game comes to console I’m definitely buying and supporting. Your work ethic and adherence to the prompts given during the challenge were in my opinion the best of any of the devs. I was like oh he’s THINKING thinking when hearing your ideas for lore and storylines. Definitely keep up the great work bro. Take your time and see your vision through. Can’t wait for the release

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hahaha “THINKING thinking” made me chuckle. I’m gonna push to get to console really hard! I’m mostly a console player myself, so that would be a dream come true for me

[@CoolStuffAK]

After the video, I immediately went to see if this game was out,not the other one.

[@icettour]

The game sounds absolutely amazing and definitely deserved to win! Your ideas were super creative and it was very well designed. Can't wait to see what you make in the future!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much!! I can't wait to make more :)

[@ibrabdo]

Wow, i loved the backstories for each boss 😍very dark and fit the theme

[@LighthoofDryden]

IBRA! Thank youuu I had a lot of fun crafting them (and maybe got too into it 😆)

[@Billycca3]

I just adore how much thought you've put into this game. The theme is incredible with a great twist on memento mori. I love how the father remembered his mortality and tried to push his son to remember his (though I don't know if that was necessarily the best way lol) but the son, in protest strives to forget his mortality. I have a feeling that might bite him in the end but who knows! Not to mention, your knowledge of history brings life to the characters, art, and music. All that being said, this is likely the best game I've seen on any of these game dev competitions and I immediately wishlisted it. Can't wait to play it! Just please take care of your own health as you build this game and don't let pressure from fans like us make you push past a healthy limit.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response!! That was the deepest tie to the theme that I wanted to get across with the project, and it should only be getting further underscored in the finished game :) I'll try to be much more mindful of my health during the rest of the dev cycle. Maybe "remember my own mortality" in a different way 😆

[@einJFK]

I loved the game when I first saw it. Please make more games like that.

[@LighthoofDryden]

I certainly will!! Thank you :)

[@MashUpGames]

You did so well with the theme, I would have been absolutely lost with "Memento Mori"

[@LighthoofDryden]

Something tells me you woulda pulled out an adorable character design and some unique mechanics and won hearts Love your work btw, you’re one of my faves!

[@_skorme]

I know, I'm only one of many comments here saying the same. But your game deserved to be the winner. It was a full game which not only looks awesome, but also had a lot of content, own made music and sprites and a lot of promise for the future. And it was unique and looked very polished for a "jam". You got a new sub and I'm exited to see the devlog and more from you!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much for being here and for your kind words! I put a lotta heart into it and will continue doing so :)

[@xirtus]

Really excited to watch this unfold. Good luck to you!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you sincerely for being here!!

[@xirtus]

@@LighthoofDryden you're so positive it's really infectious 💛💚💙🩵

[@nemphisva]

I love the look of disinherited, i normally don't "want to buy" that style of game, but your personality just makes me want to try it out so badly! Also, when you said "My husband is gonna be editing" , my heart exploded! I cant believe how precious you are! Please never stop doing what yiure passionate about!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much aahh! You're too kind. I'm curious to know: what about the style of game would usually turn you off from it? I wonder if there's something I can implement within the game that can invite people in who wouldn't usually like it

[@nemphisva]

@@LighthoofDryden to me it's just that I'm more comfortable with 3D games and I never really got into 2D in general. I never tried games like hollow knight either, because I never had motivation to. I think that for me it's just a matter of just not trying something different 😅 Though in the case of Disinherited, I wanna give it a shot because I love the way you talk about your own game, it makes me personally just want to get into the details myself. Maybe I'll give games like hollow knight a shot too, at least soon 😂 (Edit) I think that if you manage to stay as enthusiastic about creating games and make videos showing that enthusiasm, helping people like me immerse themselves in the process and story, it will draw people to the game. I can't think of game mechanics or features to implement, since I'm not a dev, but I hope I can help a little with my encouragement 😅

[@LighthoofDryden]

@@nemphisva It helps a lot, believe me!! And that makes sense to me--My husband really doesn't go for 2D games either haha. But he struggled through Ori because I insisted. Definitely give HK a shot if you're into Souls games. It does such a good job taking those dancelike boss fights into a 2D space!

[@nemphisva]

@@LighthoofDryden I'll give it a shot 😂

[@PalmieriLoria]

Can't wait for the full release, have wishlisted already :D Hope you win next time ^^ Because you deserve it

[@LighthoofDryden]

Me too, I wanna go to the gamedev castle competition hahahah. But for now, I'm already feeling so happy with how things have turned out. :D

[@orgononjamie]

Honestly your game has so much more charm to it, and so many possibilites for new content. And it fits the theme so well. I do not wish to bash Lixian, but that 10k would have been better off with your project. It‘s great that there so many creative minds still afloat nowadays!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Wow, sorry for the late reply, but this is so kind of you to say!! Honestly I don't mind losing the competition, the support since then has been more than worth it :D Thanks for being here!

[@KayJeyD]

So glad to see you’re continuing work on the game! I’m buying this the day it’s available

[@jacksonpeach7397]

Im definitely purchasing this masterful rogue like! Your music design, visuals, and creativity are all amazing

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you!! Much more to come, much more to polish. Thanks for being here :)

[@justinvazquez8705]

Instantly came to subscribe. You deserved that win such a well thought out game! I will be getting this game the moment it’s released!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Oh man, thank you!!! Current target for full release is Feb, with an open limited beta & kickstarter coming in early fall :D

[@brunoburin8649]

Amazing game! I'm amazed at how good and polished you were able to make it in so little time. The mechanics are captivating, and overall it just feels such a fun and unique game. Definitely eager to see how it turns out! Best wishes for you.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hey thank you so much!! I can’t wait to get in some of the new stuff I’ve been working on and take it to the next level!

[@taeyim5083]

man. you are like.. really fucking cool. excited to see what the game becomes, goodluck!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Nah you’re cool for being here 😎 thanks so much for the support, appreciate you

[@cheezylettuce3360]

been watching for quite some time now. absolutely love your artstyle and your work.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you, that means a lot to hear! Art is one of the things I have needed to work hardest on and I'm still learning every day!

[@thunder_bug_1451]

Dude your game was so impressive and polished. I haven’t clicked on any other creators channel from the blackthorn videos but yours was just absolutely stellar and I had to see what else you did. Your game was so ridiculously clean and I thought you were a total shoe in to win. I’m excited that you’re still developing this game, since it looks like an amazing roguelike.

[@Kevroa1]

Excited to see this game get fully fleshed out

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thanks so much, me too tbh!

[@gabelbruins1236]

What a robbery, I just watched the vid and had to come over to subscribe. Your rogue like looks so fun.

[@LighthoofDryden]

On the contrary, it's been such a gift!! Welcome, and I can't wait to give you a chance to play!

[@wolframkyo]

I’ve already wishlisted and I love hearing more about this game. I hope this is the game that blows up for you into something huge! I can definitely see the potential for a huge fan base :3

[@LighthoofDryden]

I certainly hope so, that would be amazing 🥲

[@ethandolbear3834]

Here to watch the weekly uploads. Wishlisted and excited for release!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much!!! See ya next friday, then! 😁😁

[@27-Carrots]

Im so happy to be here for the start of this journey and I’m excited to stay for the rest of it :)

[@LighthoofDryden]

I’m so happy you’re here too! All 27 of you!

[@benji.3002]

You did incredibly, I especially loved all the references to people and characters, and how they fulfilled the prompts so well

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you, that’s so kind of you to say!

[@bassicfun78]

Congrats on your success and momentum can’t wait to see more of this!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thanks my guy, especially for being such an early supporter in my gamedev journey 🥲

[@jabean2668]

Dude, this looks awesome! Can't wait to see what it becomes!

[@pumpkin2986]

The gothic but cartoony astethic is really charming, and I really like how each boss revolve around the theme of immortality in their own way. I'll look forward to playing it!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you, I really appreciate that!! Working on getting it out to ya as soon as humanly possible :D

[@pumpkin2986]

@@LighthoofDryden take the time you need!

[@ChildishFroBino]

It must be so amazing having someone who has skills and interests that will help create your vision for the game.

[@LighthoofDryden]

It truly is!!

[@YoJustBy]

Yeah i have to agree with everyone here, it's CRAZY that you didn't win that competition. The art, the music, the gameplay, everything is perfectly on theme!!! I can't wait to try out the full game, and i believe you've got the powerhouse of creativity for more games like it :D

[@LighthoofDryden]

Oh gosh, thank you!! I’m so excited for you to play it too :D and to keep going after it’s done!

[@emelinelondon]

disinherited is such an amazing game. the whole idea is is great and the game loop seems so cool! keep it going!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much!!! We're just getting started

[@n_ice_6558]

Your idea is so interesting, and you incorporated it in the design and gameplay so well, and teve bosses being people that searched for immortality and that’s what your character is going for, chefs kiss, incrdible game, you deserved to win

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much, this means a lot! I loved putting together the lore and I have a lot more :)

[@ilmbnew]

This game 100% shouldve one, only one that actually felt like a real game with replayability, and honestly the only one that really fit the Memento Mori theme

[@LighthoofDryden]

Ay thanks so much! I do love working with a theme, a lot 😅

[@Lag._.]

Really impressed by your work! Already wishlisted the game!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you!!! That means so much to me 🧡

[@Xethyl]

Just watched the “competition”…you were robbed by popularity. I wish you the best of luck with this project and in the future, you are insanely talented!

[@RhysCamposano]

Can’t wait for this to release , this is actually amazing such a talented game dev artist and musician ❤

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you 🥹 this made me so happy to read

[@flowconstruct]

I am starting(again)my journey on game dev. I quit using a computer for a long time and recently got a new one and decided to give it another go. Also doing KZbin, streaming. And learning as much as I can in my free time. I started watching what I used to watch years ago. BTP, brackeys. All the old classic game devs. Just saw your game on btp comp and I normally don’t subscribe nowadays to anyone new. But you got my subscribe. It is really incredible how you lost just because of a community vote. But least to say. Your game was the best from the first week. Cannot wait to see the full polished end result. Keep it going man

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you, that is such a high compliment!! Best of luck to you as you re-embark on your gamedev quest. It’ll be worth it!

[@thanosraja2091]

Good luck for the game's success, I feel like having really great art for everything will really help the game.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you!! I appreciate that :D

[@hugobdelgado]

just wanna say i loved your work with that game, very inspiring!!!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much!! I appreciate you stopping by to say so

[@MyBeebles]

I wishlisted! You are an inspiration and I wish you best of luck this time around!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much, that means a ton!!

[@johnnyumamidev]

Congrats, what an achievement! The game looks sooo polished for only 3 weeks of development, you'll have a seriously impressive product at the end of the 100 days. Good luck! Just subbed, I'm looking forward to hearing more about the project going forward

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thanks so much for your kind words, and for being here right at the start!!! Can’t wait to share more with ya

[@dispersion7134]

Cannot wait for the full release!!! I really dig your game

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much :D I’ll keep ya updated right here on YT

[@cxmers1173]

I commented on your other video at the time but I’ll say it again. Love your content and I’m excited to see what you do !

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you friend!! I appreciate it every time 😄

[@EscapeRose]

So pumped to watch you expand on this game!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you!!! I’m so pumped to do it 🧡 and glad you’re here!

[@coderaven1107]

Jo, you are crazy. This game looks so good and fun. One could really feel that the theme resonated with you. I am really looking forward to see the devlog 💪Think this is the start of a bigger fanbase.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you!!! It really did resonate, I'm glad that came across

[@msherif428]

I went into that video rooting for Lixian because he was the only one I knew, but by round two i was rooting for your unique art style and overall polished look. None of the other contestants made their games look anywhere near publishable but you!

[@LighthoofDryden]

That’s such an honor to hear tbh. Lixian is awesome (I didn’t know him before the competition but I’m now a fan 😄)

[@joeyharris5306]

That video brought me to your channel lol. It was difficult since Lixian is so established. You held your own and 100% had the best story and the most polish

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hey thank you!! I knew he was gonna be tough from the start, and I was gonna have to work like crazy to keep up with these guys. Appreciate you bein here

[@MarianJin91]

Man You're talended AF and got robbed of the 1st place. I was stunned both when you made 1st day puzzle game and later on with the 10k challenge. I'm so inspired - I might get back to Unreal Engine myself. Keep up the great work!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much!! And you definitely should hop back in, create create create!

[@socksherlock]

I am really excited for when you release it! good luck for your sleep schedule btw lol

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hahaha thank you!! I’ll try to keep an eye on it 😅😴

[@ShorteDev]

Best of luck developing the game! Can’t wait to see how it will get improved in the upcoming future 😁

[@LighthoofDryden]

AIRIDAS!! Thanks for the encouragement, I bet I’m gonna need it 😆

[@pedropesserl]

yours together with codeer's were the only games I genuinely felt like playing (probably because I like those genres best, but still). especially after the last round with the new bosses and the awesome design for them, I particularly liked the concept of a leader of a cult that worships pain as a way to prolongue life. all in all good work and best wishes on your steam sale!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much! Cilice was my favorite concept, even though Augusta became my favorite character And judging these has gotta be so hard, like you said, there’s soo much personal preference for genres. I wonder what would happen if there were a genre-specific competition…? 🤔

[@Baltux]

can't wait for the video. and then for Disinherited to be released. My stances on the contest are clear, as they are for everyone else here. Hope you have been having a great week Dryden!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thanks Baltux!! You're awesome

[@MikeGemi]

That light mechanic is super clever!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hey thanks!! I hope to keep building on and deepening it 😄

[@froggystrap1232]

Gonna follow your journey closely hope you get the game out !!!!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much, nothin’s gonna stop me! (okay I’m knocking on wood, that was a bad idea to type that)

[@BarryBebop]

I was rooting so badly for you throughout that video, I was surprised that your game did not win. However I have subscribed and I am so down to see whatever you cook further!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Ay thanks so much for saying so, and for being here!!

[@lynxerax7011]

I will be keeping a close eye on this one.... I am a massive roguelike fan, and was rooting for your game right from the start of the competition. There is so much potential here. Easy wishlist

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so so much, happy to have ya along for the ride!!

[@MagicMaskedMonkey]

You knoe what is funny? I saw a awesome video right before i saw the black thornprod video and check out your channel. Thats when i knew i should really keep up with these videos 😁

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you!!! I’m so glad you happened to click and watch and now you’re here :D

[@Mo_dev_lab]

You should have won. I was so disappointed at the end of the video. Your hard work and dedication was an indication of character and uniqueness. I wishlisted Disinherited right after watching the video. 🥰

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much for the support and wishlist! Tbh I do feel like I won with how excited people have been about Disinherited, it's a dream come true

[@GingerNingerish]

Came here from the BTP video. Enjoyed watching your entry and this video. I really look forward to what you do with this going forward.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hey thanks! Btw, watched your Roguelike vids during the competition for inspiration-looking forward to seeing where that goes too :)

[@GingerNingerish]

@LighthoofDryden Oh, I wasn't expecting to hear that, haha. Thanks though!

[@puglord71]

Loved the refrences to A Series of Unfortunate Events, was hoping for your game to win but honestly ill probably buy this when it releases

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hey thank you!! That means a lot :)

[@shrimprice8641]

i was so glad when i saw someone delve into the memento theme so well, and im even more ecstatic to hear that you’ll be continuing the game!! all the love and support!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much aaahh!! Appreciate you!!

[@otaviobz]

Keep going! Really liked the game! You are very talented and also very sweet. Cheers from Brazil!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hey thank you so much!! I appreciate you, cheers :)

[@carloss1536]

Good Luck!! I was in awe for how much you had done

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thanks so much!! It was a pretty unreal couple weeks for sure haha

[@hsancv132]

The concept is really cool, I will be waiting for this

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thanks so much! More updates on the way :)

[@TriXJester]

I absolutely thought you should of won, this game looks like it'll be so fun and there are so many options for bosses! There are so many different figures in history and myth that have claimed to be immortal and some would absolutely make awesome fights. I wanna put my vote in for one boss fight that is reminescent of Ornstein And Smough or Theseus and Asterius, but based on the alchemist Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle Flamel, as I think a good double boss fight always gives an interesting challenge

[@LighthoofDryden]

Oh wow, this is me learning that Nicholas Flamel wasn’t just made up for Harry Potter. Fascinating, and what a great idea… maybe the area could be the Stone itself or something? 🤔

[@TriXJester]

@@LighthoofDryden I'm a huge mythology and history buff so I love learning about weird figures like the Flamels. The one thing that brings out the truly wild stories tend to involve immortality at some point, like the tales of Count of St. Germain or Emperor Qin Shi Huang

[@unclen2479]

Love the work dude you're extremely talented

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thanks so much, that’s very kind 😅

[@locust426]

Even now, Disinherited looks amazing and I can't wait to play it whenever it comes out. Hopefully its success will make the $10K that you deserved to win look like pocket change.

[@LighthoofDryden]

We can only hope, right? Then I get to keep making ‘em!

[@diogorodrigo7818]

For me and for a lot of other people you were the clear winner, the game looks awsome cant wait to try it!

[@LighthoofDryden]

I hope to get an "early tiny alpha" build for people to play on discord soon!

[@ThatPinkLizard]

I'm really looking forward to where this game goes. I wish you won the competition!! In my eyes you are the winner. I hope to play this someday!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much 🙏 y’all’s eyes are the ones that really matter to me!

[@mattpresley9809]

I don't care the results, you won in my eyes for inventiveness and replayability

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hey thanks 😄 your eyes are the ones that matter to me in the first place!

[@howtosuck8274]

you deserve the win dude the game is so so so good

[@EP-ho6vo]

Still an amazing game and concept. I’m very much looking forward to the release!

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you!!! I'll be keeping you guys updated!

[@devdath2957]

Love the Game, Also the music is amazing. Looking forward to playing the game

[@LighthoofDryden]

Heyy thank you so much!! I appreciate it :)

[@yaksher]

Having a fan vote on a non-anonymized contest between KZbinrs is literally just an existing popularity contest and seems really arbitrary and unfair 😔

[@LighthoofDryden]

They tried to anonymize it, but it was all very last-minute and stuff got missed. And we weren’t warned about it or anything (and the voting period was so short-just a few hours), so we definitely didn’t have time to reach out to our communities or anything like that! So it’s not as bad as it might seem, and I feel great about how things have gone since!

[@user-yw2sk3jl7g]

Your game is so amazing! I personally think you should have won.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Aw thank you!! But I’ve come so far because of that video-I can’t complain one bit :)

[@markopolo6416]

Man, you did an awesome job! I loved it! I'm trying to get into gamedev, starting from zero, and your work, your game is a huge inspiration for me! I almost never leave any comments in KZbin, but i just wanted to leave some small encouragment for you, after seeing that this piece of art didn't win the competition) Hope you'll go far with this game)

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much, this is so nice (and very sorry for the late reply, somehow I missed this??) Wishing you all the best on your gamedev journey!! I started from “nothing” (as a music producer) about 2.5 years ago and it’s been such a worthwhile ride.

[@markopolo6416]

​@@LighthoofDryden Thank you so much! I really appreciate it) And don't worry, late reply is better than no reply at al ))

[@Phoenix56888]

Sadly I don’t have a computer which means I can’t get steam but if I did I would’ve added disinherited to my wish list immediately, it looks so fun and kind of reminds me of hollow knight, I’ll definitely be watching these dev logs over the weeks to see how everything goes

[@LighthoofDryden]

You being here is what matters, I appreciate it!! Do you usually game on console? I hope I can get some ports going asap after Steam release :)

[@Phoenix56888]

@@LighthoofDryden yeah I play on ps4, if I could play disinherited on it that would be beautiful

[@unspi554]

Nicely planned ! Go for it i'll follow the process !

[@LighthoofDryden]

Hey thanks, and thanks for following along!!

[@tomschlaiss5735]

Like so many said before, I also think you should have won. Amazing work, keep going, I wish you the best. Cheers from Germany

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you so much!! Cheers from across the pond :)

[@mblede]

find out about you and this game from the competition video and I liked your game from the very beginning. As someone who is only now starting to learn about game development, I can only be inspired by this and maybe learn some useful tips and tricks along the way ;)

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you, that’s so kind! I hope I can share some stuff in the devlogs that’ll be helpful :D