Lumbermill is back from the dead (indie devlog)

The Lumbermill devlog is back! I've brought back the isometric perspective, added a save system, stripped out some features that weren't working, and begun work on Plots - a new way to manage large areas of the forest. I've also been busy working on other things, and getting some long-overdue space from the project. This video covers around 2 months of development.
All the music in Lumbermill devlogs is from the game's soundtrack.
🌲 Wishlist Lumbermill: store.steampowered.com/app/11...
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm an Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I make videos to share the development process and also get feedback - so let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments!
⮞ Socials ⮜
🌲 Discord: / discord
🌲 Patreon: / bwdev
🌲 Twitter (BWDev) - / bwdev1
🌲 Twitter (Lumbermill) - / lumbermillgame
⮞ Links ⮜
🤖 Behaviour Tree Plugin: assetstore.unity.com/packages...
⌨️ Jetbrains IDE 25% Discount Code: BWDEV25
⮞ Timestamps ⮜
0:00 - Where I've Been
1:34 - Returning to the Forest
2:00 - Reprioritising Alpha
2:34 - Top Down to Isometric
2:50 - Crews
3:04 - Developer Console
3:21 - Save System
3:45 - Tilemaps
4:14 - GUI Performance Issues
4:55 - Plots
6:30 - New AI Behaviour Trees
7:04 - New Debug tools
7:14 - New Combiner and Splitter Machines
7:37 - Let me know your thoughts!
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegame

[@iplayminecraft2248]

this is the greatest day in ever, maybe ever

[@LexTheCat]

...untill GTA6 comes out, that is ^^

[@oSpam]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@LexTheCat … until lumber mill comes out, that is ^^

[@mrfrog0913]

5:52 I play lumbermill for the plot.

[@GingerNingerish]

Feels good to see this back, has it been that long already? Time flies, been watching since very early on.

[@microwave6224]

fr bro i remember watching the first devlog when it came out

[@FreemanDK90]

Recently I was browsing my wishlist and saw Lumbermill. I thought to my self "It's been a while, how this game doing?". Well now I know!

[@delta927canadien-francais5]

Same

[@jademonass2954]

literally same thing lmao

[@Zizaco]

Same... I visited his channel a few times expecting to find a new video that YT didn't deliver. It's awesome that his finally back!

[@j_devs4603]

I love, that you changed back to the old design. It is so iconic for your game. I think you have something that represents your game so others can recognize it more easily.

[@TheSapling]

Thank you for documenting the internal motivation struggle part of game development ❤

[@tona]

I would just like to mention that lumber mill has stayed at the top of my steam wishlist the entire time you were gone. Welcome back!

[@egoobby]

Welcome back BWDev, I just checked on this channel around a week ago, wondering if maybe my bell notifications stopped working. Seeing nothing new I just thought you had been busy - and you pretty much were! You are a huge inspiration to my own little project. Seeing you work, plan and figure out solutions is genuinely so motivating to me. So once again, welcome back. Hope you are feeling better ❤

[@daddyleporc3475]

Hey man, just wanted to say : when I first started watching your channel, I was mind blown by what you were doing, and I was desperate to be able to do such things myself. A couple of years later, and I'm now a professional game developper, making a living from what I love. Wish you the best, and thanks again for that inspiration !

[@Gwilo]

I genuinely cannot believe it. I thought that it was over after the last devlog, but to be able to pick up a project after all that time and not only revive it, but improve it so much more, is just insane. well done man, seriously!

[@AAlexDoesStuff]

I am so happy to see you back, you were one of the first devs I followed and i cant wait to see what lumbermill will become. Also get well soon :)

[@Skeffles]

Fantastic to see that you're back and working on lumber mill. The progress you've made already is brilliant and I cannot wait to see where you take it.

[@fon-tijn]

That’s at least 536 days on my wishlist !

[@bluspur8645]

I'm really happy to see Lumbermill again, it was always one of my favourite KZbin dev logs! I hope things work out better this time. I am working on my own indie game and I appreciate how hard it is to find motivation sometimes, especially when working on aspects that are required, but not really my interest.

[@lukestonier]

YES! I have checked your channel so many times to see if I had missed an upload. So glad to see this back

[@CodeMonkeyUnity]

Great to have you back!

[@AndrzejGieraltCreative]

Great to see you back. I used to watch every single one of your devlogs right up there alongside ThinMatrix, looking forward to returning to that routine :)

[@littlebitmoreksp]

your game is still at the top of my steam wishlist, and will remain to be for as long as you need to take to make this game! i really like it and I don't want you to feel pressured or burnt out, so please, take all the time you feel is beneficial to you. have a nice day!

[@Than.]

I cant believe its been like 1.5 years. Great to see this project coming back. It has been inspiring me to start a simulation type game myself for so long

[@medvedi_doupe]

It's so refreshing to see you back, full of enthusiasm and energy! I could feel the energy through the video. I'm so glad you got back on track with new ideas and clear vision for Lumermill. Can't wait for more devlogs.

[@andresalcaino7570]

Its nice to have you back! I always come back to your channel to see if you've uploaded a video again, and now it appeared in my recommendations when I least expected it! You can do it, don't give up ! 😁😁

[@SZvenM]

I've recently been returning to gamedev myself, awesome to see you coming back to it!

[@MoZenLen]

I used to watch your videos all the time, to regain my motivation in programming since I was so busy and burned out in school. Now, I already graduated and has a job. How time flies so fast.

[@jertlemiah]

Welcome back! Sometimes a break is the best thing you can do for yourself!

[@Obeu]

I can hear the enthusiasm in your voice ! Happy to see the project back. Looking forward to following along with development 😄!

[@Bratpfannenfett]

I'm so glad you didn't give up on this game. You are a great developer and creative mind. Please keep us updated! Love from Germany 🍻

[@zombieguy]

Glad to see the isometric view back, I know it can be a pain but it fit so well with the game.

[@jademonass2954]

Im so glad this project is being picked back up again!! Also im glad youre happier with the project now, you put a lot of work this time for a single devlog!

[@mohammadazad8350]

Time flies! I used to watch every game devlog video I can find. It's amazing to see that even after the years pass, some of these devlogs are still going!

[@FlorianDeimer]

I would love to learn more about the real life struggles of forests and clearing them. Like that the game kind of (maybe passively) explains, why it is better to plant mixed forests instead of just monocultures. Also maybe special interest, but I like info tabs, in which i can learn more about a type of tree in real life :D

[@BWDev]

Cool idea!

[@TheGreatProphecy]

Well generally Tree stands are just one type. Atleast from my experience foresting pines. Sometimes different types get mixed in but its not necessarily any reason besides disease resistance and convenience. Like loblolly, long leaf and short leaf pines all being in one stand.

[@FlorianDeimer]

@@TheGreatProphecy I think its important for the biodiversity and animals in general. In my home there was a monoculture forest planted, but now an invasive bug species has destroyed them all together. The Forest expert said that that wouldnt have happened, if they would have planted more diversity

[@dimarcinho]

Certain fungus diseases can spread through multiple different types of trees, but only some type of cultures will suffer of them. Usually you should have only one type orchard, because you can pinpoint the problem. I have a bunch of trees in my mom's yard and the guava's trees suffer a lot. All the pos-treatment are related to only have guava's trees in the area... since it's impossible, there is no much to do... the guavas ended having plenty of problems and also the leafs. One of the trees could not resist and died...

[@AdrianaMIpock]

I’m so inexplicably happy. LumberMill is back!!

[@bradhaupt1261]

I honestly can't believe its been this long. When I clicked the video it felt really normal as if it had never left my feed. I'm really interested to see how the game develops, not because it particularly interests me at the moment, but because I hope it one day will.

[@lawbutdead7806]

Ngl this feels like when your favourite show comes back after being axed too early, im so excited to see where the product goes ❤

[@Bach_12]

Glad to see you getting back to the game. Yesterday i tought about lumbermill, thinking what actually happend to the game, have i missed something. Today i then see this video was posted 2 weeks ago.

[@thotholanitembo7332]

So funny how I was watching other devlogs today and stopped to wonder, hey i wonder if i missed a lumber mill devlog only to find the old 2023 video abd thought oh well... and then this 😭 amazing!🤧

[@richardosborn159]

Hi! Welcome back! It's inspiring to hear your story of coming back to an old, loved project after some time away. Wishing you well!

[@mrnobody3982]

Oh my lord, I really just took a random look at the Steam-wishlist and your Channel and saw this video. It's so awesome to have you back. Wish you all the best

[@TheProfessionalReject]

So cool!!! You should add like weather effects and a day and night cycle. Have it be slow paced and infrequent like days would be 16 minutes of day and 8 minutes of night, and you only get rain every so often, and thunder even rarer! Maybe storms build and accumulate? Maybe even snow could come? It would be cool if they have slight impact in the gameplay but mainly just change aesthetic but if it’s just aesthetically it’s still pretty cool! Or as a side activity there were different birds flying around every so often and you can spot them with a camera or binoculars and they are added to your bird book you try and fill up! Would be a great pace break!

[@SoundOfResistance]

YESSSS!!!!!

[@selmecidev]

Im glad you have found your way back to this project. I respect you that you have managed to revert and update the project. Hopefully you are now back in the flow and you will progress on this game going forwards. I am looking forwars to the next devlog

[@caidenkehrer6124]

Man I have been waiting and hoping lumbermill would have another devlog! Its what gave me motivation to start doing my own games, and seeing you come back gives me the motivation to get back as well. Perhaps I really should get back into game development.

[@marcvonglahn458]

I can't tell you how glad I am that you are continuing with Lumbermill. I hope that your new motivation carries the game until release, please remember to do everything at your own pace, we would rather wait a few more months or years than not get to play the game at all. Big love

[@pascha4527]

Proud of you! It takes a lot of strength to dive into a project you kind of abandoned. Doing side project and experiments on other things is good too so you dont burn yourself out.

[@domanacs7513]

This used to be my favorite devlog series, Im so glad it's back

[@tommy33790]

This is amazing. Glad to see you back making videos. And thanks for including the "Where I've been" part in the video.

[@sorenthegaymer]

honestly I am so glad you came back with fresh eyes. I can't wait to see Lumbermill evolve and grow C:

[@collisw8302]

So awesome to see this project back again! As Dusk Falls looks really awesome too, will pick it up when I can.

[@CgtyKy]

Great news. I was really inspired by your devlog style and loved the lumbermill videos. Thanks for coming back.

[@mrlucky974]

I'm so happy for the return of this game and devlog series! Thank you for coming back!

[@jackdaniels5683]

Excited to see where you take this project! Looks like the break was needed, a set of fresh eyes never hurts

[@itssandman2u]

Welcome back! I was just looking at Lumbermill on my Steam wishlist the other day, and wondering if there were any updates. So excited to see you're working on it again.

[@rahul9704]

I just saw the thumbnail and had a jumpscare, I thought it was going to be a video about how it's dropped and dead forever, then thankfully I read the title.

[@MudakTheMultiplier]

Welcome back and congrats on the level up. It's incredible what a stint of professional work can do to your workflow.

[@nielsverhage4185]

Kinda funny, yesterday I was asking myself when the next devblog would be posted since the last one was out for a while. I had no clue though that it was already 1.5 years ago since the last one. But glad to see you're back working on it!

[@RadleyBO0]

Man, this makes me so happy. I love the art style and the last video bummed me so much. I’m absolutely thrilled you’re back on it and going back to the old art style! PS: I hope your health is improving. As someone with numerous health problems myself, I can empathize.

[@naue9189]

I missed these devlogs, it makes me happy to see that you uploaded them again, I will be waiting for more. Greetings from Argentina

[@tad3546]

You love to see it! I really relate to those motivational struggles, it's really rough, but i'm so glad you've come back to working on it!

[@nedflanders8995]

It's very cool to see you coming back with a new vision for the game, I just can't believe it's been that long since the last devlog

[@ArmanNobari]

Absolutely delighted for this update, but also sincerely glad you're navigating everything life has thrown at you.

[@ccoodduu]

Nice to see you motivated and clearsighted again! I have really missed these, welcome back :)

[@Sparklmonkey]

I was happier to see this update than when Brackeys came back. So glad Lumbermill is back!! This is what kept me motivated to keep working on my own game!

[@ReadingOcelotl]

Welcome back ! I loved watching your videos and looking forward to any new changes on this game. That visual programming reminds me of Lego Mindstorms dev environment i used to play around as a kid in the 90s.

[@RonnieTreibholz]

Just a few Days ago, I looked at the channel if you're still working on Lumber Mill. Seeing this is a real surprise :D I am glad that you are back. Good Luck and good Health! And always remember, keep having fun making games :)

[@alexandersix_]

Yes yes yes!! I can't begin to explain just how exciting this is! I reference the topics you talked about in your series (tagging, specifically) so much in my day-to-day-work, so I'm excited to see you come back to this!

[@JohnJohnMackaroni]

Great to see an update 🥳 Amazing progress. Well done on everything. By the way, that green house design is so beautiful!

[@cubcrafts]

I am SO excited that you're back! Hope your health is improving! Very glad the isometric view is back, it was a core part of the games character for me

[@Geeze]

Glad you found that inspiration again, it's been great watching this project come together

[@Yadu]

It is really good to see you come back to the project! All the very best! 🌸

[@brandonmack111]

I was just thinking about this game the other day, wishing it wasn't dead. So glad you have resurrected it!

[@paddy6976]

Welcome back! I always see lumbermill on my wishlist and silently hope for an update on the game. All the best, man!

[@totallyjustmagic]

This is actually so great! Good luck with the project and I am glad to see you back!

[@Shanobrowno]

i have been watching since the beginning of this series, and i am SO excited for this game to release. congratulations on coming back! regardless of if you complete this project, coming back was a strong accomplishment.

[@ThePhliphip]

I have spent hours on reddit and all over the internet trying to find out what happened. I loved Lumbermill from the very beginning and watched every devlog. You seem to have so much passion for this beautiful project and than all of a sudden there was no news anymore. I was worried you might have burnt out or got a really bad case of COVID. So happy to see you did well and gave yourself the distance you needed to keep up the enthusiasm. Love seeing you resume the work on this project!

[@rebeccarisk1772]

yay!! I'm so glad you're back :) I was looking at the channel the other day and missing the game

[@GoodOldQuestion]

I was going through the list of my channels yesterday and thought: "Welp, this one is dead". AND TODAY THERE IS A NEW UPLOAD. Good luck with the journey, I guess :D

[@TheStageBassist]

Been wondering where you've been. Glad to see you back working on the game again!

[@xsticcydev]

*When the world needed him the most, he returned.* Glad you're back! I remember that you inspired me a lot when I was a beginner.

[@BlueDavrial]

Good to see you back man! Was just thinking about Lumbermill yesterday, even. Glad you're ok, was worried something had happened to ya. Congrats on the job, even if it was short lived!

[@thedaranesianconfederation7221]

We all need a break from time to time, and we're all really happy to see that it did you good. But I definitely won't miss the times where I came to your channel hoping for news Welcome back

[@m.p.breeman1754]

Good to see you back!! It's been a while and I'm really looking forward to the next steps.

[@bolo2747]

glad to see you back! hopefully the process will be more enjoyable and less pressure this time around.

[@le3lux]

So good to so you and the project up again on its feet, can't wait so see more of season 2

[@feidry]

Welcome back! Glad to see you've not given up on it. I had started to wonder!

[@simoncodrington]

Nice video mate. I ended up looking extensively into both behavior trees and finite state machines for my city builder (for the agents collection / delivery logic) and I found specifically that using a FSM was the best way factoring in saving/loading. With a BT you can't really jump directly to a state, you need to let your variables guide it to where it's supposed to go VS a FSM where you can load all your variables in and trigger a state directly (and it'll just start working again) I ended up leveraging nodeCanvas for this and overall it's a hugely robust system, I'm using it to switch between a dozen FSMs at runtime. It's got an interactive custom editor like your behavior tree, so it's super handy for life debugging I spent ages working on my prototype, but it's great now that it's done ❤

[@stasdev]

holy crap glad to see you there would be cool if you made a video about your experience at the studio

[@iiropeltonen]

Oh Wow! Welcome back. Been hoping you'd continue. This has been an interesting series to watch

[@rtbobo77]

Keep up the hard work! Inspiring me to return to old art projects with a new mind

[@jophan8702]

So glad you are back, missed watching your devlogs❤

[@jacques-dev]

Glad to see you back, and I wish you all the best with season 2!

[@ciaraneastwood]

been watching since the very first devlog, feels good to see it back!

[@that1wolf]

So happy to see this back, glad we returned to the isometric, i was so sad to see it go

[@Sitskier123]

So happy to see you returning to this! Can’t wait to see it continue!

[@maxanimator9547]

I am rarely this fond of a project. Glad to see how things turned out for you.

[@siriogamessirioartgames5539]

Good luck! You seem on the right track, I am looking forward to playing the game! I am developing an adventure game with a friend, and I know how much work it takes! I was the end of 2018 when we started...

[@Daiwie44]

Oh wow, I was immediately overcome with cozy vibes! I hope you know how comforting and inspiring you are, and best of luck with the game!

[@emovard3n]

I am so glad you are back and full of energy to continue to work on your game

[@Yheeky]

Great to have you back! :) Looking forward to upcoming progress!

[@lucasdegamers]

I physically jumped when this popped up on my home page, thats how excited this made me!

[@xangamerzone3716]

Welcome back, looking forward to seeing your progress as you get back into it🎉

[@lorenz920]

so glad too see you picked this back up! Excited for whats to come :)