Making MENU SYSTEMS for my Indie Game - Solo Game Designer - Devlog #15

In this #devlog I show my process of pause menus, buttons, and general UI design. This goes from the concept art stage (quick sketches) to the fully fleshed out game mechanics and objects that are completely playable.
I also put a lot of emphasis on polish and game feel!
I use Unity, Playmaker, and Blender 3D to make my indie game, called Toby's Topsy Tale which was funded on Kickstarter. It is a psychological horror 3D platformer with Lovecraftian elements (which means inspired in part by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Super Mario).
These dev logs are meant to serve as a way for me to track progression as I work towards my dream of being a solo indie game dev. Game design is hard but it's easier with such a great community! I'm hoping it won't be long before the game is ready to launch on Steam!
This is hopefully of interest to people who play games as well as those actively pursuing their indie game dev journey and those who have an interest in someday learning how to make games!
Speaking of which, make sure you LIKE and SUBSCRIBE! Here's the link to my Discord if you're interested!
/ discord

[@jaidenkulawiec49]

You should make a costume based on enemies you kill. Example: You kill the milk guy and there is a 10% chance he drops a costume that looks like Toby and milk. Also make it that once you finish finding the ingredients for the sandwich you Granny gives you a costume called Wilson that looks like a sandwich.

[@vidya_synth]

Love catching up on these when I can. I keep telling my friends about your game. I can't wait to see where Toby goes from here. If the book doesn't have a name, I think Florence would be a good name.

[@3gnomesgames909]

100% that's the name of the book

[@3gnomesgames909]

And thank you so much!

[@axelswanson2490]

Love your videos you should make a skin ware tobey covered in frosting that you get from falling in to frosting container

[@crispylego9954]

i think that Osbornes hat should be named latterson Haterson, ps i love what your doing with the game

[@xEtherealDark]

Toby's Candy Cane is 100% named Winston Chesterfield the Third

[@BadTunes.]

The cane in his hand is cany 😂

[@porterbrown836]

as someone who does exist, i think that the oven should be named reginald

[@3gnomesgames909]

I would love to let you name the oven- but Reginald is already taken as the Basket. Got another suggestion?

[@juantoledo5248]

@@3gnomesgames909 How bout Olan?

[@deathryche]

Your voice sounds so familiar and I finally realized why; you sound like Kevin Perjurer from Defunctland.

[@oreosogood6288]

Wonderful video ! I feel like your video is upload faster than before ? Anaway nice work !

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you! I'm trying to get the KZbin algorithm to like me so I'm trying to post more often

[@SniperSpy10]

What if the sandwich is not Wilson, but the ham inside of it came from a pig, called Wilson, and now his meat controls the sandwich, hence why it easy to think that the sandwich itself is Wilson. Like how most people call the tower big Ben, despite the fact it is only the bell which is called big Ben, and the tower is Elizabeth tower

[@3gnomesgames909]

I love that

[@jom1718]

The clock in the kitchen is called Annie.

[@3gnomesgames909]

Perfect

[@coneman844]

It’s always a good day when 3gnomes posts. Also, it would be funny to make a breaking bad reference, maybe a Toby cosmetic that makes him look like Walter white.The cosmetic would be called… baking bad.

[@3gnomesgames909]

That's so funny 😂

[@3gnomesgames909]

That's a great idea

[@3gnomesgames909]

I AM the one who bakes

[@coneman844]

@@3gnomesgames909 tillie we need to cook

[@ruky61]

That was fast,cool devlog.

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you!

[@dmontenegro]

Thank you for sharing your journey of learning! Always love seeing people wear the "learning" phase as a badge of honor because in all honesty everyone is always learning.

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thanks! Being honest is the best way to help others see it's possible to get into this too

[@LoueyThePerson]

Love the UI!

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you so much!

[@HeyMelodii]

Keep it up with the good job ❤🎉

[@HeyMelodii]

Soo nicee!!

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you!

[@error17_]

The plate under Wilson is called Jip

[@dimadoesdev]

Man this looks sick! Asborn? - Asborngold 🤣 Keep it up! Subbed

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thanks!

[@Tbjbu2]

the theme is so cool

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you so much!

[@Francisco.Xico05]

The candle on the bathroom should be called Lumiere

[@3gnomesgames909]

I love it

[@adamleikep5016]

I love it❤ Its just soo relaxing to watch

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you 😁

[@luneye1684]

The candles are all named jonny and the pause menu is named sean

[@3gnomesgames909]

Oof- just missed the boat on the candles, someone else already named them but I love the name for the pause menu!

[@YTcustomchris]

Very Cool

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you man! I always appreciate your support 😁

[@TheSubzeroRonnieLiminalys]

Make a new levels “falling land” for an new level idea!

[@3gnomesgames909]

That's cool, thanks!

[@TheSubzeroRonnieLiminalys]

@@3gnomesgames909 ok

[@LighthoofDryden]

To help with the inputs changing, you might consider making a state machine for your game states that swaps out controls/handles the timeScale change. I’m not sure how it works in playmaker but it has worked well for me!

[@3gnomesgames909]

Ok cool, thanks!

[@malekelsady]

the picnic blanket should be named gringle grongle

[@3gnomesgames909]

Absolutely it should be

[@alexleonardkrea]

Lol, what a great idea!

[@WinterBunny636]

You should name the candy cane "Tommy Goodness"

[@3gnomesgames909]

Rad

[@WinterBunny636]

@@3gnomesgames909 I like the name

[@rookrac7068]

pause menu looks great man

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you!

[@Mysonyeon]

The candles name shall be jimmy

[@juantoledo5248]

Candleholders are called Lumiere, duh. With a last name for distinction: Lumiere Depardieu, Lumiere Reno, Lumiere Chalamet…

[@nathamxplosion]

The sheep's name should be named jasper thank you.

[@nathamxplosion]

Or scorpo would be cool too

[@nathamxplosion]

And I mean ALL the sheep

[@jackbeech4404]

the candles name is Jackson von jollyflame the third

[@3gnomesgames909]

Yes it definitely is

[@MastermindAtWork]

The candle is named Bernie

[@3gnomesgames909]

Rad

[@lukdev]

man it looks FUN!!!!! Team page bru, i need to whish list this one!!! btw, how did u do with the kitchen/house stuff? did u model it?

[@lukdev]

i just sub btw. wanna follow this!!!

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you! I did model it all by hand, yes!

[@lukdev]

@@3gnomesgames909 niceee!!!! sorry i just got to the channel. do u have a vid about it?

[@JCPOfficial996]

When is the demo coming out? The game is lookin' good!

[@3gnomesgames909]

I don't know if I was planning on releasing a demo actually 🤔

[@JCPOfficial996]

@@3gnomesgames909 OK, that is fine. If you try your best, you can make something special.

[@thedrumlover251]

The candle is named carl carlson the third

[@3gnomesgames909]

Love it

[@Bighaid91]

The game is called Toby’s topsy tale

[@3gnomesgames909]

Perfect 😂

[@jumi6051]

I think it would just be cooler if u use a wardrobe object or something one can interact with to change the skin. Changing it in a menu that opens with a click of a button, anywhere in the world seems kinda non-immersive. This would also fix the time problem, obviously that would mean that u would have to separate the basic menu and the skin-menu

[@3gnomesgames909]

That makes sense- but I don't think costume change immersion is important for a 3D Platformer. It's not like it's an rpg where people are gonna be like 'oh, how did he change without going back to his house?'. It would just be another thing that wastes people's time having to go back and forth I think

[@jumi6051]

@@3gnomesgames909 Yeah I can see that. The menu looks great nonetheless

[@3gnomesgames909]

Thank you!

[@Seem_gDev]

You still calling yourself "3 gnomes games" implies that you absorbed the other 2 people 🤔

[@3gnomesgames909]

'3 Gnomes Games' was a title I came up with by myself when I started working solo. It's a play on another online name I used for myself for a while '3 Gnomes in a Fat Suit'. So, I didn't absorb the other 2- I just took off a Fat Suit and started making video games 😂

[@Seem_gDev]

@@3gnomesgames909 That's exactly what someone who absorbed 2 people would want others to think