mizukidevlog

[mizukidevlog]

Edge of the Yokai Forest. A location in my game, Mizuki and the Crimson Moon.

This is one of many backgrounds that I am redoing to help my game look a little nicer.

Thoughts?

More updates soon <3

[mizukidevlog]

Boss fights just became more interesting

I've always enjoyed a little back and forth dialog during boss battles. Something about the player and boss having a conversation about stuff while fighting is just fun. I added the mechanic to the first boss fight and it's looking pretty good! I'm definitely going to have some fun coming up with little chats for this fight and others.

Get ready for one-liners, clap-backs, and more!

[mizukidevlog]

It’s Mizuki the kitsune!

It’s not my best work of art, but it was really nice to work on as a break between all the coding.

Have you played the latest patch yet? If you have, let me know what you think! Lots of stuff was added which made me pretty nervous about everything working well together.

Excited to start coding again. Be on the lookout for most game dev posts!

[mizukidevlog]

Big Update for Mizuki and the Crimson Moon!

New update for Mizuki and the Crimson Moon! New mechanics and plenty of bug fixes. Even if you've played it before, you going to want to check this out!

Some of the big changes include: - The ability to BREAK enemies. Attack most enemies just right to stun them for a couple seconds. - A healing ability for Mizuki! Spend all of your remaining wisps to recover some health. Just don't get hit! - Many gameplay balances - Lot of bug fixes

Check out my demo on Steam and ItchIO! Even if you've played it before, you're going to want to check it out again! If you enjoy it, please leave a review or tell me your thoughts! Stuff like that goes a long way in helping a small indie developer like me.

I'm going to go enjoy my weekend now. Until next time!

A tired Mizuki

[mizukidevlog]

Weekend Gameplay!

Here's a bit of Mizuki and the Crimson Moon gameplay for you to enjoy! Featuring features that will be added to the November demo patch!

The combat has been getting a lot of attention lately, but that's because the first boss has been getting worked on. Adding big fights really make you reflect on how fluid the combat feels. Still trying to find that perfect balance, but hopefully I'm getting closer.

If you're wondering what this gameplay is, it's of the game I'm developing! Mizuki and the Crimson Moon is an action-platformer that uses teleportation as a movement and combat mechanic! I can't say I've seen another game like it, but it takes inspiration from games like Hollow Knight, Luna Knights, and other platformers.

I got a demo you can play; you should check it out! I'd love the feedback / wishlist / review if you got the time! Steam ItchIO

That's all for today. Back to developing!

[mizukidevlog]

Devlog 45

Development on Mizuki and the Crimson Moon has been going smoothly this week. Also! I've noticed that several new people/names have been taking interest in my game, so thank you! I hope you'll tune in and follow my game dev journey.

I've added the Break mechanic to every enemy in the Yokai Forest (at least the ones who need it).

This sprite lost a bit off the top...

The Human Guard definitely got the least work done for his animation, but a simple one will work for now. If you want more details on this Break mechanic, check out my previous post.

Other than working on the Break feature, I've been doing some good work on the first boss, so expect some big updates on him in the future!

I'm also trying to focus a bit more on social media / getting word of my game out there. I'm studying up and trying to figure out how to do it, because I have no idea how other people / game devs are about to get 100+ reactions on a post... Wish me luck!

Last weekend I watched a really good friend of mine play through the demo and found a lot of things that I could change and improve! This friend isn't super good at video games (he said it not me), so it revealed a lot of small things that I don't think many other people would have noticed.

My bit of wisdom for you all is to have inexperienced people play your games and watch them! Nearly all the notes I got down were from things that he didn't bring up but that I got from observing.

Anyways, hope you all have a good night!

[mizukidevlog]

New Combat Mechanic!

You can now 'BREAK' enemies in Mizuki and the Crimson Moon!

What is breaking?

'Breaking' an enemy allows you a few extra moments to reposition or do some extra damage! I'm even thinking of implementing a healing mechanic of some kind to better take advantage of a 'broken' enemy.

In order to break an enemy, you need to hit them just right. This is done by hitting them with the right attack, hitting them in the right place, or hitting them at the right time. Usually, it will be some combination of these three.

The reason I've implemented a Break system is because I wanted to find a way to make combat a little more interesting in my platforming game. Teleporting definitely adds depth and maneuverability, but until you unlock extra attacks, not much else was happening. My hope is that this makes combat reward skill and make it more satisfying.

That's all for today. With this system implemented, I'm ready to finish up the first boss! And by the way, learning how to 'Break' a boss will be key in getting through each fight.

[mizukidevlog]

Nothing to see here. Just some very standard and not buggy game development. Everything happening here is definitely intended.

Have a nice night <3

[mizukidevlog]

Happy Halloween!

This year Mizuki is dressing up a s a character from a game that has inspired me to make my own!

*Shaw!*

If you want to play a platformer since Silksong isn’t out yet, check out my demo! It may not have bugs (at least the insect kind), but it has teleportation!

[mizukidevlog]

Devlog 44

It's been a while...

Rather than go over everything that I've worked on since my last devlog (because trust me that would be a lot) I'm just going to discuss the things I have most recently worked on.

Coding of the first boss is fully underway! I've put a hold on creating any attack sprites yet and have focused on getting the fight AI just right. Creating a boss is so much different than creating your basic enemy, but it has been a very fun challenge!

Since I haven't been creating sprites for the attacks, I've been using these placeholders.

*slash*

It works though! All I need right now are hitboxes. I'll stress over the sprites another week.

Stay tuned for more Mizuki! (and Yokai Hunter)

[mizukidevlog]

So I was working on the Yokai Hunter Boss and...

🎶Sitting here, I realized That your just like me, trying to make indie games, But who's to judge, the good from bad, When the game's released, I think we'll both agree, Gaaaaame dev is haaa-aaard But in the end, it has to be this way🎶

🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

This was made by attacking the Yokai Hunter a whole bunch and speeding up the footage, and I think it's perfect.

But don't worry, he won't actually block that often in game. Just had to do it for the meme :)

Devlog will be later today, so watch out for that!

[mizukidevlog]

October Demo Update!

Happy Halloween!

I've released another update for the Mizuki and the Crimson Moon demo! This update isn't anything huge and just include enemy AI updates and bug fixes with some other small changes sprinkled in. The change that I'm the happiest with is the changes to the yurei (featured below). Now she has a proper ranged attack and death animation!

For anyone who reads this, I hope you give the demo a shot! It can be found on Steam and ItchIO. I am now working on the final update to the demo, and it's going to be a large one (the first boss is in development!). If you have any feedback or suggestions at all, please email me, contact me on social media, or message me on the Mizuki and the Crimson Moon discord channel!

Hope you have a great weekend! See you tomorrow with a devlog!

<3

[mizukidevlog]

Platforming for my game has been perfected!

I mean, there is always room for improvement, but I’m happy with where it is.

It’s very fun to have teleportation mixed in with the movement, and I’m really excited to develop stages that force the player to get creative with it.

I still might add one or two movement options to my game, but at the same time I don’t want to detract from the teleportation mechanic.

Thats all, enjoy that day!

[mizukidevlog]

I’m back for game dev! But don’t worry, I was working on my game this whole time, so there’s lots of progress to share!

But first a meme

I can’t be the only game developer who’s done this right?

Right?

This is what happens when you procrastinate

[mizukidevlog]

Happy Tsukimi!

Tsukimi (月見)is a moon-viewing festival in Japan, and it is heavily featured in my video game Mizuki and the Crimson Moon.

To celebrate Tsukimi, I've made a big update for my demo that fixes lots of bugs, polishes mechanics, and adds a couple new things. I would love for you to try it out and give some feedback!

What is my video game you ask? It is a teleportation action-platformer called Mizuki and the Crimson Moon! Use Mizuki's ability of teleportation to navigate stages and defeat enemies. You won't find another game like it!

If you are wondering what the big fixes and changes to my game are, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see my devlog post. You can find my game on Steam or ItchIO Mizuki and the Crimson Moon Demo Mizuki and the Crimson Moon by CritsOnAStick (itch.io)

I wish you all a great weekend and happy tsukimi!

(Art done by @kiwi-comics)

[mizukidevlog]

Meet the cast of Mizuki and the Crimson Moon, featuring Fufu!

Fufu is a furutsubaki no rei who leads Yokai Village and oversees the forest. She has the ability to sense omens, both good and bad, and uses that knowledge to help Yokai Village.

Fufu is a very calm, wise yokai who always wants what is best for her village. It takes a lot to get her angry or worried about something. However, she can be very stern if a yokai is misbehaving in the village.

After sensing that a particularly terrible thing was happening in the near future after the human attacks, Fufu sends Mizuki on a quest to figure out what's happening and stop the evil omen from coming true!

Fufu is an important NPC in my teleportation platformer, Mizuki and the Crimson Moon! Mizuki and the Crimson Moon is an action platformer game centered around Mizuki's teleport mechanic. Use it in everything from movement, combat, and more! The demo is out, so I hope you check it out and leave a review! https://store.steampowered.com/app/3105220/Mizuki_and_the_Crimson_Moon_Demo/

Thanks for reading <3

Art done by @kiwi-comics

[mizukidevlog]

Meet the characters of my video game Mizuki and the Crimson Moon, starting with the protagonist: Mizuki!

Mizuki is a carefree, playful, and sometime mischievous kitsune with the rare power of teleportation. She uses this unique ability to help her on her adventure to fight off the humans who attacked her village and discover why they attacked in the first place.

Mizuki is known in Yokai Village for always being in good spirits and trying to be friendly to the Yokai that live around her. To the humans, they know her as a tricky kitsune always looking to cause a little trouble to people in and around the village (she never wants to cause harm though!).

Because of her ability to teleport, and for her general agility and nimbleness, she is often tasked with patrolling the forest to make sure that no humans or evil Yokai get too close to the village. However, she does occasionally get distracted or doze off…

As I get closer to releasing a large update to my demo, I will be posting mini bios for the characters you will see in Mizuki and the Crimson Moon. If you like platformers with unique play styles and challenges or enjoy Japanese culture, give my demo a try on Steam or itch-io.

Stay tuned for more!

Art done by the wonderful @kiwi-comics