The Story So Far…

Most of the games I’ve been working on trace back to ideas I had as a wide-eyed kid growing up in the wild and wonderful 80s. Back then, my Apple IIe was my portal to endless imagination—but programming in BASIC had its limits, and most of the games in my head never made it to the screen.

Fast forward to 2011. My podcast was winding down, and I needed a new creative outlet before diving headfirst into my musical journey. I decided to resurrect Walking Stick, a game I originally designed in the 80s, using Sawblade Software’s Power Game Factory. I spent a good deal of time bringing it back to life—only to find myself stymied when Apple transitioned Macs from PowerPC to Intel. The software was never updated, and although I finished the game, I suddenly had no computer that could run it.

Jump ahead again to 2023. When my partner was diagnosed with cancer, I became homebound and found myself yearning for another creative challenge—something that didn’t require mastering a full-blown programming language. Enter Construct 3. To my delight, all my original assets were still intact, so it was just a matter of laying them out again and learning the ropes of this new tool. A few months later, Walking Stick was reborn—fully playable in any modern web browser.

Next, I tackled an idea I’d dreamed about for decades: a Mega Man-style game as if it had been designed for the Apple IIe or Commodore 64. Drawing inspiration from classics like Captain Goodnight and Black Magic, I created Mega Max—my take on what Mega Man might’ve looked like in the 8-bit era. Granted, Construct 3 and modern web tech can do far more than those old systems ever could, but the vibe is there, and it feels like something from that time.

Then came TransformersGS, my homage to the arcade beat-’em-ups of the late 80s. I always wished for a Transformers game in the spirit of TMNT: The Arcade Game—so I made it myself.

For my fourth project, I went back to some old sketches and ideas about a secret underground base with a flamboyant twist. Originally, I imagined something like a “gay Leisure Suit Larry,” but as the concept evolved, I realized I wanted to focus less on explicit humor and more on heartfelt storytelling. The result is shaping up to be a blend of King’s Quest, Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, and maybe a dash of Saved by the Bell—all with a cheeky, pixelated 3D aesthetic. Using Adventure Game Studio, I’m building it as the kind of quirky, comedic adventure I always wanted to play.

Right now, progress is steady but slow. Like any creative, I’m fighting the urge to “add every cool idea ever” and trying to stay focused to avoid scope creep. I’ve revised many screens, refined walkable areas, and am tweaking the art to feel like something that could have existed back in the day. Between caregiving during my partner’s second round of chemo and life in general, free time has been scarce—but I’m hoping to release a playable demo soon.

Until then, keep an eye on this feed. I’ll post updates as the journey unfolds.