2025 And Beyond

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Another year in the books, so time for another year-end blog.

“Space Mission Survival” Saga

In January of 2025 I (finally) released Space Mission: Survival for the PC, Mac, and Linux platforms.  I spent about a year developing this using Godot, after many, many attempts using Unity.  I spent seven years starting and restarting development of this game, and for various reasons it was never released.  When I started development with Godot, I made a personal promise to finish and release.

I think the end result came out great.  While I did not expect blockbuster sales, response has been a bit underwhelming though.  The game has been out on itch.io for about a year and has received 6 updates to add features and to fix any issues.  The game is listed as “pay what you want” (including $0.00), so I expected a bit more downloads.  Oh well.  I guess… if you are so inclined, download a copy and send me some feedback.

I also released an update to the original mobile versions for iOS and Android.  Ads were removed and the game is also listed as free on these app stores.  This game was written back in 2014 using Solar2D and I am trying to keep this game alive for as long as I can.

More 2025 Stuff

In addition to releasing and updating the mobile and PC versions of Space Mission: Survival, I have been working on a few projects.

The first project is a humorous local multi-player space battle game.  I want to develop a game that can be played in-person instead of over the internet, but I may add that feature at some point.  I think this “couch game” or “party game” would play well at get-togethers (do people still get together?).

I made a lot of progress and then placed it on the back burner.  There were a few ideas that I did not fully decide on, so I felt it was best to step away a bit and will revisit this in the future.  Alternatively, I decided to focus on a mobile game I started back in late 2023 and set aside for the same reason I set aside the space game… ideas were not fully baked.  This game is a spelling and crafting game and has been in active development (again) for about 6 months.  I modified a few of my original ideas, and progress is going great.

Plans for 2026

Lots of plans for 2026… let’s see how far I get.

I do want to finish the mobile game I am working on.  There’s still a good amount of development to do, but I think I can get a playable version out for some testing and feedback (hopefully) soon.  I really like this game, and I think the programming is some of the best I have done in a while.  If this game goes over well, then I may release a version for PC platforms, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I would like to revisit the local multiplayer game that I paused development on.  I think, at least, I can also release a playable version for testing and comments, and we’ll go from there.

I think if you like and/or remember classic arcade games back in the 1980s, you would love Space Mission Survival, but it seems like I am the game’s biggest (only?) fan, so all of the wish list items for this game are subject to my motivation and my enthusiasm.

I would like to add additional decade modes (1960s Mainframe, 1990s Console, 1940s Board Game).  I am also planning on adding Achievements and Leaderboards.  Ultimately, a Steam release would be cool as well. 

I am also planning on releasing an “arcade” build.  This should be fairly easy to do, and would basically be a build consisting of the 1970s Arcade mode that can be installed on a PC and played on an arcade cabinet. This is actually doable with the current build, but I need to modify some of the UI that would not be necessary or needs to be rearranged.  I kinda want it to be a “run it and start playing” solution.  Thinking about it a bit further, I may want to support 4:3 monitors, so there may be some work involved.  I guess we’ll have to see.

I am also investigating builds for retro systems.  I think an Atari 2600, Vectrex, and perhaps a Commander-X16 (Commodore 64-like system) would be great additions.

In a non-game development topic, I am updating my app “Back In The Day” to support 2026 data.  Back In The Day is an inflation calculator for iOS and Android and seems to have a decent following.  I have some plans for enhancements that may come later.

I am also considering restarting my YouTube channel to release some coding tutorials (primarily in Godot).  I guess it depends on whether this is something people want to see.

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SMS – Version 1.4.0 Released

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Version 1.4.0 of Space Mission: Survival has just been released.

If you recall my previous post on the Project Roadmap, I outlined a few things I wanted to do to prepare for an iOS (iPad) and Steam release. This release brings us one step closer.

Localization has been added. Under the Settings menu, you can now choose from English, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Klingon languages.

I also rewrote the UI to make it more modular. The attract modes and menus have been completely rewritten.

Going forward, the plan is still to add Leaderboards and Achievements, keyboard and controller mapping, and to release on iOS and Steam.

The “Shmup” mode is still in progress, although I have no release time for this mode. I am designing and developing this mode (as well as other modes), and will release when ready, but I am also spending some time developing a new game. If there is an increased interest in the Shmup mode, I can dedicate more time.

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Space Mission Survival – Project Roadmap

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Space Mission: Survival has been ouf for about 5 months now, and I am still actively working on adding new features and fixing bugs. With this post, I would like to outine the future roadmap.

Here is what I am planning:

1. Rewriting / Refactoring Attract Mode

As I mentioned in a previous post about menus, they were completely redesigned to support a more modular solution. I am currently working on doing the same thing for the attract mode screens. This gives me more flexibility in the long run. This should be completed rather soon.

2. Localization of Text

My earlier mobile release of Space Mission: Survival contained a setting to choose one of 9 languages, and I want to bring that over to this version of the game. For the mobile version, I developed a plug-in to support mulitple languages. I am unsure if I will create a plug-in for this version (I am using a different game engine) or if there is an easier way.

3. Apple iPad version

Once the menus have been redesigned, and additional languages have been added, I plan on releasing a version for the iPad, and updating the PC/Mac/Linux version.

4. Achievements and Leaderboards

The iPad version will support Apple Game Center Achievements and Leaderboards. The PC/Mac/Linux version will support this via Steamworks. That’s right, I am investigating creating a Steam version of Space Mission: Survival.

5. Shmup Mode

I started working on adding an additional decade choice… “2000s”, which consists of a shoot-em-up (Shmup), or “Bullet Hell” mode that spans over multiple screens. I do have some ideas and I’ve started implementing them, and I am also looking for what you feel is a good addition to this mode. Just add your comments below.

6. Additional Features

Keyboard/Controller mapping, “All-time” stats, additional decade modes, and perhaps an AppleTV release will be included as part of normal releases.

As you see, I have a lot of features planned. While I am totally dedicated to this project, I cannot provide an estimate of time when all of these features will be available, since the releases are subject to complexity, and development is subject to motivation.

Encouragement, downloads, installs, and purchases tend to motivate me greatly. Lack of motivation slows me down. I also have 2 additional projects I am working on (one mobile game, and one multi-player PC/Mac game), and I tend to gravitate there at times when I feel I need a little break.

Anyway, I think that’s it for now… thanks!

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Space Mission: Survival 1.3.0 Released

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Today, I released version 1.3.0 of Space Mission: Survival.

The menu system has been completely rewritten. I did this for the visual enhancement, and in preparation for features that will require additional menus (controller mapping, for example).

For those who want info on the technical reasons…

The original main menu and sub-menus were all one giant layout. This made adding or changing items a very tedious task.

The new menu system is more modular. Each menu “page” is a separate entity. This allows flexibility when adding new pages and adding/changing existing menu items. The menu now supports multiple layers via a breadcrumb feature.

I am thinking of starting a series of YouTube videos explaining how this game was developed, the development of new features, and how-to videos on items I have encountered. If anyone is interested, or if you are interested in specific topics, please let me know. Depending on interest, I will pick up the pace.

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February Development Update

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Hi everyone… just a brief update.

I’ve started a “2000s” mode for Space Mission: Survival. This will a twin-stick shooter mode, also known as a “shmup”. It’s in the early stages of design and development, so I am not sure when this will be release or what features it will contain.

In the meantime, I am also continuing with any bug fixes, or minor updates that will enhance the game. If you see anything that needs to be addressed, please let me know.

Currently, the game is still listed as “Name Your Price”, and that does include $0.00 so please give Space Mission: Survival a download and play. The price may change at some point, and I am considering a Steam Early Access release, but I want to get a shmup mode added before i do so.

Thanks!

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Space Mission: Survival version 1.2.0 released

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Version 1.2.0 of Space Mission: Survival has just been released. This update adds the ability to run the game windowed mode, with or without a border, as well as the original full screen mode. There are also some updates and bug fixes I discovered while adding the window mode option. Let’s cover them here.

For the windowed mode option, you can now select between full screen and a variety of popular 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions up to the resolution of your monitor. You can also reposition the window to where you want, and the position and chosen resolution will be saved for future runs.

On to other improvements… I’ve improved the astronaut floating routines so that they will travel across the screen instead of potentially launching off an asteroid and exiting the screen right away. This makes it a bit more fair by giving you some extra time instead of watching them quickly die.

I noticed that the asteroids were drifting slightly after extended play, so I improved their movement. While doing so, I noticed that I was moving them in a way that is not recommended… oof! That is also fixed as well.

Finally, as I described in a previous post, I wanted to redo the menus, so I completely rewrote the UI screens to make them more modular and to improve their design.

Thanks for reading, thanks for following, and as always, I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

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Space Mission: Survival — A Post-Mortem

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Background and History

The amazing 10 year journey to release Space Mission: Survival on Windows/Mac/Linux…

Back in 2014, I was 2 years into mobile development, and I had a few games on the iOS and Google App Stores.  I wanted to create a retro space shooter.  I had a few ideas, and the result was Space Mission: Survival.  This version was written in CoronaSDK, now known as Solar2d, and took about 5 months to develop.

Early response was decent, but I think I loved it more than anyone else, and I decided I wanted to create a Windows/Mac version, but with many more enhancements.  I liked the retro 90s style of the mobile game, and thought it would be somewhat cool and unique to create a multi-retro game… basically a version of Space Mission: Survival that could be available within specific decades.

It was around this time that I was getting familiar with Unity and decided to develop an enhanced version of SMS with Unity.  Progress was good, but unfortunately I stopped development when I got close to completion. I am not fully sure why, but I believe it was several factors.

Firstly, I probably over scoped the project based on my Unity experience, so I programmed myself into a corner.  A second reason was that my motivation was slowing down… it became difficult to finished when there appears to be no one who actually had interest in the project.  Videos, blogs, etc resulted in very low encouragement.

So, development stopped.  Months later, I decided to continue development, but realized that I learned so much more Unity that it was better to just start from the beginning.  Development continued until I lacked motivation (again) and there was lack of interest (again).  Very depressing.

Rinse and repeat 5 more times over the course of 6 years.  I started and restarted development 7 times.  Every time I discovered the motivation and interest issue and stopped.  The last time was in 2023, and when I considered starting for the 8th time, I realized I was not really having fun developing in Unity, and I did not enjoy firing up the Unity editor anymore.

In late 2023 I decided to give Godot a try and discovered that development was fun again, and decided that I would try developing the 8th incarnation of Space Mission: Survival using Godot, and I did not look back.  I made so much progress so quickly, that I decided I am going to release this version no matter what, and I am not going to let the depression get to me.

So, 11 months later, and here we are with a release of Space Mission: Survival for Windows, Mac, and Linux.  Check out the demo or help support further development by purchasing the full version.  The full version will include many more features going forward.

Development

I started developing the Windows/Mac/Linux version of Space Mission: Survival in December of 2023 after looking through some Godot tutorials and videos.  I got the basic hang of it, so decided to dive in.  Using Godot is so much more enjoyable and I was making a lot of progress.

I wanted to add several different retro modes to the game (the mobile version has a single 1990s retro mode), and decided that a 1970s and 1980s mode would be cool, and luckily the gameplay is the same, so it is just a matter of using graphics and sounds of those decades.

Soon after, I was looking through some of my old game jam games, and I saw Johnny’s Flipbook Adventure.  The gameplay is a bit different, but I thought that this mode would be great to add to Space Mission: Survival.  I added the 1950s mode as a flipbook mode.

The graphics for these 3 modes were created using a variety of tools, but Photoshop was the main one. For the 1970s Arcade mode, I tried to emulate the vector graphics of the time.  Each sprite was drawn as white lines on a black background, and when I saved the sprite, I excluded the background.  I think is came out very well.  I added the phosphor glow effect via a shader during the gameplay to give it a more realistic retro feel.

The 1980s mode was also created in Photoshop, and I added a shader to give it the pixellated effect that we all remember (if you do remember the 1980s).

For the 1950s Flipbook effect, I used a tablet to pencil draw a graphic (the asteroid, for example).  I then used that graphic as a template, and added a layer to the image, where I again drew an asteroid.  For each image, I drew 5 images, and then in the Godot editor, I created an animation to cycle through each image.  I think this actually does look like a flipbook drawing.

For each retro decade, I wanted to also use the sound effects of the time.  Same for the fonts.  For the sounds, I perused some free-to-use sound effect sites, and well as creating some of my own.  Actually, all the 1950s sounds are recording of me and pitched higher to sound like a child’s voice.

I used the same game scene for all 3 modes.  I created “prefabs” (scenes in Godot lingo) and added 3 sprites to each.  I swap in the correct image depending on the game mode the player chooses.  Same with the sounds, effects, and UI.  The gameplay for these 3 modes are pretty identical, but I tweak where I have to in order to simulate the selected decade.  This will not be possible for other (upcoming) decades, since the gameplay will be drastically different, but it works here.

What Went Well

  • Learning Godot and GDScript was very easy for me.  Coming from C# and Unity, I thought it may be difficult to learn a new programming paradigm, but recalling my Lua experience using CoronaSDK, it seemed to be very easy to pick up.
  • I had a lot of sprites already created from the 7 previous attempts using Unity, so I did not have to spend time recreating everything, although some tweaks here and there were needed.  This helped move things along without spending a lot of time recreating images.

What Didn’t Go So Well

  • When I get stuck, I get real stuck, and trying to find a solution online can be futile.  Forums posts that mention the same problem I am having have no replies, Internet search yield zero results, AI queries sometimes present answers that are outdated or just do not work.
  • Lack of any feedback is so demotivating. I’ll just leave it at that.

In Closing

Overall, this experience was positive… I did finally get my game out after 10 years of trying.  I also have a few ideas on other modes, and they are quite different than what is already there.  I’m looking forward to developing these other retro modes.

I’ve also learned a lot using Godot and GDScript, and plan to use Godot on future mobile and PC games.   I have a few ideas already in development, and I would like to re-write my previous mobile games and game jam games using Godot.

I welcome you to check out Space Mission: Survival.  Your support, whether its by purchasing a copy, being active in the community, or watching some of my YouTube videos, will give me the incentive to help me to continue development.

Space Mission: Survival — A Post-Mortem Read More »

One Week Later

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It’s been (almost) a week since the release of Space Mission: Survival, so it’s probably a good opportunity to review the past week, and discuss the next release.

The first several days were very exiting and there have been many visitors to this game’s page, with a good number of downloads.  I like to thank everyone for visiting, downloading, and your support.  Currently, Space Mission: Survival is sold as “Name Your Price”, and I do hope you consider contributing as it will help further development.

There are many features that I wish to add, but I believe the next release will add the option to run the game in a bordered and borderless window in multiple resolutions, as well as full screen.  To be honest, I never considered running the game in a window, but after visiting some game development forums, I see that there are many people that like this option in their games, so I am currently working on this.

I am also looking at streamlining the menu structure.  Right now, the menus are a bit overwhelming from a development perspective, and this will only get worse as new features and menu items are added.  You might not see anything different when running the game, but I want to improve this.

Thank you to everyone who has visited my itch page, my website, and my Youtube channel.  I am planning on a few videos, as well as a post-mortem, tech discussion, and perhaps the history of the development of the mobile and computer versions of this game.  My goal is to make Space Mission: Survival accurately emulate the graphics and sounds of each decade, and I look forward to your comments and suggestions as well.

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Space Mission: Survival Released for PC, Mac, Linux

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Announcing the release of Space Mission: Survival for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers!  Space Mission: Survival is a “multi-retro” arcade shooter… protect yourself and your astronauts from alien attack.

https://gamesbycandlelight.itch.io/space-mission-survival

Space Mission: Survival offers a variety of retro gaming styles. You can experience the classic 1970s Arcade, 1980s Computer, and 1950s Flipbook styles, and there are even more retro styles coming your way in the future!

Space Mission: Survival was originally released for mobile devices 10 years ago, and after many restarts, I am happy to announce that it is now available for PC, Mac, and Linux computers!  I’ve also decided to release the mobile versions as free to play!

Since Space Mission: Survival ‘s mobile release in 2014, I’ve been working hard to bring an enhanced version for PC and Mac. We’re finally here, but there’s still a lot of work to do. I hope you’ll check out Space Mission: Survival, subscribe to our itch page, and check out our YouTube channel for more updates and development vlogs.

I also welcome your comments and suggestions, and I thank you for playing Space Mission: Survival!

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