Starting Simple Farms

Here, I kick off the development of the player character for my indie farming game, Simple Farms. Originally, I had envisioned a charming cat protagonist—cute, agile, and perfectly suited for scampering around fields, tending crops, and interacting with barnyard animals in a whimsical, lighthearted way. However, due to unforeseen challenges during production, the project hit a snag that demanded rapid pivots. Tight deadlines, scope adjustments, and technical hurdles forced a quick overhaul of core assets and mechanics to keep momentum going.

In the end, I sourced a versatile, ready-to-use Farmer character asset from itch.io—a pixel art gem with smooth animations for walking, tilling soil, harvesting, and idle poses that fit seamlessly into the game's cozy aesthetic. This switch not only resolved the immediate roadblocks but also injected a classic, grounded farming vibe that aligns beautifully with the title's theme of simple, rewarding rural life—think planting seeds, nurturing growth cycles, and building a thriving homestead from humble beginnings.

With the player character now locked in and integrated, the rest of the game's development is poised to progress smoothly. Core loops like crop management. I'm excited to dive deeper—next up: polishing animations, balancing growth timers, and playtesting those satisfying harvest moments. Stay tuned for more devlogs as Simple Farms takes shape! 🌾🚜