In addition to working on a bunch of SFX stuff today, I added a post-game summary screen to show the player their last 5 attempts, their last score, and their best score!
Today was a bit of a miscellanious day! First off, I made a "delete save" page so that people that want to reset their achievement or stat progress can do so without mounting the Playdate as a USB drive, navigating to the file, etc etc
I also wrapped up the skins for the game, so all of that art should be behind us!
This evening I worked on a few things - brainstorming ideas for animations to kick off the start of a level, a QA checklist to run through before release, and I also started re-thinking the level layout screen! It's always been about 90% acceptable in my mind, so I figured I'd take another stab at the design and see if I'm happier with it.
To be honest.... not sure yet if I like it or not! But, that's the beautiful thing about branches in git I suppose - I can stew on it without it blocking my other work.
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You can delete game save data through Settings > Games (though it's an all or nothing thing)
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Thanks matt! I just felt that an in-game UI for it would be nice <3 of course my code is capable of handling the resetting of save data from the system UI gracefully as well
It's starting to feel like a real game y'all 
This week I made a lot of small adjustments to make the UI more cohesive, as well as fixing bugs, tweaking SFX, and perfecting experiences!
I took these screenshots to start to prepare a plan for marketing materials - key moments I want to highlight within the game, and it feels so good to have this much work behind us! There's still a little ways to go, but the light at the end of the tunnel is growing ever closer.
This will be my first commercial game release and I'm so pleased with how it is coming along! Hopefully Panic wants to include it in their Catalog 
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Today's win was a bit more subtle! While I'm waiting to hear back if XTRIS is accepted into the Catalog, I am preparing for that moment (cross your fingers)! So I went ahead and made a Makefile that will remove some features from the game for an itch io build, and just compile the full set of code for a Catalog build. That way I can easily generate both builds when there are updates to push to each platform!
Hi again! It's been a while 
Quick updates:
- still waiting to hear back from Panic. I'm hoping that we're getting into the Catalog, but have had no communication from them (it's been nearly 3 weeks now)
- I've been doing small bits of polish, but mostly just relaxing. The rest of the to-do list is mostly marketing materials that I can make in one final push, so I'm taking some time to let my creative juices recharge and look forward to whatever is next (perhaps a Picotron game!)
- I got the final music back from my composer! There will be 1 menu track and 1 in-game track. It's not much, but it's a small game, and I think it rounds out the experience very nicely. You're gonna love it.
- The final file size is looking to be right around 4.5MB. Perfect little bundle for what I hope is a delightful game.
That's all I got! Sorry it's not more exciting news. Once I have information about if we're in or out of the Catalog, I'll make plans to set a release date and get things moving!
Speaking of release - assuming we do get in the Catalog - there will be two versions: the Catalog version will be the full game: 3 levels, in-game shop, achievements, public leaderboards, etc. I'm expecting to release the game for $4 USD there. The version that lands on itch will be pay-what-you-want, and will NOT include public leaderboards, in-game shop, or achievements (to incentivize Catalog purchases).
We're so close! All that's left is the waiting! Thank you all SO MUCH for all of the hype and support for my silly little game. It means a lot to me to see so much enthusiasm for my first commercial release.
P.S. I've hidden a couple easter eggs within the game, so be on the lookout for silly things when you get your hands on it 
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good luck with the release, wishing all the best to you!
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I was supposed to be done for a couple weeks, enjoy a nice break, and wait for Panic to get back to me... but I got antsy and added Zen Mode instead!
Play without timers or urgency, and just collect Xs at your own pace! Stats and achievements will still be tracked in this game mode, so you'll be able to experience most of what XTRIS has to offer in a more comfortable way!
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still waiting on a response from panic <3
small update today to make a smaller score display if the user turns on "reduce flashing" in the accessibility settings
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It's been a while since you've heard from me, but I have some exciting news!!
XTRIS will be coming to Playdate in February 2025!!
Get your fingers ready!!
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We are SO BACK baby 
The countdown to release is upon us!! I'm going to be wrapping up the leaderboard code, doing some final QA, and cranking out some marketing resources and trailers. February here we come!! 
With some quick updates to the scoreboard handling, now we have player highlighting and PBs showing! It's time to ship this game 
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XTRIS is coming to Playdate on February 25, 2025!! Mark your calendars!!
2025-02-25T18:00:00Z
Check out the trailer here: https://youtu.be/m9zJnn7-XwQ
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EDIT: all codes have been claimed!! thanks for participating, and congrats to those of you that got a free game!
In anticipation for the upcoming release, I've hidden 5 free copies of the game in various places around the internet... some of them are more hidden than others! Happy hunting! If you claim one, please refrain from claiming more <3
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It's time for the 12 days of XTRIS!
Starting tomorrow I'll be posting content about XTRIS to count down to the release day. Keep your eyes peeled here or on my Bluesky to stay up to date on mini developer interviews, screenshots, content, and more!
12 days until XTRIS is released! You can check out a micro-interview with me about how XTRIS came to be here: @fletchmakes.bsky.social on Bluesky
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11 days until XTRIS is released! Let's take a look at some accessibility features!
First and foremost, we play nicely with Playdate's system "Reduce Flashing" setting - if your eyes don't play nice with all of the on-screen effects and juice, try flipping that on!
Next, if the soundscapes aren't to your liking, just pop open the pause menu and flip through the options! There are quite a few to choose from, so just settle into what's best for your needs <3
Finally, if you don't like the frantic nature of standard gameplay, try out "Zen Mode"; where you collect Xs without any sort of timer. Just relax and enjoy the bossa nova beat!
If you look closely, you'll notice that the scores can go QUITE high... and it all gets tracked for achievements!
10 days until XTRIS is released!
I spent a lot of time refining the menu design. I eventually landed on this UI, inspired by the concept of "surfaces" from other design frameworks like Material.
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Game has been released!!
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