TEAM SIZE: ~24
DEV PERIOD: Sept. 2023 - Jan. 2025
Prototyping - Pitching, Presenting
This phase saw me leading a team of about 12 students in creating a prototype that we would pitch to our classmates, professors, and a panel of industry professionals. Specifically, I would be leading meetings, tracking tasks, removing blockers, and preparing the actual pitch. Additionally, I helped out a bit with art.
The pitch was my main focus, as we would need to show why our game should move forward and not be cut. I spent time creating the pitch, rehearsing, and reviewing questions that might be asked of me.
The pitch itself went very well, and all the questions/concerns the industry panel and professors had were questions I had already considered and created answers for. As such, when the time came to announce the games that would be moving forward, Pogo Rogue was one of them!
This is our prototype plan submission, detailing overall vision, tasks, milestones, and risks
Initial concept art. We had the art team draw what they thought the game could look like, then we organized forms to gauge opinion from team members, classmates, and anyone else we could find!
New Team Members and Production
At this point, we saw an influx of team members (Moving from about 12 to 24). It was a major priority for us to ensure all our new team members felt welcome and that they were an important part of the project. For our first team meeting, we threw a Pizza Party to welcome the new team members and discussed our plans.
We split the project into feature teams that would meet regularly and discipline teams that would meet less regularly. I became the producer for the Powerups/Buffs team, the Art Team, and a general “Hats” producer (which I’ll discuss later).
Powerups/Buffs Team
For this team, I primarily led discussions on powerups, provided input, and coordinated with other feature teams where applicable. Most of the time, this was with the character team. This team would eventually be merged with the character team, as we began to have more and more overlap. Additionally, my responsibilities in my other roles increased, so it made sense for me to focus on them instead.
Art Team Producer
We had about 10 artists on this project. As the Art Team Producer, I would lead discussions, create documentation, and help review the art of team members, giving feedback along the way. This would also see me creating a pipeline for polish that would become very important after launch.
“Hats” Producer
There were a lot of things that our team structure didn’t cover. As such, I took the initiative to become a “hats” producer, learning and doing those things that we needed. With this in mind, it’s pretty scattered, but here’s a rundown:
Audio Outsourcing
Collaborating with the Berklee College of Music to create sound effects and music. This saw me specifically creating the documentation and leading meetings.
Competitions
We were featured at Devcom 2024, a finalist in two categories at the GDWC Summer Games, and a finalist in two categories at the Utah Game Developers Choice Awards. For these, I would research the competition, submit applications, and serve as the “face” for any interviews or required coordination.
Marketing and Community Management
This saw me creating social media profiles, producing content, and interacting with the community. Specifically, we secured coverage from several media outlets and influencers.
Business:
Creating the LLC, registering with the state, and creating a bank account.
Booths
I would plan and run booths at various conventions to show off the game, gauge interest, run playtests, and the like!
Continue Development- Localization and Polish
After we graduated, several of us chose to continue working on the game so it could match our vision. This had two main aspects: Polish and Localization
Localization
As a large portion of our team were international students from China, we wanted to translate the game into Mandarin Chinese. For me, I led the process by gathering and providing all the text needed for translation. I also worked on creating social media posts on Chinese apps like Rednote.
Polish
This was where the bulk of our time was spent. For me, this meant refining the pipeline for art, reporting bugs, and lots of playtesting. I helped refine the tutorial and drew background assets for the combat and boss rooms. These can be seen below.
