Upgrade chef skill to unlock the dessert recipes
The player is going to help the shiba grow up from newbies to a professional chef. As the raise of skill rate, the shiba could unlock more and more various dessert recipes. Those lovely shiba shaped desserts will satisfy the taste buds and eyes for the customers. And also warming up their hearts.
Busy preparing ingredients and enjoy the process of making desserts
Knead the glutinous rice flour into a dough, drop it into boiling water, and once it floats, scoop it out and let it cool. Carefully drizzle with a special secret sugar-soy sauce... Ta-da! The fragrant Shiba Riceball is ready to shine. What other cute desserts will you make with your furry paws to sell today?
Every second matters! Pack dessert bento for your lovely customers
The only reason that various customers are in the long queue is that they can’t wait to taste your delicious handmade dessert. In a limited time, you’ll put the correct desserts into bento boxes and sell them. Their happy faces are your biggest motivation.
Decorate the kitchen and shop by hardworking earning money
No matter in reality or in the game, money is so useful! The player needs to use money to buy the ingredients for desserts, different kitchen utensils, beautiful decorations for kitchen and shop etc. We even use it to buy lovely aprons for the shiba chef.
Grandma loves you so much!
What’s the experience of having a grandma who loves traveling so much? The grandma always remembers her favourite grandchild. She will send the player postcards during the traveling. Those fun and interesting postcards become our precious collection. The only thing I could say is that the love by grandma is invincible!
Hello, lovely players! This is Ya Mao. The Playtest for Shiba Sweet is coming soon. Please visit the store page and click Request Access to join the playtest waitlist.
The main purpose of the playtest is to check whether the game runs and plays smoothly. During the test, encountering bugs or technical issues is completely normal. If you do run into any problems, you can help by filling out the feedback form to report them, which will greatly help improve and polish the game.
To ensure a better overall experience, the playtest originally planned for December has been postponed to January. This will give me more time to further improve controller support, so players will be able to choose between keyboard and mouse or a game controller based on their own preferences.
The official demo of Shiba Sweet is currently planned for release between late January and early February. If you are interested in streaming the game or showcasing a more complete experience, it is recommended to do so once the demo is available, as it will be more stable and closer to the final release compared to the playtest version.
Thank you very much for your patience and support. See you in the Playtest!
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the November game development update for Shiba Sweet.
This month, development has been moving forward at a steady pace. I finished the discount system for the ingredient shop, added a night-time reminder feature, began building the environment for the Chef Challenge Day, completed the long-term save system, and created many new art assets, including profile icons for the Black Shiba Merchant and the Bunny Host, as well as new outfits for the animal NPCs.
1. Detailed Development Updates
(1) Ingredient Discount System
The Black Shiba Merchants shop now occasionally offers sweet half-price deals, giving players a chance to stock up on ingredients at a very good price. This update includes the logic that triggers ingredient discounts along with a new discount icon that highlights special offers. These limited-time deals will help players earn even more profit from selling dessert bento boxes.
(2) Night-Time Reminder for the Ingredient Shop
In this game, any ingredients not placed in the pantry before the day ends will lose freshness and turn into trash the next morning. To prevent players from accidentally buying ingredients at night with nowhere to store them, I added a special reminder that appears the first time they enter the shop at night. This helps players review this important rule before making a purchase.
(3) Building the Chef Challenge Day Environment
This month I began constructing the full environment for the Chef Challenge Day. This includes new 3D objects such as dessert tables, judge tents, and outfits for the judges and the host. I also completed the hosts dialogue. During the challenge, players will be greeted not only by the judges and the host but also by many adorable audience NPCs who clap and cheer with genuine enthusiasm, offering heartwarming support throughout the event.
(4) Long-Term Save System
Previously, the game already had a temporary save system that helped preserve important player data when switching between maps. Building on that foundation, I implemented the full long-term save system this month. It ensures that when players close the game, all essential information is safely stored so their time and effort running the shop are never lost.
(5) New Outfits for Animal Customer NPCs
Although this wasnt originally on my task list, developing a game alone can sometimes feel tiring. When that happens, working on something fun and refreshing helps keep the momentum going. I spent some time designing new outfit textures for the NPCs. Players will notice these cute costumes both at the shop counter and throughout the town as animals stroll by.
(6) New Icons for the Host and the Black Shiba Merchant
I would like players to feel the emotional tone of each conversation in the game. Sometimes cheerful, sometimes calm, and these moods can be conveyed through a characters profile icon. While drawing the new icons for the Black Shiba Merchant and the Bunny Host, I added different expressions to help represent these emotional shifts more vividly.
2. Wrapping up
Recently, developing this game alone feels like hiking up a mountain in the dark, finding the path step by step and slowly carving out a road that belongs to both me and the game I am creating. The scenery along the way is difficult to describe with words. Only by experiencing it firsthand can one truly feel the warmth and atmosphere of the journey. I am very lucky to have met many wonderful players who walk alongside me, hand in hand, toward the finish line of this game.
A large playtest is planned for December. If you would like to experience the game early and help track down the little bugs hiding in the code so the game can continue moving toward a better direction, I warmly welcome you to join the test in mid-December. I will make an announcement when sign-ups open.
Thank a lot for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
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Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the October game development update for Shiba Sweet.
This months progress has been amazing. I completed several major systems including the Recipe Unlock System, Bankruptcy Rescue System, and Ingredient-to-Trash System. I also improved the Ground Decoration System, fixed many bugs, and added a brand new event called Dog Day to the demo, making the game feel much richer and more complete.
1. Detailed Development Updates
(1) Recipe Unlock System Logic and Animation
When a recipe is unlocked, players can now enjoy a cute animation showing which new recipes, ingredients, and utensils have been unlocked. If the maximum number of desserts that can be placed has increased, that information will also appear in this animation.
Originally, I used a plugin that allowed 3D visual effects to be projected onto 2D widgets, but it caused conflicts during packaging and made the build fail repeatedly. I eventually decided to stop using the plugin and recreated the visual effects using Unreal Engines built-in tools instead.
(2) Major Improvements to the Ground Decoration System
The layout of the information panel has been adjusted to make it easier to read. Players can now continuously place the same type of object in build mode without having to reselect it every time, which provides a smoother building experience.
I also added anchor points for the players position so that decorations or furniture will not overlap with the player while building.
(3) Testing and Bug Fixing
This month I fixed many bugs of different sizes, such as the flickering icon on the mixer, button safety checks, corrected tutorial images, adjusted the ingredient box collision, and fixed the problem of ingredients clipping through the table.
I also fixed issues observed during a game exhibition earlier this month, such as an incorrect day setting that prevented the shop from progressing and unclear tutorial messages that made players confused about how to place ingredient boxes. These improvements helped the game move in a better direction.
(4) Completion of the Bankruptcy Rescue System
Thats right, the Shiba dessert shop can actually go bankrupt. When the player faces a financial crisis due to poor management, a hidden rescue system will automatically detect the situation and provide timely help. This feature allows the game to continue smoothly and prevents the shop from closing down.
(5) Ingredient-to-Trash System
To stay true to the games world and rules, I developed a system that turns unused ingredients into trash. If players forget to put ingredients into the storage cabinet before the day ends, they will find spoiled food the next morning that must be cleaned before the tables can be used again.
This system also applies to desserts left on the table, unfinished food in cookware, and ingredient boxes left on the ground. If these are not handled properly before closing, the kitchen will become a mess the next day.
(6) Added Japanese and Simplified Chinese Localization
In addition to English and Traditional Chinese, I added Japanese and Simplified Chinese versions this month. Each language uses carefully selected cute fonts that match the cozy and friendly atmosphere of Shiba Sweet.
Adding new languages took much more work than expected. Besides accurate translations, I needed to make sure there were no text conflicts, and I also had to redraw some UI textures for each language to ensure everything displayed correctly.
(7) New Special Event: Doggy Day
In the game, most customers are various types of cats and dogs. There was already a Kitty Day on the 12th, so I added a new Doggy Day on the 24th. On this day, all customers are dogs, and players need to prepare and pack delicious dessert bento boxes for them.
2. Summary
This has been a very productive month with lots of effort and progress. Looking back, Im happy to see how far the game has come. The official release is getting closer, and my current focus is to finish the demo and start a playtest in December to gather valuable feedback from players.
If you would like to try the game early, please keep an eye on the upcoming announcements. A limited-time playtest is planned for December.
Thank a lot for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
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Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the September game development update for Shiba Sweet.
This month marked a breakthrough in development. I completed many important features, fixed bugs big and small, and poured a lot of effort into preparing for the very first physical showcase of the Shiba game. The preparation was filled with anticipation and excitement. Many times I caught myself thinking how lucky I am to be a developer whose work is seen by real players.
1. Heres a more detailed look at this months progress:
(1) Background music and sound effects
Audio is just as important as visuals. It enhances immersion and helps players feel truly inside the game. I spent a lot of time setting proper looping for background music and adding necessary sound effects, such as ingredients sizzling in the pan, items being placed on the table, and finished desserts being stored in the display case. I also kept tuning the balance between music and sound effects.
(2) Cross-level temp save system
Without a temp save system between levels, all actions performed in the previous area would be lost. That would make the players effort meaningless. To ensure meaningful progression, I implemented a temporary save system that preserves the players actions, so that going outside to buy decorations will not make half-baked desserts mysteriously disappear when returning to the kitchen.
(3) Bug fixing and testing
I fixed a large number of minor and major issues this month. These included incorrect line breaks in text, misaligned arrows in tutorial images, NPC behavior randomness, display issues in hints, low readability in pie chart colors, interaction problems when unlocking new ingredients, clothing clipping due to animal driving poses, and animation glitches with the merchant.
Game development is a complex process. Even after the main structure is built, countless small issues remain. Through constant testing and refinement, I believe the game will keep moving closer to its ideal form.
(4) Controller support in progress
The game is already fully playable with keyboard and mouse. However, full controller support is a must on the to-do list, especially since I personally prefer the tactile and intuitive feel of playing with a controller.
While working on controller mapping, I also re-evaluated the overall UI navigation order and improved clarity in certain areas. These changes should help players clearly see their current selection without getting confused during gameplay.
(5) Full game optimization
Besides making the game fun, I also need to consider the hardware players will use. To ensure smooth performance on all machines, optimization is essential.
I tested the game on lower-end devices, adjusting frame rate, lighting, shadows, and even global rendering settings. The goal is to maintain good visual quality while keeping the experience stable and stutter-free.
(6) Preparing everything for the physical showcase
Apart from the game build itself, the booth needed to reflect the charm of the Shiba theme. I prepared paw-print desk mats, hanging curtains, Shiba-shaped mouse pads, a small chalkboard sign, handmade mini boards, dedicated player headsets, printed flyers, and an adorable Shiba plush. I also brought a large monitor to loop the game trailer on-site.
Seeing players live reactions was incredibly rewarding. Their feedback through conversation and observation was invaluable. Everyone loved the Shiba plush and gently patted its head. A little girl even hugged it for a photo with a huge smile.
2. Wrapping up
Rather than staying tucked away in my small workspace, I now look forward to the day the game truly meets its players. During the showcase, I realized that Shiba Sweet is genuinely fun. Players expressed creativity in unexpected ways, and whenever they smiled at some quirky detail I hid in the game, I felt a spark of connection. It was an indescribably moving moment.
In short, September was an extremely productive month, and early October marked the first public playtest with new players, which brought back wonderful feedback.
Thank a lot for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
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Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and this is Shiba Sweets very first in-person event announcement!
Maowoo will be exhibiting at PLAY EXPO BLACKPOOL in Blackpool, UK, on October 4th and 5th for a two-day weekend showcase.
Well be showing a playable demo for the very first time, so if you happen to be nearby, come check it out and join the fun!
Heres a peek at the mini flyer that will be displayed at the event. Players who stop by to try the demo are welcome to grab one for free!
Because Ive been busy preparing for the expo, last months development update will be postponed to next week. Im now fully focused on the final stretch before the event. Thank you all for understanding!
See you at the show! (Or catch you soon when the online demo goes live!)
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the July game development update for Shiba Sweet.
The best news this month is that Ive finally shaken off the brain fog (yeah!) and got back on track with focused development, fully enjoying that creative flow again. As the sole developer of this game, I havent outsourced any part of the work, which means Im carrying the full weight of development on my own shoulders. Step by step, Im moving the game forward into the future, and Im confident Ill keep pushing all the way to the finish line.
1. Heres a more detailed look at this months progress:
(1) Ground Decoration System Logic
The ground decoration system is now about halfway complete. Players can already purchase, place, and store items in the warehouse. The available categories include tables, kitchen equipment, ingredient shelves, and decorative plants. This system not only adds personality and liveliness to the kitchen but also fulfills practical needs for baking tools.
(2) Notes Page + Special Festival Posters
This month I redesigned and illustrated the notes tab UI, adding a to-do list feature to guide players toward unlocking new recipes. I also built in a calendar system that highlights important festival dates so players can prepare in advance. On top of that, I added a countdown display in the top-right corner of the kitchen screen, making it easy to see which events are coming up.
(3) NPC Variety Outside the Shop
To bring the street scene to life, I added more than just cute trees, grass, and decorationsnow the local animal residents, who also happen to be regular customers, can be seen walking around. In this update, I also introduced NPCs driving or riding down the road in toy-like wooden vehicles, making the street atmosphere even more bustling and lively.
(4) Practice Baking Space
Players can now practice recipes freely in a safe space with unlimited ingredients. While baked goods made here cant be sold for profit, I think this is a great way for players to build confidence. Without any pressure, they can practice as much as they want and simply enjoy the processthen return to the main kitchen when they feel ready for real dessert production.
(5) Traditional Chinese Localization
Since English has been the main development language, I grew curious about how the game would feel in my own native language. So, while preparing the demo, I spent some time translating the text into natural Traditional Chinese and setting it up in the engine.
2. Wrapping up
If last month felt like a slow recovery phase, then this month has been a full-on revival. My productivity has skyrocketed, and Im completely immersed in building the demo. I cant wait to meet players soon with a fresh new version of the game!
Thank a lot for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
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Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the July game development update for Shiba Sweet.
Progress in July was similar to that in June. It was relatively slow, mainly because I got sick from accumulated exhaustion. Even though I had reduced my level of physical activity, I still often felt tired. So I took some time to adjust my diet and lifestyle. Now I try my best to eat healthy, satisfying meals every day and keep up a regular exercise routine. Im gradually feeling better and slowly returning to the rhythm of developing the game.
Here is a more detailed look at what I worked on this month:
1. Created a small blender icon and animation
In the game, players need to place the correct ingredients into the blender in order to start the machine and produce the right semi-finished products. Its important to show what ingredients are currently inside the blender. This month, I added small icons that appears automatically when the player walks by the blender for showing its contents. I also added a feature that lets players open the UI to view more detailed ingredient information.
2. Rebuilt the kitchen wall decoration system
The wall decoration system from last month was too messy and often caused errors during gameplay. After giving it some serious thought, I decided to reorganize the programming logic and rebuild the system using a simpler structure. This will help prevent crashes caused by bugs in the system.
The new wall decoration system is now complete. Although I still need to add gamepad support, players using a mouse can already freely buy, decorate, move items, and store them in the warehouse. The current decoration status is also saved properly when switching between levels.
3. Started building the floor decoration system
Compared to the wall system, the floor decoration system is more complex. It includes not only decorative items, but also functional kitchen tools, different table designs, and ingredient storage cabinets of various sizes. Im personally very fond of decoration features in games, so I truly wanted players to enjoy the experience of customizing their kitchen and turning it into a space that feels like their own.
At this point, Ive finished creating a full list of objects needed for the floor decoration system. Next, Ill begin setting up the functions so that each decoration can be used and every item works correctly.
4. Wrapping up
When I first started developing this game, I didnt expect to get sick, especially with an illness that takes months or even years to fully recover from. I wasnt sure if it would be appropriate to mention my health in a development log, but then I realized that for a solo developer, this kind of experience is part of the journey. These struggles are real, and it feels more honest to include them. So I chose to document everything, including the moments of difficulty and frustration.
One day, when the game is finally completed and placed into the hands of players, the joy of that moment will be deeply real and meaningful.
Please wait for me, dear players. Im still on my way toward you.
Thank a lot for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the April & May game development update for Shiba Sweet.
Development in June was relatively slow because one of my close family members was injured and had to stay in the hospital. I spent a lot of time taking care of him and staying by his side. It was only when he began to recover that I was able to return to my desk and continue working on Shibas unfinished journey.
I hope everyone can stay healthy both physically and mentally, feel joy and peace in your daily life. And continue to love the people around you who love you in return.
Here is a more detailed look at this month's progress:
1. Game Development
(1) Building the kitchen wall decoration system
All 3D wall decoration assets and their data were completed on schedule previously. So the main focus this month was to build the full decoration system, write the necessary code and logic, and sync the coin balance and decoration score when players make a purchase.
As the chef levels up, players will be able to unlock and buy more adorable wall decorations for their kitchen. It would raise the overall decoration score and make the kitchen feel lively and cozy. I hope this function may turn every baking session into something fun.
(2) Uploading the developer demo to Steam for testing
As you know Shiba Sweet is my first official game, I have been handling everything myself. This includes from setting up the Steam store page to uploading the game build. At the moment I ran into problems, I worked through them step by step on my own as well.
I already had a developer test build available for local testing, and this month, I successfully uploaded the playable demo to Steam following the required steps and was able to test it using my Steam account. It was incredibly exciting and emotional to see the game I built piece by piece running properly. It made me feel that all the effort was truly worth it!
(3) Sketching Grandmas Ultimate Journey
For some reason, when I first planned this game, a travel-loving grandma became an essential part of the story. Shes always sending warm messages from somewhere in the world.
This month, I finally sketched out the postcard illustrations based on previous travel notes and added some new travel scenes so this grandma. She has an unstoppable spirit for adventure and always enjoys a grand journey during the process. These sketches will also serve as great composition references when I create the 3D art later on.
2. Releasing a new game trailer
At the beginning of June, Shiba Sweet released a new game trailer. It showcased more in-game moments including Shibas adorable sleep auto saving system, new dessert designs, a cute animation for the donut in the logo, the new ingredients shop, outdoor decoration systems, and the trophy upgrade scene. It featured many new, rich pieces of content that were recently completed. If you havent seen it yet, feel free to check it out on Shiba Sweets Steam page.
3. Wrapping up
In June, Shiba Sweet participated in Wholesome Direct 2025 hosted by Wholesome Games. It was such a magical experience to see my indie game showcased alongside other cozy games and receiving support from players who added it to their wishlists. It made me feel so grateful and happy! For sure it has given me even more motivation to keep moving forward and to help Shiba Sweet grow a little each day as I continue working toward the goal of completing the game.
I just wanna say thank you very much for your support!
Thank a lot for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
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Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the April & May game development update for Shiba Sweet.
Shiba Sweet will be participating in Wholesome Direct 2025, hosted by Wholesome Games this June!
To prepare for the event, Ive been working hard on a brand-new game trailer that will debut during the showcase. Most of April was dedicated to creating this new preview, which includes many adorable new scenes and user interface elements. In May, my focus shifted to building a playable demo and developing new features to further polish the game.
Heres a more detailed look at what Ive been working on:
1. Upcoming New Game Trailer
(1) Creating the New Trailer
This new trailer takes a different approach compared to the first one. It presents the game from a developers point of view. Before production began, I created a storyboard and wrote the voiceover script. Then, I recorded gameplay footage according to the plan. Sometimes I captured multiple takes to select the best moments. I also recorded spoken English narration and edited everything together into a fast-paced and engaging preview.
(2) Drawing the New Ingredient Shop and Storefront UI
The previous UI layout was quite basic, using simple blocks. For this new trailer, I wanted the shop's visual identity to feel more complete. I hand-drew small UI elements and imported them into the game engine, where I fine-tuned the layout. This helped the overall look better match the game's cute and casual theme.
(3) Adding Shibas Cozy Bedroom
After a full day of running the dessert shop, the Shiba returns to a small and cozy room and gently drifts into a warm sleep. The bedroom features cute wall decorations and an ultra-adorable bacon-and-egg toast bed. This room also serves as the location for autosaving progress during gameplay.
2. Developer Demo Testing
(1) Setting Up a Beginner Tutorial
To help players get used to the controls and become immersed in the story, a special tutorial now starts the first time the game is played. In this tutorial, Grandma Shiba guides the player step-by-step to create their very first dessert. Players collect ingredients and practice making sweets. I designed this process to feel simple and enjoyable, imagining what I would appreciate as a player myself.
(2) Developing a Flexible Customer Ordering System
After many rounds of debugging and adjusting the logic, I created a versatile system for customer orders. The goal was to let players freely decide which desserts to prepare each day. Based on what is made, adorable animal NPCs will place orders. The system also calculates order accuracy and final profits, and triggers appropriate NPC animations as feedback. Hopefully this adds depth and personality to the gameplay.
(3) Navigating the Endless Sea of Debugging
I feel an unpolished game is like an iceberg. What you see looks fine, but hidden beneath are countless bugs. Ive been running repeated tests to identify and fix each issue, trying different methods to solve them efficiently.
One example involved a frustrating issue where the game ran perfectly in the engine but failed when packaged into an executable. After researching, I discovered that Unreal Engine may execute code in a different order between the editor and the packaged build. This caused errors in parts of the code that depend on a specific execution sequence. Once I adjusted the code order, the issue was resolved.
3. Wrapping Up
Game development naturally comes with many challenges. Sometimes unexpected problems arise, or promotional events dont go as planned. Even rejection from applications is something that happens and will likely happen again. These experiences are all part of the journey.
I believe there are players out there who will connect with the spirit of this game. They might smile at the jokes, feel soothed by making cute desserts, and treasure the game as a happy part of their lives. That belief is what keeps me moving forward every day.
Thank you for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
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Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the April game development Delay Notice for Shiba Sweet.
I've been fully focused on preparing the game demo recently, which has taken up most of my time and energy.
As a result, last month's devlog will be postponed and released together with next month's update instead.
Thank you all for your patience, understanding, and continued support. It truly means a lot!
Looking forward to sharing more progress with you soon!
---
Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im Ya Mao, and heres the March game development update for *Shiba Sweet*.
This month, most of my focus has been on creating the most important element in the gamethe "Recipe Book." This includes programming the 3D page-flipping logic and designing the books content. It really feels like Ive published an adorable little baking book, except this one exists only in the game for players to flip through and explore delicious dessert recipes.
A. Development Highlights for This Month:
a. Completing the Recipe Books Page-Flipping Logic
I initially attempted to solve the page-flipping logic a few months ago, but I ran into persistent bugs that I couldnt fix no matter how hard I tried. So, I decided to set it aside and work on other parts of the game, giving myself some breathing room to ease the frustration of development.
When I reviewed my to-do list this month, I felt it was a good time to revisit this challenge. Taking a fresh look at the problem, I finally identified the pain points. This is where the flexibility of solo development really shinesI can rapidly switch between programming and 3D art to test things on the fly. If the page-turning animation felt unnatural due to clipping, I could go back to Blender and adjust the skeletal rotation. If the layering effect wasnt working as expected in the code, I could experiment with different formulas to refine the flipping logic. Every trial and error was a small step toward the right solution.
b. Naming the Adorable NPCs
In the game, NPC customers will visit your shop to place orders and purchase dessert bento boxes. Youll also see them strolling through the streets, adding to the lively atmosphere of the town.
This month, I finally gave names to the NPCs I created last month. Rather than generic labels like Orange Cat, Frog, or Tiny Mouse, they now have charming names inspired by their personalities and favorite thingsintroducing Pumpkin Meow, Froggu, and Brie!
c. Designing the Official Recipe Pages
In last years game trailer, you could already see the creation process for the first three desserts. This time, I made small upgrades to the design, making the layout cleaner and easier to read. My goal is for players to follow the recipe steps smoothly and successfully bake their own delightful Shiba-themed treats.
During this process, I realized just how crucial sketching out a layout beforehand is. Having a clear draft helped me efficiently refine the final design while ensuring everything remained organized and intuitivepreventing me from getting lost in a chaotic mess of layouts!
d. Creating the Recipe Books Material System
Some desserts in the game come in multiple flavors, which posed an interesting challenge when designing the recipe book. I explored different presentation options and ultimately decided not to create separate pages for each flavor. Instead, all variations of the same dessert share a single page, and players can switch between unlocked flavors using a button. The page will then dynamically update to show the correct recipe steps.
This decision dramatically reduced the books expected page countwhat would have been over 200 pages shrank to just a quarter of that! However, this meant the material system had to be extremely flexible, allowing content to dynamically change based on available flavors. Implementing this was quite a complex design and coding task, but it was also incredibly fun and rewarding!
B. Wrapping up
Game development often feels like taking two steps forward and one step back. Even when I meticulously list out my to-dos and tackle them one by one, there are still moments when the end goal feels impossibly far away. But despite that, Ill keep moving forward, pouring all my passion into this game. Because when the day finally comes that I reach the mountaintop, I want to look back knowing I gave it my allwithout any regrets.
Thank you for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
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Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im YaMao, and heres the February game development update for *Shiba Sweet*.
This month, Ive continued to gracefully jump between 3D art and programming, and even ventured into the unfamiliar territory of translation.
A. Development Highlights for This Month:
a. Improved the Black Shiba Merchant's kitchen expansion dialogue system
To allow players to place more tables and baking tools, the kitchen can be expanded as it upgrades, with players deciding if they want to expand. Ordering the expansion is easyjust talk to the Black Shiba Merchant and confirm the expansion request. And youll get a bigger kitchen in 3 days!
The dialogue system turned out to involve more aspects than I initially anticipated. The logic needs to account for various conditions. Such as whether the player has enough funds, the current construction level, and the size of the kitchen upgrade when the construction is completed.
b. Completed the art for all NPC characters
NPCs are an essential part of *Shiba Sweet*, and they can be seen both when ordering dessert bento box and in the streets outside the shop. The NPCs Ive created so far are all different animalsthere are Teddy Bear, Bunny Rabbit, Jumping Frogs, and various cats and dogs, all enriching the world of *Shiba Sweet*. (My personal favorite is the Schnauzer; after finishing the model, I just think its incredibly cute!)
For the scale of an indie game, I may have created too many NPC characters. But to be fair, it's to satisfy my own enjoyment as a player. I truly love seeing adorable NPCs living in the game world. When they wear cute clothes that change with the seasons and walk around, I genuinely feel like my soul is immersed in that virtual yet incredibly real world.
c. Set up a complete weather, season, and date system
I didnt want every day in the game to just be a monotonous sunny day. So this month, I added the creation of a weather system. Each day in every season may have different weather changes, including sunny, cloudy, foggy, light rain, heavy rain, light snow, heavy snow, and more. The leaves and grass in the streets will also change according to the seasons, with additional effects like falling cherry blossoms, green leaves, maple leaves, dandelions flying, and fireflies at night.
The weather system may not be the most crucial feature, but I love how it adds to the immersive feeling and makes the game world feel more real. The seasons will also influence the setting of various festivals and events. I hope these settings will connect all the elements together and create more fun and engaging experiences.
d. Optimized the recipe creation workflow
All the dessert-making processes are completed a few months ago, but the recipe illustrations are still pending. This month, the progress on recipes was mostly related to the art side. Previously, the recipes were created by setting different languages in a graphic software, exporting each as a separate image file. And then using those images as textures in the game engine.
The improved workflow now involves creating the basic recipe content in graphic software, exporting versions without text, and then adding the text in the game engine using the UI system. The major benefit of this process is that if any text needs to be corrected in the future, I can directly edit it in the game engine without having to modify each language version in the graphic software. This also significantly reduces the memory usage of the texture files which means it would help the game use less storage space.
e. Created a list for translation text
Translating game text is like "a shallow puddle that seems harmless but becomes deeper with one step forward." This is the biggest insight I had when I started working on how to handle unified translation text in Unreal Engine. Before diving into the translation process, a lot of work is needed to organize and filter the texts that need to be translated. Developers must determine which content needs translation and which content, such as simply numerical changes, does not require translation.
Another part I had never really thought about is the need to use a consolidation system for repeated words or sentences in the translation. This ensures that the same word or sentence comes from the same source, so it doesn't appear more than once in the translation text. This not only helps organize the translation more efficiently, but it also prevents translators from charging twice for the same text when it's shared with translators in different countries. As we know translation fees are usually based on word count.
B. Wrapping up
February was a steady journey forward. Sometimes, it feels like I didnt accomplish a lot. But when reviewing the development progress, I realized that Ive made significant strides with the game. Its a great feeling to applaud myself for the hard work, and *Shiba Sweet* is gradually taking shape. I look forward to the day when players can create joyful memories in the lovely kitchen of *Shiba Sweet*, through baking and managing the wonderful shop.
Thank you for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
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Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, lovely players! Im YaMao, and this is the third devlog for Shiba Sweet, as well as the first one for 2025marking exactly one year since I started developing this game solo!
Looking back to the end of January last year, I kept building and refining game ideas in my mind until I finally decided to take action. I wrote my very first GDD, fueled by my passion for 3D art. I started with cute dessert designs and models, turning my favorite sweets into Shiba-themed creations. Some of these desserts even became part of the main logo!
The development process has been a mix of joyful and challenging moments. As a seasoned gamer, I sometimes feel like making a game is its own kind of gameexcept this one isnt carefully crafted by someone else. The gameplay process depends entirely on the developers skills, experience, and project management abilities. All I can do is give it my best and hope to find players who resonate with this world Im building with my own hands.
Heres what I worked on this month:
1. Documentation: Adding More Item Details
While working on the game, I encountered gaps in my original GDD, which meant going back to revise and add details. It felt like my brain was running laps, but this has been a valuable learning experience. Im confident my next GDD will be much better.
When introducing items, instead of dry, encyclopedia-style descriptions, I prefer playful, whimsical ones. For example, high-gluten flour is described as A powerful superhero, kneading and shaping to protect the world of cooking, while yeast is A vibrant magician, using its magic to bring fluffy and fragrant bread to life.
2. A Month Full of Game Feature Development
a. Store Exterior Decoration System
Besides baking in the kitchen, players can stroll outside the shop to see various NPCs and purchase decorations to give the storefront a fresh new look, boosting the overall decor score.
Though the UI is still in the sketch phase, Im focusing on clarity and readability. Players should always know which button theyve selected, what the next step is after clicking, and receive clear messages if they run out of balance. The goal is a seamless, effortless purchasing experience.
b. Ingredient Shop System
After completing the exterior decoration system, it felt like unlocking a new skill tree for me. I was able to repurpose much of the code logic for the ingredient shop inside the kitchen. It even cutting development time in half.
Now, players can buy ingredients, receive packaged ingredient boxes from their mailbox, and transport and store them in the kitchen. This system integrates smoothly with the ingredient cabinet feature developed last month, creating a cohesive flow for purchasing, receiving, transporting, and storing items.
3. A Bit of Modeling Time
a. Trophy Models
Despite being submerged in endless coding this month, I carved out a little time for modeling. I completed the trophies players earn after passing chef rank challenges and imported them into the game engine with proper materials.
b. Cute Little Tables
In addition to the four existing table designs, I created several more with different styles. I hope players can decorate their kitchens to reflect their personal aesthetic, turning the space into a cozy as well as customized haven.
4. Wrapping Up
If art is about finding the best design style, programming is about exploring all possibilities. Sometimes, a bug will stump me all night. But after a fresh cup of milk tea the next morning, Ill solve it in ten minutes. Its such an interesting field.
Shiba Sweet is still moving forward, piecing together every part with care. I hope one day it will be polished enough to meet your expectations. Honestly, I love this game deeply, but long-term development can be exhaustinga feeling many indie devs face. However, as long as there are players out there waiting, Ill keep fluttering my wings like a little fairy from *Peter Pan.* I will keep coding the next line and sculpting the next cute model, until this game can become a part of your life in its complete form.
Thank you for reading this far. See you in next months devlog!
---
Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, adorable players! I'm YaMao, and this is the second develog for Shiba Sweet.
December was an explosive month for 3D art productivity! All the shop exterior decorations on the to-do list were completed. The best thing is that I created a lot of models that I personally adore. I hope that when the players play the game in the future, they'll fall in love with all the cute decorations and go crazy buying them to adorn your own shop.
Heres this months development update:
1. 3D Art Progress
a, Redesigned Dessert Display Case
In the kitchen, theres a dessert display case where players can place their freshly made desserts. During business hours, the desserts on the shelves will determine the bento boxes available for sale that day.
This month, I completely redesigned the model and textures for the display case. Compared to the previous narrow shape design, the new case better showcases the desserts and even includes adorable, small dessert stands that allow desserts to be displayed at a good angle.
On the programming side, the case now integrates with the gameplay system. When the shop opens, the correct dessert data will load seamlessly. And the system dynamically generates icon buttons for a smoother shop logic workflow.
b. Shop Exterior Decorations: Cactus and Various Japanese-Style Decorations
To reward players with new decorations as they upgrade their chef stars, I revised and expanded the decoration list. Then I created all the necessary models based on the updated list, .
This batch of updates includes large rooftop decorations, a variety of roof designs, special cactus, wall-mounted ornaments, and stand-alone customer-attracting models. I hope these additions could fully satisfy decoration enthusiasts who love customizing their shops.
2. Programming Progress
a. Implementing the Ingredient Storage Cabinet
After purchasing ingredients from a merchant, unused ingredients need to be stored in the cabinet to keep them fresh in the game. This storage system plays a crucial role in the gameplay.
Through learning programming, I discovered how interesting it is to write logic for such a system. The basic concept involves creating a master script and attaching all storage cabinets as children to use the same code base. Each cabinet is then customized for unique parameters, such as having 4 storage slots for smaller cabinets and 12 slots for larger ones.
b. Halfway Done with Recipe Book Logic
When I first envisioned this game, one of the challenges I wanted to tackle was creating a 3D recipe book with realistic page-flipping animations. However, I soon realized this idea was far more complex than I had imagined. The page-turning logic alone is enough to drive me crazy. Every time the pages spin out of control, I know the logic has broken again.
So far, Ive managed to set up the book to generate any number of pages dynamically and modularly, making it easier to add new recipes in the future if we need. Forward page-turning logic works as intended, but the logic for flipping back still needs adjustments. Once the page logic is perfected, Ill start working on the recipe page textures.
3. Wrapping Up
Developing an indie game feels like walking through a tunnel with no end in sight. Every small step forward feels like progress, yet the destination still seems far away. With the game still in development, its a constant push and pull between progress and uncertainty. But I always remind myself to keep moving forward, believing that one day Ill see the light shining through the tunnels exit.
Happy New Year! To those reading this, I hope you have a fulfilling and joyful year ahead. Chase your dreams with endless passion, and never stop believing in yourself.
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Follow my development journey:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
TikTok Channel: ttps://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Hello, adorable players! This is YaMao, and Im thrilled to see you here.
Welcome to the November 2024 monthly update for game development! If youd like to keep up with these updates every month, please dont hesitate to hit that follow button for Maowoo Games.
November has been an incredibly productive month, and one major motivation has been the official launch of the Shiba Sweet store page! Players now can check out the page for game details, screenshots, and descriptionsand even add it to their wishlist! Seeing this come to life has made everything feel more real and inspired me to work even harder to meet your expectations.
Heres what we accomplished this month:
1. Game Development Progress
a. Completed Shibas Apron Designs
In Shiba Sweet, players can purchase a variety of aprons for their Shiba chef. After all, wearing outfits you love can make baking desserts even more enjoyable!
This month, we wrapped up all the designed aprons, applied textures, and imported them into the game engine. While theres still programming work to add functionalities, the art side of things is officially complete.
b. Kitchen Wall Decorations Completed
From modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, to importing into the game engine, all wall decorations for the kitchen are now finished! Each piece is designed to match the games Japanese art style, including several sushi models as decorative items for the walls. I hope players will enjoy the aesthetic touches when they see them.
c. Dessert Baking Process Finalized
The entire creation process for all desserts is now complete, including visual effects for each step. Beyond the initial two desserts, more than twenty additional recipes were finished this month. I also spent some time optimizing the code to make it cleaner and more efficient.
d. Added Chef XP Calculation Feature
Since the game includes a progression system, I needed a way to reward players for their hard work. Now, when players successfully create delicious and adorable desserts, they earn chef experience points!
The basic functionality is ready, and the next step is integrating it with the UI and polishing the presentation.
e. Updated Ingredient Textures
Sometimes textures that look good during creation can appear dull or overly stark under the games lighting setup. When that happens, adjustments are necessary to find the best design and coloring approach for the game.
This month, I updated the textures for coffee and white chocolate packaging, as well as refined the colors for vanilla and sugar. These tweaks help the game visuals feel more cohesive and polished.
2. A Flurry of Promotions
For indie games, marketing can be just as challenging as development itself.
Since the Shiba Sweet Steam store page went live at the end of October, Ive been focusing on creating and sharing short videos for promotion. Every day, I post at least one short video (Reels or Shorts) on various platforms, helping the game reach new players without a dedicated advertising budget.
I believe there are people out there who resonate with my style and visionplayers who will love the gameplay and cute art style of Shiba Sweet. As fans of adorable games, well recognize each other amidst the crowd.
Interestingly, I wasnt very enthusiastic about marketing at first. It felt overwhelming and unfamiliar. But as I developed a routine of posting and analyzing data daily, Ive grown more comfortable with it. Now, I even enjoy turning moments from game development into bite-sized videos that share the ups and downs of this journey with potential players. Its become both fun and meaningful.
3. Wrapping Up
Looking back, Im proud of how much Ive accomplished this month being an indie game developer.
As the final month of the year approaches, Im determined to give it my all, leaving no regrets behind. My goal is to package this adorable and delightful Shiba game and deliver it to players next year. Hope Ill bring them joy and fun times.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end. See you next month for the next gamedev update!
---
Follow my daily development journey:
Youtube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@Maowoo-studio
Tiktok Channelhttps://www.tiktok.com/@maowoo_studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiba__sweet/
Minimum Setup
- OS: Ubuntu 18.04 or newer
- Processor: Intel Core i5-7360U or betterMemory: 8 GB RAM
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel UHD 630 or Better
- Storage: 2 GB available space
Recommended Setup
- OS: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
- Processor: Ryzen 5600GMemory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GTX 1060 or AMD RX 560
- Storage: 2 GB available space
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