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/