30 days and 200 hours of work on my smaller side-game, Dimensional Survivors. Didn't fully complete it in the month, but I built: -all game mechanics -24 playable ships -30+ weapons -250 enemies -10 levels of assets -1 full stage Here's stage progression footage youtu.be/1sKJsSGGN1g #IndieDev

No, this is not a name entry screen--it's my character select screen. Just finished day 19 of my short-term game, Asteroid Survivors. I have all the Asteroid and * Survivors gameplay mechanics in, and I've implemented 30 playable ships and 30 weapons (+evolved forms). Next up: levels. #IndieDev

Sometimes you need to take a break from your side projects with another side project…Gonna see how far I can get with a month of dev on this…. #AsteroidSurvivors #ZombMe #IndieDev #MightyPantherProductions

Check this out! @thebrianj.bsky.social interviewed me at PAX! Thanks so much for this!

PAX WEST 2025 INTERVIEWS! Mike with Mighty Panther Productions tells us about the reverse-health platformer, ZombMe! youtu.be/Jm6VTB4PtNo @zombmegame.bsky.social

I needed a break from the game I was using to take a break from my day job...So I started my new idea based on two games that I've been playing a lot of: Asteroids Recharged, and Sweet Survivors. Four days in, and I have an entire game cycle implemented. I think I'll spend 30 days on it...

For me, the hardest thing with building and publishing a video game all by myself is…promoting it. But I think I finally figured it all out: sponsor a car in a small town’s demolition derby car. Better than the Super Bowl! #FirstPlace #MightyPantherBoost #ZombMe

Ok, since I started up a new LLC, I'm going to change this page's identity to use it (Mighty Panther Productions) rather than just one of our games (ZombMe)....Especially since I take breaks every so often to work on other games that I'd like to post about here (to be continued.....)

PAX is over, but the ZombMe fans are only getting better. Kids love the visuals (though I'm told their eyes aren't fully developed?), and hardcore gamers love discovering all the secret gameplay mechanics I threw in the game...They kept getting faster (almost ran out of prizes!) #Pax #IndieDev

Today at the ZombMe booth: animals, mimes, and animal mimes! #paxwest #zombme #indiedev

Up and running!

Come see me and the ZombMe booth at PAX this year! Booth 762 #PAXWEST #ZombMe #IndieDev

As ready as I'm going to get for this weekend's PAX show... #ZombMe #Booth762 #PaxWest #PaxWest25 #PaxWest2025

Introducing my new video game company, Mighty Panther Productions! I'll be publishing ZombMe under it...if I can just get it to build......... #MightyPantherProductions #ZombMe #IndieDev

I might have spoken too soon about having the demo ready for PAX. I can't get a successful build, since Unity keeps randomly crashing. I've tried dozens of times and it's random crash after crash after crash... #ZombMe #IndieDev #ThanksUnity #BoomGoesTheDemo #paxwest2025 #PAXWest

Should have the PAX build of ZombMe ready. Just press START. #ZombMe #IndieDev #JustPressStart #PAXWEST #PAXWEST25

Is ZombMe shaping up to be a GOTY contender? Let's see what the reviewers are saying! #ZombMe #IndieDev #GOTY

PAX WEST 25 is coming up, and I built a custom playable ZombMe demo people can try out at my booth. Here's footage of me running through it. If you attend, stop by and say hi! Booth #762 #IndieDev #ZombMe #PAXWEST #PAXWEST2025 youtu.be/3sZxHsyfTW8

Even having the levels all set up AND PAX around the corner isn't helping with motivation...But I did manage to set up some headgear and sidekick configuration scenes, which was one of the biggest remaining mechanisms needed for the game. #indiedev #zombme

After several years of development, ZombMe is now level-complete: I can play it from beginning to end. It still needs playtesting, music composition, and a few more gameplay mechanisms, but level design and overall construction is complete. 300 scenes and 800+ enemy variants! youtu.be/iZBZKXWcBm4

Finished up the....well, I lost count of which boss fight this is in the last level. Maybe the fifth last? After this, I really have one side-shooter section to build, and then the game is level-complete. Then testing, debugging, composing.....

Time to prepare for PAX WEST 2025, where I spend a lot of money to promote my game, which probably won't sell enough to pay for the trip home...from the first day. But still, it's more for fun...and reaching out to my fan. :D #ZombMe #IndieDev #PaxWest

Worked on yet another section of the boss fight...This section is where the zombie finds himself on the arm of the giant robot and has to avoid getting flicked off. This is him not being successful... #ZombMe #IndieDev youtu.be/Q1zd3Pz2psQ

Instead of just reusing enemies to quickly build a state, I decided to create a new version of the rideable T-Rex with lasers and missiles, and then created four completely new types of enemies to have it fight. Not an efficient way to dev, but hopefully it's fun. youtu.be/MuRIZYcJo8w?... #IndieDev

Not motivated to work on the game today....I just got notified that ZombMe was not accepted into yet another ID@Xbox event. That makes 0/all ID@Xbox events accepted, and all/all Steam events accepted. Even as an Xbox fan, it's really becoming hard to justify developing for it. #indiedev

Still working on the last stage. Today I finished off the first, second, and third of five forms of the third last boss fight, which included nearly 20 different attacks among them all. I might be overdoing the final stage boss fights. #IndieDev

Steam Next Fest is over, and I gained...70 wishlists. Trying to stay motivated enough to finish the final level. All my games need to go out with a HUGE battle, and this one is no different. Still working on the models...or maybe I'll just make them glow so much it won't matter?

Who's got two thumbs, is in Steam Next Fest, and is dead? THIS GUY! Check out the ZombMe demo this Next Fest: store.steampowered.com/app/3751090/...

After several months, ZombMe finally broke 100 wishlists on Steam. On to PAX WEST and Steam Next Fest, and maybe I'll get to 110 in a few more months! #ZombMe #IndieDev

I think I'm up to 10 different boss fight sections in the last level--I wanna make this be one to remember. But you won't be fighting alone--after all, you've made some frenemies along the way. #ZombMe #IndieDev #PassionProject

ZombMe is (fittingly) part of the Zombies vs. Vampires Fest Steam event! Check out the latest demo! ...and please let somebody know about this game... store.steampowered.com/app/3751090/... #ZombMe #ZombiesVsVampires #IndieDev

I can code, compose music, and (questionably) do the graphics of my game...but I can't market it. How do these games get thousands of likes/followers/wishlists? All my social media is horrid :D :(

Got my initial ZombMe demo up and available on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3751090/... I'm planning on adding some more content to the demo this week, including last year's PAX WEST challenge and some dev playground levels. #indiedev

Working on the last level (which might have more stages, enemies, and boss fights than some games have in their entirety), working on getting a demo published for the two upcoming Steam events, and trying to integrate things with Xbox. Penultimate boss here (all five versions) #ZombMe #IndieDev

Setting up a demo for ZombMe in Steam and getting ready for two big events over the next month... #ZombMe #ZombiesVsVampiresFest #SteamNextFest #IndieDev

So I might not truly be a one-dev indie? But I guess it depends how much you give him credit for... #ZombMe #IndieDev #OneAndAHalfDevIndie

One of those days where you just feel like canceling the game. Xbox integration is always a pain (my first time hooking up to Steam took just a couple hours; this is the sixth time hooking up to Xbox and it's always a pain). Unity crashes whenever I try building my game. Maybe it's just DOA?

Been busy with ZombMe: Set up the 50 achievements, built up the final packaging assets, got it set up in the Xbox and Steam storefronts...Stuff's getting real... #screenshotsaturday #ZombMe #indiedev

Now that I've got Steam working, I spent time finishing the simple hub world for ZombMe. Here are the unlocking and completed animations for each level- #ZombMe #indieDev youtu.be/_U5_qFsmxSE

ZombMe is signed up for two upcoming Steam events: Steam Next Fest: June 2025, and Zombies vs. Vampires Fest! Time to get past my 61 wishlist count that I've been stuck on for a few months now...

Today I managed to not only hook up a test app to the Steam system, but I also configured the first ZombMe achievement and even unlocked it from the test app! Not bad for my first Steam game...Still need to figure out what all I need to upload to Steam in terms of binaries/packages... #IndieDev

Well, I'm done with 31 of 32 levels in ZombMe. Instead of starting the last level, I think I'm next going to start integrating it into Steam since that's the last big unknown. I'm holding off on the Xbox integration since unlike everywhere else, it requires a $2000 Unity subscription :( #indiedev

Caught up on game progress...I came up with the second final boss form, set up the intro and boss destruction animations, and even built the level end animation. It's here that the player is introduced to the final boss...and gets horizon-laser-blasted like in anime. #indiedev youtu.be/7r6KjYiMqZE

I spent the entire day working on my game and ended up further behind than when I started...I keep coming up with ideas and I just have to build them. But in the end I think it will be worth it. Especially for the people who recognize this room... #ZombMe #IndieDev #ScreenshotSaturday

Almost done with the second last level...added the secrets and coins today, and just need to finish the final boss. I decided the mech I created yesterday was too cool and am going to make him the final boss. Also hoping to get into the Xbox Games Showcase--I delayed release for a year to do it..

Working on the penultimate boss for ZombMe. I wanted to take the boss from the first world and have hundreds of them come together to unite into a giant form...I didn't like the first version (which was literally combining parts from the first boss), so I pulled out another model I had... #indiedev

I'm working on the second last level, and the enemies are getting smarter--they can now target things other than the main character to cause more problems as you try to stay dead. #ZombMe #IndieDev youtu.be/z-sVaEKZ9J4

Only a few months left to get this done....I'm working on the last levels, but also making sure they go out with a bang. All of this is just from one level where the zombie faces off against the many attacks of the Zombie Hunter... #zombme #indiedev #screenshotsaturday

You have to be savvy these days with your stories...Odds are, all twelve or so of the people that will eventually play ZombMe will want sequels or prequels, so you gotta get some characters in the first game whose stories you can expand. So, meet the Zombie Hunter, one of the final bosses of ZombMe.

Started setting up the boss fights for the final world...First up: a giant mecha scorpion that breaks through a giant ooze tank, requiring you to stay elevated by standing on small platforms or using your grappling hook and hitting it with your eye laser. Kids, don't try this at home.