Dot; protector of an ancient tree, from the lineage of Zal. Full animation brought to life in Unreal Engine. Still refining. Still growing. #GameDev #IndieGame #UnrealEngine #WIP

What secret did the first guardians uncover that allowed water to live in this barren desert? #IndieDev #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #UnrealEngine5

In this puzzle, it’s not about touching the water. It’s about reaching it the right way. #IndieDev #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday

Dot, protector of an ancient tree, takes tiny steps… and the world quietly responds.🌱 #IndieDev #GameDev #WorkInProgress

A first glimpse of Sarv-e Abarkuh, with Dot — protector of an ancient tree. 🌱 #ScreenshotSaturday #IndieGame #GameDev

4 months passed. I stepped away to focus on the game. I’ll be sharing the journey over the next days 🌱 #GameDev #IndieDev #SarvEAbarkuh

Big problem: In the first 5 minutes, players don’t realize the main goal of bringing water to the Sarv-e Abarkuh. They only get it after a puzzle! How can I show this right from the start through gameplay? 🌱 #PlayTest #SarvEAbarkuh

Before code, before puzzles, there was only this sketch.🌱 #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

Game dev takes time. I looped Sword of the Sea’s music for days,an awesome experience on its own! It made me think: Mahsa… how should people experience Sarv-e Abarkuh? How will you share it with the world? #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh #SwordOfTheSea

One of the core mechanics in our game is the water system We’re testing different techniques to see which one works best. It's still in progress but flowing forward. 🌱👾 #GameDev #IndieDev #SarvEAbarkuh

Game dev isn’t just design, code, and art. It’s also research, business, explaining the vision to others, and redefining it for yourself. 👾🌱 #GameDev #indiedev

•Worked on technical stuff today. It’s still messy… but it’s alive! #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

Not final. Not polished. Just roots learning how to grow. 🌱 #WIP #SarvEAbarkuh #GameDev

Spent today just thinking about puzzles. Do you prefer games that clearly show the path to the solution… or ones that let you wander until it finally clicks? #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

The root system is alive now 🌱 Still young, still messy, but growing, just like the game. Mistakes? Plenty. But for this stage, it feels enough. Isn't it? 👾 #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

I remember, right before a competition, one of our teammates burned out. The coach said: “Two days, no training, no even thinking about the sport. Then come back.” Two days later, they returned… with more hunger and focus. I think I need that too 🫡 #GameDev #RestIsImportant

NO ،big progress today. No big news. Just… still making the game. 👾🌱 #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

I’ve built several alternatives for the tree roots so far, and none of them feel quite right. I’m starting to get why some directors shoot a scene over and over… Like Chaplin did 342 takes for just one scene. 342!!! 👾🌱 #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

Water flows… now the roots awaken. Next step: bringing Sarv-e Abar-Kuh’s root system to life. 🌱👾 #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

Long ago, a single seed touched the earth… and life awoke.🌱👾 #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

As a game developer, I think more about irrigation and water systems than some of our officials ever have :))) #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

Did you know Da Vinci used 30 to 40 layers of paint and technique to create Mona Lisa’s smile? Layer by layer just to bring it to life. These days, as I build my game, I keep thinking about layers, too. The base is there. But I just hope life lets me add the ones still living in my head. #GameDev

Making a game feels like alchemy. A little design, a bit of art, a drop of sound… Mix them right, and maybe just maybe you get a beautiful "experience." We’re still mixing.👾🧪 #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh

While the systems come together, the art of Sarv-e Abarkuh is slowly taking shape, too. Game development is like alchemy tiny parts, step by step, and come together to craft something beautiful.👾 #GameDev #IndieGame #SarvEAbarkuh #IndieDevs

Simple things… Who knows what they can become? Like a pawn in chess,powerless at first, but step by step, it grows. And one day, "if" it reaches far enough, it can become almost anything. In my game, this is my pawn. #IndieGameDev #GameDev

No new ideas today. No progress. Just repetition. #GameDev

The core game loop is built... but something still feels missing. That one thing that makes you say: “This is an indie game you just have to experience!” What is it? I don’t know yet… But I do know something’s missing :))) #IndieGame #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh #IndieDev

Somewhere along the way, after working with talented teammates, I faced a tough decision: Should the project end? Or should it keep going, even if it means walking the road alone? Since March, I’ve been a solo developer. #SarvEAbarkuh #SoloDev #IndieGameDev

Sometimes, cleaning up a system matters more than adding features. It doesn’t need to be complex or “big.” Just needs to be "right. " The first messy Blueprint dropped FPS from 60 to 40! The new one? Same visuals, not a single frame lost. Just clean logic. #Optimization #GameDev #UnrealEngine5

After years of following and supporting #indiegames and #gamedev, it’s finally happening: Our game "Kernelbay" has a "Coming Soon" page on @steampowered.com and we're part of the Fishing Fest! 🎣 It would mean the world if you could wishlist & repost🙏 store.steampowered.com/app/3686480/...

In this suffocating heat, working on the water channels of the Sarv-e Abarkuh project somehow makes the heat feel more bearable. It’s like, with every path I build for the water, •I breathe a little easier, too. #GameDev #SarvEAbarkuh #IndieDev #PersianHeritage #Gamedesign

2,500 years ago, in ancient Iran, a system was created to fight drought. Qanat. No engines. No electricity. Just soil, wisdom, and human will. #GameDev #IndieGame #Qanat #PersianHeritage #SarvEAbarkoh #GameDesign

Almost ten years ago, I was asked to design the co-working space Vesta. It went through all kinds of ups and downs, and in the end, the project didn’t happen due to a lack of funding. . . #IndieDev #Sarv_E_Abarkoh #GameDev #Gamejourney

In these tough days, we're all going through, my only comfort is pushing this project forward step by step. The Sarv-e Abar-Kuh project. Do I know where it ends? No. But there’s no turning back. #Gamedesign #Gamedev #IndieGameDev #Sarv_e_Abarkoh

There was a time when my mind felt stuck. I had no idea what to do with my game. But the comment inspired me to start from step one. Rereading notebooks, revisiting tiny mechanics, mixing them one by one… And slowly, the spark came back. #GameDev #IndieDev #CreativeProcess #DevJourney #PuzzleGame

Today, I truly experienced something I thought I already understood: Players' abilities!! One solves a simple puzzle in 13 minutes, another in just 2. Back in architecture, the worst case was not knowing where to place the WC. #GameDev #IndieDev #PuzzleDesign #gamedesign

Photoshop was the first software I learned just to edit my own pictures. After that, I went through so many different tools (some I can’t even remember anymore!). . . . ( text continue in comments) #GameDesign #UX #Photoshop #CreativeJourney #IndieDev #DesignThinking

I thought if I had just built the simple systems, the rest would be easy. And when I got the first simple system done, I told myself: “It’s all set — ooh la la!” But now I’m like: “Uh-No!” How do I connect these simple systems to make the game meaningful? #GameDev #IndieGame #GameDesign

My niece Helma (9 years old) told me: playing is like dominoes,so easy to knock down, but so hard to rebuild.🤯 And honestly… she’s right. But rebuilding is worth it.🌱 #GameDesign #Dominos

Repeating the same mechanic has exhausted me and made the game feel boring, but I don’t want to add a new one. #GameDev #IndieDev #PuzzleGame #GameDesign #Devlog #IndieGameDev #GamedevJourney

My new puzzle prototype is finally working but after all this effort, it still feels boring and lacks emotion.👾🥺 #GameDev #IndieDev #PuzzleGame #Prototype #GamedevJourney #UnrealEngine #IndieGameDev

Watching Jonathan Blow talk reminded me why I started this journey. I’m not just making a game I’m sharing my home, my heritage, and what truly matters to me with the world. #GameDev #SarvEAbarkoh #JonathanBlow #MeaningfulGames #CulturalHeritage #PersianHeritage

What stayed the same? The mission. No matter if it’s a puzzle, an action game, a tower defense, or a roguelike, the heart remains: protect the Sarv-e Abar-Kuh. With this new understanding, I began designing a new vision for the game. #IndieDev #ProtectHeritage #SarvEAbarkoh

Was an action game the right choice? After discussions with my sensei and other designers, I realized: maybe not. Action alone couldn't capture the heart of this story. Maybe a puzzle game could. Maybe something more thoughtful was needed. #GameDev #IndieGameDev #PersianHeritage

What happened after my first failed prototype? I started thinking deeply about my genre, my mechanics, and most importantly, my mission: to protect the Sarv-e Abar-Kuh and remind people that some things in this world are too precious to lose. #GameDev #IndieDev #GameDesign

…but the prototype? It was awful. The direction felt wrong, the gameplay was clunky, and nothing matched my vision. I wasn’t happy. I deleted it all—even changed platforms from VR to PC. I needed a fresh start. #CulturalGames #IndieGameCommunity #DesignJourney #UnrealEngine5

What happened after my first prototype? As the same, I was designing characters and weapons for an action game inspired by Persian heritage. It sounded exciting on paper… #GameDev #IndieDev #Prototype #PersianHeritage #MadeWithUnreal #IndieGameDev #DevJourney

How did I begin building my first prototype? I started by testing the core mechanic, reducing everything to basic shapes and simple interactions, just to feel how it played. #GameDev #IndieDev #VRDev #Prototype #PersianHeritage #MadeWithUnreal #IndieGameDev

Why a tree? Because it’s not just a tree. It’s a witness. A part of my country’s soul. I didn’t just want to show it. I wanted players to connect with it to care for it. #IndieDev #GameDev #IndieGame #SoloDev #sarveabarkoh

But protect what exactly? Sarv-e Abarkuh is one of the oldest living trees in Iran and the world. A symbol of resilience, life, and memory. That tree became the heart of my vision. #sarveabarkoh #ProtectNature #IndieGameDev #indiegame #indie google.com/search?q=sar+v…