Jet3D is a small game built in Unity by a 1-person development team (me).  So far, I have been working on the game full-time (yes, full-time) for 3 months.  It is inspired by the 1993 DOS classic Jetpack, but also takes cues from more modern titles like Mario Maker and Minecraft. When I was laid off from my dream job due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I decided to pursue another dream of mine: making a video game.

I have fond memories of playing Jetpack growing up.  Much like the original build-your-own-level platformer, the goal of all levels is to collect the gems before heading to the end point. Unlike Jetpack, this adventure plays out in 3D space. Each level is 32x32x32 blocks (that's 32,768 blocks) in size, enabling plenty of space for creativity. The platforming is fun, but my favorite part is creating a custom level and showing it off to friends. The game includes many building blocks: monsters to avoid, ladders, one way walls, keys & locks, moving platforms, fake blocks, teleporters, conveyor belts, moon gravity boots, spikes...etc...and, of course, jet fuel for a jet pack.  Players can even create a playlist of levels to play straight through in a specific order. 

The game is centered around sharing levels with other players. Jet3D has easy in-game level-sharing thanks to Mod.io. Mod.io is a website which allows people to share custom game levels and mods. Connecting to their service (which is totally free for the player; they make their money off my game sales) enables in-game searching for new levels to play, in-game "subscribing"/downloading levels made by others, and in-game sharing of your own levels. It really is an amazing service.  I found their sharing solution to be much better than competitors like Steam Workshop. Mod.io was simpler to implement, DRM free, and platform agnostic.

A lot of love went into making this game, and I'm looking forward to finishing it. I want to see it through to publishing and beyond. However, I have recently been hired to an exciting, new full-time position at an excellent company! This is great for my bank account, but what does it mean for Jet3D? 

I will be working on Jet3D on a part-time basis moving forward. There are 4 stages left before I stamp a 'done' on this project

1. Closed Alpha-Testing

2. Semi-Open Beta-Testing

3. Pitching to Publishers

4. Release & Post-Release Updates

I'm not sure how long each step might take. The project will be released when it is ready. I'm guessing this will be in the first half of 2021. The sooner, the better in my opinion. The current plan is to charge between $2 and $10 for the final game. But this could be subject to change based on the wisdom of any publishers that show interest. I do not currently plan on releasing on Mac.

- Nate