A Special Thank You to Players & Patrons - The Realization of a Dream

Hello, one and all!

Today is an exciting day for me, because I've just collected my first month's earnings as a game developer: $56.57. It might not seem like a lot to some people. But you know what it is? A beginning. And that means the world to me. So, I count each and every penny as precious.

I want to thank everyone who has played the game, given feedback, donated money, shared a link, liked a post, or contributed in any way, shape, or form. Because each and every one of you have helped make this beginning a reality.

Making my own games has been a dream I've had since my early 20's. I'm 45 now, for those not in the know. And for a long time, I always found excuses for why I couldn't pursue this dream: programming was too hard, I couldn't make my own art or afford to hire an artist, it was too tough to break into the industry, or I needed a college degree to make a go of it. But in the end, all it really boiled down to was fear. I was afraid of giving my all to something, afraid of failing and being found wanting, afraid of looking ridiculous.

A year and a half ago (in Feb 2021), I stopped listening to those fears. And instead of looking for reasons why I couldn't make my own games, I started looking for ways that would work for me. I may not have a lot of money, but I have a wealth of imagination. And while I may not have mad skills as an artist, I do have a lot of experience in creative writing. So instead of fixating on the AAA, big budget video game industry, I adjusted my aim and looked instead at the DIY field of indie text-based games. I already loved several games of this type (such as New Life & Free Cities), so why not try my hand at making my own? And that's when I began development on Sanctuary in Time.

Fast-forward to now, and here we are. A playable game in hand, and people downloading and playing it every day. (Over 500 downloads on itch, so far!) And all it took was focus and persistence, the willingness to try something unconventional, and the courage to face my fears, be ridiculous, and look the fool -- but a fool who does what he loves.

Thank you, everyone, for coming along on this journey. It means the world to me.