Show HN: Wageslave – I quit my soul sucking job to make a game about it
cauldron.itch.ioGame development used to be something I dabbled in and off, and despite having chosen to major in Computer Science to follow a career in the field, I never managed to establish any consistency with it.
So I relegated this aspiration to the realm of pipe dreams, something whose idea I preferred to the actual process of doing it, and I continued working as a software engineer.
This only changed after a disruption to my job: the fintech I worked for got acquired by a big traditional bank and we were absorbed into their ranks.
Long story short: it wasn't a culture fit.
After six months, I decided to quit; earning a salary was the only thing keeping me there.
With all this newfound free time, I decided to give game dev another chance. I would never get back those six months, but I could use them as fuel for creative inspiration.
That's how the idea of wageslave came to be: I wanted to embody the absurdity of the 9 to 5 into an interactive format. As well as include winks and nods to developer culture.
I don't know if I was successful with this goal, but it's been lots of fun creating it as well as being a cathartic experience for me. I am actually enjoying the process and not just the results. So much so that I'm aiming to complete at least two more projects before I reevaluate whether this is viable.
I initially planned on releasing the game for free, but in the spirit of taking game dev seriously, I will be selling it for a small amount.
Feel free to try the demo, I'd be happy to hear about any feedback! Love the art! Did you do it yourself? Ive added this to the HN Arcade https://hnarcade.com/games/games/wageslave Oh, thanks! I wasn't aware of HN Arcade. Yup, I did the art, glad to know you like it. I wasn't a complete novice at drawing when I started the project, but I still have a lot to learn. The black and white colour palette, and the minimalist style were both an artistic and strategic choice based on my current skill level. But I'd wager that the game would be much easier to market if the protagonist was an overworked cute anime girl or something. Somehow when I started the game I wasn't able to get out of bed. Tried clicking, arrow keys, WASD, etc. Not sure what the controls are or if there's a bug? I'm on OSX Chrome. Otherwise, like the idea and the dreadful atmosphere! Was curious how the game plays. Hey, thanks a lot for trying it! Did you progress past the initial dialogue with the HR and the CEO? Because you should be able to get up after that. If not, it's a bug. To progress through the dialogues you have to click the space bar. But maybe this I should make this clearer in-game, thanks for reporting it! Great game. Is fun to code, get paid and get things from the vending machine. Best cycle. I dont think you need proper employment. Do the game. Haha, that's not what HR thinks ;-)
Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot at this stage! Wow. I did in few mins! It hit hard when even though I was typing fast, manager said I was falling behind in my tasks!
Great game. Loved it, but pretty depressing, like my job! Haha, happy to hear you found it worth your time! Thanks for trying it!