Hi friend, hope your 2025 went well!
TORSO TENNIS is on Sale during the Steam Winter Sale! It’s a great time to pick up the game or gift it to a friend.
- I’ll be at MAGfest in Washington, DC from January 8 - 11
- Work on FORKLIFT FLOWERPOT continues!
Add FORKLIFT FLOWERPOT to your wishlist!
Last Month's Challenge
Last Month, I challenged myself to get FORKLIFT FLOWERPOT to a first-playable state. A lot of progress was made this month!
Even though I could not hand the controller to someone and have them reach the end of the game, I made huge progress this month. All four main islands are now playable! All 4 of the “main character” plants are now prototyped in the game!
Meet the Islands (Greybox Edition)
I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to the four islands in FORKLIFT FLOWERPOT. They are in various states of completion, but this is what was worked on over the last month and a half!
The Accordion Isles contract during Windy Season. Scientists speculate this seasonal squeeze is the cause of the windy gusts during this time of year. In the lighthouse at the top of the Treble Side, there is said to be a secret.
Mt. Springly erupts during Wet Season, covering the land in a season-long rainstorm. It is difficult to make the climb to the summit, but legends tell of a way to enter the mountain through the crater rim at the peak.
Hiveland Heights is an island with a massive pollinator hive at it’s Northern tip. The FORKLIFT FLOWERPOT’s journey begins here, working at a shipping dock at the south end of the island. The islands native Crustpuppet population are knowledgeable about many features of the land and are extremely informative to talk to.
Island 4 doesn’t have a name yet! This is where the most concept design work was done over the last month. It is a giant tree stump with a factory built on top of it. There is a wild area, where the stump is overgrowing portions of the factory. There is a launch platform at the center of the island for moving goods off-world.
If you have an idea of what I should call this tree stump factory island, let me know. It was inspired by reading about Giant Sequoias. The first of these trees found by non-natives, Discovery Tree, was cut down within a year of being found and displayed at a fair. Kinda sad.
Reflecting on 2025
2025 was a great year for me. I learned a lot by polishing and finishing TORSO TENNIS. The road to release was tough, but I’m really proud of how the game turned out. It was the most focused I’ve ever been during a creative project. I had a vision, stuck to it, playtested lots, and shipped a game.
I feel incredibly lucky to be be attending MAGfest (Music and Gaming Festival) and showing my work for the fourth consecutive year (next week!). I’ll be showing TORSO TENNIS again and maybe also a new FORKLIFT FLOWERPOT demo. This is one conference that keeps bringing me back! Every year I leave inspired with a fresh idea or motivation in my projects. I am hoping that continues this year!
Thank you so much for reading the newsletter and following the journey! How was 2025 for you?
<3 Michael
https://www.toomuchtomato.com/
