In this episode of Curious Blend, Keller chats with his husband John Baxa, an independent video game developer and the founder of indie game studio Lucky Sun. John is known for his award-winning game Vessels, which won the Independent Games Festival Award for Best Student Game in 2021.

John talks about his journey as a video game developer: how he got started, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned along the way. He also discusses his latest game, a narrative romance that may just have some Love Island inspiration behind it.

Game development is far from new for John. He was always fascinated by computers and video games, and he started experimenting with game development tools when he was just 12 years old. But in transitioning from young designer to professional adult one of the biggest challenges was finding a way to make a living from his passion. He also had to learn how to manage his time and resources effectively.

What strengths are key for being in video game development? John believes that the most important thing for a developer is to be passionate about their work while also being patient and persistent.

John’s latest game project combines narrative romance with inventory management where you play a donkey and try to reunite two lost lovers. It may just draw a little bit of inspiration from the Love Island obsession that spread around Createscape this past summer.

Keller and John have so much more to talk about so watch the whole interview here or find us on your favorite podcast platform.

You can follow John Baxa via his personal website or market research group.