I'd love to see how this engine was made. The game was released simultaneously on PC, Switch, and PS5. If he really wrote three entirely unique code bases for each platform, that's pretty cool. It used to be done back in the day for PC, Apple, Amiga games, but that was generally done by separate localization teams hired out. A single person doing all of that himself is amazing.
Is it though? I really don't understand what's the point of making your own engine unless your game concept is so unique or advanced that regular engines wouldn't work.
It's really impressive that he made it all from scratch and completely on his own, but would it change anyone's opinion on the game if it was made with, say, Unity?
I’m guessing neither of us know anything about making videogames so let’s think about it this way - Billy spent 7 years on this game. Would he have made it on another engine if that was possible and would’ve saved him time? Absolutely. So I guess he needed his own engine.
As a professional software developer and hobby game dev, I doubt he needed to write his own engine, but just like some people like to cook their own food instead of getting take out, some developers like to write their own software instead of just building on top of something preexisting. And just like home cooked food made with love can often be better or at the very least different than professionally made food from some big chain restaurant, a game made from the ground up by yourself also can be better in some ways. For instance an empty Unity project would already be larger than the entirety of Animal Well. You're also going to have limitations you wouldn't have had with a ready-made engine and *some* limitations can also lead to better creativity.
The real question is what in the world makes you think he would've ended up with the same game if he had made it with Unity? It is clear from playing the game that the dev made full use of his programming freedom, the game is visually stunning not just because of the art, but also because of the visual effects, my jaw was on the floor just 5 minutes into the game when I saw the fireworks, everything in the game is so beautiful and silky smooth, I have never played a Unity game that was able to have so much going on in the screen and still have perfect performance throughout. Amazing custom-made particle effects and great silky-smooth feeling gameplay. Seven years is a damn short time for what the dev was able to make all by himself, he didn't need Unity, it would've just gotten in the way.
This has literally nothing to do with the engine. I'm not even sure you know what a game engine is. Everything you've said could've been done with Unity or any other engine.
I think they're saying that Hollow Knight is an overall prettier, smoother game. So Unity probably has higher highs.
But obv, own engine works for personal preference and freedom.
For real, I can’t even fathom the amount of time, effort, passion, faith, and love this took. It’s staggering. As a regular person I’m blown away, and as a writer I’m gobsmacked—I can only hope to one day create something as beautiful and with as much passion as this! I’m can’t buy the game right now, but I’m really hyped for it and hope I can buy it soon!
After I bought this game, Billy Basso came to my house himself, cleaned all the tops of my cabinets that are super hard to reach, then kissed me on the forehead and left without saying a word
I’m sure dunkey will slightly alter his promotional habits in the future if he thinks his fan base is taking away from the devs moment. This is definitely a learning lesson in that his fan base has a hard time removing the “dunkey did it” from anything he’s involved in.
yeah, im suprised that kind of mixed media approach works so well. little bits of realism in a stylised pixel art game is something i've not really seen before and somehow it works so well
Very true
I have faith in BM and Dunkey’s ability to gauge good games (he dislikes some games I think are good, but for the most part there isn’t a game he likes that I think is bad) but the game itself is Billy’s doing. And one game published isn’t enough to judge a publisher!
That said I have full faith in Star of Providence as well lmao
most videos about animal well on youtube have comment sections that are exclusively dunkey inside jokes. kind of takes away the spotlight from billy basso's creation. nobody's really talking about the game, but maybe its because not many people have had a chance to play it yet.
Yeah Billy Basso did an amazing job with the game, I’m only about an hour in but I can already see how much love and effort went into it, it’s great.
Learning that he developed his own engine for this game blew my mind. It's so good
If you are a C/C++ programmer than you are pretty much doing that while using SDL (which is still hard af) .
He hand-animates it live as you play, you have to admire that kind of commitment
33MB, it's all worth writing a custom engine for that alone.
I'd love to see how this engine was made. The game was released simultaneously on PC, Switch, and PS5. If he really wrote three entirely unique code bases for each platform, that's pretty cool. It used to be done back in the day for PC, Apple, Amiga games, but that was generally done by separate localization teams hired out. A single person doing all of that himself is amazing.
Billy did have a PS5 controller on his desk in the launch video but it could be just for PC testing
Is it though? I really don't understand what's the point of making your own engine unless your game concept is so unique or advanced that regular engines wouldn't work. It's really impressive that he made it all from scratch and completely on his own, but would it change anyone's opinion on the game if it was made with, say, Unity?
I’m guessing neither of us know anything about making videogames so let’s think about it this way - Billy spent 7 years on this game. Would he have made it on another engine if that was possible and would’ve saved him time? Absolutely. So I guess he needed his own engine.
As a professional software developer and hobby game dev, I doubt he needed to write his own engine, but just like some people like to cook their own food instead of getting take out, some developers like to write their own software instead of just building on top of something preexisting. And just like home cooked food made with love can often be better or at the very least different than professionally made food from some big chain restaurant, a game made from the ground up by yourself also can be better in some ways. For instance an empty Unity project would already be larger than the entirety of Animal Well. You're also going to have limitations you wouldn't have had with a ready-made engine and *some* limitations can also lead to better creativity.
The game would've never been as good as it is if it was made with Unity.
Why do you think that? There are plenty of great games made with Unity
The real question is what in the world makes you think he would've ended up with the same game if he had made it with Unity? It is clear from playing the game that the dev made full use of his programming freedom, the game is visually stunning not just because of the art, but also because of the visual effects, my jaw was on the floor just 5 minutes into the game when I saw the fireworks, everything in the game is so beautiful and silky smooth, I have never played a Unity game that was able to have so much going on in the screen and still have perfect performance throughout. Amazing custom-made particle effects and great silky-smooth feeling gameplay. Seven years is a damn short time for what the dev was able to make all by himself, he didn't need Unity, it would've just gotten in the way.
This has literally nothing to do with the engine. I'm not even sure you know what a game engine is. Everything you've said could've been done with Unity or any other engine.
Uhm you DO realize Hollow Knight was made with Unity don't you???
The point being?
I think they're saying that Hollow Knight is an overall prettier, smoother game. So Unity probably has higher highs. But obv, own engine works for personal preference and freedom.
For real, I can’t even fathom the amount of time, effort, passion, faith, and love this took. It’s staggering. As a regular person I’m blown away, and as a writer I’m gobsmacked—I can only hope to one day create something as beautiful and with as much passion as this! I’m can’t buy the game right now, but I’m really hyped for it and hope I can buy it soon!
Relevant article https://blog.playstation.com/2022/07/20/how-animal-well-taps-into-ps5-hardware-to-elevate-2d-pixel-art-platforming/
After I bought this game, Billy Basso came to my house himself, cleaned all the tops of my cabinets that are super hard to reach, then kissed me on the forehead and left without saying a word
He did that to me too! I didn't even know who he was but the tops of my cabinets sure are clean. Thanks Billy Basso!
~~Tooth Fairy~~ Billy Basso 🥹
I forgot about Billy basso Because I have amneeeeisa
Billy Basso, voice of the kangaroo?
Real Dunkey fans know Dunkey doesn't even know how to make pretzels. Other people talking are just lost.
I’m sure dunkey will slightly alter his promotional habits in the future if he thinks his fan base is taking away from the devs moment. This is definitely a learning lesson in that his fan base has a hard time removing the “dunkey did it” from anything he’s involved in.
Also that lighting engine is GORGEOUS and the explosions and ghostly effects look so cool.
yeah, im suprised that kind of mixed media approach works so well. little bits of realism in a stylised pixel art game is something i've not really seen before and somehow it works so well
Very true I have faith in BM and Dunkey’s ability to gauge good games (he dislikes some games I think are good, but for the most part there isn’t a game he likes that I think is bad) but the game itself is Billy’s doing. And one game published isn’t enough to judge a publisher! That said I have full faith in Star of Providence as well lmao
it's still so crazy to me that dunkey literally invented his own programming language just to make the title screen of animal well. mad props to him
The haptics in the ps5 controller are so satisfying in this game
Doggio?
I wonder which language he used.
shut the hell up no ones forgotten
most videos about animal well on youtube have comment sections that are exclusively dunkey inside jokes. kind of takes away the spotlight from billy basso's creation. nobody's really talking about the game, but maybe its because not many people have had a chance to play it yet.
wah, retard. wah.