When I was a kid, I wanted to be a cartoonist. That was my first dream job. I gave up on that dream when I got frustrated with my lack of progress as an artist. Little did I realize, decades later, I would be paid to draw comics! Sort of!
This is The Bug Guy, a short interactive sci-fi point-and-click adventure game framed as a comic. You control what happens in the next panel! Play as the exterminator for a space station infested with bug. Not bugs, mind you. Just one bug. But it’s a doozy! Explore the ship, talk to a sassy robot, search for survivors, solve puzzles, and defeat the giant mutant bug that massacred the crew to reach the winning ending(s) of the comic. I designed the game and drew all the artwork in the style of the ashcan mini-comics I used to draw for fun.
I’ve never worked at a studio that hosted game jams, let alone multiple game jams in one year! The Bug Guy was made for Doborog’s Summer Game Jam a few weeks ago, but it took me a while to prep it for Itch. This is my fourth Doborog game jam. The others were a point-and-click FMV game, a robot deck battler, and an experimental narrative puzzle game I released earlier this year. I love that my boss lets us create any kind of game we want, as long as the skills we develop benefit the company and/or ourselves. These projects have helped me grow as a game developer.
Next week, I’ll post a dev log about my experiences making this game in only one week. It was challenging! I thought the hardest part would be completing all the art assets on time, but it turned out most of my headaches stemmed from a single ambitious design choice. (I knew it would be a problem and I did it anyway! Why am I like this, lol?!)
I’m proud of how The Bug Guy turned out. I got to flex my narrative design, programming, and art skills. I even learned to like my own art a little more. Aww.
🕷️ Play The Bug Guy, then let me know what you think! Did you enjoy the art and/or story? How about the changing comic panels mechanic? Were the puzzles fair? Did you beat the final bug? Did you find any bug bugs (the dreaded programming kind)? Reply to this email directly, leave a comment on the Itch page, or on this page by hitting the orange button below.
2 responses to “Hunt a Monster Bug in My Interactive Comic”
Hi Geoffrey,
Thanks for the game. Got to the end and only gassed myself to death once 😀 There is a buggy screen once you open the Nutrition Deck where the two copy panels appear simultaneously. Other than that, things are good to go.
Thanks for playing! Congrats on beating The Big Bug! Dying a little is a small price to pay, lol.
I appreciate the bug report. So I understand, you mean two upcoming panels appeared at the same time? (I tried to replicate your playthrough and couldn’t see it.)