This update adds my fifteenth Ludum Dare game, Shafted.

It's time for some hard truths. Afterthoughts has become a nightmare to maintain. It contains code I wrote in 2018 when I was a much less experienced dev using a version of my engine that has since undergone a number of updates. If the goal of Afterthoughts is to give myself an excuse to update my jam games, then I question whether a single project is the best way to do so.

In previous updates, I mentioned wanting to expand the game by adding save data and implement a non-fictional throughline via narration. It may be worth exploring the game_change function that was added to GameMaker in 2023. Remaking Afterthoughts does not sound fun, though. I'm already working on Surface Level and a major secret project, so I'm heavily reconsidering turning Afterthoughts into more than what it is.

If you didn't hear, the Ludum Dare 57 almost didn't happen this year. As far as I'm aware, the Ludum Dare 58 is happening in October. As an independently run game jam, the Ludum Dare struggles with a myriad of problems, and its popularity has been on a decline since its peak during COVID. This is a contentious issue that I won't weigh on here. I plan to continue entering the Ludum Dare for as long as it meaningfully exists.

I'm not making any decisions on this project's fate quite yet. Time will tell.