Rise of the Village Hero – New Milestone

Hey everyone!

I’m incredibly proud to share that Rise of the Village Hero has reached a significant milestone: 500 wishlists.

It’s been a long, challenging road since launching the game in early access—and often, a lonely one. Some of you might know that I had just come out of university when I released the game. I was a two-time court medalist and graduated with a first-class degree in Computer Games Development, but I was still very much a newcomer. In fact, I launched my business in November 2023 while still finishing my degree, and the game followed just two months later, in January 2024.

This post isn’t a rant—it’s a reflection on how far things have come, and how much it took to get here.

At the start, I tried everything to secure funding and support—but doors kept closing. I even remember reaching out to a grant provider, explaining how I just needed a small amount to cover basic costs for the month. All I received were rejections.

People saw me as high risk. Maybe they thought I’d take the money and never finish the game? I don’t know. All I’ve ever wanted—and still want—is to support my family through my craft, to pay some bills, and build a life doing what I love. It should be simple, right? But it wasn’t.

There was no support—for development, for marketing, for basic costs—nothing.

I went through some tough moments, feeling completely alone, unsure how to move forward with slow sales and little outside encouragement. But I put on my big boy pants and told myself: if no one else is going to help me, I’ll help myself. It’s my dream, after all.

I started reaching out to people—maybe even pestering a few. Brian from SGN wrote an article early on. It didn’t cause a big wave, but it was something—my game had been written about. Then Indie Games EU gave me feedback that was tough to hear at the time, but it gave me something to work with. I kept going, day after day, every hour I could spare. No pay. No support. Just belief in the game, in my studio, and in my vision.

Fast forward to January 2025—many months later—and things started to shift. Content creators were making videos. People were enjoying the game. Some found it different, even difficult—and that was okay. I can’t please everyone. I learned that too. What mattered was that people were finally playing and talking about it. Maybe not in huge numbers, but it was something.

So I kept going. And in March 2025, I reached the finish line. Rise of the Village Hero hit version 1.0. I told the story the way I wanted to, and I finished it to the best of my ability. It’s been heartening to see little spikes of interest since then.

At some point, I’ll share a proper postmortem with the lessons I’ve learned from this journey—but for now, I just want to take a moment to be grateful.

To those who turned me away—thank you. That rejection gave me the drive to keep going.
To those who believed in me—thank you. Your encouragement meant the world.

My wife and son were my biggest supporters, and I love them. Without their belief in me, I may have given up.
To those who bought the game—you’ve given me hope that this dream is still worth chasing.
And to everyone who shared a kind word, liked a post, joined the Discord, or helped in any way—you’ve helped more than you realise.

Now, my small studio has a completed commercial game, and I’m hard at work on the second one: Path to Serenity.

If you’re out there building something without a safety net—keep going. You’re not alone.

See you at the next post.