My Game Development Journey
From my first fan games to full-scale indie projects, this page documents my growth as a developer.
2006 - 2010: Learning to Code
My first steps into game development were through fan projects, or at least projects that used ripped assets. These projects were invaluable in quickly teaching me core programming and game design principles. Years later, I would breeze through my university programming classes, thanks to the lessons I taught myself in sixth grade. Sadly, I never finished nor released most of these games, and it would be impossible now because of copyright restrictions. I plan to remake what I can in the future.
Hammer Man's Adventure
April 2006 - April 2006 Unreleased
Kirby RPG
May 2006 - October 2006 Unreleased
Mario's Halloween Treat
September 2006 - October 2006 Released
Mario & Wario 2: Race to the Finish
November 2006 - November 2006 Released
Mario's Snowball Frenzy
December 2006 - December 2006 Released
Eggwhite
April 2007 - June 2007 Unreleased
Father's Day RPG
May 2007 - June 2007 Unreleased
Super Doopliss World
February 2007 - October 2007 Unreleased
Hammer Man Platinum
July 2008 - July 2008 Unreleased
2010 - 2019: Goldbar Games
I began to make a name for myself, literally using the online handle Kinjo Goldbar. After a series of fangames gave me a team and an audience, I launched my game company, Goldbar Games. Then, having just started university, I released my first original project, Detective Butler, to positive reviews. Goldbar Games continued making a wide variety of projects through the decade. This time period was filled with both successes and failures, teaching me valuable lessons along the way.
When the Seacats Cry Episode 1: Forgery of the Golden Witch
March 2010 - June 2010 Released
When the Seacats Cry Episode 2: Trick of the Golden Witch
June 2010 - August 2010 Released
When the Seacats Cry Episode 3: Inquisition of the Golden Witch
August 2010 - January 2011 Released
When the Seacats Cry Episode 4: Board of the Golden Witch
January 2011 - June 2011 Released
Super Seacat Bros.
December 2011 - December 2011 Unreleased
Detective Butler: Maiden Voyage Murder
July 2011 - August 2013 Released
Repercussion of the Golden Witch
January 2011 - June 2011 Released
On the Night of Kinjo's Redemption
December 2013 - December 2013 Released
Closed Room Blitz: Arena
July 2014 - August 2014 Released
Detective Butler 2 (Attempt 1)
November 2014 - August 2017 Unreleased
Werewolf
August 2016 - September 2016 Released
World End Domination
September 2017 - September 2017 Released
Maze Miner
October 2017 - October 2017 Released
Cruise Ship Cleanup
November 2017 - November 2017 Released
Snowball Saves Christmas
December 2017 - December 2017 Released
Snowball Saves Summer
March 2018 - September 2018 Released
Space Racketeers
October 2018 - November 2018 Unreleased
Witch Doctor Kaneko (Attempts 0, 1, 2, 3)
January 2014 - November 2014, June 2016 - November 2017, December 2018 - June 2019 Unreleased
2019 - Present: Tools, Web Apps, Leadership, Crypto, AI
At this point, I was spending most of my time in a web development job. I began to find meaning outside of just creating games. I started building tools and solving real problems for people. I enjoyed it a lot, and I wanted to take on even bigger challenges. I kept learning new technologies, despite the constant pushback from my peers in the games industry. I started taking life a lot more seriously: eating better, exercising, socializing, reading, learning, being in nature, and cutting back on video games. I took some time to figure out what I really wanted out of life, and for what greater purpose I could do my best to serve.
C++ Game Engine
June 2019 - March 2021 Released
Detective Butler: Choices DLC
March 2020 - April 2020 Released