Also, enjoy the explainer email for why there is no option to write and send emails. We're doing some "silent protagonist" writing with this one.

In actual tutorial emails, the blue bar will have the "tutorial version" of the text so you don't have to read the whole email if you don't want to.

#ScreenshotSaturday

I think the email system in my new game is mostly finished! I still have to do some styling for the collapsible menus, and I might make the background a little lighter. But, overall I'm pretty happy with where it's at right now.

#GameDev #SoloDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

There's a whole lot more than that this patch - for a month where it didn't feel like I did a lot, the change list was actually quite extensive.

Hopefully, I can keep that pace up to close out the project before too long.

HSDI Patch 0.1.4 and DevLog (March 2026) If you follow me on Bluesky, you probably already saw that the balance updates weren't quite ready last week, hence the late patch for March. So, as you can expect, there were a lot of gameplay change...

No screenshots this week, but I did finish a patch. I made some pretty big balance changes, which should hopefully make the early game a lot less frustrating.

Also I fixed a lot of progression-related bugs:

rustyknightgames.itch.io/idle-exotics...

#GameDev #SoloDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

#ScreenshotSaturday

I was hoping to put out a patch today, but the balancing tweaks I'm working on aren't there yet. So, I'll show off some of the visual updates instead.

Just replacing some engine default styling and fixing large number abbreviations.

#GameDev #SoloDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

(3/3) To avoid confusion, I'll keep the pre-release build at the same url (rustyknightgames.itch.io/idle-exotics...). However, the name of the game is changing.

I just don't want people to be confused about what my game is about. So, hopefully this will do the job.

(2/3) Also, there is another issue with SEO. Search engines will pull in results that aren't exactly what you typed. So searches for another word were leading people to my game. If you swap the "x" with "r," I'm sure you can see the problem. And due to this negative SEO, I had to change the name.

(1/3) I made a few mistakes with the original name. The first was that I underestimated the associations with the word "exotic." There are exotic cars, spices, and even pets. However, "exotic dancer" seems to be the phrase that most people think of when they hear the word "exotic."

Well. It's been a while since I updated here, hasn't it?

As part of some of the updates I've been making to my project, I've renamed it for now. I'm not 100% sure if I want to keep this name, but it will do.

More info in the replies if you're curious.

#GameDev #SoloDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

Update: Earlier today, I accidentally uploaded a version with Debug Mode enabled. Whoops!

I've just patched it back to the non-debug version.

Idle Exotics Patch 0.1.3 and DevLog (February 2026) Well, for a slightly short month, I got some things done. Let's see what's new. There really wasn't much, if anything, I added in terms of code, outside of what was necessary for visual updates. So...

A new patch is out with some aesthetic updates I've been posting about on other Saturdays. No new screenshots this week, though.

Check out the Development Blog and new version, live now!

rustyknightgames.itch.io/idle-exotics...

#GameDev #IndieDev #SoloDev #IndieGame

#ScreenshotSaturday

This week, I added a new animated sprite for the "Bonus" button and some sparkle effects. I had to compress the GIF down to make it easier to share. But, hopefully everyone can still see everything just fine.

#GameDev #SoloDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

New icons? New icons.

#ScreenshotSaturday

#GameDev #SoloDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

Somehow I forgot to publish the blog before posting the link. It should be visible now.

A new patch for my game is live!

TL:DR:

- Assorted Bug Fixes
- Assorted UI Art Asset Updates
- Added the Wyvern Gecko into the game

Full Patch Notes: rustyknightgames.itch.io/idle-exotics...

#GameDev #SoloDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

#ScreenshotSaturday

I finished implementing the Wyvern Gecko I shared last week into the game, and it will be there next patch. The base did look a little plain, so I made things a little more exciting with a few additions.

#GameDev #IndieDev #SoloDev #IndieGame

#ScreenshotSaturday

Not technically a screenshot of the game itself, but I finished the base for a new species. I still have lots of work to do with it before it's completely ready, though.

Hopefully, the assets will be fully finished by next week.

#GameDev #SoloDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

Patch notes TL:DR:

- Assorted Bug fixes
- Finalized 7 of the 12 species' sprites
- Added a shader to make re-colored sprites look better
- Added custom Scroll bars and Dropdown boxes
- Added a toggle for certain strobing effects on text
- Added the ability to progress while offline

Idle Exotics Patch 0.1.0, Patch 0.1.1, and DevLog (December 2025) Alright. So, we had a mid-month patch in December, but also a late end of the month patch. Let's go over what's changed. Code Updates Code updates were somewhat sparse this month, as this was intended...

A new patch for my game is live! I fixed a few bugs since last time, and started putting the final versions of some art assets in the game.

Full patch notes:

rustyknightgames.itch.io/idle-exotics...

#SoloDev #IndieDev #GameDev #IndieGame

I will be working on fully diagnosing the problem to fix it before the full release. Hopefully, I'll have the full fix figured out by the end of January.

For now, if you haven't used the prestige system yet, I recommend not using it until the patch I'm working on comes out - probably some time tomorrow.

The hotfix still may wipe out progress made in the breeding menu, which is supposed to be persisted on save. So, watch out for that post-patch.

Just thought I'd put a warning out there for anyone playing the current patch of my game on Itch.

Currently, there seems to be a bug involving the prestige system that causes a crash when loading a save file.

I've put a quick fix into the patch I'm working on, but it will come with side-effects.

In case anyone was wondering after the last post, I don't have a definitive pick for a new name yet. Though, I have some strong candidates that I am considering.

I'm sure I'll post here on Bluesky when I figure it out.

Idle Exotics Alpha by RustyKnightGames Play in your browser

Patch 0.1.0 for my game is now live!

rustyknightgames.itch.io/idle-exotics...

Patch Notes TL:DR:

- You can now earn money while the game is closed (at a reduced rate)
- Added Options menu to the new Prestige Screen
- Small art asset updates

#GameDev #SoloDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

Now, are there real people making these searches and finding my game? Maybe not. It could just be web crawlers. But, I don't want to take the risk.

It's also basically negative search engine optimization because "exotic" is close to another word that is... definitely not family-friendly.

(3/3)

I am also going to be changing the name of my game. Unfortunately, it seems that people are finding my game from some concerning search terms, according to itch's metrics.

It seems that I underestimated the connotations of the word "exotic" and which other search terms may lead to my game.

(2/3)

Couple of announcements!

First announcement, I'm releasing a (rare) mid-month patch! It's going to include a few things I missed last patch, and a feature I thought would be too complicated to be done quickly - progressing while offline.

(1/3)

#GameDev #IndieGame #IndieDev #SoloDev

Idle Exotics Patch 0.0.6 and DevLog (November 2025) Good news! There's actually a patch this month, and part of that patch is adding an autosave feature. I'm still working on finding a way to import and export a save file that will work in the browser,...

No screenshot this week, but I put a big patch out there for Idle Exotics. I was going to do a TL:DR here, but it would still be rather long! So, I'll link the development blog with more info instead:

rustyknightgames.itch.io/idle-exotics...

#GameDev #IndieDev #SoloDev #IndieGame

I've been a bit slow to put out patches lately, but good news! This weekend, I should be putting out a new patch for Idle Exotics with a functional autosave system!

In the meantime I'm going to be testing it out and making sure it's ready to go.

#GameDev #IndieDev #SoloDev #IndieGame

#ScreenshotSaturday

I added a new feature this week - the egg queue. It shows which eggs you're currently hatching, and the parents of each egg, if applicable. I capped it at 10 for now, but I might expand it if people want to see further ahead.

#GameDev #IndieDev #SoloDev #IndieGame