What's next for the studio
Remember the studio you joined?
When you joined, Kai and Remy had two games vibe coded with an AI. One 5,000-line file. Copies called game_FINAL_v3.js. Saves that vanished when the browser was cleared.
Look at the studio now, the one we built together: a real workshop, GitHub save points, cloud saves, a company, two launched games, a community, live events and a plan to grow. So what comes next?
The next game
A sequel is a new game in the same world, like Hyper Shards 2 with Nova back as the star. Or it could be a brand new idea.
Either way, it starts the same way: a quick prototype to test the fun. But this time we have a new repository from day one, LEGO-style code blocks we can reuse (modules: small files that each do one job, like input or sound), and Firebase ready for saves and leaderboards.
Quick check
Why is our next game faster to build than the first two?
- We can reuse our workshop, code blocks and know-how
- Second games are always shorter
- The AI remembers the first game and copies it
Show the answer
We can reuse our workshop, code blocks and know-how
Studios get faster with every game. The tools, the LEGO-style code and the lessons we learned all carry over.
New places to play
- SteamHyper Shards could come to Steam, the biggest PC store. The Steam lesson in Stage 7 covers its fee, wishlists and desktop wrappers.
- ConsolesConsoles need approval from the console maker and a dev kit, a special version of the console for developers.
- Controller supportPC and console players expect a gamepad to work, so we'd add that first.
Bolt says: Like Google Play and the App Store, these accounts need an adult, because they come with legal contracts and payments. You and a parent sign up together.
Pick the next step
Hyper Shards is doing great on our website. Let's put it on a console next week!
What is the most realistic plan?
- Add controller support and try Steam first, and plan consoles for later, since they need approval and a dev kit
- Upload it to a console store this week, the same way we ship the PWA
- Stop updating Hyper Shards and start a different game instead
Show the answer
Add controller support and try Steam first, and plan consoles for later, since they need approval and a dev kit
Consoles need the console maker's approval and a dev kit, so they are a bigger, later step. Controller support and Steam build toward it and reach new players sooner.
Playing together
Multiplayer means people play the same game together, like two ships in Hyper Shards blasting one wave.
It's hard. Every player's screen must agree on where everything is, over the internet, many times a second, even though messages take time to travel (latency). Most online games use a server that decides what really happened, so one player can't cheat. Safety matters too: chat with strangers needs careful rules. A good first step is co-op with friends, or a weekly leaderboard race.
Players build levels
A level editor lets players design their own Garden Defense levels and share them.
It fits our games well. Our levels are already data saved in JSON files, not tangled into code. An editor is a tool that lets players write that data with drag and drop. Shared levels need checking, so nothing mean or unsafe gets posted.
Read the data
1{2 "name": "Sunny Patch",3 "waves": 5,4 "pests": ["aphid", "snail", "beetle"],5 "startSeeds": 1206}
Why does this file make a level editor easier to build?
- A level is just data like this, so the editor only has to help players fill in these values
- Players can edit the game's code directly through this file
- JSON files never need testing, so shared levels are always safe
Show the answer
A level is just data like this, so the editor only has to help players fill in these values
Because levels are data, not code, an editor only has to create files like this one. That's the payoff from keeping numbers and levels in JSON. Shared levels still need checking.
Keep learning
- New toolsAI models and editors keep improving. Try new versions carefully, on a branch.
- Play and studyPlay other games and ask: why is this fun? How did they make it?
- Learn from other studiosMany developers share devlogs and talks about their wins and their mistakes.
Look how far we came
Red was the chaos you walked into: a messy prototype that only worked on one computer. Blue was the order we built together: the plan, the tools, the save points and a money plan. Green is the fun: real players enjoying games that keep getting better.
One big question is left. What is the studio's long-term future: stay small, grow big with investors, or one day sell it? Stage 11 is where we decide.
Bolt says: Beat this stage's boss first. Then Stage 11 opens: shares, voting, pitch decks, deals and the big decision.
Fact-checked 9 October 2026
- Steam Direct fee (Steamworks) partner.steamgames.com
- ID@Xbox for independent developers xbox.com
- Nintendo Developer Portal developer.nintendo.com