HARTFORD, Conn. — Local independent game developer John Petrov has staked his entire financial future and personal stability on the success of Turtle’s Jumping Journey, a game sources close to the 32-year-old don’t have the courage to tell him is doomed to fail.
“I figured the best way to get my feet wet with game development was to immediately quit my full-time job and just dive in full time. Sploosh!” said a proud Petrov, who estimates he is less than two months from finishing Turtle’s Jumping Journey. “For years I’ve wanted to make a game that was like a cross between Super Meat Boy and Celeste, you know? Completely my vision.”
“I turned down a big promotion with a company car to work on this,” Petrov added.
The developer believed the game will soar to the top of the charts on its unique elements, explaining, “First of all the story is epic — an entire world with warring tribes of turtle men. I couldn’t figure out how to integrate it with the platforming but it’s all readable there in the options menu. Oh, and unlike Super Meat Boy, you have to wait like 10 seconds for the level to reload in order to attempt it again, so that makes you try harder. It’s sort of a Dark Souls thing.”
“The game will be PC-only since Nintendo never got back to me,” added the first-time dev. “I’ve read that platformers aren’t very popular on Steam, but I figure that’ll just make it easier for my game to stand out.”
Friends of the ex-marketing writer have given him feedback on Turtle’s Jumping Journey saying it is “a good start” and “kinda neat for a little hobby project. That’s what it is, right?”
But Petrov’s fiancé and boyfriend of six years, Charley Gibbons, has been nothing but supportive. Said Gibbons, “Oh, I’m not a gamer at all. I was skeptical when John said it would be worth me supporting him financially for two years while he worked on this game, but when he showed me how much money something called Stardew Valley made with just one guy working on it, that made me feel safer. Seems like a sure thing.”
Asked about potential revenue from the 23-month project, Petrov said, “Oh I think it’ll do well. Well enough that my fiancé won’t even be mad when he finds out I took out a second mortgage on the house.”
Turtle’s Jumping Journey is set to release at a price of $39.99.
