Development Update: Systems Coming Online

The Doomsday Delivery Service OS is officially booting again.

Over the past few work sessions, I’ve made solid progress on core systems that everything else in the game depends on. These aren’t flashy features, but they form the backbone of the experience.

Completed

• Boot Screen Fixed and Functional
  The in-game operating system now initializes correctly, setting the tone for the corporate interface before gameplay begins.
• Respawn System Online
  When an Employee dies, a new one can be printed and controlled as intended. This locks in a major part of the core gameplay loop and reinforces the idea that Employees are disposable assets, not heroes.

In Progress

• Employee Number System
  Each Employee is meant to be tracked as an individual asset. The system exists in a basic form and is currently being refined.
• Package Handling System
  Picking up, carrying, dropping off, and validating deliveries is functional at a basic level, but still needs polish and cleanup for edge cases.

Right now, the focus is on stability and clarity—making sure the player always understands what the system expects from them, even as the game leans into dark humor and corporate absurdity.

Below are a few screenshots showing the current state of development:

• The updated OS boot sequence
• The main menu interface
• A current in-engine test environment

This devlog isn’t about hype or polished marketing. It’s a place to document the process as the game slowly comes together. If you’re curious about the tone, mechanics, or world of Doomsday Delivery Service, feel free to click around older posts and explore.

More updates soon.

DDDS System Updates

 

Quick snapshot of what I’m actively working on right now.

---

UI & Menus

The main menu is up and running in-engine with the retro terminal-style look. This is the foundation for the “corporate OS” vibe that will carry through the whole game.

Employee System

I’m working on the employee lifecycle: spawning, tracking, death, and replacement. The goal is to make each new worker feel like a numbered, disposable asset.

Respawning

Respawn logic is being tightened up so employee deaths flow cleanly into the next deployment without breaking immersion or systems.

Item Handling & Delivery

Pickup, drop, and delivery mechanics are in progress. Right now, the focus is on making interactions feel reliable before layering in more feedback and polish.

Boot Screen

I’m also building a terminal-style boot screen that frames the game as a system powering on, rather than a traditional game intro.

---

Current focus: stability before spectacle. Once these systems are locked in, I’ll be moving faster into content, levels, and story.

https://github.com/theAMAZINGmrSIR/DDDS

DDDS Development Update

Status report: ACTIVE.

Core systems online. Visual polish pending approval.

Here’s a quick progress update on Dooms Day Delivery Service. Development is still moving steadily, with my current focus on the UI, menus, package handling, and drop-off systems.

Right now the priority is building and stabilizing the core interactions that make up the main gameplay loop. These aren’t the flashiest features yet, but they’re the foundation everything else will build on.

Current Progress

• Main Menu (Functional):
  The main menu is now fully functional in a basic state. It establishes the structure and flow I want for the corporate OS-style interface, even though visual polish will come later.
• Drone Camera Post-Processing:
  The player’s view now uses post-processing effects designed to feel like a live drone feed or surveillance camera rather than a traditional game camera. This helps sell the idea that the player is remotely managing assets, not directly controlling a character.
• Package Handling & Drop-Off Zones (In Progress):
  I’m actively working on the systems that handle picking up packages, carrying them through the environment, and delivering them to designated drop-off zones. The goal is to make deliveries feel clear, readable, and satisfying while still fitting the game’s corporate tone.

What You’re Seeing Below

The screenshots below show the current state of these systems in action. Everything is still very much work in progress, but the core loop is starting to come together.

Next Steps

• Refining drop-off zone behavior and feedback
• Improving visual clarity for delivery objectives
• Continuing UI and menu polish
• Cleaning up interactions before layering in more chaos

More updates soon as these systems get locked in and start connecting to the rest of the game.

— Will

Studio Update: Rebuilding, Refocusing, and Moving Forward

I wanted to share a quick and honest update on Dooms Day Delivery Service, even though things are a bit quieter than usual on the surface.

Right now, I’m still essentially a team of one. Progress is steady, but it’s happening in a very deliberate, foundational way. Recently, I made the decision to completely wipe and rebuild the project repository from scratch so I could properly update everything to Unreal Engine 7 and clean up a lot of early technical debt. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was necessary.

Since restarting, I’ve been focusing on core systems rather than flashy content. The main areas I’m actively working on now are:

• The package delivery and pickup system
• Early UI and interaction flow
• Establishing a cleaner, more scalable project structure

I also want to be very transparent about something going forward: I will be using AI tools as part of the development process.

As a solo developer, the reality is that I need to work smarter to keep this project moving. I’ve started using tools like Meshy AI to help speed up parts of the 3D modeling and animation pipeline. These tools aren’t perfect by any means — generated assets still require cleanup, fixes, optimization, and artistic passes — but they significantly reduce the time spent on repetitive groundwork.

AI isn’t replacing creative decisions or design intent here. It’s acting as a force multiplier so I can spend more time on gameplay, tone, systems, and the overall experience rather than getting stuck on every single asset from scratch.

This rebuild phase is about setting the game up for long-term success. It may not produce exciting screenshots every week, but it’s laying the foundation that the rest of the game depends on.

As always, thank you to everyone following along, offering feedback, or just quietly watching this project evolve. More tangible updates will come as these systems solidify.

– Will

Studio Update: Fresh Start, New Momentum

Things have been moving fast behind the scenes, and I wanted to drop a quick update for everyone following the journey of Mandatory Fun Games and our flagship project.

Rebuilding the Pipeline

This week I completely wiped and rebuilt our Jira setup from scratch. Starting fresh gives us a chance to build a clean, organized production pipeline going into January. It’s a reset button I’ve needed for a while, and now I’m structuring our first true sprint with clarity and intention.

Tools, Workflow, and Focus

I've been spending time getting comfortable with:

• Jira & Confluence
• GitHub and better version-control habits
• Long-term planning for the studio’s production flow

It feels good to finally have all these systems working together instead of fighting against me.

Discord Community & Experiments

Our dev Discord has been active lately, especially with the new RPG-style bot we’ve been messing around with. It’s buggy, chaotic, and exactly the kind of weird little experiment that makes game dev fun. More updates on that soon.

Marketing, Branding, and Weird Ideas

Work continues on polishing the Mandatory Fun Games brand, and I’m also exploring some out-there marketing concepts for Dooms Day Delivery Service, including a hyperrealistic mascot mask for conventions. Yes, I’m absolutely serious.

What’s Next

December is all about:

• Finalizing the production roadmap
• Tightening the team structure
• Prepping for the January sprint
• Continuing to build out studio infrastructure
• Keeping momentum through the holidays

Big things are coming in the new year.

If you want to follow development more closely or get involved, join the Discord:
👉 https://discord.gg/h6ZWgMRg

More updates soon, thanks for following along!

[Official Announcement] AO Games Has Evolved Into Mandatory Fun Games

 Today marks a major step forward for our studio.

What began as AO Games, a working title that helped us organize and experiment, has officially evolved into Mandatory Fun Studios.

As we move toward the next stage of development for Dooms Day Delivery Service and begin formalizing the studio’s structure, it’s important that our name reflects what this team truly stands for.
Mandatory Fun Studios is a parody of the “Mandatory Fun Days” we used to endure in the Army, those cheerful, forced-smile events that were somehow supposed to make us forget how miserable we were. It perfectly captures the tone we’re aiming for: dark humor, rebellion disguised as positivity, and the creative freedom to make games that say something real.

This change isn’t just cosmetic. It’s a sign that we’re moving forward.
The mission stays the same: to build strange, meaningful, and unapologetically satirical games that punch up at the systems that try to box us in.

Mandatory Fun Games: Because nothing says morale like forced participation.

Welcome to the next chapter.

Dev Update: Going into November

Hey everyone,

It’s officially November, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on October and share where things are heading for Dooms Day Delivery Service and AO Games.

To be real, it’s been a mixed month; progress on the project has been great on some fronts and slower on others. Zayne has been absolutely killing it with systems work, building the foundation for our modular backpack system and getting the attachment logic and data structure fully functional. He’s been putting in serious effort to make sure the gameplay systems are solid before we move into the bigger visual pieces of the demo.

On my end, I’ve been diving into the main character model design. Progress has been a bit slower than planned thanks to Halloween chaos and some family stuff that needed my attention, but things are settling down now, and I’m ready to get back to full speed.

Right now, it’s mostly been Zayne and me holding down the fort while the rest of the team balances other commitments. Communication’s been tricky with some members, and we may be doing a bit of team restructuring soon to tighten things up. It’s all part of the process; the goal is to keep momentum and make sure every active member has a clear role and focus.

Even with the small team, we’re still making steady progress. Every new system we get working brings us one step closer to our playable demo, and that’s still our short-term goal. Once the demo is complete, we’ll start pushing for funding opportunities so we can move everyone into full-time positions and really scale AO Games into a functioning indie studio.

As always, I can’t thank everyone enough for following along. Your support and encouragement make all the difference, whether it’s sharing posts, spreading the word, or just checking in. This project means a lot to me, and seeing people believe in it keeps me pushing through the hard parts.

---

What’s Next

Heading into November, here’s what’s on the horizon:

• Continue development and testing on the modular backpack system and inventory features
• Push forward on the main character model and design
• Begin early environment layout for the demo level
• Restructure the active dev team and refine task flow in Confluence and Jira

It’s a slow grind sometimes, but that’s indie dev, brick by brick, we’re building something weird and special. More updates soon, and thank you again for sticking with us through every phase of this project.

Dev Update – Balancing Life, Work, and the Future of the Game

Hey everyone,

It’s been a wild few weeks, and I wanted to take some time to update everyone on where things stand, both with Dooms Day Delivery Service and life in general.

To be real, the last stretch hasn’t been easy. I’ve been doing everything I can to keep the lights on and bills paid, from donating plasma to selling a few things at the pawn shop. It’s definitely not glamorous, but that’s the indie dev grind sometimes. I’ve been balancing that with pushing forward on the game whenever I can carve out time and energy.

Yesterday was Sara’s birthday, so I took the day to focus on her and celebrate. Having that break reminded me why I’m doing all this, to build something meaningful that not only entertains people but also creates opportunities for everyone involved in this project.

Even with life being hectic, progress is happening. The team and I have been tightening up the structure of the project, finishing documentation, and continuing to refine the drone system, which is really shaping up to be one of the game’s defining features. Zayne’s been doing an amazing job keeping our GitHub clean and working on the technical side of things, while others like Eddie, Julia, Tess, and Haley are helping strengthen the foundation behind the scenes.

Looking ahead, our short-term goal is to get the demo to a playable state, so we can start pursuing funding opportunities and get everyone on the team working full-time. Right now, most of us are juggling school, jobs, or other projects, but we’re all passionate about bringing this weird, dark, satirical world to life.

Long-term, the dream is to establish AO Games as a full indie studio, one that keeps making creative, story-driven horror and horror-comedy games that mix heart, humor, and chaos in ways big studios won’t touch.

To everyone following along: thank you. Seriously. Every bit of support, whether it’s feedback, sharing posts, or just checking in, helps keep me going. If you’d like to help keep the project moving while we get through this early stage, donations are always appreciated and make a real difference.

I’m still here, still building, and still determined to make something special out of all of this.

---

What’s Next

Right now, I’ll be focusing on:

• Finalizing our Confluence documentation and task organization in Jira

• Continuing development on the drone system and camera controls

• Beginning early layout and testing for the first level of the demo

It’s a lot to balance, but step by step, it’s all coming together. More updates soon, and thank you again to everyone who’s been part of this journey.

Dev Update – Team Organization & Drone Progress

 It’s been a busy but exciting stretch for the team lately! We’ve been focusing on organizing everything, setting up tasks, refining documentation, and ensuring everyone is aligned on our next steps for Dooms Day Delivery Service. Having the structure in place has really helped things start to flow more smoothly.

On the development side, the drone system is coming along nicely. It’s a huge part of the game since it defines how players see and interact with the world.  A big shoutout to Zayne, who’s been doing a great job setting up the drone mechanics and keeping our GitHub nice and clean.

It’s worth noting that many of our team members are also working on other projects or finishing up school, so most of us can’t give this 100% of our time just yet. Once the demo is playable, we plan to start looking for funding opportunities to help us all focus on this full-time.

Until then, we’re pushing forward with what we have, and if anyone wants to donate to help keep me alive and the project moving, that support genuinely makes a difference while we get this game off the ground.
💀 Donate via PayPal

Thanks for following along and supporting us through this stage of the journey. More updates soon as the drone system evolves and we inch closer to a playable demo! 

Dev Update – New Faces & Real Life

The last couple of days have been a mix of progress and life stuff. On the project side, I’ve been focusing on getting new team members familiar with the game — walking them through the vision, the systems we’re setting up, and how they can plug into development. It’s exciting to see fresh energy and ideas coming into the project, and I think it’s going to make a huge difference as we move forward.

On the personal side, my son has been sick, which has definitely slowed me down a bit. Family comes first, of course, but I’ve still been carving out time where I can to keep the project moving. It’s a balancing act, but that’s part of the indie dev journey.

Thanks again to everyone following along and supporting this. More updates soon — hopefully with a healthier household and even more progress on the game! 

Morning Update: Progress + Plans

Yesterday, I spent time on the Confluence + Jira setup, which now covers not just the demo but most of the game, keeping every mechanic, hazard, and idea tracked and organized.

Today, I plan to continue chipping away at the drone and working on the last of the documents. 

Other news: I’m preparing a new Team Page for the devlog. Anyone currently working on the project will have the chance to be listed, along with a short “About Me.”

On the personal side, I’m still recovering from being sick and dealing with some dental pain. My appointment is set for November 11th, so things may move a little slower until then, but progress is still happening.