Howdy, long time HN'er. Spent ~20 years in FAANG and startups, got the pink slip during a big layoff wave in spring 2023. That's ok, I was about to quit anyway :)
Finally got back to a lifelong goal of mine, making an "indie" game. (Indie is subjective, but you get the drift.)
So, here it is: Ballionaire, a "fast-paced pachinko roguelike where strategy meets physics to create outrageous wealth!"
My influences were: Plinko(TM), Luck Be A Landlord, and Totally Accurate Battle Simulator. I was really fortunate because localthunk, the dev behind Balatro, noticed my game during its first month of development (October 2023) and boosted the game a bit amongst streamers, gaining me some traction/confidence, and enabling me to land a publisher.
"AMA"?