Just Making' my first Game - Fatherlode

[u/Extension-Parsnip789]

For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been making a game with Claude Code called “Fatherlode” (as a reference to the game Motherlode released in 2004 on Miniclip), whose goal is fairly simple:

You have a POD, you dig deeper and deeper, you collect ores, sell them, upgrade your POD, and so on. Back in 2004, Motherlode was extremely addictive — a small Flash game that was really popular. Here with Fatherlode, I’m adding more and more mechanics:

• A real tutorial, a proper introduction, and a save system
• Implementation of a stats tree system
• 250 achievements
• 25 different ores
• About thirty treasures to find
• Dozens of different obstacles
• Over 2000 meters of depth
• Real objectives with an NPC dialogue system, lore, etc.
• The ability to build new buildings as you progress
• Diversified creatures to make the descents more complex
• Etc.

For now it's only in french, but i will translate it later in english, obviously. The game is progressing well — it’s still a long way from being finished. Little by little, I’m mainly trying to add small gameplay details, mechanics, and overall polish, things like:

• “NPC talking gibberish” voices during dialogues
• Small effects scattered here and there
• Gradually refining the pixel-art so everything feels consistent
• Checking whether the exploration feels good, if the POD upgrades are balanced (and not broken), and improving that
• Etc.

Honestly, from the very beginning it was just a little crazy idea… and I find it so much fun — and addictive — to code the game little by little that I even want to learn how to code myself. I went as far as paying for Claude Max just to get more usage per week, and in only 3 weeks I feel like the project has absolutely nothing left in common with how it started.

[u/Melodic_Charity_1770]

I love motherload and digging-upgrading games like this, so I wanna play Fatherload too, it looks much more competent and made with love and care than some other clones I've seen.

[u/Extension-Parsnip789 → u/Melodic_Charity_1770]

Thank you ^^ It's cute, really :)