I had entered several game jams before this one. Every time, middle of the table. Decent, not embarrassing, but not winning either. In June 2025, it was the first time I actually won, in the beginner category of an itch.io jam.
The game is called Déliria Heroes.
The jam and the theme
The theme was "Compound". My first idea: a dice-combination game with a ton of different effects. I quickly realized that would be too ambitious for a jam. Too many systems to balance, too many variables.
I cut it down: a roguelite with dice-based combat, some progression between runs, and unlockable abilities. The core idea was to create a feeling of growing stronger fight after fight, and that is where the theme really clicked. Power that compounds over time.
What I built and what I did not
The project is entirely solo, music aside for which I have the rights. I kept the visuals and UX deliberately minimal. I wanted a retro aesthetic with just enough friction to push curiosity and replayability.
It is also a prototype for a game idea I have had in mind for a long time, and a small tribute to a project I made over ten years ago during my first year of studies.
What it changed
Before this jam, I had barely used AI tools in my Godot work. That was partly deliberate: at the time I was relying heavily on AI assistance in my daily dev work, and working in Godot was a way to breathe a bit, to actually be in the code without a net. It was not always fast, but I appreciated working that way.
Winning, even in the beginner category, confirmed the approach was right: stay focused, reduce the scope, finish something clean.
What comes next
Since then, I have had the goal of building a proper version of the game. I have not gotten back to it yet, there are other projects running. But it is clearly something I want to pick back up. The target would be to ship an alpha version on Steam by the end of 2026. It is on the list.
If you want to try it: alariclg.itch.io/dliria-heroes.