thinmatrix posts
Posts: 217
Files: 141
Draft Design for the New UI - Feedback needed!
Hey everyone!For the last couple of weeks I've been working on the new design for the UI in Homegrown and I'd love to know your thoughts! Visual design has always been a bit of a weakness of mine so it's been quite a slow process. I've taken a lot of inspiration from multiple other games and iterated over and over on my design until finally I've ended up with something that I think has some promise. The problem is I've been staring at it constantly for so many days that I've lost all ability to look at it objectively...
Homegrown 0.4.1 - Sound Effects!
The big UI makeover has officially begun! However, this first step had nothing to do with visuals. Until now my engine had no support for playing sounds, and seeing as I obviously want the UI (and the rest of the game) to have sound effects I first needed to implement an audio system into my engine. So that's what I've been doing over the last couple of weeks, plus I've also filled the game with some placeholder sound effects for good measure.Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons t...
Homegrown Version 0.4!
Before moving on to the UI update I wanted to spend one week adding content into the game, to make use of all the gameplay feature that have been added over the course of version 0.4. So in this update there are three new vegetables to grow and a whole load of new items available!Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.New VegetablesThere are three new vegetables this week: broccoli, sweetcorn and beans. The broccoli and sweetcorn are fairly standard vegetables but the...
Homegrown 0.3.7 - Paths
Sorry for the delay on this one! It turned out to be quite a difficult update, both in terms of the design decisions and the implementation. I got a lot of feedback on the recent devlog video about this topic, and based on that I made a few tweaks and changes and I now have a system that I'm about 80% happy with for now. But with a few more future adjustments and a bit of balancing I think the paths will end up providing some interesting and worthwhile gameplay decisions for the player.Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown her...
Early Access to the next Devlog Video
Hey everyone!The next devlog video is finished but it's not going public until next weekend, so I thought I would give you early access to it as a little bonus.The updated version of the code and game are unfortunately not yet available though. I haven't quite finished the latest update and I'm currently on a road-trip through the Alps for my Summer holiday, so they won't be ready until I'm back home next weekend.Hope you're having a good week!Karl
Homegrown 0.3.6 - Big Compost Update!
This month it's the turn of the compost system to get an overhaul! This update allows you to create your own compost mixes and choose what effects you'd like them to have on your plants and soil.Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.Mixing your own CompostThe new compost system lets you to add buffs to your compost in the form of fertilizers. Bottles of fertilizer can be bought from the compost shop in town and each one has one effect associated with it. Curr...
Homegrown 0.3.5 - Plant Health
A bit of a quicker update this time! I've been making a few tweaks and improvements to the way plant health works, as well as making some adjustments the vegetable quality system.Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.Health and DyingI felt that the old system was slightly too punishing, especially at the start of the game. If you made a mistake and one plot of your vegetables died, that could be a huge loss to your total wealth. So I made a few tweaks to make the...
Homegrown 0.3.4 - Upgrading Tools!
Building on the changes to the tool system from last month, I've now overhauled the way that you upgrade your items. This new system will hopefully provide you with more flexibility and customizability when it comes to improving your tools.Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.Upgrade ShopA new shop has opened for business in the town! Just to the west of the tool shop you'll find the upgrade shop - and this is now where you'll want to go if you're in...
Homegrown 0.3.3 - Tool System Update
It's been an intense month of programming! In preparation for adding more content to Homegrown I've be reworking a lot of the tool system to make sure it has support for all that I have planned. Hopefully it's now more flexible and easier to use, both in terms of gameplay and future development.Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.Tool SystemThe main changes and additions are as follows: The area that a tool affects can now have non-square dimensions. Yo...
Game Downloads (Updated October 14th 2025)
Here are the latest download links for my games. Download the file, unzip it, then run the relevant jar file to launch the game. You’ll need to have Java installed on your computer for it to work.Homegrown (I'd love to hear your feedback!):Version 0.6.5 - Bees (Latest Version)Version 0.6.4Version 0.6.3Version 0.6.2Version 0.6.1Version 0.6.0Earlier Versions(Some Mac users may need to run the jar file via the terminal, for now. Let me know if you have any issues getting the game to launch)City-Builder:Version 0.1.2Equilinox:Anyone who has b...
Code Download (Updated January 17th 2024)
Here are the links to download the code for my projects. Homegrown and the City-builder can be set up in Eclipse as explained in this short video.Let me know if you have any problems getting them to run!Homegrown:Version 0.4.4.f (current version)Version 0.4.4Version 0.4.3Version 0.4.2Version 0.4.1Version 0.4.0Earlier VersionsCity-Builder:Version 0.1.2Equilinox:Version 1.7.0Here's a video showing how to set up the Equilinox project in Eclipse.
Homegrown 0.3.2 - Fruit Bushes, Fences, Supports!
Quite a bit of new content in this release! The main aim of this update was to add support for a few new object types, to allow for more variety in the game in the future. I implemented three new object types in total and added some examples of each to test them out.Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.Fruit BushesThe first new addition is multi-tile plants - plants that take up more than one tile in the world. This will allow for larger plants like fruit bushes, fr...
Homegrown 0.3.1 - Buying more land!
In this update there's a new feature that allows you have much bigger gardens, one new vegetable for you to grow, and collectible trophies!Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.Buying LandThe big new feature this month is the ability to expand your garden area by buying more land. To do this, click on one of the wooden signs in a neighboring plot of land. The plots of land get progressively more expensive each time you buy one.Admittedly it's currently quite ...
Homegrown 0.3.0 - Graphics Update Finished!
After quite a few months of working on the render engine the graphics overhaul for Homegrown is done (for now!) It's a big improvement from how the game looked back in version 0.2 and there are still many more visual improvements to come before the game is released. But for now, it's back to gameplay!Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.Home areaOne change that I made recently was to give the home area a bit of an upgrade and prepare it for an upcoming featu...
Homegrown Version 0.2.5 - Terrain Update!
Hi everyone! Hope you've all been having a good start to 2023. I've started the year by making some changes to the terrain system in Homegrown, to make it fit in better with the overall art-style of the game.Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.Rounded Grass CornersThe big change I wanted to make was to round off the edges of the grass, because they were previously very sharp and didn't fit in well with the rest of the game's art-style. To do this I ...
Homegrown Update - The Town!
Hello everyone! Some big updates to Homegrown this month, including a whole new area, some changes to the controls, and more improvements to the particle effect system.Gamer Tier+ patrons can download and play Homegrown here.And for Programmer Tier+ patrons the code is available here.Town AreaThe biggest change in this update is the addition of a whole new town area. Here you'll currently find all the in-game shops, but in the future the town will also be home to a lot of other features as well, such as a farmer's market, people you can...
Homegrown Update - Particle Effects
This month I've been adding support for a much needed feature to the Homegrown engine: particle effects! Interacting with the world now feels so much more real and satisfying, with little rocks, dust clouds, falling leaves and water splashes while you're carrying out actions in your garden.You can download and try out the current version of Homegrown here (for “Gamer tier"+ patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/game-download-72441007And the code is available here (for “Programmer Tier"+ patrons): https://www.patreon.com/po...
Homegrown Update 0.2.2 - Shadows
The graphical update to Homegrown has been progressing very nicely over the last few weeks! I’ve switched all the models over to the new art-style and finished working on the new rendering process for the entities in the game, including improved lighting, shadows, and a wind-effect for foliage.You can download the current version of Homegrown and try it out here (for “Gamer tier"+ patrons): https://www.patreon.com/posts/game-download-72441007And the code is available here (for “Programmer Tier"+ patrons): https://www.patreon.com/p...
Code Download (Updated 19th April 2023)
Here are the links to download the code for my projects. Homegrown and the City-builder can be set up in Eclipse as explained in this short video.Let me know if you have any problems getting them to run!Homegrown:Version 0.3.2 (current version)Version 0.3.1Version 0.3.0Version 0.2.5Version 0.2.4Version 0.2.3Version 0.2.2Version 0.2.1Version 0.2.0City-Builder:Version 0.1.2Equilinox:Version 1.7.0You'll need to set up the Equilinox code in a project that has the lwjgl, lwjgl_utils, JOrbis, and PNGDecoder jars added to the build path, along wit...
Game Downloads (Updated 19th April 2023)
Here are the latest download links for my projects. Download the file, unzip it, then run the relevant jar file to launch the game. You’ll need to have Java installed on your computer for it to work.Homegrown (I'd love to hear your feedback!):Version 0.3.2 (current version)Version 0.3.1Version 0.3.0Version 0.2.5Version 0.2.4Version 0.2.3Version 0.2.2(Some Mac users may need to run the jar file via the terminal, for now. Let me know if you have any issues getting the game to launch)City-Builder:Version 0.1.2Equilinox:Anyone who has been &#...
Homegrown Update - Starting the Graphical Overhaul
It’s been another solid month of development on Homegrown and things are really starting to take shape nicely! Earlier this month I completed the final update for version 0.2 of the game and I’m now getting stuck into the big graphical overhaul.Fruit and Veg QualityTo finish version 0.2 I implemented the concept of “star quality” produce. When you harvest your vegetables there’s now a chance of your produce having this characteristic, with the chance being higher the healthier the plant is. These “star quality” items can be sold f...
Homegrown 0.2.0 Download
Hey everyone,You can try out version 0.2.0 of the game by downloading it here:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XJgUrxoE8jDX-qxKiZjzPp1eGnEn2veG/view?usp=sharingUnzip then run the relevant jar file to launch the game. You’ll need to have Java installed on your computer for it to work.Remember, most actions require you to hold down the left mouse button on a tile or object with the relevant tool equipped.Karl
Homegrown 0.2.0 - Code Download
Here's the download link for the current code:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XglUofYL6mRyTpAQcb-N7BBFX-zEYYYN/view?usp=sharingIt can be set up in Eclipse in the same way as the city-builder, which was explained in this short video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jxl92yn8p776fq0/How%20to%20set%20up%20engine.wmv?dl=0Let me know if you have any problems getting it to run!
Homegrown 0.1.8 Download - Tool Update
Hey everyone!We're slowly getting closer to the completion of version 0.2 of Homegrown - only one more update to go now! Over the last month I've been making some important changes to the way tools work in the game, plus a lot of changes to the structure of the tool system in the code to make it easier for me (and hopefully one day modders) to add new tools to the game in the future.The big changes this update are as follows: Almost all actions in the game now require you to hold down the left mouse button on the relevant tile or object...
Homegrown 0.1.8 - Code Download
Here's the download link for the current code:https://drive.google.com/file/d/16cIPU3OLf9j_OBkZ2RhqsCcH93WJfaAI/view?usp=sharingIt can be set up in Eclipse in the same way as the city-builder, which was explained in this short video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jxl92yn8p776fq0/How%20to%20set%20up%20engine.wmv?dl=0Let me know if you have any problems getting it to run!
Homegrown 0.1.7 Download - Compost Update
Hey everyone!Here's the link to download the latest version of Homegrown:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I0dEjdPsnBwJc52GcnSlXKyYjrtJGR3r/view?usp=sharingUnzip then run the relevant jar file to launch the game. You’ll need to have Java installed on your computer for it to work.Compost UpdateI was back working on the compost system last week and implemented a feature that allows you to make your own compost in the game! While looking after your garden you'll now gain "plant matter", which you can put into the new compost heap....
Homegrown 0.1.7 - Code Download
Here's the download link for the current code:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AU3srRuqGwCCYLXV3I0oXWuV0xtH6v_j/view?usp=sharingIt can be set up in Eclipse in the same way as the city-builder, which was explained in this short video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jxl92yn8p776fq0/How%20to%20set%20up%20engine.wmv?dl=0Let me know if you have any problems getting it to run!
Homegrown 0.1.6 Download - Inventory Update
Hey everyone!Here's the link to download the latest version of Homegrown:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TQRjKmXhnmhkcYy1bh6rCZZi6nqGgMAe/view?usp=sharingUnzip then run the relevant jar file to launch the game. You’ll need to have Java installed on your computer for it to work.Inventory UpdateOne of the most frequent pieces of of feedback that I've received about the game so far is that having to open the inventory every time you want to switch tools is a bit of a pain. So for the last few weeks I've been busy redesigning the inv...
Homegrown 0.1.6 - Code Download
Here's the download link for the current code:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aJzi5CG4M7qj3f9Q-pDHwjXW29wW_ICN/view?usp=sharingIt can be set up in Eclipse in the same way as the city-builder, which was explained in this short video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jxl92yn8p776fq0/How%20to%20set%20up%20engine.wmv?dl=0Let me know if you have any problems getting it to run!
Home Grown 0.1.5 - Weeds!
I've just finished work on the latest addition to Home Grown: weeds! These unwanted plants will pop-up in your vegetable beds and start to negatively effect your crops unless you do some weeding. There's also a chance that you might accidentally introduce an invasive weed species into your garden, which you will want to eradicate as quickly as possible before it spreads!I made a devlog video about the process of implementing weeds into the game which you can check out here: https://youtu.be/TGyMznQmWQYIf you'd like to try the new fe...
