The Travel Medley

Today’s post is about snakes!

Well, kind of.

It’s also somewhat related to travel. And Oreos. And love.

So let’s dive in.

Most of y’all already know that Michael and I quit our jobs to backpack around Europe last year.

And while the primary goal was travel, there was another unintended consequence.

Quitting our 9-5 jobs gave us a lot more time to think about what we wanted. To examine our passions, and unabashedly pursue them for 9 months. (Because why not?? We were already doing one crazy thing. Why not add another?)

Long story short: we didn’t actually stop working.

As we backpacked around Europe, we became our own bosses. We spent countless hours working each week, but in a holy-cow-this-is-so-awesome-I’m-stoked-to-be-working(!!!) kind of way.

My passion project has been very public (hint: you’re reading it).

But Michael’s has been much more low key.

So let me catch you up.

Michael has been making a game! (Wooo!!!)

It’s called A Snake’s Tale, and it’s a puzzle game about snakes in cramped spaces. The goal is to maneuver the snakes around the screen to get the rattlesnake down the hole.

It starts off pretty easy (like most games) to help you get used to the mechanics of play.

But as you continue, the environments change, and the puzzles get more complex.

Neat, right?

I also think it’s kind of creepy (but mostly awesome) how the snake’s bodies slither around the screen.

And can I just take a quick sec to brag on Michael?? Because I am SUPER proud of him.

He did all of this from scratch, you guys! The coding, graphics, puzzle creation, and about a kajillion other things that you totally don’t think about (BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM) that it takes to make a game.

So y’all – get excited!!! Because after several months of hard work, A Snake’s Tale is officially available for purchase!

YAY!

I like to imagine that the snakes are really excited too. So I made a gif to help them celebrate.

You can play A Snake’s Tale on your computer (Windows, Mac, Linux) or your smartphone (iOS and Android).

Are any hipsters or grandpas reading? Because maybe Michael will even make a super low res version for your old Nokia phone.

A Snake’s Tale is $2.99, which is tricky, because people are used to paying $0.99 (or nothing) for games these days.

But it’s like going to the mom & pop bookstore, each title lovingly placed on a well-worn shelf, rather than your big chain Barnes & Noble. It’s like visiting a local café instead of the corporate monolith that is Starbucks. This is an indie game, made by one person, over the course of months.

And if that doesn’t resonate with you… let me put it another way.

A Snake’s Tale costs less than this package of Oreos.

When you think about it, $2.99 is a great deal for something that will provide you with hours of entertainment. And it won’t make you scream “WHYYY?!?!” in the middle of the grocery store, causing an unnecessary scene in the cookie aisle. And certainly won’t cause #pinkpoop.

(If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.)

There are 80+ levels, silly inside jokes, and I even designed a couple of the puzzles. (Heyyyyy. Shoutout to myself!)

Okay. I’ll admit that I’m very biased.

Mostly because I’m in love with the guy who made this game. (Also… because I really want you guys to suffer through “Brevil.”)

But I honestly do think it’s a fun game, and that y’all should give it a try!

And while you play it, please know that A Snake’s Tale was totally part of our travels.

Michael started this project in June, and he’s worked on it in Croatia, Bosnia, Greece, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Malta, Spain, the Caribbean, and the US.

*Ahem*

Did you play the game? Do you have comments for Michael?

I’m sure he’d love to hear from you!

I’ll pass along messages that come through The Travel Medley, but beware that I’ll also insert my own opinions. Example: “This reader really loved your game!!! They said that their favorite levels were Water Landing and Brevil! They also said that you should give me a back massage!”

If you don’t trust me to accurately relay your message, you can also reach him directly at [email protected] or through Twitter.

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