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Hi DARC — I'm looking for someone to build a game and your systems background looks like a good fit.

I'm a designer, not a developer. I have a complete design doc — systems, economy, progression, combat, all of it worked out — and no ability to build it. What I need is someone technical who can turn it into something playable.

The game: top-down pixel pirate game. You captain a ship, sail between islands, and fight real-time deck battles. Deliberate, readable pacing — damage numbers popping off hits, ability names called out on screen. The camera is the core thing: the world is open panels, sailing is wide, and combat zooms in tight on the decks, then pulls back out. No loading screens.

Contracts are powers with cooldowns, crew have traits, captains are 200 HP fights, and death is permanent with a score at the end.

Why your background fits: the game is systems-heavy. Crew with individual traits and behavior states, cargo holds with capacity, prisoners, trading with price swings, contracts with cooldowns and levels. Your crafting and inventory work is close to a lot of that.

If youre interested please reach out at rutzlershawn@gmail.com !

Hi tfarias2 — your post is basically the exact thing I'm looking for, from the other side.

I'm not a developer. I'm a designer with a complete game design doc and no ability to build it. I've got the whole thing specced out — systems, economy, progression, combat, the lot — and what I don't have is someone who can turn it into something playable.

So here's what I'm offering, and it lines up with what you said you want:

**You get:** a real project with direction already decided. No "what do I work on next" — the design doc answers that. You'd be building, not guessing. And you'd get to make the calls on architecture, engine, and how it all fits together, which is the part you're good at.

**I get:** someone technical who can actually ship it.

**On the things you're unsure about:** art and music are solvable — I can handle art direction and find assets, or we find a pixel artist when we need one.

**The game:** top-down pixel pirate game. You captain a ship, sail between islands, fight real-time deck battles. Pokémon-battle pacing — readable, deliberate, damage numbers, ability callouts. The camera zooms in for combat and pulls back out for sailing. Contracts are powers with cooldowns, crew have traits, captains are 200 HP fights, and death is permanent with a score at the end.

Roguelikes are clearly your thing, and this has that DNA — runs, permadeath, a score that means something.

Want me to send you the design doc? Happy to just talk it through first if you'd rather.

you can reach me at rutzlershawn@gmail.com 

looking forward to your answer!