Note: I wrote this big long post, sent it to a few friends, they all said "Damon, do not post that." But they never said I couldn't sing it--

[EXTREMELY LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER]

Ok, fine. Mass redactions it is. May as well get a decent shitpost out of my trauma. You can use your imaginations instead.

It's Necrobarista's third birthday. Time to reflect, tell a funny^{[citation needed]} story, and also to XXX XXXXX X XXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX like a bug or perhaps some kind of worm. I sure hope XXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXX X.^[1]

How I Was Victimized By XXXX XXXX XXX

(Or: Why I now obsessively check XXXX XXX XX before posting literally anything ever)

When Necrobarista came out, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX peanuts XXXX XX X X X X X XXX X X XX X XXX X XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I was XXXX XX X X X X X XXX X X XX stressed XXXX XX X.

Anyway, we didn't know when Necrobarista was going to come out. Ever. The company had the game essentially ready for launch on PC a year before its eventual release, and were preparing for a September 2019 launch, but XXXX XXXX XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXX XX XX X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXX XX X XXXXX XXX XXX XXX XXXXX XX XXXXX XXXX an underpaid and stressed developer XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXX X. And every week we'd XXXX XXX XXXXX XXX XXXX XXX XXX. So if you were XXX XX XX XXXXX XXX XXX in late 2019 and wondered why XXXX XXX XXXXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXXXX XX X XXX XXX XXX XXXX XX X X XXX, that's why. These things happen.^[2]

But when Necrobarista did release on July 17, 2020, XXXX XXX XXX X X X X XXXX XXX XX XX XX XXX X XX XXXXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX XXXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXXX XXX XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXXX XXX XXXX XXXX XXX XXX XXX the game, doing my absolute best to burn myself out as quickly as possible. I was invested in this whole process in an extremely unhealthy way, because it was just me out there XXXX XX XX XX X doing my damn best. Also the entire team was in fucking lockdown. What else is there to do but soak in the rancid vibes?

XXXX XXX XXXX XXX XX X X XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXXX. Looks fine to me. XXXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX XXX XX XXX XXX XX XXX XX. I go to sleep. It's the middle of winter and instead of sleeping in my bed I'm sleeping on the couch under an electric blanket because I'm afraid of being too far from the computer. Healthy.

I wake up XXXX XXX XX XXX X X X XX XX XXX XX XX XXX XX XX XXX, and my heart drops.

XXXXX XX XX XX XX XXX XXX XXX XX XXXXX XXXXXXXX XX XXX XXX XXX XXXX XXX XXXX XXXXX XX X X X XXXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXX XXXX X XXXX X X X XX XXXXX XX X XX XXX XX????

Anyway, XXXXX X XX X XX XX XXXX XXX XX XX XXXXX XX XXX XXX XXXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXXXX XXX XX XXX XXX I am shitting myself.

XXX XX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX. We launch the game XX XX XXX XX XXX XX XXX XXX XX XXXXX XX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX. Journalists are confused. (Sorry, journalists.) I spend the Saturday playing Paper Mario: The Origami King in a haze.

XXX XXX XXX XX XX XX XXX XXX XXX XX XXXX XXX XXXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXXX X X X XXX XX X

I sleep on the couch for another week. I watch the reviews roll in. I've never been so invested in anything in my entire career. Unhealthy. They're good, though, despite getting dinged for technical issues and weird game design. Our Metascore is better than Detroit: Become Human's. lol.

XXXXXX XX XeX XXXXX XX XggX XXXXX XX XXX XXX XXX XXXbugXXXXXXX X X XXX XX XXX XX XXX XX XXXXX XX XX(sorry)XXXX X XXX XX XX XXX XXX XXXXX XX XXX XX X XX X XXXX XXX XX XXX XX XXX XXX XXX XXX and then I went off to other jobs and tried to recover from burnout, which is something I'm still working through. Nice to have a supportive workplace.

That's all. That's the whole post. Three years on, all I wish is that I'd had the resources or support or pay to do a better job, but am proud of the game nonetheless. Sometimes you just do what you can, even if it means fracking the writing out of yourself. An extractive, painful process. It is what it is. Don't do that. Go touch grass instead.

^[1]XXXX XXXXX XXX XXX XXXX XXX XXX XXXX X XX any more or less if I were a worm
^[2]XXXXXX XXX XX XXX XX X X XX XXX XX XXXX XXX XX X XXX XXX XX XX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XX X X XX XXXX X