Josh 'Cheeseness' Bush is creating Games & Writing About Games
32

patrons

$196
per month
Who Are You Then?
Hi! My name's Cheese (or Josh if that's easier), and I have a passion for making and writing about games.

Since first learning AmigaBASIC in the late 80s, I've been on-and-off making games in my spare time, always with a hope to someday be able to focus on this as a full time activity.

I also enjoy writing about games and since 2011 have been running " Cheese Talks", a website where I publish interviews, articles and data projects exploring game and game development related topics.

For the past few years, I've managed to push out about one prototype a year, always with the intention of expanding them into full games, but never really with the time to do so alongside other commitments.

Why Are You Using Patreon?
Early in 2015, I resigned from several community groups and other commitments to allow me to give more attention to game development and writing. This Patreon campaign was created to allow people to support me in this endeavour.

My plans are to release one small prototype or make a notable contribution to a Free/Open Source Software game every six months, one large prototype per year, and give ongoing development attention to turning one of my prototypes into a full game (some of these will be F/OSS, and some will be commercial projects). Alongside this, I will be writing semi-regular dev blogs to share some of my development/content creation workflows, design intentions and musings. In addition, I will be aiming to release one piece of Cheese Talks content every two to three months.

To recap, supporters will be helping to make these things happen:
  • Ongoing development toward turning a prototype into a full game
  • 1 small game prototype or contribution to a F/OSS game every 6 months
  • 1 large game prototype per year
  • Vaguely regular dev blogs
  • Almost-monthly progress update livestream
  • 1 piece of "Cheese Talks" content every 2 - 3 months

My hopes here are to raise enough support, through Patreon contributions and through sales of games that I manage to finish and release, to reduce my reliance on contract work and day jobs and dedicate full time hours to making and writing about games.

What Are Some Of Your Previous Games?
In 2002, I released my first public game, a silly deathmatch Half-Life 1 total conversion created with fellow students as a side project whilst working on a more serious team based multiplayer game inspired by Looking Glass Studios' Thief series (both are projects I would like to revisit and give closure to someday). Since then, I've been creating game prototypes and contributing to Free/Open Source Software games as much my spare time has allowed.

My more recent projects include:
  • Winter's Wake - an attempt to create the kind of imagination-oriented experiences text adventures and books provide, presented as a VR-friendly first person game.
  • Icicle - a first person/text adventure hybrid engine created for Winter's Wake.
  • The Spicy Meatball Saves The Day - a lightly comedic superhero adventure created fro the Linux Game Jam.
  • Hidden Star - an in-development space exploration, trading and combat game initially created for LOWREZJAM.
  • Memories of Myst - a Myst fan-game that re-creates Myst's miniature ship puzzle created for Myst Jam.
  • Super Happy Sun Fun - a pyototype exploration/movement puzzle game with a focus of gravity and inertia.
  • Voices of the Past - a first person text oriented interactive fiction work initially created for the first TasJam.
  • Above The Waves - a short point and click adventure initially created for Adventure Jam.
  • FLAT - a prototype of a first person sci-fi ice skating combat game with unique movement mechanics, created for 7DFPS.
  • Dance - a prototype of a first person puzzle game in which players control their movement through a progressive dance to reach a specific partner, created for 7DFPS.
  • Colossal Cave Adventure - Icicle Edition - a remake of the 70s classic text adventure Adventure, created as an example Icicle game and as part of the Year of Adventure game jam.
  • Hover Drive - a simple radio controlled hovercraft sim, created as an example OpenGL/SDL game.
  • Robin's Rescue - a simple point and click adventure, created as an example SLUDGE game.
  • Tiny Chopper Raceway - a simple top down helicopter racing/drifting game, created as an example Godot game.
  • Bad Golf: Community Edition - a community developed third person golf/golf cart game, created during Amnesia Fortnight.
  • Neverball - a Free/Open Source Software rolling ball game that I contributed to between 2006 and 2014.
  • Haunt - an asymmetric survival/scavenging game that I contributed design and concept work to for the SteamLUG community's entries into the 2013 and 2014 7DFPS game jams.

In addition, I've also given support and assistance to some exciting games by other developers, including The Fall, Hand of Fate, The Journey Down, Armello, Airscape: The Fall of Gravity, Expand, Day of the Tentacle Remastered and many others.

What Projects Are You Currently Working On?
In Progress Primary Project
Winter's Wake: A fantasy adventure attempting to explore exclusively text-based storytelling through hybrid first person and point-and-click style mechanics.

In Progress Cheese Talks Content
Another World follow up article
Previous: Cheese talks about exhibiting at PAX Australia
Previous: Cheese talks about Star Wars game history
Previous: Cheese talks about porting Day of the Tentacle Remastered to Linux

In Progress Prototype
Pecking Order
The Farrier (AdventureJam 2017)
Hidden Star (LOWREZJAM 2016)
Previous: The Spicy Meatball Saves The Day (Linux Game Jam 2017)
Rewards
Pledge $1 or more per month
17 patrons
You have my heartfelt thanks. In addition to warm, fuzzy feelings, you'll also get early access to dev blogs/musings, a mention in the credits for any game(s) I create during the period you are supporting, and a mention as an "Awesome Supporter" on the Cheese Talks supporters page.
Get $1 Reward
Pledge $5 or more per month
6 patrons
In addition to all previous rewards, you'll also receive mention as a "Super Awesome Supporter" on the Cheese Talks supporters page and a virtual high five and/or smiley face via Twitter.

If the "Postcards!" milestone is reached, you'll also receive an annual postcard from me featuring designs based on the games/prototypes I'm working on at the time.
Get $5 Reward
Pledge $10 or more per month
4 patrons
In addition to all previous rewards, you'll also receive mention as a "Mega Super Awesome Supporter" on the Cheese Talks supporters page and a copy of any commercial games I create during the period you were supporting.

If the "Postcards!" milestone is reached, you'll also receive an annual postcard from me featuring designs based on the games/prototypes I'm working on at the time.
Get $10 Reward
Pledge $25 or more per month
4 patrons
In addition to all previous rewards, you'll also receive mention as a "Hyper Mega Super Awesome Supporter" on the Cheese Talks supporters page, which includes space for a 128x128 logo/image (subject to approval of appropriateness) and a copy of any commercial games I create during the period you were supporting.

If the "Postcards!" milestone is reached, you'll also receive an annual postcard from me featuring designs based on the games/prototypes I'm working on at the time.

If the "T-shirts!" milestone is reached, you'll also receive two shirts a year (shipped in July and December) featuring a design based on your favourite game/prototype that I've created. Note that you must be a supporting at this level at the time of shipping/ordering.
Get $25 Reward
Goals
$196 of $256 per month
If this goal is reached, I'll spend time designing t-shirts featuring designs based on the games/prototypes I'm working on. $15 and above supporters will have the option to receive two shirts a year (shipped in July and December) featuring their favourite game's design.
3 of 6
Who Are You Then?
Hi! My name's Cheese (or Josh if that's easier), and I have a passion for making and writing about games.

Since first learning AmigaBASIC in the late 80s, I've been on-and-off making games in my spare time, always with a hope to someday be able to focus on this as a full time activity.

I also enjoy writing about games and since 2011 have been running " Cheese Talks", a website where I publish interviews, articles and data projects exploring game and game development related topics.

For the past few years, I've managed to push out about one prototype a year, always with the intention of expanding them into full games, but never really with the time to do so alongside other commitments.

Why Are You Using Patreon?
Early in 2015, I resigned from several community groups and other commitments to allow me to give more attention to game development and writing. This Patreon campaign was created to allow people to support me in this endeavour.

My plans are to release one small prototype or make a notable contribution to a Free/Open Source Software game every six months, one large prototype per year, and give ongoing development attention to turning one of my prototypes into a full game (some of these will be F/OSS, and some will be commercial projects). Alongside this, I will be writing semi-regular dev blogs to share some of my development/content creation workflows, design intentions and musings. In addition, I will be aiming to release one piece of Cheese Talks content every two to three months.

To recap, supporters will be helping to make these things happen:
  • Ongoing development toward turning a prototype into a full game
  • 1 small game prototype or contribution to a F/OSS game every 6 months
  • 1 large game prototype per year
  • Vaguely regular dev blogs
  • Almost-monthly progress update livestream
  • 1 piece of "Cheese Talks" content every 2 - 3 months

My hopes here are to raise enough support, through Patreon contributions and through sales of games that I manage to finish and release, to reduce my reliance on contract work and day jobs and dedicate full time hours to making and writing about games.

What Are Some Of Your Previous Games?
In 2002, I released my first public game, a silly deathmatch Half-Life 1 total conversion created with fellow students as a side project whilst working on a more serious team based multiplayer game inspired by Looking Glass Studios' Thief series (both are projects I would like to revisit and give closure to someday). Since then, I've been creating game prototypes and contributing to Free/Open Source Software games as much my spare time has allowed.

My more recent projects include:
  • Winter's Wake - an attempt to create the kind of imagination-oriented experiences text adventures and books provide, presented as a VR-friendly first person game.
  • Icicle - a first person/text adventure hybrid engine created for Winter's Wake.
  • The Spicy Meatball Saves The Day - a lightly comedic superhero adventure created fro the Linux Game Jam.
  • Hidden Star - an in-development space exploration, trading and combat game initially created for LOWREZJAM.
  • Memories of Myst - a Myst fan-game that re-creates Myst's miniature ship puzzle created for Myst Jam.
  • Super Happy Sun Fun - a pyototype exploration/movement puzzle game with a focus of gravity and inertia.
  • Voices of the Past - a first person text oriented interactive fiction work initially created for the first TasJam.
  • Above The Waves - a short point and click adventure initially created for Adventure Jam.
  • FLAT - a prototype of a first person sci-fi ice skating combat game with unique movement mechanics, created for 7DFPS.
  • Dance - a prototype of a first person puzzle game in which players control their movement through a progressive dance to reach a specific partner, created for 7DFPS.
  • Colossal Cave Adventure - Icicle Edition - a remake of the 70s classic text adventure Adventure, created as an example Icicle game and as part of the Year of Adventure game jam.
  • Hover Drive - a simple radio controlled hovercraft sim, created as an example OpenGL/SDL game.
  • Robin's Rescue - a simple point and click adventure, created as an example SLUDGE game.
  • Tiny Chopper Raceway - a simple top down helicopter racing/drifting game, created as an example Godot game.
  • Bad Golf: Community Edition - a community developed third person golf/golf cart game, created during Amnesia Fortnight.
  • Neverball - a Free/Open Source Software rolling ball game that I contributed to between 2006 and 2014.
  • Haunt - an asymmetric survival/scavenging game that I contributed design and concept work to for the SteamLUG community's entries into the 2013 and 2014 7DFPS game jams.

In addition, I've also given support and assistance to some exciting games by other developers, including The Fall, Hand of Fate, The Journey Down, Armello, Airscape: The Fall of Gravity, Expand, Day of the Tentacle Remastered and many others.

What Projects Are You Currently Working On?
In Progress Primary Project
Winter's Wake: A fantasy adventure attempting to explore exclusively text-based storytelling through hybrid first person and point-and-click style mechanics.

In Progress Cheese Talks Content
Another World follow up article
Previous: Cheese talks about exhibiting at PAX Australia
Previous: Cheese talks about Star Wars game history
Previous: Cheese talks about porting Day of the Tentacle Remastered to Linux

In Progress Prototype
Pecking Order
The Farrier (AdventureJam 2017)
Hidden Star (LOWREZJAM 2016)
Previous: The Spicy Meatball Saves The Day (Linux Game Jam 2017)

Recent posts by Josh 'Cheeseness' Bush

Rewards
Pledge $1 or more per month
17 patrons
You have my heartfelt thanks. In addition to warm, fuzzy feelings, you'll also get early access to dev blogs/musings, a mention in the credits for any game(s) I create during the period you are supporting, and a mention as an "Awesome Supporter" on the Cheese Talks supporters page.
Get $1 Reward
Pledge $5 or more per month
6 patrons
In addition to all previous rewards, you'll also receive mention as a "Super Awesome Supporter" on the Cheese Talks supporters page and a virtual high five and/or smiley face via Twitter.

If the "Postcards!" milestone is reached, you'll also receive an annual postcard from me featuring designs based on the games/prototypes I'm working on at the time.
Get $5 Reward
Pledge $10 or more per month
4 patrons
In addition to all previous rewards, you'll also receive mention as a "Mega Super Awesome Supporter" on the Cheese Talks supporters page and a copy of any commercial games I create during the period you were supporting.

If the "Postcards!" milestone is reached, you'll also receive an annual postcard from me featuring designs based on the games/prototypes I'm working on at the time.
Get $10 Reward
Pledge $25 or more per month
4 patrons
In addition to all previous rewards, you'll also receive mention as a "Hyper Mega Super Awesome Supporter" on the Cheese Talks supporters page, which includes space for a 128x128 logo/image (subject to approval of appropriateness) and a copy of any commercial games I create during the period you were supporting.

If the "Postcards!" milestone is reached, you'll also receive an annual postcard from me featuring designs based on the games/prototypes I'm working on at the time.

If the "T-shirts!" milestone is reached, you'll also receive two shirts a year (shipped in July and December) featuring a design based on your favourite game/prototype that I've created. Note that you must be a supporting at this level at the time of shipping/ordering.
Get $25 Reward