Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
After finishing my Ludum Dare 58 game **Demon Army: Soul Collector**, I wanted to take a step back and do a **full postmortem review** — breaking down what went right, what went wrong, and what I learned throughout development.
In this video, I reflect on the design, gameplay systems, storytelling, time management, and creative direction that shaped the game — along with the lessons I’ll take forward for future jams and projects.
🩸 **About the Game:**
Serve the glorious leader Nima as Grunt, a towering demon warrior, and Mancy, her loyal necromancer who harvests souls but cannot fight. Together, they purge a corrupted jail, collecting souls for Nima’s cause. A darkly comedic, soul-stealing adventure of loyalty, madness, and devotion.
🎮 **In This Review:**
✅ What went right during development
✅ What went wrong & what I’d fix next time
✅ Things I learned from Ludum Dare 58
✅ Post-release thoughts and community feedback
✅ Next steps for Demon Army and beyond
This is a personal reflection and a practical breakdown — something every developer should do after a project. Reviewing your own work honestly helps you grow faster than anything else.
👉 Play Demon Army: Soul Collector: d3kryption.itch.io/demon-army-soul-collector
🤗 Connect With Me:
👉 Find all my links here: d3kryptionstudios.com
🔷 More Unreal Engine Tutorials:
👉 youtu.be/9620bBlTEUA
👉 youtu.be/uFigrHBluLg
🔷 Join our Game Dev Community!
👉 Discord: discord.com/invite/AybHAuZDRr
👉 Twitter: https://x.com/D3kryption
👉 Instagram: instagram.com/d3kryption
👉 Patreon: patreon.com/d3kryption
🙌 If you enjoy these reflective dev videos:
👍 Like the video
💬 Comment what you think went best (or worst!) in the game
🔔 Subscribe for more devlogs, breakdowns & UE5 tutorials
🤗 My Setup:
👉 OS: Manjaro Linux
👉 CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X × 32
👉 GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 24GB
👉 RAM: 128GB
👉 Headphones: Audio Technica ATH-M50X
👉 Mic: Audio Technica AT2020
👉 DAC: Behringer UMC22
👉 Keyboard: Keychron Q3 QMK with Krome Keycaps - Pudding rainbow kanji-hiragana caps
👉 Mouse: Logitech G403
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:42 - Mancy & Grunt
01:26 - Four Endings
02:44 - NavMesh Fix
02:55 - What Went Right
03:35 - New Tech
04:46 - AI Controls
06:49 - What Went Wrong
08:35 - Player Complaints
09:55 - Windows Issues
11:07 - Time Constraints
11:33 - Improvements
11:53 - GAS System
13:19 - Command System
14:01 - GAS Learnings
14:48 - State Tree
17:03 - Feedback
18:03 - Voice Shoutouts
21:18 - Pop-Up References
24:17 - Ratings
27:37 - Final Scores
31:28 - Next Plans
32:44 - Course
32:58 - Outro
#LudumDare58 #DemonArmySoulCollector #UnrealEngine5 #GameDev #IndieDev #GamePostmortem #UE5GameJam #UnrealEngineTutorial #D3kryption #GameReview #Devlog
After finishing my Ludum Dare 58 game **Demon Army: Soul Collector**, I wanted to take a step back and do a **full postmortem review** — breaking down what went right, what went wrong, and what I learned throughout development.
In this video, I reflect on the design, gameplay systems, storytelling, time management, and creative direction that shaped the game — along with the lessons I’ll take forward for future jams and projects.
🩸 **About the Game:**
Serve the glorious leader Nima as Grunt, a towering demon warrior, and Mancy, her loyal necromancer who harvests souls but cannot fight. Together, they purge a corrupted jail, collecting souls for Nima’s cause. A darkly comedic, soul-stealing adventure of loyalty, madness, and devotion.
🎮 **In This Review:**
✅ What went right during development
✅ What went wrong & what I’d fix next time
✅ Things I learned from Ludum Dare 58
✅ Post-release thoughts and community feedback
✅ Next steps for Demon Army and beyond
This is a personal reflection and a practical breakdown — something every developer should do after a project. Reviewing your own work honestly helps you grow faster than anything else.
👉 Play Demon Army: Soul Collector: d3kryption.itch.io/demon-army-soul-collector
🤗 Connect With Me:
👉 Find all my links here: d3kryptionstudios.com
🔷 More Unreal Engine Tutorials:
👉 youtu.be/9620bBlTEUA
👉 youtu.be/uFigrHBluLg
🔷 Join our Game Dev Community!
👉 Discord: discord.com/invite/AybHAuZDRr
👉 Twitter: https://x.com/D3kryption
👉 Instagram: instagram.com/d3kryption
👉 Patreon: patreon.com/d3kryption
🙌 If you enjoy these reflective dev videos:
👍 Like the video
💬 Comment what you think went best (or worst!) in the game
🔔 Subscribe for more devlogs, breakdowns & UE5 tutorials
🤗 My Setup:
👉 OS: Manjaro Linux
👉 CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X × 32
👉 GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 24GB
👉 RAM: 128GB
👉 Headphones: Audio Technica ATH-M50X
👉 Mic: Audio Technica AT2020
👉 DAC: Behringer UMC22
👉 Keyboard: Keychron Q3 QMK with Krome Keycaps - Pudding rainbow kanji-hiragana caps
👉 Mouse: Logitech G403
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:42 - Mancy & Grunt
01:26 - Four Endings
02:44 - NavMesh Fix
02:55 - What Went Right
03:35 - New Tech
04:46 - AI Controls
06:49 - What Went Wrong
08:35 - Player Complaints
09:55 - Windows Issues
11:07 - Time Constraints
11:33 - Improvements
11:53 - GAS System
13:19 - Command System
14:01 - GAS Learnings
14:48 - State Tree
17:03 - Feedback
18:03 - Voice Shoutouts
21:18 - Pop-Up References
24:17 - Ratings
27:37 - Final Scores
31:28 - Next Plans
32:44 - Course
32:58 - Outro
#LudumDare58 #DemonArmySoulCollector #UnrealEngine5 #GameDev #IndieDev #GamePostmortem #UE5GameJam #UnrealEngineTutorial #D3kryption #GameReview #Devlog
