2023 is coming to an end. A lot happened and while my thoughts are jumbled, I want to say that I’m proud of every single person I worked with this year. From voice actors, to artists, to programmers and more, I've worked with and met a lot of people. Everyone was so talented and accommodating. I couldn't feel more proud of everyone and I can’t wait to show off the hard work that everyone has done. 

Which brings me to my next announcement.

After the full release of The Villainess Just Wants to Eat!! And Gap Moe Mob Boss, I will be taking an indefinite break from game jams and making games in general. There’s a lot of reasons for this, but I just haven’t been feeling well both physically and emotionally.

In the year of 2023, I've worked on over nine games. With the addition of commissions, streaming, work, and general content creation, I've been doing a lot.  It was a constant struggle. Anxiety has basically consumed my whole life. I always held high expectations for myself and this year just made it seem like I experienced failure after failure. I feel like I have done nothing I can be proud of this year. despite working on so much. And for that reason,  I need a break. I’m still going to be working, but I just can’t make games I can be proud of in this state. 

I won't be quitting game dev because it's what I love and it's my job. But I am slowing things down for myself. I'll be learning on my own and taking the time to build up my confidence once again. I’ll still try and stream, do interviews with fellow game devs, and post on my YouTube. I will still be posting stories and fanfics.  But it will be slow going. I need rest and lots of it. 

I hope I’m not disappointing everyone with this. I know there were some projects people were looking forward to. But it’s something that I just need to do for myself. It's something that will make my games more enjoyable for everyone else. 

Thank you to all my friends for supporting me. Thank you to everyone I’ve met that’s encouraged me and my creativity. I've made some great friends this year that I love and cherish with all my heart. You might not know it, but you guys have been my rock and have kept me going for this year. So thank you. 

I hope you all have a fantastic new year.

If you'd like to keep up with me, check out all my social media links here: https://linktr.ee/thechosengiraffe

 -Syd