15 Days: Part 21

December 22nd to December 31st 2025

Hello again and yes, a little sooner than expected. 10 days rather than the usual 15, in fact. There’s a good reason too; I wanted to sign off 2025, and then look forward to 2026, and this is pretty much what this early edition is about.

Here’s what I’ve got for you this time.

• Blue Prince joins my Testing Collection
• Fitness update and comparison
• Testing Summary in 2025
• Summary of 2025 Events
• 15 Days going forward

Blue Prince joins my Testing Collection: I’ve been waiting a while for this iam8bit’s Commissary Bundle to ship but the wait has been worth it, and I can finally show off another physical edition of a game I’ve tested: Blue Prince.

I called it in 15 Days: Part 7 back in April, and I have lost track of how many awards Blue Prince has won by now. It’s an excellent game and I will always be very honoured to have been asked to test it, and very proud to have contributed to its development along with everyone else involved. It will now sit proudly amongst the other physical games I’ve worked on. Hopefully, in time, some of the others in my projects list might get a physical copy too. I’d really like to see them all lined up one day.

Fitness update and comparison: This will be the final one for the year. I’ve tweaked the graph to only show the start in July (Part 15) and now. It was getting a little too busy for my liking. I can be happy with the progress made because I am a big believer in continuous improvement, however large or small it is. To see caffeine reduced to an occasional treat or as a pick-me-up is a great win for me. Chocolate decreased and stayed steady but I am disappointed that this is the case, albeit an improvement on that embarrassingly high percentage in the beginning. As for alcohol, my true aim was to partake during celebrations, holidays, and catch-ups with friends and loved ones. On the whole, that has been the case. Truthfully, I am glad to see the statistics across the three because however you look at this, in particular for chocolate, 61.99% of the total 171 days is awful. That’s 106 days where I ate chocolate, and I am not going to hit my long-term goals with these numbers.

Which is why in 2026, I’m aiming for 10% of each throughout the year but really, I’m aiming for 5%. 10% means moderation and having fun at a reasonable level. In others words, that’s 36 full days per year, more than enough for me. 5% is a dedicated aim towards the levels of diet, health and fitness that I want. That’s my aim for 2026: 5% of each but I will settle with 10% if that’s the reality.

With that out of the way, my fitness over the last ten days has gone well. Every single day since 22nd December, with two rest days included, I have been out walking, and I have used my previously mentioned tactic of adding one more rep per day to each exercise I’ve given myself.

Starting at 5 reps per exercise on the 22^nd, I do press-ups, wall squats, chair squats, full body squats, arm curls, leg raises, shoulder press, chair dips and hip raises. I am fairly certain there are actual proper names for each of these but this is what I call them.

At the time this gets to you (31st December 2025), I will have completed 5+6+7+8+9+10+11+12 = 68 of each. It doesn’t seem like much right now but it’ll quickly grow and I’m pleased to say, it’s working! In the coming weeks, I’ll likely break these into sets to manage the numbers. Add my daily cod liver oil, vitamin D and plenty of water, and I suspect I’ll see some significant improvements fairly quickly.

I didn’t manage to get back to the regular running I wanted but that’s just slightly delayed further down the road right now. I’ve always enjoyed running but for some reason I’ve lost interest in it over the years. I will get there; all of this is building up fitness and a better diet to the obvious next step of getting out into the fresh air and running; even if the running is a shuffling jog at first.

Testing Summary in 2025: This year I have:

• Committed 450+ hours to testing, feedback, and creative input;
• Contributed to 14 new projects, up from 11 in 2024;
• Received new credits and testimonials within these projects;
• Made my debut on the TNGC podcast;
• I finally settled on a rate for my services, with flexibility depending on what is needed.;
• My website had its first birthday, along with two makeovers;
• I made a new contact card (with a ‘secret’ third card…);
• Contributed to the $109 Adventure Game Challenge, securing a joint first place with Eulogy for Nonno;
• Got a mention in Debug magazine, NEXT magazine, and various shout-outs on YouTube, Twitch, and social media;
• Attended 7 gaming events.

I feel like I’ve missed something off this list but, either way, it has been a very good year and 2026, potentially, may be even better.

Summary of 2025 Events: So, as you read above, I went to seven events this year and although not every event was for me, I am very glad I attended them to find out. Here they are, with a few thoughts on each.

Debug Indie Game Awards 2025 (February, Nottingham): This was my second visit after the edition in 2024 and I had a great time catching up with familiar faces and meeting a few people I’d only spoken with online. The team behind Debug magazine puts together a daytime showcase of various indies games, many of which I had never seen before, and then an awards show in the evening. Sadly, I didn’t take a photo of what follows but it was great to see three demos I’ve helped test and contribute to, lined up next to one another. They are Heir of the Dog, Adventures of a Cat in Space, and Sleepytime Village. I even got a sneak peek at future levels of Adventures of a Cat in Space and was so absorbed, Tom Hardwidge (the developer and all-round top chap) had to kick me off so people could play his other demo, Heir of the Dog! Debug’s next event, Debug Games Festival, is in April 2026, and information can be found via this link.

ZZAP! Live (May, Kenilworth): This sister event of CRASH Live (below) is a rare opportunity to play on the original hardware of decades past. Predominantly a Commodore event, this was also my second visit. As a Spectrum guy growing up, I don’t feel like I’ve ‘infiltrated the enemy’ here but instead see it as a wonderful chance to learn and try out games that I missed as a boy. It was also the first of a few in-person catch-ups this year with Tony Warriner and Stoo Cambridge, the creators of UrbX Warriors, who I’ve been helping with testing. I’ve enjoyed it all, and enjoy spending time with them both. Plus, I’ve caught some very tricky bugs along the way. Brazen Gameplay, their new studio, is one to keep an eye on and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.

Develop: Brighton (July, Brighton): Half holiday, half event, I struggled to find a connection with this one. It wasn’t a bad choice; I’ve referred to it as ‘…an annual game dev pilgrimage…’ for many within this community but it lacked the same attachment as many of the other events I’ve attended. I felt like an outsider looking in. Perhaps I am not quite established enough to make a dent here, not that I have ever thought of my approach or work in this way before but there was something lacking. I’m certain there’s a lot of good within Develop but perhaps this year was not the time for me. Check it out though; it may be exactly what you’re looking for.

However, all was not lost, because catching up with Lee Williams of Cryptmaster fame was a real highlight. A few beers at a seaside bar was a great way to while away the day, whilst chatting about all things game dev and beyond. And I would be mad not to share some exceptionally rare words from the Cryptmaster himself:

Notts VGE (July, Nottingham): Located at the Harvey Hadden Sports Village, Notts VGE was organised by some of the team behind Debug. This was a return to Nottingham and another catch-up with Tony and Stoo. It was also the moment I realised my testing skills may be too powerful for live demos! I only wanted to use the beautiful UrbX Warriors custom joypad but within a couple of minutes I broke the game while people were watching! I was a bit embarrassed and, although it does happen, when people are watching the demo being played for the first time, I felt it didn’t make a good impression. Of course, it was fine and said bug has long been squished but I temporarily banned myself from touching event demos I’ve worked on until I can control my wayward power… A few too many pints that evening certainly dampened my skills, and I skulked off home the following day to rest my aching head.

Timeless (August, Liverpool): Timeless lives long and happy in my memory. It was set in a former working brewery, now bar, with several storeys of arcades attached to it. I tagged along with James Lightfoot of Sleepytime Village where the demo was being showcased in one of the four available booths. Practically this meant I always had a quiet space to sit in (and I do like quiet time to recharge when at events) but it also meant I had a good seat when it came to the various talks going on at the main stage. It’s a fun event that has something for everyone, and I’d say if you’re a content creator, it’s the one event where this was the place to be; a kind of content creator hub. Everywhere I turned there were interviews going on or videos being made. There were also competitions, stalls, and a great food market around the corner. Timeless stood out because it was different to every other event I attended, but it’s remembered because I had a really fun time. And the bar was about six feet away from the booth…

CRASH! Live (November, Kenilworth): As mentioned above, the sister event to ZZAP! Live but this time for Spectrum fans. Another hands-on experience of using the original hardware of yesteryear and a busy couple of days while the UrbX Warriors demo was on show. Set up across three rooms, including a beautiful arcade cabinet, I set to my task of making sure I had the highest score on each which, unless I am told otherwise, remains the case.

AdventureX (November, London): I mean, what can I say? This has to be up there as one of the best events of the year for me personally. I still have Part 19 to rewrite but my journey from AdventureX 2022 to 2025 was always likely to be highlighted here. I have gone from knowing so few people and having very little by way of a portfolio, to making good friends in four years and over 30 projects behind me; all based upon hard work, having the courage to go out into a world I didn’t know, being authentic, and collaborating honestly. I feel very lucky to have been a part of so many wonderful projects, and to arrive at an event where I am greeted with familiar and friendly faces has left me with a very strong impression of being in the place I belong. I loved the talks I attended and I loved catching up with friends, including one or two face-to-face for the first time. I’m sad I didn’t have as much time to speak to everyone, or go to more talks but, for those I did, it was time well spent. I will return next year.

Attending all of these events was not a bad effort, I think. I had a goal of getting to as many as possible this year and I’ve done what I can. It’s been expensive and exhausting at times but none have been a waste of time. Next year it’ll be Debug Games Festival, ZZAP! Live, PLAY Expo Blackpool, CRASH! Live, and AdventureX. There’s always room for more but, for now, I’ll do my best to commit to these.

15 Days going forward: So, these will continue. I enjoy writing them too much to stop, although the last two have felt like a struggle, and I put that down to needing a break occasionally and the underlying feeling that I need to shake things up a bit. I mean how much do you really want to read about whether I had coffee or not? Even I got a bit bored of that. What I’ll do now is have two 15 Days blogs per month. One for 1st to 15th, then another to cover the rest of the month. Will they be exactly 15 days? No, but I’m fine with it. I write these because I want to, and I’d be amazed if anyone worries about that. I’m also thinking about giving them a little more structure. I may alternate some of the topics so they are spread across these blogs rather than in each one. For example, if I’m sharing my health and fitness stuff, it may be in the first blog of each month, amongst other items. Then another regular topic in the second blog each month and then back to the health and fitness. At least that seems like a good way to spread things out, rather than share my fantastically named ‘Graph Thingy’ all the time. I’ll see how it goes.

I’ll also take a break two or three times a year, then pick them up again, and this leads me nicely onto my first break of 2026.

As of 1st January, I intend to use my time to read, write, test, keep fit, and look at creating a game of my own. I’ve been looking at Pico-8 and I’ve a few books and a couple of pixel art courses to work through. In previous blogs, I’ve written much about working on other interests without really taking time to do so. No fault of my own, I am busy with other things but I want to at least see what is out there and what fits. As with anything testing, I have no grand plan, only that if opportunities arise that look interesting, I say “Yes!”, and then I work hard and things move forward. It’s the same idea here. Am I making a game? No. Am I going to learn how to use some software and see what happens? Yes. And so, my philosophy continues. As does the testing, because that will always be there.

Finally, I cannot thank you enough for following my socials, reading my blogs, engaging wherever it’s available and generally just showing some love with a like or two. I’m not in it for the likes but they do show me that someone is out there reading and enjoying these. That’s heartwarming and very encouraging. Reflecting on this year of 15 Days, I can say that, overall, I am pleased to have kept them going whilst recognising that, like many things in life, a break every now and then is important. Re-reading my blogs, I can say my writing has at times been enjoyable. Not always but particular highlights for me are Parts 2, 4, 7 (where I spent ages finding a way to incorporate a hidden Blue Prince steam key into the text), 8, 11, 12, 14, 15 and this one. They felt decently written and personal, and even if I can still see where to improve, I can feel pleased with what has been done. Because although they sometimes read a little unstructured as a whole, they have stayed true to 15 Days: An Introduction, and that authenticity has always been important to me. That I’ve written these regularly, even when I haven’t particularly enjoyed them sometimes, means I have accomplished what I set out to do.

And that is all from me for 2025. I will probably be back sometime in March, if not sooner, hopefully with some interesting tales to share.

For now, I wish you all a very Happy New Year, and all the very best for 2026.

And, as always, until next time, stay safe, and thank you for reading.

Paul.

P.S. Root Cellar, Kennel, Shovel.