This as-told-to essay relies on a dialog with Kelsey Fiegle, an unbiased recreation developer behind Vortella’s Costume Up. She developed the sport together with her husband, Wes Thorburn. Their video games can be found on the browser gaming platform Poki. The essay has been edited for size and readability.
I spent seven years as a consumer expertise designer at a Chicago inventive company. When two individuals on my crew had been laid off,
I used to be anticipated to tackle their work.
I bear in mind pondering, “I am unable to do the work of three individuals.”
I left without another job lined up. My husband, Wes Thorburn, who was already growing video games independently, thought we might make video games collectively, however I wished to seek out one other tech position first.
After about 100 purposes, I made a decision to present the dress-up recreation I had been constructing an actual shot, and it modified my life totally throughout the month.
Shopper work wore me down
Wes and I met in a recreation design class whereas I used to be studying abroad in Australia in 2013. Neither of us was pursuing recreation design. I took the category as a result of I wanted additional credit score and thought it sounded enjoyable.
After we bought married and settled within the US, Wes began experimenting with net video games whereas ready for his work permit. He ultimately launched video games on Poki, they usually started bringing in sufficient cash to assist pay our payments. I helped him with sound, 3D modeling, and consumer expertise design whereas retaining my company job.
For a very long time, I used to be the company’s solely UX designer. Some days, I tracked time for 10 completely different shoppers. There have been weekly displays, deadlines, and tasks that modified when a consumer talked about a requirement late within the course of.
I realized lots and had a very good crew, however the work was irritating. I might pour my coronary heart right into a mission, solely to seek out out it was all improper as a result of the consumer had forgotten to inform us one thing.
As soon as, a consumer wanted work completed on brief discover. I labored all Saturday and Sunday to get it completed. When the consumer noticed it on Monday, they determined they wanted per week to evaluation it as a substitute of two days. Moments like that wore me down.
A layoff grew to become the final straw
Kelsey Fiegle
At a recreation developer convention in 2023, Wes and I requested the Poki crew what sorts of video games they wished to see extra of. They stated dress-up video games. I appreciated making issues in 3D, so I started constructing a 3D dress-up recreation alongside my full-time job.
I had been making an attempt to get extra assist for my crew, so I would not should work a lot. Then the company laid off two of my coworkers and anticipated me to select up their work.
I appreciated my crew and did not wish to depart them in a tough place, so I gave the company a few months to seek out one other resolution. However they did not, so I could not preserve going.
Wes advised me, “Kelsey, you are able to do this. We might do that collectively. It would be tremendous. We might pull this off.” I wasn’t positive. I used to be making use of arduous for jobs as a result of I wished an in-house tech role, not one other company job.
It was tough to make that transfer. Going by way of interviews and getting rejected hurt my confidence, particularly once I actually wished a specific job. I advised myself that if I reached 100 purposes with out discovering something, I might strive recreation growth.
That is what occurred. I spent about 4 months working full time on my dress-up recreation. I wanted revenue, together with cash for health insurance, so I finally launched it although I did not really feel it was completed.
“Vortella’s Costume Up” launched in December 2024. I used to be shocked at how properly it did. It bought about 10 million performs in its first month.
The sport gave us freedom
Vortella’s Dressup
Poki crew members advised that the sport might do even higher if it had been multiplayer. Till then, Wes and I had largely labored on separate video games. He had expertise constructing multiplayer options for his pizza recreation, so we determined to develop my recreation collectively.
Right now, the sport will get roughly 10 million to fifteen million performs a month, although that adjustments with the season. It has thus far reached 276 million whole performs from 63.1 million distinctive gamers, with 50.6 million hours of whole playtime. We preserve including clothes, minigames, and different options, and attempt to replace it not less than twice a month.
Wes and I had all the time wished the pliability to spend time together with his household in Singapore and Australia. We go to them annually and add different locations once we can. We have traveled to Vietnam and Hong Kong, visited kin in Italy and Germany, and stopped by Poki’s workplace in Amsterdam.
I take into consideration the tech job I wished so badly throughout my search. If I had been supplied it now, I might flip it down. I’ve a method higher job.
