Roadmap for 2026

Let’s start!

This is a really exciting post to make, this marks the official start of the project! Until now we have seen how the original idea turned out into a pitch. This roadmap aims to convert this pitch into a tangible product. This means that after this post, the blog will start digging into the proper development (which makes me really nervous and happy).

Before deploying this roadmap let’s talk about the planned team. One of the most important successes that I bring with me from the BCN Game Fest is a partner for this project. While few people reached out willing to help me I often struggle to accept free help, it just doesn’t feel morally right for me. Work requires a pay. If any of you are reading this post, I truly appreciate your kindness and I hope to work with you if I get enough funding to pay you (or at least a more clearer vision on how to divide the profits).

So, what makes this partner different? I’m making a quid pro quo with him which is not exactly a pay but at least is something that I can give back. This reduces my time to dedicate to Vessel but increases the chance of succeeding with this project.

To sum it up, we are now a two people army. I will take care of code, design, and production; and my partner will take care of art, and art direction. Since the team is small and doesn’t have any funds yet implies that we need to sustain with a job it isn’t realistic to expect the full game being developed next year. Instead of that, our focus will be deploying a 30 minute demo that captures the essence of the game to look for funding.

Since our referent is pretty clear and the main mechanics are proven to be fun we will approach the development using a waterfall methodology and saving time buffers for experimentation. Nowadays, the most common way to produce is using some sort of agile, specifically SCRUM, but those tools were intended to reduce the risk of development in an environment where the final product isn’t really clear, since our vision is clear and our major constraints are time and money, an agile approach isn’t really fitting this development.

Where are we standing?

As you might understand, this blog is not 100% up to date with the development (otherwise I wouldn’t be able to keep the pace for posting regularly). Currently the design of the game is getting in shape and it's aimed to be finished by the end of the year. The prototype is already half-way through and I will be able to share some dedicated updates soonish. In essence, this project conceptualization started in September and since then most of the preproduction has been completed.

Planned Milestones

• January 2026 - Vessel Prototype: A small build that aims to answer the following questions. How will the character controller behave? How does melee combat work? How does ranged combat work?  How big will the maximum room of the game be? How small will the minimum room in the game be? Those questions are vital for our project so building this small prototype is key to correct the design of the game if needed.

• March 2026 - Vessel Alpha: the goal to consider this alpha achieved is having a proper block out of the level fully navigable with the key puzzles in place and all the narrative systems working. 

• End of May 2026 - Vessel Beta / 1st Playable: At this point the game shall be playable from start to finish. Unpolished, hopefully not ugly, but playable. 

• August 2026 - Vessel Gold Master: That’s it, the demo ready to showcase! Hopefully we will have something ready for GamesCom.

• October 2026 -  Public Showcase: We aim to get this demo in the next BCN Game Fest where it will have its first public showcase.

  
  

Funding opportunities

To be honest, I don’t believe we are getting funded until the demo is done and we can show what we are building, but those are few interesting opportunities for us:

• Epic Mega grants 1st Cycle (February): Probably it will be too early to make a submission since this is in February but I’ll keep an eye on the terms and keep you posted if Vessel finally applies.

• Epic Mega grants 2nd Cycle (July): This one is the main goal of this year.

• Gamescom: While Vessel won’t probably be fully ready for a public showcase it should be good enough to make a private showcase for publishers and investors.

• BCN Game Fest (October): It won’t only be the first public showcase of Vessel but also a good chance to find funding.

• Maybe Crowdfunding? I totally think that at this point it will be too early for something like this but who knows.

  
  

Final thoughts

Next year looks promising and exciting. I expect things to speed up a lot and change quickly, and I hope you will be part of this journey: reading, commenting, and joining the discord, all actions count and give us a boost of morale. I also want to clarify that this is outside of my expertise field so if you have any help or insight you wish to make I’m more than happy to read it!