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RealityBend was the project that set me on the path to become a game designer. Originally an adventure designed for the PC on a translated import of RPG Maker 2000, RealityBend was a fairly simple RPG that slowly evolved into a complex intricate odyssey traversing through the very fabric of reality.

I initiated the game in January of 2001 with my friend Cesar Benavidez, and together we built an 8 hour adventure over the following few years that spanned only half way through the original story. Years went by and yet this game would remain on my mind, and I would continue to plan it, contemplate it, work on it sporadically. It has become a part of my identity as a game designer, and I plan on one day finishing and releasing it as a full product.

During my work towards a college bachelor's degree in Game Development, my ideas for what makes a game evolved and matured and RealityBend's face changed considerably. I reworked the original ideas - the story, the mechanics, the visual style - and am still in the process of constantly refining the final design of the game.

Initially the game followed a traditional RPG formula and ocassionally broke the fourth wall, comically self-deprecating and poking fun at well-known RPGs from the 80s and 90s. As time has gone by, a lot of the humor remains but a more serious note permeates through the game and a deeper message resonates through the overall design. The characters have retained much of their individual spark and charm, ranging from sarcastic to sweet to analytical to mystical. The the most notable changes in the game lie in the character design, art style choice and the core game mechanics that have now been incorporated in order to better suit the overall theme. While very traditional RPG elements remain as part of the game - context menus, equipment, random battles and plot development - I've tried to steer away from the old in order to usher new and interesting play mechanics that keep players on their toes and offer more insight into how the story interrelates with the game itself.

Cesar Benavidez and I continue to seek regular contact and discuss the design and future of RealityBend.

Currently, no build is available for download since the original game was made for a software suite that was never licensed in the United States. While I have considered remaking the game using contemporary engines like RPGMaker XP, I have decided the next step for this game is to develop a technical demo in a 3D engine such as Unreal or Source. Until that time, only screenshots of the first build of the game will be available.