As I write this post (Feb 15th, 2017) we still have two more days of Pirate Jam ahead of us, but here’s a playlist that will auto-update as new episodes are added:
Pirate Jam has, thus far, been a smashing success. Six developers from around the world are sailing aboard two boats from Lanta to Krabi in Thailand. Along the way they’re exploring, sailing, and making games.
We’re fortunate to have support from Unity3D and Kenney Vleugels.
I’ve started a series of personal VLOGS which cover life in Shanghai, sailing in Thailand, my work at Mysterious, and Pirate Jam. You can follow these on YouTube, but also sometimes post the videos to my Facebook page.
(Note from June 2022: I notice that this post from is receiving a lot of traffic recently due to the delisting and re-listing of Alice: Madness Returns in the Steam Store. An update from 2022 seems in order.
I did launch Pirate Jam and run 4 subsequent jams on sailboats in Thailand until 2020 when the pandemic put an end to all that. You can check out all the Pirate Jam content over on my YouTube Channel under the Pirate Jam section.
I did NOT end up moving to and living full-time on my sailboat. Nor has my work focus been solely on the development of indie games. Instead, I’ve stayed in Shanghai, China while traveling to Thailand several months per year to sail and dive.
In Shanghai, my wife and I have continued to grow our online business at Mysterious. There we make a collection of Plush Toys, clothing, jewelry, etc. And we’ve also made two new humans (Lucky and Leeloo).
While I would love to bring another Alice game to life, the fate of that (game) franchise rests in the hands of EA. We have made some progress towards getting film/TV adaptations made. And we’re working on a Design Bible for a new game. You can see the latest updates on these things via my Patreon or Twitter).
Here’s the original post from 2016…
10 years, 10 games, tons of wonderful memories. The Shanghai studio of Spicy Horse Games is closing its doors. The company itself will remain intact, and we’ll continue to operate existing games online. At our peak, during development of Alice: Madness Returns, the studio contained 85+ people. These days we’re down to just 6, and it feels like a good time for a radical shift.
I’m going to turn my focus to indie development and will continue to publish small titles under the Spicy Horse brand. Much of this work will be done in a challenging new environment – aboard my sailboat, bobbing around the S.E. Asia region. This is also where I’ll bring to life Pirate Jam – the game jam on a flotilla of sailboats. I plan to document this new adventure online and in video. If you want to support these new creations, check out my Patreon page.
The past 12 years in China have been incredible. I owe so much to the people who helped build Spicy Horse into a happy place to explore and create. To the hundreds of developers who called Spicy Horse home over the years, Thank You. And to the fans and supporters who enjoyed our efforts, Thank You.
Now, to the next adventure! I hope you’ll all join me along the way 🙂
Comment on this announcement on my Facebook page.
UPDATE: This post has turned into an actual event: www.pirate-jam.com
Seeking feedback on an idea I’m brainstorming: Hackathon + Sailing + YouTube
A rough draft PDF overview can be found here: Pirate GamesV2 (Updated Mar 10, 2015)
Here’s the request for feedback I’m posting to Reddit’s /r/gamedev
Seeking Feedback: Hackathon/Jam + Sailboats + Reality Show
tl;dr: Game dev wants your feedback on “sailboat-based hackathon + video series†concept.
For the last 23 years I’ve been making games with non-traditional themes, in unusual development environments, and with interesting financial/legal structures. For instance, 9 years ago I started a studio in China which went on to make the first AAA Western console game 100% developed by a China-based team. Spicy Horse continues making games to this day, but with a focus on F2P mobile games.
Always seeking a new challenge, I’ve been brainstorming a way to combine some of my favorite pastimes: game development, sailing, and YouTube content (creation and consumption).
I’m here today seeking feedback and advice on what’s tentatively called “Dev Armada†AKA “Pirate Games†AKA “Will it Float?â€
The idea:
Create a 10-day hackathon/game-jam; put it aboard sailing vessels in the Andaman Sea (Thailand’s most beautiful place to sail); insert competing teams of 3 devs per boat; allow for 7AM-12PM development; fill the remaining day with “pirate games,†sailing, diving, and fishing; film the whole thing; and release 30 minute episodes to promote the brand and finished apps. Finally, release the apps for free and generate revenue via YouTube, ads, Patreon, branded merchandise, sponsors, and other sources. Participants share in the financial success of each adventure. Repeat this 6 times per year.
Thematically, the video series explores a “fish out of water” narrative as participants overcome various challenges related to life at sea and development in remote locations.
The pilot episode will feature two sailboats (one mine, one belonging to and captain’d by friends who are sailing couple). Two teams of 3 devs will be flown to Thailand to participate in 10 days of development and fun. The resulting media content (video, apps) will be used to verify the concept and pitch the idea to potential sponsors, financiers, and future participants.
I’m looking for feedback in general. I have some specific questions in mind, but will wait to see the general feedback before posting those.
So, what’s wrong with the idea? What’s great about it? Why would you participate (or not)? Would you watch the videos? What’s your pirate name?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Change Log
Updated the PDF. Adjusted goals related to content type and theme. Old version of the PDF can be found here: Pirate GamesV1
When not making games I engage in a wide range of hobbies, mostly as a humble dilettante: cooking, cello, electronics tinkering, and Chinese language to name a few. By far my favorite activity outside of work is sailing, and since late 2013 I’ve indulged this passion aboard my own sailboat. Details of my various adventures along with video and pictures can be found on a dedicated blog, here:
And here’s an example of one of the many sailing adventure videos you can find on the site:
Koh Racha Sailing and Diving Trip from American McGee on Vimeo.
I have thought many times of combining game development with sailing. Imagine a sort of “Sailboat Studios,” made up of a small flotilla of boats, each crewed by a small number of game developers. This group would sail around, spend a few hours each day working on their game project, and spend the rest of the time exploring and adventuring together. Having now spent some time aboard doing both, I think the two ideas have some very interesting synergies.
More on this topic in the future. 🙂
