After years of development Aaron Taylor, 19, is almost ready to debut his video game Time Crackers. (CHAT News Photo)

By Chris Brown

Years in the making

Irvine’s Aaron Taylor hopes to have his video game Time Crackers out by the end of the year

Jun 30, 2020 | 2:53 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Time can’t move fast enough for Aaron Taylor, who hopes he is just months away from releasing a video game he’s created to the world.

The 19-year-old Irvine man describes his game Time Crackers as a hyperbolically humoured 3D platformer based on classic 3D platformers such as Mario Sunshine and Banjo Kazooie.

Three years ago Taylor got a taste of game design and quickly decided that’s what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

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“At 16 I started to research game design in eight months I created a 50-page thesis on game design on just how to make a good 3D platformer,” he said. “After that Time Crackers started official development in Unity, which is the engine we’re using.”

He’s currently planning for a November 2020 release and started a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign earlier this month to help with costs.

He also dropped out of college this past semester so he could work more and earn the money needed to pay his development team.

“I’ve basically funded all of Time Crackers since I got a development team together through my own paycheques and every cent I’ve been able to get has been going towards the game,” says Taylor, who works at Sobeys. “The $30,000 is supposed to help me get this game out on time so I don’t have to keep relying on my current job to supply the entire game’s budget.”

With 10 days to go the campaign still has a ways to go to meet its goal.

But Taylor, who is building the game through his development company Basement Dweller Games, won’t be deterred.

“If the Kickstarter fails as it’s going right now we’re probably going to have to re-adjust for February 2021 which would be a bit of a wait but Time Crackers is getting done no matter what.”

The Kickstarter ends on July 10.

When the game is released it will be available exclusively on Nintendo Switch, says Taylor. The company’s moral beliefs align with those of Taylor and his company when it comes to indie developers.