Spoons (Remake) - PreDevlog

Spoons is one of the first projects I ever really worked on (solo or otherwise). It has a special place in my heart, and I’m still incredibly proud of what it is. That said, I’ve learned a lot since then, and a remake has been on my mind for a while now. The original game is kind of my baby, but I think she could use a little TLC.

For anyone unfamiliar, Spoons is a short point-and-click game that explores a day in the life of someone living with a chronic illness - specifically inflammatory arthritis. I made it shortly after getting diagnosed myself as a way of letting out my frustration. At the time I was struggling a lot, especially with trying to explain to the people around me I was going through beyond just “it hurts.” Being sick is exhausting in a way that’s hard to articulate, and I don’t think a lot of people fully understand to what extent.

The game is inspired by Christine Miserandino’s “Spoon Theory” (coined in 2003), which uses spoons as a way to represent energy. You start the day with a limited number, and every task costs spoons. For people without chronic illness, that limit isn’t something they really think about, but for others, it is something that needs to be managed.

or the remake, I want it to feel more like a game while keeping the original tone and narrative intact. I don't want to sacrifice impact for gameplay:

• Length / scope

  • I want to extend the experience - but not too much. It’s meant to be short and focused, not something that overstays its welcome.

• Gameplay improvements

  • One idea I’m experimenting with is adding WarioWare-style microgames for chores and interactions. I think this could make moment-to-moment gameplay more engaging and actually give people something to do.

  • and too tie this into the spoon system, I’m considering making each task timed where the number of spoons you have affects how much time you get. Fewer spoons = less time = more difficulty. Ideally, this would help reinforce that feeling of pressure and frustration.

• Spoon debt system

  • Another idea is introducing “spoon debt.” You’d start each day with 16 spoons, but if you go over, you’d have fewer the next day. I like this because it reflects how overexertion actually impacts you long-term, not just in the moment. It could also affect movement/mouse speed, but I'm not entirely sure about that yet

• Another perspective

  • I also think it could be really impactful to include a day where you play as a “normal” (healthy) person, just to highlight the contrast of living with and without a chronic illness.

• Visual upgrade

  • Visually, I want to refine things. The original assets were… creative solutions. I was creating my assets in Procreate and running everything through pixelation tools because I hadn’t discovered Aseprite or really any pixel art software yet.

  • I want to keep the same overall style and vibe, just cleaner and more intentional this time.

• Music

  • Lastly, I want to create my own music for this version. The project is really personal to me, so it feels right to try and handle the soundtrack too. Nothing overly complex, just something that fits and supports the atmosphere as well as some interaction.

That’s where things are at right now. It's still early and I don't have plans to start it soon, but I’m excited to revisit this and do it justice with everything I’ve learned since the first version.