Years ago I had an idea. I don't remember when exactly, but it must have been almost a decade ago. I decided to make a game about a mimic.

Back then I barely knew how to code, I didn't even know a programming language. I only knew the basics of programming, so making a game was perhaps too big of a dream. But I didn't let that stop me: I started learning how to use GameMaker, and few tutorials later I more or less knew what I was doing, so I began making a concept demo of the gameplay I wanted. I posted that demo in 2017, and it was somewhat similar to what I'm posting here today.

Back then, I didn't have a story in mind. I didn't even want a story - I thought gameplay alone would be enough. The name of the game was just "mimicry" and I thought it would be just a hundred or so sameish levels of escalating difficulty. But then I started thinking about it, and a few weeks later I had some big ideas which to be honest I still don't know how to bring into the game. I had to change the name of the project to "FULL META" because it fit the story and because it's just a better name (anything that's a pun is better than anything that isn't a pun), and I kept working on the story, forgetting everything else.

But then, in 2018, my psychiatric problems began. I lost my job, my marriage, my best friendship. I didn't have the energy to keep working. And I didn't want to. I just gave up on everything. So this project died, just like everything else in my life.

That was six or so years ago and I'm much better now. So this year I found some of my old files and remade the demo in Unity, adding some art, music, a not-pause menu, a tutorial room. I'm finally back, and I want to finish this.

Here's what's changed from the "mimicry demo" version of so many years ago:

• Art. I threw some pixels together to make boxes and motion detector drones so that the demo doesn't look as naked.
• Sound. I looked at my old music projects that I never finished and found something usable (if annoying) among the piles of garbage, and I got some free sound effect samples to make the demo feel less... can I use the word naked again?
• No rage button. In the old demo, there was a message that popped up on the mimic's death, and you could press F at that time to have an angry gif appear on screen. I plan on adding it back in the future. Without it, the demo feels yes I'm going to say naked again.
• Levels. I removed a useless level and added a tutorial level instead.
• Enemy behavior. In the old demo, enemies ran towards you when they saw you move, and killed you by stomping on you. It was weird and unnecessary. Here, they just shoot a laser beam that kills you instantly. Also they don't react when they see you eat boxes anymore - I'll fix that. Fully clothed.