Every indie game has a moment where it could go either way. Joshua Morony hit that moment too.
A software developer with around 15 years of experience in front-end and mobile, Joshua started Once Upon a Swagman, a pixel art survival game set along the Australian coastline, with a clear vision and consistent work rhythm of 8 to 15 hours a week. And then, like so many projects before it, the game stopped. For about three months it sat untouched, slowly becoming another unfinished thing.
What changed? A decision that any dev will recognize: stop adding features that are just passable and fix what actually matters. For Joshua, that meant scrapping the water system entirely and rebuilding it from scratch until it felt right, not just functional. Once that foundation was solid, everything else followed.
That shift in mindset, from "make it work" to "make it feel good," runs through the whole project. And it shows.
What Is Once Upon a Swagman?
Set along a procedurally generated Australian coastline, the game puts you in the role of a traditional Australian swagman, traveling from town to town, living off the land. The core loop revolves around fishing, cooking, shelter building and bushcraft, wrapped in a slow, meditative pace with no combat and no rush.
The audio was captured directly in the Australian bush. The dynamic ocean tides and the realistic fire system didn't happen by accident.
Features Overview
- Procedurally generated terrain and ocean
- Dynamic and realistic ocean tides
- Realistic fire system
- Immersive weather with survival consequences
- Authentic Australian ambient audio recorded in the bush
- Fishing, cooking and shelter building mechanics (partial)
- Skill levelling and gear unlocks (partial)
- Towns (in progress)
Follow the Journey
Joshua has been documenting the entire process on his YouTube channel JoshMoronyPixels for over a year. Honest, consistent indie game dev logs that cover the good stretches and the hard ones. Worth following if you're building something yourself.
Try the Demo Now
A free demo is already available. Joshua describes it as an early gameplay demo and is actively looking for feedback from the community. The full release is planned for Q4 2026, with most of the remaining work focused on expanding content, towns, skills and rewards.
One dev. A few hours a week. A game that almost didn't make it. Go try the demo.