Software Engineering Daily Rivals of Aether with Dan Fornace
Dec 16, 2025
Dan Fornace, the creative mind behind Rivals of Aether and its sequel, shares insights on developing captivating platform-fighting games. He discusses how he blends competitive mechanics with accessibility, citing wave-dashing as a key feature. The evolution from GameMaker to Unreal Engine 5 showcases the game's technical growth, while balancing character viability in competitive play remains a priority. Fornace also highlights the community's role, including crossovers with other gaming scenes, and the importance of robust internal tools for development.
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From DOS Player To Indie Creator
- Dan Fornace learned to make games starting on DOS and GameMaker as a child, driven by his desire to play and customize games.
- That early tinkering led him from hobbyist modding to building Rivals of Aether as an indie project.
What Defines A Platform Fighter
- Platform fighters replace traditional health with percent-based knockback leading to stage knockouts instead of depletion.
- Rivals positions itself between party and deep competitive play by adopting modern conveniences while keeping high skill ceiling.
Make Advanced Tech Intentionally Accessible
- Make advanced movement tech intentional and easier to access rather than leaving it as an obscure exploit.
- Implement wave dashing as a dedicated state so players can perform it reliably (e.g., press jump and dodge simultaneously).
