MY NAME IS JOEL HEATH

My name is Joel Heath, and I’m a disabled indie game developer working to turn a deeply personal dream into something real. For much of my adult life, traditional employment has been difficult for me to sustain due to disability, gaps in education, and challenges shaped by trauma and health struggles. These obstacles often made it feel like the world wasn’t designed for people like me to succeed in the usual ways.

But I still want to contribute, work, and build something meaningful. Game development became the one place where my creativity, determination, and love for storytelling could come together. Through that passion, I began creating a storydriven JRPG called “A Demon Hunter’s Guide to Passing Finals,” and today I’m asking for help to move this project from a fragile dream into something truly achievable.

EXPLORE THE PROJECT

If you’d like to see what I’ve already built, you can explore the playable demo and learn more about the project online. The demo offers a glimpse into the world, mechanics, and story that I’ve been working so hard, albeit almost entirely solo, to create. Seeing the progress already made can help show just how close this project is to reaching the next milestone.

PLAYABLE DEMO (PC only at this stage) https://joelheath42.itch.io/a-demon-hunters-guide-to-passing-finals

STUDIO WEBSITE https://ashborninteractive.wixsite.com/ash-born-interactive

X (TWITTER) @ashbornLLC

INSTAGRAM @ashborn_interactivellc

WHAT THIS CAMPAIGN IS FOR

I am raising $1,800 to stabilize development and complete the next major milestone of the game.

The full development goal is $8,000, which would allow me to complete development on the core game. If the campaign exceeds that goal, additional funding will allow me to expand the game’s visuals, music, and story while adding extra polish and content to the final release.

Right now, development happens in small bursts whenever I can find the time, energy, and limited resources available while living on disability income.

That kind of stop-and-start progress makes finishing a large creative project incredibly difficult. Reaching this goal would allow me to move development into a more stable phase where I can focus on polishing core gameplay systems, continuing the story and character development, and improving the overall presentation of the project so it can reach a wider audience. In simple terms, this campaign would turn a project that struggles to move forward into one that can finally gain consistent momentum. 

DEVELOPMENT MILESTONES

To keep things transparent, I want to clearly show what each funding milestone allows me to accomplish. Every level of support moves the project closer to a fully realized game.

$1,800 — Development Stabilization

This milestone allows development to continue consistently and without interruption.

Funds at this level will primarily go toward essential development tools and assets needed to keep building the game.

This milestone supports:

• Purchasing key RPG Maker plugins that expand gameplay systems

• Development tools needed to build and test new game mechanics

• Essential visual assets to improve the game’s presentation

• Music and sound resources to expand the atmosphere of the world

• Printing promotional materials and outreach to help players discover the demo

Reaching this goal transforms development from a stop-and-start process into one that can move forward steadily.

$8,000 — Core Game Completion

This milestone allows me to complete development on the core version of the game.

Funding at this level would allow me to significantly improve the game's production quality while finishing major gameplay systems and story content.

This milestone supports:

• Completion of the main story and playable content

• Expanded monster and boss designs

• Improved character portraits and UI presentation

• A larger soundtrack and improved sound design

• Additional plugins that allow deeper combat and gameplay mechanics

• Broader marketing and visibility to help the game reach a larger audience

Reaching this milestone allows the project to move from a growing indie project to a finished, polished game.

Beyond $8,000 — Expanding the Vision

If the campaign exceeds the core development goal, additional funding will be used to expand the game and add features that elevate the experience.

These stretch improvements include:

Every Contribution Moves the Project Forward

Even small contributions help move the game closer to completion.

Every milestone reached improves the game's stability, quality, and scope, and helps transform this project from a solo passion project into a fully realized indie game.

ABOUT THE GAME

A Demon Hunter’s Guide to Passing Finals is a narrative-driven JRPG inspired by the types of stories that shaped my love for games and anime while growing up. It draws inspiration from beloved worlds such as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Pokémon, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Chrono Trigger.

The game focuses on themes of perseverance, identity, friendship, and learning to find your place in a world that doesn’t always seem built for you. Those themes are deeply personal to me, and they shape the story and characters within the game. What began as a solo passion project has gradually grown into a carefully constructed world with original systems, expanding storylines, and a clear creative vision. My long-term goal is to eventually include cinematic storytelling elements, animated cutscenes, and immersive character moments that make players truly care about the journey.

WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

Right now, progress on the game happens in a fragile cycle where financial limitations often interrupt development. Living on disability income means that even small expenses related to development tools, art assets, or marketing can slow the project down significantly. Your support helps break that cycle.

Funds raised through this campaign will go directly toward development tools, creative assets, and the outreach needed to bring attention to the project. Most importantly, it gives me the stability and time needed to continue building the game with care and focus. Even small contributions can create real change. If just ninety people choose to contribute twenty dollars each, this entire goal would be reached, and development could move forward with renewed stability and hope.

WHY THIS MEANS SO MUCH TO ME

This project is about more than finishing a game. It represents the possibility of building a sustainable path forward for my family and moving toward independence rather than relying solely on disability support. It is also the first step toward a much bigger vision.

My long-term goal is to eventually create a nonprofit initiative called The Dream Pathway Project, which would help other people facing similar barriers explore creative careers and self-employment opportunities when traditional work systems fail them. Many talented people struggle not because they lack ability or motivation, but because they simply need a different path. This game is my first attempt to prove that such a path can exist.

EVEN SHARING HELPS

If you are not in a position to donate, sharing this campaign can still make a huge difference. Every share, every mention, and every person who sees this story increases the chance that the project will reach someone who believes in it.

Crowdfunding succeeds when communities come together around a meaningful idea, and your support—whether financial or simply spreading the word—helps move this dream one step closer to reality. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for helping turn a deeply personal vision into something real.