Lost In SalaColonia - From Chellah to ISART Talents

A dev journal of Lost In SalaColonia: from our first visit to Chellah, through prototyping and teamwork, to presenting the final project at ISART Talents.

Lost In SalaColonia - from walking through ancient ruins with a notebook in hand, to presenting a playable experience in front of industry professionals at ISART Talents.

The Beginning — Visiting Chellah

Before writing a single line of code, we visited Chellah. Walking through the ruins changed everything.

The textures of the stone, the atmosphere, the silence broken by wind and birds, it wasn’t just historical, it was emotional. We didn’t want to “make a game about ruins.”
We wanted to capture the feeling of being there.

Team visiting Chellah for inspiration

During that visit, we asked ourselves:

  • What stories could this place inspire?
  • How do we translate atmosphere into mechanics?

That day shaped the identity of Lost In SalaColonia.

From Inspiration to Prototype

Once we had a direction, we moved into rapid prototyping.

Early prototypes evolving into playable systems

At first, it was overpowered. Then too limited. After several iterations, we tuned it to feel tactical and intentional rather than chaotic.

That balance made exploration dynamic without breaking level design.

Teamwork & Production Structure

This project truly taught us what production means.

We organized ourselves with:

  • Clear role distribution
  • Weekly milestones
  • Short daily check-ins
  • Shared documentation for scope decisions

Instead of working in isolation, we kept constant communication between design, programming, and art.

Early prototypes evolving into playable systems

The biggest lesson?

  • Miscommunication costs more time than technical challenges.
  • When designers and programmers align early, iteration becomes smooth.

Preparing for ISART Talents

After four months of learning and development, the moment came to present our project at ISART Talents.

The event brought together:

  • UIR students
  • Video game professionals
  • Representatives from the French Embassy in Morocco
  • Other institutional partners

We weren’t just showing a project. We were presenting months of growth.

What Lost In SalaColonia Taught Me

  • Inspiration should come from real places and emotions.
  • Strong prototypes beat ambitious unfinished systems.
  • Playtesting reveals truths you can’t see yourself.
  • Team structure is as important as technical skill.
  • Presentation skills are part of being a game developer.

This project transformed how I approach design.
I stopped thinking only in features and started thinking in player experience flows.

Technical Growth

During the development of Lost In SalaColonia, I strengthened:

  • Gameplay system implementation
  • Iterative level design workflows
  • Debugging and optimization
  • Cross-discipline collaboration
  • Vertical slice production planning

More than anything, I learned how to balance creativity with constraints.

Final Thoughts

From Chellah’s ancient walls to the spotlight of ISART Talents, Lost In SalaColonia represents a key milestone in my development journey.

It’s proof that great projects require structure, and meaningful games are built by teams who communicate, iterate, and believe in their vision.