Episode 1 – What is a DevLog?

Writing a musical is not that different from creating a video game.

In both types of projects, you need to combine a very diverse set of skills.

In videogame development, these skills include narrative, music, dialogue, animation, scenery, graphics, coding, and special effects.

For musical theatre development, they also include …narrative, music, dialogue, choreography, scenery, costumes, orchestrations, and yes, even special effects.

And while I happen to know a lot more about the musical theater side of this comparison, I also happen to be working on a musical that celebrates video game development: Battle Crown, The Legend of Princess Pink. (Check out the rest of this website for more general show info!)

And when I discovered ⬇️this video⬇️ in my script research, I knew immediately that Battle Crown needed its own devlog. (You don’t need to watch the whole video, but the first minute or so does a great job of explaining what a devlog is.)

Battle Crown started as a commission for a small-town, Nebraska high school, and it had a full production back in 2015. But over the past few years, I’ve been diving back into its pixel-pink waters, tweaking the script, writing new songs and refining old ones, and submitting the show for new opportunities… all while working full time, raising a small human, and keeping a menagerie of pets alive and well.

While there are a few fun things on the horizon (!), I truly don’t know where this little musical will end up. But I do know that I want to share the process, every step of the way, with anyone who’s interested in learning more.

Yes, creating a musical (just like creating a video game…or parenting) is a ton of work; you have to wear many hats and master many different move sets. But there are ways to learn, and people to help, and so much fun to be had. And I’m here to share it all, every froggy hop of the way.

As one of the characters says in the show, “the only way to get anywhere is to… START.”

So I guess, in the words of Mario, “Here we go!” This is the first episode of the Battle Crown Devlog for Summer 2026.

If you’re coming to Castleland from the videogame world, I hope that the format here will be familiar. We’re going to be talking about very videogame-y things like narrative, music, character development, and even software, coding, and AI. (My day job is in ed tech, so I love incorporating that kind of stuff into my creative projects.)

And for my fellow theatre kids, do not worry. I’ll be dropping gems like script and score snippets, casting tea, and costume design.

Or at least, that’s the plan. Like the mysterious Battle Crown developer P.M. says,

“I don’t know. The game is, after all, still just a prototype.”