File Format Design and ZX Spectrum Game Dev Musings

The author shares ten tips for designing file formats, covering checking existing formats, readability considerations, using a chunked structure, allowing partial parsing, versioning, writing a specification document, and more. He then details the process of developing a ZX Spectrum fishing game called "Deep Fishing," from design document to code implementation, including asset conversion, pixel drawing, random function usage, and audio design. Furthermore, the author shares his thoughts on playing through the Mass Effect trilogy, and outlines his new year's resolutions, including studying math, exercising, and updating the SoLoud library.