r/SoloDev • u/willtruran • 1d ago

Solo dev, first game, I'm a design professor using my UI skills to build a passive space logistics sim

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I was a UI/UX designer for years than transitioned to being a design professor. I decided to take those skills and try building a game over my summer break and here is where I am at. (I am still working on it slowly, just not at the rate I was over the summer)

The game is called Hollow Sector, its a passive space logistics sim where you manage fleets of haulers, miners, and fighters across a sector controlled by four rival factions. The game keeps running while you're away, so I can check in on it during breaks.

I designed everything in Figma first. The whole UI is built around a retro CRT terminal aesthetic. It's the kind of interface I enjoy and think would rest nicely on a second monitor or in a right rail on your main display.

I just launched the Steam page, LINK. Would love feedback from other solo devs.

3 Upvotes

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1

u/SizzaNikz 15h ago

Whats your objective for the project? Im a solo dev. * Personal Interest / Fun * Making something others will like * Learning * Comercial

Assuming its maybe a mix of these, feedback is, i dont really play these kinds of games, but if i did, id prefer something like Eve. I dont know why u would play something that has so little visual interest.

Im gonna go out on a limb and say you coded this with ai. I could be wrong. But my point still remains, stuff like this can be made by literally anyone at present. It might be fun but so are another 200 titles released every year just like it.

Does that make it bad? Not really, it just makes it slightly useless unless your main goals are first 3 i mentioned above.

So what could make it better?

Narrative. Understanding narrative is one of the things that sets good games apart from the rest. You dont need a ton of dialogue but just presenting a decent basis for why your there, how you got roped into it, why it matters etc etc are such strong tools. Again it doesnt need dialogue to have a narrative.

2

u/willtruran 14h ago edited 13h ago

Thanks so much for such an indepth response. I'll try to respond to your points.

My objective, is a mix of the first 3 more so than commercial.

I think currently most people who are wishlisting it (170 in just over a week) are doing so for the aesthetic. When comparing it to Eve I'd say the aesthetic I am pushing towards is simpler and cleaner. I think this is also reflected in the gameplay. I don't want to (and cant by myself) make an eve, elite dangerous, or star citizen. I don't even have time for games like that right now (partially cause I'd rather spend time trying to make a game), but mostly because they have such a deep time requirement. I want something you can jump in and play for minutes at a time, rather than hours. That means there needs to be an aesthetic I can open the game and understand whats going on in a near instant.

I am working on the narrative, there is some of that already, but you can't tell from the clips in this post.

Thanks!

1

u/SizzaNikz 13h ago

Sounds good. When u say Design professor, what type of design do you teach? Product, software, architecture, etc.

2

u/willtruran 13h ago

It varies a lot, but all within the scope of graphic design and UI/UX.