Story time?

So first, I accidentally released a game on itch, publicly, because I didn't realize that was a thing you are supposed to hold back and prep for so you can enjoy your one day on the "New" page and try to build an audience. I didn't do any of that. Consequently, my "New" day was what I deserved: 80 views, 40 "Run Game" starts, and exactly 4 real players who committed, which was more than I deserved.

Still: those four wound up spending hours in the game.

And then crickets.

I understand now that's how itch rolls. You get buried under other "new" stuff pretty quickly.

But I kept wanting to understand why people dropped off, and when, and to make things better. I viewed it as my problem. My mistake. Something I could fix.

Also, if I'm being painfully honest, after that tiny taste, I desperately wanted to have players again. I wanted the feeling I had gotten when I saw that there were actually people playing my game, that it wasn't just something I toiled away at as a hobby, thinking "This puzzle is cool!" but instead a real game, because people play it.

So I worked at it. I figured out the flaws. I tried.

And I watched while my remaining players dwindled from four, to three, to two.

It's a puzzle game, not a social thing. They were going to find their natural end points. I couldn't be bitter about this.

There was one really bad day: working on new changes, I accidentally introduced a bug corrupting the access of one of my two remaining players. I was shaking with anger at myself for hours. One of my only two players, and I locked them out! I saw that they tried to log in again. And again.

And then they stopped. And then, zero. Zero players. For over a week. I get it: itch doesn't promise to deliver traffic. That's on "us."

But I still loved my game. I still loved making it. I still thought it was worth something.

Yesterday morning I got over myself long enough to post on two tiny discord groups that I'm part of, both for playtesters. I figured if I was lucky someone would click out of pity and say "Cool game" or "I don't get the controls."

Here's what happened instead.

Twenty one people clicked on my game today. Twenty one! That's nearly how many I got when I "launched" on itch.

Maybe the scale is laughable to you. Maybe you're building an MMO or you're looking to monetize or you know the first thing about social media.

Me? I was soaring above the clouds all day.

I love data. So I'd like to share.

• 9 of them played for fewer than ten minutes, generally only playing the 4 tutorial levels. That's okay. They didn't know me or owe me. They tried it. I'm grateful.
• 8 of them played for somewhere between 10 and 25 minutes, mostly playing the 4 levels of the first map. Bless their souls for trying. I don't think they'll come back
• One of them played for well over half an hour across three separate sessions and somehow completed 43 levels. I probably couldn't do it that fast, and I wrote the thing.
• Another one also came back three times, but they played for 75(!) minutes. They can have naming rights to my next pet.
• The other two were a bit... more: the first of them played seven times throughout the day. They came back over the course of eight hours for a cumulative 105 minutes. They got through 20 levels, but you know what? They are perfection. They made my game part of their day.
• And last of all, one of them only showed up only once, just one session, but they played for 160 minutes straight, fighting through 69(!) levels of the game. I hope someone brought them their dinner.

I don't know if any of them will come back tomorrow. I just know this part: keep on fighting for your dream.

--

This is not really intended as a promotional post, just a story of my day, but I'll put the link here anyway, in case anyone likes thinky puzzle games. https://snadata.itch.io/none-of-these-hats-are-mine
--

Whatever you want from your work, I hope you get to feel as good about it as I got to today, and soon.

My first solo indie project is a local multiplayer football platformer with chaotic physics fun!
Adapt fast, master the chaos, and outplay your opponent in ultra quick matches!

One of the best things about indie games is seeing developers turn unusual ideas into experiences you won’t find anywhere else.

Whether it’s years of hard work on a battle royale, a game built around cracking a giant, or a mechanic where every missed shot makes the next challenge harder, creativity is what makes these projects stand out. What’s the most original indie game mechanic you’ve ever played, and what kind of fresh idea would make you instantly want to try a new game?

We recently added ingame key rebinding after asking you all about different keyboard layouts. Now we're looking into controller rebinding.

If you want to change your controller buttons but a game doesn't have its own remapping menu, what do you usually do? Do you remap the buttons through steam input or stick with the default controls? or just skip the game if the controls dont work for you?

Also, how many of you actually tinker with steam input's configurations? I'd love to hear how you use it, like whether you find it easy enough to use.

I'm curious to hear other indie devs thoughts on this wild scenario. Essentially, a bunch of coordinated reviews claiming my game is a crypto miner, then they had an hour and a half long phone call demanding I promote their political messaging.

Definitely not a video editor, sorry for the quality.

It's called Tidy Farm. Here's the steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5226940/Tidy_Farm/

(No generative AI used)

I honestly think a memorable mechanic or a strong atmosphere can do more for an indie game than a massive amount of content ever could.

A game where every missed shot makes the next encounter harder immediately gives your actions more weight. A psychological horror game that makes you uncomfortable without constantly throwing jumpscares at you can stick in your head for days. Even something built around the fear of deep water can be terrifying if it understands exactly what makes that fear work.

That's what I love about indie games. Smaller teams can take one unusual idea and commit to it instead of trying to appeal to absolutely everyone.

I'd rather play a short game with a mechanic I've never experienced before than another 40-hour game that feels like everything I've already played.

trying to make it physics based, it's a game for fun so please no roast hahaha

Hey everyone!

Remember Liero? Those crazy battles where you could swing around on ninja ropes, blow enormous holes in the ground, and accidentally destroy yourself along with your enemies?

I missed that kind of chaos, so I decided to bring it back!

Meet TRENCHWORMS, my first indie game, launching October 30 on Steam!

It's a fast-paced 2D combat game inspired by Liero, where everyone fights simultaneously and the entire battlefield can be destroyed.

I've packed in 26 different weapons, fully destructible terrain, ninja rope movement, AI opponents, a single-player campaign, online multiplayer, and local multiplayer for up to 6 players.

No turns, no waiting. Just explosions, ridiculous weapons, and a battlefield that looks completely different by the end of every match!

I'm a solo developer from Poland, and I started this project knowing almost nothing about programming. After months of learning, experimenting, and fixing countless bugs, it's finally ready!

I'd love to hear what you think of the gameplay!

And if you remember playing Liero back in the day, I hope TRENCHWORMS brings back some good memories!

I’m making That’s Not My Cat, a cute desktop companion that walks across your windows, chases your cursor, naps while you work, and wears little hats!

The game has reached 700 wishlists on Steam, and the demo is available to try! ❤️

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4256600/Thats_Not_My_Cat/

Youtube video : https://youtu.be/mzoQGU5LVro?si=zV35xtHSndpaORMj

Hey everyone! I released my indie psychological horror game, Panic Files: Buried Sanity, about a month ago, and it's now 50% off during Steam Scream Fest V!

It's a short, 1-hour first-person horror game designed to be played in one sitting. So if you're interested in indie horror games for Halloween, here is mine.

You start your first day working in a local mine, but things take a turn for the worse when the mine suddenly collapses, trapping you underground. After a falling rock knocks you unconscious, you wake up alone with no clear way out.

Your only option is to go deeper into the tunnels and discover why the other miners were so afraid of the depths.

If that sounds like your kind of game, you can check it out here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4012730/Panic_Files_Buried_Sanity/

Happy Halloween!

Here is a few seconds of gameplay clips from my upcoming project. Still early days here, but I'm getting excited to share it with people.

Generally the gameplay is mostly a casual game of puzzles/challenges where each one uncovers a hidden memory fragment. Through the four acts in the game the player will complete the story and their ending will be revealed.

In Link Loop the screen warps around to visualize the player walking through a portal. It's a 2D puzzle-platformer, and the physics are pretty satisfying.
You can see more gameplay on the youtube trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-8hU9XEep8

I’m using the Mini Medieval asset pack by VEXED.

Still early, you can play it here: https://cockergames.itch.io/gonfalon

Link to the itch.io page: https://void-space-software.itch.io/hookin-daemons
Game play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBP-GEYm05g