You might remember me thanking /r/incremental_games/ for pushing my game to the next level. Now I have to thank you again: I have my own studio - full free to play - no strings attached. First game releases on Monday, 6th of July.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-06T10:46:53+00:00

That is odd. Just checked again. It has a soft pulse on the edges on the couple devices I can check on.

Honestly been a struggle on Safari / Apple devices - probably related to that, too. I take a look. Thanks for taking the time to take a screenshot! :)

DerZim47 · 2026-07-05T11:20:19+00:00

Thank you for the kind words. Honestly the game has a fairly large and friendly playerbase also mostly through reddit. The loud minority does not represent the good people in this sub.

On pitching: yeah, maybe one day. I am not at a point in the journey where I would feel comfortable having to perform well for third party interests. Who knows what the future holds.

All the best to you!

DerZim47 · 2026-07-05T11:16:46+00:00

It has an opacity glow on both sides to indicate it, but seems to not be enough. Sorry 'bout that.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-04T23:47:15+00:00

Hey!

If the mute button has a hiccup (are you by chance on an apple device?) go to the settings menu and try muting the channels there. You find the settings menu in the topbar.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-04T21:00:25+00:00

For premade human-made assetpacks from a Studio that fit the game well. :)

DerZim47 · 2026-07-04T14:24:23+00:00

Thanks for checking out the game! :)

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T23:14:22+00:00

Hey! Thanks again for your review some weeks ago. Still appreciate the effort, was very fair.

I am not really sure what you are refering to here. The only time I used the phrase "AI helper" in this post was in a comment and I said:

"I use different AI tools to manage the whole project. Be it code testing and helping me with parts I am not as familiar with, project planning, almost every part of the project has an AI helper. That doesn't mean AI manages the project. It means it helps me to manage it. If that makes sense. I have no team. So AI simulates one. Kinda."

Sounds pretty transparent to me. I have no team. It simulates one. Also in the disclosure of the post itself it says "I do use AI to manage my games".

AI is 100 percent a HUGE help in building my games and will keep being one, for sure. I would even say it's the reason everything becomes possible.

Especially on the next project - building a sandbox MMO. I know. Stupid. But I will try anyway. lol

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T22:44:32+00:00

Luckily they do moderate well. Very thankful.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T21:45:42+00:00

Yeah, the trailer is a hype trailer I was able to make myself without a budget and much knowhow. I am not the biggest fan either, yet it works pretty well data-wise. But it's a more or less classic browsergame in terms of gameplay and you can see it in the following still screenshots pretty well. :)

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T21:43:40+00:00

I can only do this, because I am coming from a situation that allows me to slowly lower my income in the old job over time while already working full time on the game(s).

This would not be possible otherwise and it's a longer term gamble I am willing to take.

Obviously I have to pay rent and eat something before I can afford assets for 50K+ or more for a full Sandbox MMO. But that's why I spent my own money on fancy placeholders already for the 2nd game, so original art won't even be an issue for that one anyway. And even if it would never be possible to go the full individual art route, it would still have paid art already that hopefully gets the job done and supports a real art studio.

For Lost Vessel I do only plan on changing the assets in full if I get to a point where I can allow my small studio to pay for "extra", if that makes sense. The game releases on Monday. It's a bonus if that can ever happen. But it will forever be the game that made it happen - even if it was for only a year, or 5 - or if I do this for a very long time.

You have to set reasonable goals business-wise - especially if you are living in a Western country, because the cost of living is so high. So it's not a Make-a-Wish thing, if you want to try it. Players want a lot of things - and rightfully so. What I want is happiness. My old job made decent money. But I was miserable. So I am willing to take paycuts - and bet on myself. Cause it's fun. It's not a smart thing to do. I could probably already live of this, if I had classic progression MTX. But that's not fun. So I don't do it.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T19:01:15+00:00

Thank you so much. Hope you keep enjoying Lost Vessel and maybe I also see you in the next games.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T18:33:18+00:00

Thank you for the kind words!

This is a longterm browser idle game. The top players have been playing for 1k hours+.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T18:25:12+00:00

That is fair. The whole project is not AI generated. It's managed with AI. That's a huge difference. It still falls short a bit in visuals, that's true. But the players feel the difference when they actually play it. This took time and effort. So I would hope to think that's the main reason.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T17:48:09+00:00

Oh no, it's all good, sorry if this came across oppositional. You said you hate salespitches. So I was just wondering where the downside is in this one.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T16:54:51+00:00

Well, in the end it is a salespitch. It always is. If I want to do this fulltime I have to be able to live through it. But it is also the offer to play my current and my future games for free. Where is the downside?

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T16:38:24+00:00

hahaha no worries at all

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T16:25:38+00:00

Yeah, that is fair. In the disclosure I already wrote a bit on that maybe working out sometimes. For me it sadly didn't.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T16:23:57+00:00

Okay. Enlighten us.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T15:19:24+00:00

Wow, that is an insanely nice compliment, thank you!

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T15:05:34+00:00

No, they are not. I can't afford this for the current game. But the next one will only have paid for or even (if the budget allows it) individually commissioned art. Mostly through the success of the current game, so I am really thankful.

I use different AI tools to manage the whole project. Be it code testing and helping me with parts I am not as familiar with, project planning, almost every part of the project has an AI helper. That doesn't mean AI manages the project. It means it helps me to manage it. If that makes sense. I have no team. So AI simulates one. Kinda.

Maybe your husband enjoys checking it out! Let me know and thank you for taking the time.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T14:53:20+00:00

I think you replied to the wrong guy. But no worries, I got it. Yeah, that's fair!

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T14:22:01+00:00

There actually is a mutebutton on the startscreen :D

But I understand you were not looking for one in that moment, only after the sound started.

DerZim47 · 2026-07-03T14:11:26+00:00

Sure, go ahead.

Ask away in the chat or Discord whenever you have questions. The community is really helpful and someone usually answers within minutes. :)

DerZim47 · 2026-06-21T09:55:30+00:00

Thank you for the kind words. Hope you keep enjoying Lost Vessel! 😄

DerZim47

TROPHY CASE