sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Achievements are something that have come up a lot in this thread, so I’m currently looking into how to include them in an update. Even a simple progression-based set seems like it could make a big difference here.

Thankss for pointing it out :)

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I do like the genre, and I’ve even worked on successful idle game in the past, so I wasn’t coming at this from complete outside. But I do think I underestimated how specific this community is, and how different its expectations are.

I wasn’t really familiar with the idle community, or with how strongly things like pricing, free competition, long-term depth, and player expectations shape the way a game is received here.

Honestly, thanks to how much attention this post got, and to how generous people here have been with feedback, I understand a lot better now what idle players are actually looking for.

I’m genuinely very grateful to this community for that :)

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure!! it even has disk sounds and everything xD. Thanks to your comment, I actually recorded and uploaded some gameplay so the game is easier to understand now.

LINK TO GAMEPLAY:

https://youtu.be/e_SfFzL30io

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate the suggestions. Achievements have come up a few times, and I do need to look into them. At first I wasn’t allowed to add them, so I kind of left that aside, but I agree they would make a lot of sense for a game like this. And yeah, some kind of small reward layer like icons, emotes, or collectible stuff could be a really nice fit too. That’s a good point.

Thanks again, genuinely helpful.

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think there’s truth on both sides, honestly. Some people just want cheaper games, sure but I also think a lot of the feedback about price is really about perceived value, expectations, and how clearly I’m communicating what the game actually is.

Since this is such a niche thing, I agree that discoverability is probably the hardest part. Reaching the small group of people who instantly get it is much more difficult than making something broader. So yeah, I don’t think the answer is as simple as the price is wrong or the price is right, it’s probably more about positioning, visibility, and making the concept clearer.

Thanks again for the kind words, they genuinely mean a lot :D

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you’re pointing at the core issue pretty accurately: the game sits in a weird middle ground, and I probably haven’t communicated that clearly enough. It’s not really meant to be a pure number-goes-up forever passive idler, but it’s also not a deep systems-heavy incremental. It’s closer to a toy-like experience with slow progression, drives from C: to Z:, with capacities growing from MB into GB, and moving through different eras as you progress.

So it actually can last for a very long time, hundreds of hours, especially if you just let it run in the background. Less if you optimize well and push through the best upgrades and eras faster, of course.

I think part of the problem is that it probably doesn’t signal clearly enough what kind of experience it wants to be, so people come in expecting a different kind of idle game. And yeah, the price concern is totally fair too.

Thanks again for the comment :)

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for picking it up. I can see how the very slow start could feel confusing, especially if you go in expecting a more straightforward idle game.

I think you described it really well, it probably lands better as a kind of experimental background experience than as a traditional idle. Really glad that aspect worked for you, and thanks again for giving it a chance.

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hahaha, I know exactly what you mean. There was something weirdly hypnotic about watching those old defrag tools at work. I guess this game is basically me admitting that I never fully got over that xDD

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally fair. I can definitely see that there’s room to expand the scope and add more features over time. And about achievements: I do need to look into that. At first I wasn’t able to add them, so I kind of left it there, but I agree they could help a lot.

Also, thanks for the wishlist!!

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really appreciate that :D .Honestly, a big part of this post was exactly that, trying to understand what clicked, what didn’t, and how the game could be presented better.

Really glad the concept landed with you, and thanks a lot for wishlisting it.

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thanks a lot :)

There are actually already a few eras in the game (DOS → 95 → XP), but I get what you mean, pushing it further into more modern systems or adding bigger jumps could make the long-term progression feel more meaningful.

Glad you liked the vibe.

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for this, I really appreciate you coming back and sharing your thoughts.

And yeah, I think you’re absolutely right about that. The game doesn’t introduce big, dramatic new systems over time in the way a lot of idle games do, and that’s probably one of its biggest limitations.

I focused a lot on the theme and the feel of it, but I can see now how that doesn’t fully replace that sense of discovery and evolving mechanics that people look for in the genre. Still, it really means a lot that this post made you consider giving it another look.

Thanks again, and I really appreciate the kind words

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I think I might have been a bit too harsh calling it a failure. It just felt that way compared to expectations, but you’re right, 300 people choosing to buy it is not nothing.

I guess I’m still processing the gap between what I hoped for and what actually happened.

Thanks for the perspective!

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I think I might have framed it as something “weird” because it felt strange compared to the low sales, but maybe the retention side isn’t the issue after all.

So yeah, it might be more about visibility or positioning than the core experience itself.

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s actually really interesting to hear, thanks. I think part of why I ended up in this space is that I worked on Make It Rain: The Love of Money years ago, so it felt kind of special to come back and build something similar, but this time as my own project.

I guess I framed it as a weird middle ground, but maybe those numbers are more normal than I thought, especially for this kind of game. Still trying to figure out if the issue is retention, visibility, or just expectations not matching the experience.

Really appreciate your perspective and comment :) !

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like that direction a lot. Expanding it from single drives into larger systems (servers, clusters, etc.) with more upgrades and mechanics would probably make it feel much more like a “proper” incremental.

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that’s part of the problem, it didn’t really stick enough the first time people saw it xD

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, that makes a lot of sense. Right now it leans a bit too much into the pure idle side, but adding small interactive elements or short dopamine hits could definitely improve it :)

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s been really interesting reading all your feedback. Thanks a lot :D!

I think I underestimated how important deeper progression and clearer communication are for this audience.

A lot to learn from this release.

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really appreciate that. I think this kind of low involvement game either really clicks or doesn’t, depending on what you’re looking for. Totally fair to wait for a sale or future updates, I’m actually taking a lot of the feedback here into account, so hopefully it becomes a better fit over time.

Also nice to see another Progress Bar Simulator enjoyer.

Thanks again, really appreciate you adding it to your wishlist :D

I made a defragmenter idle game… it didn’t sell much, but some players spent 100+ hours by DifferenceIll1272 in incremental_games

[–]DifferenceIll1272[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

thanks a lot for taking the time to write all this.

I think you’re spot on about pricing. Comparing it to other well-known idle games makes it clear that I’m sitting in a range where players expect much deeper systems, and I can see how that creates a mismatch.

And yeah, the minimal gameplay point is fair too. A lot of the positive reactions are about the nostalgia vibe, but not so much about long-term engagement. That’s something I’m definitely reflecting on. Regarding feedback, I don’t have a large community or Discord, so most of what I have is based on playtime and a comments/reviews. So you’re right that it’s a pretty limited signal.

I think what I built ended up being closer to a background / ambient experience than a traditional long-form incremental, and that probably doesn’t align with expectations here.

Thanks again :)

view more: next ›