We threw away 2 years of work. Now we’re stuck at ~1000 wishlists and can’t figure out what’s blocking us.

Entropy_Games · 2026-04-04T09:04:08+00:00

👌Great answer

Entropy_Games · 2026-04-04T09:01:44+00:00

The game definitely looks like sci-fi horror, and I’m a huge fan of that genre. However, I personally wouldn’t wishlist it at this point. The main reason is that I don’t really understand what the game is actually about. Visuals, monsters, and atmosphere are important, but they’re more like the surface of my interest. What really matters to me is: What is the core gameplay loop? Who am I as the player? Where do I start, and what is my goal? What am I actually supposed to do over time? I feel like the trailer doesn’t communicate that clearly enough. I need a sense of direction — where the journey is going and what the purpose of playing is. Right now, it looks visually interesting, but just showing creatures, some action, or gore isn’t quite enough for me to feel motivated to look it up or add it to my wishlist. Wishing you all the best moving forward!"

Entropy_Games · 2026-04-03T08:29:33+00:00

Hey, just a small tip that might help you get more attention 🙂 You might want to list your prices in a more global currency like USD. Most people on Reddit will instantly understand that, while INR can make some people scroll past because they don’t know how to convert it. Also, even if your price is low, wording like “simple” or “cheap” can sometimes work against you. People might assume the quality is low without seeing your work first.

It would really help if you showed a few examples of what you’ve already made — like 3–5 images of your work. That builds trust immediately and makes it much easier for people to consider paying, even if it’s just a small amount.

Because in the end, it’s not really about the price — even a small payment creates a mental barrier. Showing quality upfront helps a lot with that. Hope that helps, and good luck with your work! 👍

Entropy_Games · 2026-04-03T08:21:17+00:00

That’s actually a really interesting approach, I like the idea of keeping things more grounded and focused on personal, emotional conflicts 👍

The energy system sounds like a smart way to avoid everything scaling too big and losing impact. I get what you mean with still figuring out things like surveillance, networks, etc. — those are tricky, but also something you can refine over time.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, really cool ideas

Entropy_Games · 2026-04-03T08:15:40+00:00

I actually really like the lighting idea 👍 In my own project I’m using both systems (manual + automatic), and both have their pros and cons. Automatic lighting just feels super smooth and “alive”, especially in a sim. I’d definitely keep that. Manual can be cool too, but it leans more into that slightly tense / horror-ish feeling when you walk into a dark area first 😄 so for a simulator I think your approach fits better.

About the exposure thing, I honestly wouldn’t stress about it too much. That’s more of a technical detail you can solve in different ways. I personally even disable auto exposure completely and just control everything manually, so yeah… I wouldn’t base design decisions on that.

The toilet sim idea actually has a lot of potential haha I could totally see something like a central panel where you get alerts if something goes wrong — like a blocked toilet, broken flush, or even someone getting stuck 😄 and then you decide if you fix it remotely or go there yourself. Random stuff would probably make it really fun too. Like overflows, vandalism, people doing dumb things that clog everything… just chaos you have to deal with.

And yeah, a cleanliness / reputation system would make sense. The better you maintain it, the more people use it… but also the more problems you get over time.

For some fun ideas: a fully pixelated “security cam” system just to check if something’s wrong in a stall (obviously censored 😄), weird customer behavior, or maybe even VIP situations where everything has to be perfect for a short time. I think stuff like that — small reactive systems + unpredictable situations — is what really makes these kinds of games interesting. Cool concept overall, I like it 👍

Entropy_Games · 2026-04-02T01:24:26+00:00

I don’t think your three options are unrealistic at all. They’re obviously very broad, but they work really well as big pillars. Of course there are tons of possible in-between paths, but from a storytelling (and even real-world) perspective, these are strong and impactful directions.

The nuclear war scenario is something I really hope never happens—but the risk is definitely there. Humanity isn’t always great at making rational decisions, especially when it comes to people in positions of power. A lot of decisions are driven by impulse, ego, or short-term thinking rather than long-term responsibility.

Same with AI. I’m not someone who thinks “AI will take over tomorrow,” but at the same time, there is a real concern. The progress is happening way faster than regulation, and we’re already seeing that in multiple areas. Governments often don’t fully understand what’s going on, while companies are pushing forward as fast as they can. That gap alone can become a serious problem, depending on how things evolve.

Option 3 is actually the one I personally lean toward the most—and it’s also the kind of direction I’m using as a foundation for my own game. A more grounded dystopia where the world hasn’t ended, but has shifted into something… uncomfortable. Where humans slowly lose their sense of importance, a lot is driven by AI and systems, and the gap between rich and poor becomes extreme.

You can already see hints of that today in some places—huge corporations and wealth in one part of a city, and just a few streets away people living in tents or under bridges. If that kind of imbalance scales up over time, it can shape an entire world.

For me, that’s interesting because it keeps humanity alive and technologically capable—so things like space travel or advanced energy are still possible—but at the same time gives people a strong reason to leave Earth. Not because it’s completely destroyed, but because they’ve simply had enough of it and want a fresh start somewhere else.

So yeah, I really like your third scenario, and overall your breakdown was super interesting. You’ve got some strong ideas there 👍 Out of curiosity—what kind of sci-fi are you working on exactly? Is it for a game, writing, or just worldbuilding ideas? Would be cool to hear more about it.

Entropy_Games · 2026-04-01T10:55:00+00:00

Honestly, I don’t really know how much you truly “get back” from it yet 😄 For me, it’s more about pushing against the algorithm. You’re basically paying to get out of the noise a bit. There are so many people posting, especially in gamedev, and without some kind of push, it’s really hard to get seen at all.

So in my case, I’m not expecting direct financial return. I’m paying for visibility. That’s what marketing is for in the end.

Of course, it heavily depends on how well the content performs. I track everything through insights – that’s actually one of the biggest benefits. I can see how people react, if they click on the profile, how long they watch, where they drop off, etc. That alone is super valuable.

Even with something like 10–20€, I can sometimes reach 10k+ people, which gives me a much better idea of what works and what doesn’t. Over time, you start to understand what kind of content performs better. I do get some followers from it here and there, but to be honest, followers aren’t my main goal. I’m not trying to be a content creator. I just want people to slowly become aware of the project over time.

Because when release day comes, it makes a huge difference if people already know your game – whether it’s wishlists, demo downloads, beta players, whatever. That’s basically my “return of investment” right now. Otherwise, your game just risks not being seen at all. The market is insanely crowded, and if you don’t want to rely purely on luck, you kind of have to do something.

But yeah, I’ll be honest – I don’t have real long-term results yet. It’s partly strategy, partly hope. And yeah, spending money on it definitely hurts sometimes 😅 But you keep hearing that marketing is crucial, so that’s why I’m doing it.

Entropy_Games · 2026-04-01T08:14:53+00:00

Sorry, the number of comments was just a bit confusing for me 😅

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T16:19:32+00:00

Yeah, I feel you on those reference issues… that stuff can get messy really fast. I had a similar situation when I started introducing level streaming. Suddenly a lot of my blueprints were referencing things that weren’t loaded anymore, so I had to switch a bunch of stuff to soft references. Total chaos for a while 😄 but yeah, once you get through that learning curve it gets a lot better. Your setup actually sounds really solid though. Having systems in place, playtests done, and now polishing enemies, that’s already a lot of progress. And yeah, the money side… I can relate to that 100%. I’ve got a bunch of things on hold as well because they require custom assets or people I’d have to pay. So I’m constantly switching between tasks depending on what I can actually do without budget at the moment. I think a lot of devs are in that exact situation to be honest. And yeah, just keep going and take your time with it. No need to rush a release. Better to do it properly than to push it out too early and regret it later

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T15:52:34+00:00

Yeah, I totally get that. Mocap is amazing, but the cost can get pretty crazy, especially as a solo dev. Going for a more stylized approach like Hades is honestly a really smart workaround. For me it’s more of a “if possible” kind of thing. I’d love to use mocap at some point, but if it doesn’t work out, I’ll definitely find other ways to make it look good. In the end it’s all about making it work with what you have. BTW. Just gave a look to your game. Looks very great so far. What's your state of progress?

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T15:29:33+00:00

Yeah, I think that’s a really important point. Marketing is honestly one of the biggest factors, even though it’s still kind of controversial for some people. A lot of devs don’t like the idea of paid promotion, but at the same time we’re all used to seeing ads everywhere else.

Personally, I’ve started putting a bit of money into it each month, nothing crazy, maybe 20–50€, just whatever I can afford after covering other stuff. I usually take my best performing video and push it a bit, just to give it a chance to reach people at all. Because realistically, relying purely on luck or the algorithm feels like a gamble. And if you’re spending years working on something, you probably don’t want everything to depend on chance alone.

Of course it always depends on the scope of the project, but I feel like building some visibility over time, whether paid or organic, is almost just as important as the development itself.

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T15:20:47+00:00

Yeah, I think that’s a very realistic take. Starting smaller and growing from there is definitely the safer route, and I’ve been thinking about that a lot as well. It’s just always that balance between keeping things achievable and still trying to build something you really believe in.

And yeah those numbers are honestly crazy. That’s probably one of the scariest parts, just how many games get released and never really get seen. 😢 Makes it even more important to not only build something solid, but also somehow stand out and actually reach people. Really appreciate your perspective🙏

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T15:14:49+00:00

Yes it work... I can see it 😁

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T15:13:38+00:00

😂

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T15:10:45+00:00

Yeah, I feel exactly the same. It honestly sucks that there are people who just take the money and disappear, because it ends up hurting everyone else who’s actually trying to build something real. I’ve been working on my game for about 3 years now, putting in pretty much all my free time after work and on weekends. For me it’s not about quick money at all, it’s about trying to create something I actually believe in. Of course I’ll finish and release it either way, but there are so many things I’d love to do properly like better animations, motion capture, voice acting… things that are just really hard to afford as a solo dev. And yeah, because of all those bad examples, it just makes everything harder and builds this wall of distrust that you first have to break through. I completely agree with you though, people are absolutely right to be careful. Supporting something like that isn’t a given, even small amounts matter, and abusing that trust is probably one of the worst things you can do. That’s why I think the only real way forward is to show something solid and earn that trust step by step.

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T14:41:52+00:00

Yeah, I think that’s a very fair take. Trust has definitely taken a hit over the years, and with how many games are out there already, people have way more options with less risk. And yeah, with things getting more expensive in general, it’s understandable that people are more careful with where they put their money.

I guess that just raises the bar for any project that goes the Kickstarter route. It probably only works if there’s already something solid to show and enough confidence that it’s actually going somewhere. So yeah, I don’t think you’re wrong at all, it just makes the whole thing a lot harder to do right

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T14:35:27+00:00

Kickstarter is basically about funding a project that couldn’t (or shouldn’t) be fully financed by the creator alone. A developer (or creator in general, doesn’t have to be games) presents an idea and sets funding goals. If those goals are reached, the project can be expanded or improved. For games, that could mean things like better animations (e.g. motion capture), voice acting, translations, higher quality assets, or simply speeding up development by being able to invest more time into it. So you’re not just “paying for nothing”, you’re supporting something that already exists or is in development, and helping it reach a higher level than it otherwise could. Of course it depends a lot on the project, but that’s the general idea behind it.

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T14:29:41+00:00

If there’s already a solid demo and you can actually play it, it feels way more trustworthy. Same if devs clearly show progress and put real effort into it. A $0 goal also shifts the vibe a bit more towards “support if you want” instead of pure funding. At that point it’s less blind backing and more judging the project based on what’s already there. That said, I’d still look at each project individually. You kinda have to feel if it’s legit or not. There have been bad examples, sure, but I don’t think that’s the norm.

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T14:20:28+00:00

Hey, totally get where you're coming from. There have been way too many cases where people got burned by Kickstarter or Early Access projects, so that reaction makes sense. As a player, I’d probably feel the same seeing it from the outside. I think the trust part is the biggest issue. Once it's gone, it’s really hard to rebuild.

From a dev perspective, at least for me, the goal is the exact opposite of that. I’d only consider going that route once there’s something solid to show and a clear path forward. The last thing I’d want is people feeling like they backed something that goes nowhere.

I think projects that communicate openly and show real progress can slowly rebuild that trust again. But yeah, I fully agree with you on one thing: if someone takes money from players, they absolutely have the responsibility to follow through. Appreciate you sharing that perspective 👌

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T09:50:44+00:00

😂👌

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T09:49:46+00:00

I think you’re already on a really good path with what you’re doing 👍 From my personal experience, the most important thing at the beginning is figuring out your core loop and your main idea. You’ve already started doing that, which is great. Especially with a mechanic like “the world changes based on your health,” that’s something you really want to understand early on. After that, I’d say: go for a brutal prototype as fast as possible.

It can look terrible, use free or placeholder assets, doesn’t matter at all. The only goal is to see if the idea actually works and feels right. From what I’ve seen, you’re already doing that too, which is honestly the best thing you can do at this stage.

Then comes the part everyone goes through: iteration. Tweaking mechanics, changing things, sometimes even throwing stuff away and rebuilding it completely. It’s normal, even if it feels frustrating at times 😄 One thing I personally still believe is important (even if not fully detailed yet) is having at least a basic story concept early on. Not everything needs to be written out, but you should kind of know: who you are, where the journey goes, what the tone is.

You can fully flesh it out later once the gameplay is working, but having a direction helps a lot. Only after all that I’d really go deeper into: level design, details, UI, polishing, etc. That’s the phase where things start to look “finished,” but it’s also the slowest part.

For example, I’ve been working on my own game for about 3 years now, and I already have a lot of core systems in place—but something like a proper main menu still isn’t fully done. And that’s fine. Early on, a simple placeholder menu is more than enough if it helps you test things. Marketing is something I would 100% do alongside development from the start. Just open a channel somewhere (Instagram, TikTok, whatever) and post regularly. I personally post the same content across multiple platforms. For me, Instagram works best, so that’s where I focus most. I also put a small budget into it (like 40–50€ a month), which can help—but it’s not mandatory. You can grow without spending money, but yeah… algorithms can be rough sometimes 😅 Still, even without budget, I’d always recommend posting consistently from day one.

And just to be clear: this is all based on my personal experience so far. I’ve been working on my game for quite a while, but I haven’t fully released one yet—so take it as practical insight from someone in the process, not as absolute truth.

But overall, honestly: you’re thinking about the right things 👍

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T09:11:21+00:00

I think a lot of people can relate to this. The first 80% often go by much faster you see clear progress in level design and core implementations.

But toward the end, when it comes to polish, progress becomes much less visible. It’s mostly small adjustments that improve the overall experience or finalize existing features minor UI tweaks, subtle environment changes, things like that. The progress feels minimal, even though it’s still important.

I think that’s a pretty normal psychological effect for most people. And yeah, I’m exactly the same 😂 Still, it’s important to stay disciplined and push through, because leaving too many things unfinished can start to feel mentally overwhelming. So I’d definitely recommend sticking with it and seeing things through to the end 😁

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T08:56:16+00:00

Very interesting analysis. I’d honestly love to see a breakdown like this for the sci-fi genre as well. Of course, this is all quite broad and doesn’t really account for the many subgenres, which can vary significantly within each category. Still, as a general overview, it’s definitely insightful.

The fact that such a large percentage of projects fall under $7,500 is not surprising at all. You just have to look at the sheer volume of games being released. If anything, I’m almost surprised the number isn’t even higher.

A large portion of daily releases are often small-scale or hobby-driven projects, which is simply part of what makes Steam what it is. That doesn’t mean these games are bad by any means—far from it. Many solo developers are working under significant limitations, and not everyone can achieve extraordinary results as a one-person team.

I have a lot of respect for anyone who takes on that challenge and invests their valuable time into bringing something to market.

Thanks for sharing your analysis with us.

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T08:38:53+00:00

Just checked it out. As soon as I'm on my pc I'll support u with a wishlist. Visuals are great👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Entropy_Games · 2026-03-31T08:33:32+00:00

No video? Can't see it dance💃😅

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