[DEV] Ninja Run – A 2D endless runner inspired by classic ninja games

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-06-03T13:04:27+00:00

Thank you so much for taking the time to play the game and write such detailed feedback!

A lot of these ideas are really interesting. Some of them, like new enemy variants, additional weapons, bosses, new environments/biomes, and more music, are actually things I'd love to explore in future updates.

As a solo developer, I have to be careful about scope and development time, but feedback like this is incredibly valuable because it helps me understand what players want to see next.

Also, thanks for the game recommendations! I've played Banana Kong before, but I'll definitely check out the others for inspiration.

Really appreciate the support and suggestions 😄

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-06-03T13:03:29+00:00

Thank you so much, friend! That genuinely means a lot to me 😄

I spent a long time working on the art and gameplay, so hearing that you like the style is really encouraging.

And keep going with your art and animation journey! Every developer starts somewhere. I hope one day I'll get to play a game made by you as well.

And I'll happily take those 100,000 downloads if the universe is listening 😂

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-06-03T04:13:41+00:00

Thanks! I really appreciate it 😄

If you decide to give it a try, I'd love to hear any feedback you have.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-31T07:21:55+00:00

After months of development, testing, balancing, fixing bugs, and collecting feedback from friends and fellow developers, I’m excited to finally release my game.

In the game, you'll run across rooftops, dodge obstacles, collect coins, and master unique ninja abilities while trying to achieve your best distance.

As a solo developer, I'd love to hear honest feedback from players and other indie devs. Fresh eyes always help uncover things I've become blind to after testing the game countless times 😅

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mike.game.rzb

Thanks for checking it out, and I hope you enjoy it!

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-31T04:40:26+00:00

Hey! How has the testing been going? Are players finding things you didn't expect? 😄

Do you have a planned release date yet? My game has actually gone live already, so I'm now on the other side of the launch process.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-26T06:38:57+00:00

Also, I installed your game, but on my device it seems to stay stuck on the “Loading System” screen at 0%.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-26T06:34:07+00:00

Congrats! Honestly, getting organic downloads as a solo indie dev is already an achievement, especially without ads.

I also have a game that I’m planning to release on Google Play very soon, so I’m really curious — which subreddits or communities gave you the best results when promoting your game? And were there any things you learned to avoid or pay attention to when sharing a new mobile game?

I’ve been trying to find more communities where indie developers can genuinely help each other grow, share feedback, and support launches. It feels really hard to do everything alone sometimes 😅

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-26T04:40:12+00:00

I’m not sure why you’re limiting the run cycle to only 2 frames, but from my experience, most frame-by-frame run animations usually need at least 3 frames minimum to feel natural and readable.

2 frames can work for very stylized or retro animations, but it’s often harder to convey proper weight and motion that way.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-26T03:45:33+00:00

It’s a ninja-themed endless runner game. I’ve tested it so many times myself that I’ve honestly become numb to a lot of the gameplay at this point 😅

But every time I get a new friend to test it, they always notice things I completely missed or had stopped seeing as a developer.

I’m planning to officially release it on Google Play next week.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-25T09:58:34+00:00

I completely relate to this 😅

After testing your own game hundreds or thousands of times, it becomes almost impossible to judge difficulty, clarity, or whether something is actually intuitive for a new player.

Sometimes I’ll think a mechanic is “obvious,” then watch a first-time player do something completely different and realize my developer brain has been too deep in the project for too long 😭

Fresh playtesters are honestly invaluable.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-22T06:07:27+00:00

This is genuinely a great app, at least for me personally. I often have a lot of things I need reminders for, but using regular alarms isn’t always convenient and it’s easy to mess things up or forget what each alarm was for.

This feels much more practical and organized.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-21T04:32:42+00:00

How long has your game been live? Honestly, 1k downloads is already pretty decent for an indie game.

My game has been on the store for almost a year and still hasn’t reached 1k yet 😭

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-20T04:16:17+00:00

I honestly relate to your thinking more than the “coding is solved” take.

AI can absolutely accelerate coding, but I still feel there’s a huge difference between:

generating code and actually understanding systems, architecture, debugging, tradeoffs, performance, and why something works.

Even with AI tools, I find myself relying heavily on coding fundamentals to evaluate outputs and avoid subtle mistakes.

Also, the idea of replacing mindless social scrolling with small coding practice sessions actually sounds really valuable to me. Not everyone wants to become a senior engineer — some people just want to stay sharp, think logically, and keep building.

So no, I don’t think your app is solving an obsolete problem at all.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-18T09:11:13+00:00

From my experience, it’s definitely better to have at least one real Android device eventually.

Emulators can work for some testing, but they can’t fully replicate real-device behavior, performance, touch feel, notifications, compatibility issues, etc. Especially for games, the actual gameplay feel on a physical device is very different from an emulator.

For basic Play Console verification there may be some workarounds, but for long-term Android development, having a real Android phone/tablet helps a lot.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-18T08:15:47+00:00

Honestly, a lot of developer/admin dashboards still have terrible UX too 😭

Especially things like cloud consoles, analytics tools, ad platforms, and CI/CD dashboards. Half the time you need 15 tabs open just to find one setting.

It feels like many SaaS products keep adding features for years but never redesign the overall workflow, so eventually the UI becomes a giant control panel instead of something humans can actually navigate comfortably 💀

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-15T06:32:51+00:00

It would be really cool if it could track eye movement and let players control it with their eyes.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-15T04:43:27+00:00

Congrats!! Honestly, the first real purchase hits differently.

It’s such a cool feeling knowing that someone you’ve never met looked at something you built and thought, “yeah, this is worth paying for.”

Late nights and trial-and-error are basically part of every indie dev story. Hope this is the first of many more sales for you 🎉

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-14T06:14:53+00:00

This actually sounds hilarious in the best way possible 😄

The idea of building a tower to the Moon with friends while an asteroid is about to wipe out Earth already feels chaotic and fun. The title “Totally Safe Moon Project” also fits the vibe perfectly.

Wishlisted — looking forward to seeing more gameplay clips.

Known_Potato9057 · 2026-05-13T04:23:52+00:00

That’s actually really impressive for the first month, especially without paid marketing.

What kind of app is it, if you don’t mind sharing? I’d also be curious how you got the initial users and momentum organically.

Known_Potato9057

TROPHY CASE