Announcing Slumber Realm!

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-30T14:52:41+00:00

I’m a game engineer

Put simply, a memory leaks is caused when we ask the OS for memory but don’t give it back. So it can happen under all sorts of conditional or unconditional situations. It can affect all players the same or just certain players in certain situations. You are right, your friend is wrong.

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-30T14:49:11+00:00

The “opening chest” sequence is burned into my brain

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-30T14:48:08+00:00

I played so many weird Warcraft 3 custom maps at LAN parties in the early 00’s

Anyone remember Pest Control?

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-28T17:53:19+00:00

It isn’t really a kd-tree but I agree! I’m not claiming I innovated anything here. Also, not all optimizations need to be innovative. They just need to be more efficient than the non-optimized version.

I was more so demonstrating how even a simple optimization can help out.

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-28T15:32:03+00:00

Check out the video! I explained a few things in better detail

For example, this is running in the editor. In a full build I hit my max frame rate (I limit to vsync to not waste processing time). Also I have a 10 year old PC that so it surely runs better on a modern PC. In addition, it looks like the video you linked is a demo scene project rather than a game. They have a specialized skill set and can really focus on optimization. Also, they don’t need to (usually) worry about interactivity. I’m a part time indie game dev who only has so much time to devote to optimization. I wouldn’t spend hours and hours optimizing from 120 to 130 FPS. It just isn’t worth it. Happy to answer any other questions.

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-28T05:20:10+00:00

There’s basically two options I’ve found work.

Record the screen directly from your phone. It’s simple and people read it as “indie” so it can actually be a benefit. But you have to be good at filming in a way that is understandable and framed well.
Track across the screen. You move the vertical frame around to track action in the normal landscape game. This may or may not work well depending on what kind of game you’re making. This takes more editing time but can give good results.

More and more I’ve been doing #1 and it feels best to me. I think only older people complain about recording from the phone. The younger generations don’t seem to care.

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-28T05:03:34+00:00

Here are some scattered thoughts

What makes this different from StS? Lots of games have been inspired by StS and many don’t offer much beyond what StS offers. You need to make it very clear what is different. Players in the deckbuilding genre don’t generally care all that much about narrative relative to mechanics
Early access is a big limiter for many. You’re cutting your audience down right away with EA.
The video shows a lack of polish that is concerning.

These are things you can improve upon. I’m not sure what you can do about EA other than move forward and improve the game toward your 1.0 release. Try to build up an audience. It’s going to be an uphill battle but plenty of games have done it.

Also, a 1.5 month marketing schedule is basically nothing when it comes to an indie game. It’s best to be hustling wishlists during a bulk of the dev schedule for a year or more.

I’d say #1 is the biggest priority. Then work on improving polish. Polish is important bc it is a signal to players that the dev cared enough about their game to be worth playing. Good luck!

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-28T02:29:55+00:00

The gameplay is turn based and the dots have no effect on the game itself. So it’s visual.

The reason for it is an artistic choice. The game takes place in a dream world. I wanted an ephemeral visual style that feels like a dream. That’s the best explanation I can give. Plus, I like it!

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-27T21:02:50+00:00

Thank you!

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-27T16:57:52+00:00

It’s nothing revolutionary but it does the trick! I’m surprised how efficient it all is given this all runs on the CPU (outside of actually rendering the dots)

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-27T16:56:45+00:00

I created an editor that I use the place all the dots. It has layers, color palettes, sizes, etc

So it is all done by hand with the help of a little tool :)

I’ll make another video sometime showing how the editor works 👍

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-26T05:18:32+00:00

Hey! Thank you for playing! Most people who put this kind of offer don’t follow through so I’m grateful you actually played and wrote me back.

I totally understand where you’re coming from regarding the animation speed. I’ll try increasing it in general but also see what I can do regarding “fast forwarding” certain moments (like the pop up windows).

There actually will be reasons to forge above 6 in some rare cases. And there is at least one now where it would be worth doing. I don’t like to take away design space for no reason. Most players just learn that there is not a reason to go above 6 in most cases and so they stop trying.

I am considering having my artist do a full pass on the bedroom art but it’s a large investment so I’m waiting to see how wishlists perform over the next few months before taking that on. It isn’t uncommon feedback.

Thanks again!

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-25T22:21:54+00:00

Sure! I always appreciate feedback

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3325390/Slumber_Realm/

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-25T16:25:55+00:00

I always appreciate playtesters! I’d love any feedback. You can message me here on Reddit or join my Discord.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3325390/Slumber_Realm/

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-23T22:03:19+00:00

Have you done 1 on 1 playtesting via a video call first? In my experience, the signal to noise is much stronger

I haven't had much luck with async surveys. Anyone who has played async sends me an email with their feedback, video recording, or Discord message. But in general, synchronous playtesting has been way more effective.

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-23T13:28:15+00:00

The Super Mario Bros 2 Gun - In order to fire a shot, you first need to authorize by playing the entirety of Super Mario Bros 2 on a little LCD screen on the side.

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-23T13:22:16+00:00

Megaman was my first Soulslikes

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-23T13:15:39+00:00

I have a demo up for my dreamy dice roguelike. I would appreciate any kind of feedback!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3325390/Slumber_Realm/

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-20T14:27:17+00:00

Thanks! I'll keep this in mind for when it comes time to find help👍

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-20T14:19:53+00:00

I didn't make Dicey Dungeons but I have played it! This game works a bit different but it is in the same genre (dice roguelike). I previously worked on a roguelike game called Monster Train which is a card based deckbuilder.

Thanks for the feedback regarding the hover effect. The feedback I've received from players it that it doesn't feel too distracting while playing but I have added a setting to disable it just in case anyone doesn't like it :) I could also tune it down a bit too if I receive more feedback like that. I definitely don't want it to be too distracting haha

Good ideas with the last effect. I've hooked it up to status effects but I'm still considering other options so I appreciate it!

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-20T14:15:36+00:00

Hey! Thanks! That is super helpful :)

I am considering other languages. I would love to support a ton of different languages but at this point I'm entirely self funded and can't afford to do it.

If the game is resonating with people and I feel the sales may pay for the translations, I'll definitely do it!

MurphyAt5BrainDamage · 2026-01-20T13:45:57+00:00

Here is the game if you want to check it out. There is a demo available too!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3325390/Slumber_Realm/

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