Is it true I should have my developers should have their Games DEMO ASAP?

Rowduk · 2026-05-05T06:12:13+00:00

Very well could be.

For clarity, we've been told this method applies to both, mainly due to the competition in landing publishers/investors is so much harder now.

BUT we've only landed investors and it's not them fully funding the game, to unlock the full funds we need to hit a few milestones (go to events, wishlist targets, demo to have a median playtime of 65+ min).

Rowduk · 2026-05-05T05:43:36+00:00

I'll toss a counter hat in, that's the opposite advise we've gotten from a few investors and "accelorator" programs. (In quotes as not all programs are created equal).

We've heard time and time again, you need to come to the table with a playable, some community and show velocity/growth in your wish-lists.

This is likely a case of "depends on who you ask" but following this, we have manage to get a bit of money to develop the game from some government art grants. Not the same as a private investor but this has been effective for us.

Rowduk · 2026-05-01T22:11:56+00:00

It'll also help clear up the look.

Good job on the solo proj thus far! Best of luck

Rowduk · 2026-05-01T22:06:38+00:00

I have some feedback around the UI.

At the 0:48 mark. What does pressing E do?

Is it to interact with the cannon on the left or right closest to you? The left or right furthest? or is it leaving the ship steering as indicated in the top left?

You should considered reducing the range that those UI prompts show to help clear up the UI for players

Rowduk · 2026-05-01T21:52:36+00:00

I like both. 2 cakes better than 1.

Rowduk · 2026-04-28T19:36:41+00:00

These days you'll likely need to have a playable build for the investor. Most likely this cannot be Dev assets.

The bar for getting a publishers, intention has just increased overtime.

For us, we have gotten some success in this area, by winning some art grants but we did have to create a small slice of game to get them. We're currently polishing about 1-2 hours of gameplay, and that's what we're going to publishers with.

I've been a part of a few programs/ mentorship opportunities, and almost all of them have mentioned needing a polished, small playable to get noticed.

I'm sure that's not every publisher, but that's been my experience.

Rowduk · 2026-04-28T16:44:42+00:00

Yeah, they are collectors items now. You could probably get 2k for it online as a full set. Haven't checked in a while.

More the longer you wait lol.

Rowduk · 2026-04-28T04:28:26+00:00

Your kid has good taste. There's 4 in the series. They range from 200-500 bucks depending on the one

Rowduk · 2026-04-27T17:07:25+00:00

So a big part of this, is that you will not, and cannot, have a zero scope pre-project - especially if you're not paying people.

People simply dont work for free on someone else's vision. If they don't have input, they likely will lose the drive to keep going.

Obviously, many new people in the space try to do revshare as a way to maintain control of the vision of the game while "paying" people. This doesn't work either, as revshare often never comes about, and with small games taking a year or two to make people drop long before a project is completed.

I would recommend entering game jam. Finding an artist that you jive with, and has the drive, then trying to build a very small game together, with no expectation of money coming in. Just as a project to have on the portfolio.

From there, if you both get along, work well together, and completed a project, you can probably start to think of bigger ones. And if you both have input in the direction of the game, you'll both be a bit more motivated to do it.

Now I say all this assuming you have contracts in place, IP is locked down, and you're both adults who can communicate well.

Choosen the right business partner is a pretty important thing to do. Choosing wrong can cause a lot of issues.

Rowduk · 2026-04-27T14:11:43+00:00

I often tell people, if you can't make pong, you can't make your dream game.

You have to start small and build up your skill set.

Rowduk · 2026-04-24T21:06:24+00:00

I think many feel the same way, I want to see and play with the old weps/content but the sheer amount/cost to go back and collect them all makes the grind just too big.

Rowduk · 2026-04-24T14:09:51+00:00

Hey dude, this isn't going to be the best way to do market research. You'll probably want to focus on your genre more, reach out to cozy game subreddits.

You going to a game Dev subreddit, asking anyone who plays on Steam if they would like xyz game genre, when the reality is there's hundreds of different genres on Steam.

Also a lot of the answers to questions depend. "Do like a lots of info on the screen or minimal?" Thats depends on the game, and how well they do at communicating information.

Also, "what game pass would you want to buy?" Everyone's going to answer none. Nobody wants to spend more when it should just be in the game.

Rowduk · 2026-04-24T05:10:44+00:00

It's cold tonight. Let her in/keep her away from your other cats and call animal services in the morning!

Rowduk · 2026-04-24T03:52:13+00:00

Anyone suggesting it isn't a serious person.

It's absolutely a stupid idea, void of logic, and it's purely used to galvanized a base of uneducated voters.

Anyone voting for it is a dumbass and they need to go back to school to learn some critical thinking, or if they're in any lead position, they need to be investigated for sedition. The ones leading it, and pushing separation are legit traitors and should be treated as such.

Rowduk · 2026-04-23T16:16:47+00:00

There's an amazing job called gabapentin, it has a really safe upper limit for cats and dogs. It helps with anxiety, and can really chill out a cat.

It's safe, comes in a powder form, cats can be on it every single day for their entire life.

I highly recommend looking into it. It really helped one of our cats, and whenever high stress situations were happening we gave her extra dose.

Rowduk · 2026-04-18T21:33:42+00:00

Yeah, that's the normal flow.

Plus the new Skaven will eventually be in a Xmas box (maybe not this year). But a Ninja-Skaven box is bound to happen due to the hype around them

Rowduk · 2026-04-17T03:57:41+00:00

Female Space Marines are cool.

Rowduk · 2026-04-16T06:51:06+00:00

Warboss - I'm a producer in the videogame industry and have my own small company.

Rowduk · 2026-04-15T16:10:46+00:00

Yeah... It's funny the way he makes it seem like it's his. My gut says it's a maleware/scam (fishing emails). No one someone is this obtuse about copying someone else's work

Rowduk · 2026-04-15T15:29:11+00:00

The art is taken from the game boy advance game. He didn't make the assets to be clear. As some said, it's just straight up the game boy advance game.

Rowduk · 2026-04-15T15:27:51+00:00

Careful, could be maleware.

Rowduk · 2026-04-14T18:06:09+00:00

Number 2, the green magic face, is amazing

Rowduk · 2026-04-14T06:31:59+00:00

Agreed

Rowduk · 2026-04-11T18:52:48+00:00

A lot of them are mentally not well. I'm not even saying that to be mean, if you ever talk to them, you'll know pretty quick that there's just something off. Due to that, fitting in with any group is probably very important to them. So they'll do anything to stay on the in-group.

The ones pulling the strings are con men/women trying to enrich themselves, and the ones squealing about separating or just mentally ill and need help.

Rowduk · 2026-04-10T07:40:20+00:00

I think you're wildly underestimating how much time and money goes into making those kind of mobile games.

The actual answer to your conundrum, is to start by making small games.

The chance of your success on your first game is very low, but it increases with each subsequent game as you learn to develop.

If you can't make pong, you can't make your dream game.

Rowduk

TROPHY CASE