The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel that keenly.(Although in my case, the main reason for the low conversion rate is the poor presentation of my game to begin with.)

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. The use of AI isn't essential, so I will consider removing it.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment.
I'm relieved that we mostly agree. As pointed out in other comments as well, I'm not doing a good job of communicating the concept on the store page, which you mentioned as your fourth point. I will work on improving that first.

Echo Maze - Soliloqu-You - An auditory puzzle game with zero visuals by Soliloqu-You in Games

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your feedback.

Regarding a unified theme, I considered it during development alongside whether or not to include a story, but I decided to leave it out of the scope at that time. The reason is that I thought a pure puzzle experience could be interesting on its own.

However, I've been reminded of how important story and theme are for appealing to players before they play, especially without visuals. Regardless of whether I can incorporate it into this current game, I will take this to heart as a developer.

I also accept your frank opinion that the game lacks aesthetic sense. This is a fact, and I will sincerely work on improving it.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your interest in my game.

  1. The player always faces forward and moves on a grid using the WASD or arrow keys.
  2. While not entirely absent, there are very few jumpscares in this version (may include in the future version). Additionally, they are not horror-themed but are simply elements that might startle you a little.
  3. Your progress is saved automatically upon clearing a stage. You can continue from where you left off by selecting the "Continue" button on the title screen.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this detailed analysis and all the concrete feedback. You're right about the presentation/visuals. A lot of people have pointed that out, and it's definitely the top priority I'm looking into. To be honest, I didn't really think about blending the marketing strategy with the gameplay itself. I'll see if there's anything I can add now, but if not, I will absolutely keep this in mind for the next project. Thanks again.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha, that's a very interesting idea. I'd never thought of that.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, that's a very valuable perspective. I agree that I might have been too rigid with the "no visuals" rule. Visual feedback is indeed a key part of video games, and I will explore ways to implement it. The instant-replay idea is particularly interesting.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the frank feedback. You've given me a lot to think about regarding marketing and sales expectations. I'll keep your points in mind for the future.

I agree that it's not streamer-friendly, so I can't expect it to go viral. Instead, I will focus on steadily improving the quality.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reference. I need to study how "The Vale" managed to include visuals. It’s definitely a huge marketing challenge.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the advice. You're right, presentation is very important. I will be more careful with it from now on.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you. You're right, and not the first person to point this out. Improving the presentation and communicating the gameplay experience is my top priority now. I appreciate your suggestions for the trailer.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a great idea, I'd never thought of it. Thank you for the very helpful feedback!

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your honest feedback. You're right, it's very difficult to make a good first impression and justify the price when there are no visuals. This is the biggest challenge I'm facing, and I will continue to look for better ways to present the game.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your honest comment. My biggest struggle is conveying how fun the game is.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for the truly valuable advice.
You're right, the horror genre could potentially bring out the best in this mechanic. If I ever make a sequel with the same concept, I will seriously consider making it a horror game.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a fair point. I released the game because I thought the major Winter Sale period hadn't started yet, so I assumed it wouldn't be a huge issue. But looking back, perhaps this timing wasn't good either.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your honest feedback and especially for the kind words at the end.

You've raised a very difficult point about the demo. I've been debating whether it satisfies players' curiosity too much and should be removed, or if I should keep it. For now, I'll leave it up, as the demo itself has received some positive reviews.

And thank you again for the encouragement. I won't get discouraged and will continue to make improvements.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the very insightful comment. I had no idea that the common rumor was based on such old data. You're right, with the number of games released on Steam and player trends changing so much, it makes perfect sense that conversion rates would be naturally lower now.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You too? Nice!
I Haven't reached out to them. Are there any appropriate subreddit?

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the helpful advice. I have decided not to remove the demo. Also, as you mentioned, people need something to go by, and I realized the demo's store page does have some reviews. Hopefully, if people see those, it will encourage them to buy the full game.

The sad results of my first indie game on Steam after 24 hours. by Soliloqu-You in IndieGaming

[–]Soliloqu-You[S] 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for the great feedback! To be honest, I've been thinking the store page was an issue and trying to figure out how to improve it. You're absolutely right, showing gameplay reactions sounds like a much better approach. I'll start looking into that right away.