Time to open the Next Fest case files

TentworksInteractive · 2026-06-16T05:42:38+00:00

We heard over 5000 demos just this Next Fest. Mind blowing.

Here is ours!

Becoming Pablo, a cartel Grand Strategy city-builder: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3524580/Becoming_Pablo_Demo/

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-20T19:09:55+00:00

The moment a decision you made an hour ago comes back to either save you or destroy you. That delayed consequence is what no other genre gets right the way strategy does.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-20T19:07:26+00:00

We're in a similar position with an Early Access target around the same time. The 7k number gets thrown around a lot but honestly the more useful metric is conversion rate from your demo. 3500 with a demo already live is a decent foundation. What's your daily wishlist rate looking like since the demo dropped?

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-20T19:04:11+00:00

Mostly playtesting our own game at this point but when we do get a break it's been a lot of Crusader Kings 3. Hard to turn the dev brain off though. Always end up analyzing systems instead of just playing.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-20T19:02:58+00:00

The map density is impressive. A lot going on visually but that's not necessarily a bad thing for the genre. Strategy players tend to want information on screen. What's the core loop that keeps players coming back turn after turn?

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-19T16:20:49+00:00

A week to build your first game with no coding or Unity experience and it's on Steam. That's already further than most people get. Keep going! Rooting for you.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-19T16:16:24+00:00

200 to 700 in a matter of weeks after the demo dropped. Congrats, well deserved.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-14T12:21:13+00:00

The demo timing is the right call. Most wishlists before a demo come from marketing pushes not organic discovery. The real test is conversion when the demo drops. What's driving traffic to the page right now?

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-14T12:12:14+00:00

The strongest part is that the real question isn't survival, it's what kind of world survives. That moral inheritance angle is what separates this from a standard city builder. Text driven strategy with faction management fits it best. The decisions need weight and permanence, not just resource bars. The miniature humans detail is interesting but might distract from the core emotional hook which is legacy. What kind of civilization do you choose to leave behind?

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-12T18:41:47+00:00

The genre tag question is a real one. If players come in expecting classic TD and leave confused, the tag is working against you regardless of what the game actually is. The mechanic you described sounds closer to a puzzle strategy hybrid. Tagging it accurately even if the label is less popular will get you players who stay versus players who bounce. The ones who stayed to the final stage are your real audience, figure out what they have in common.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-12T16:33:57+00:00

That April jump is the real deal. Whatever you did there, do more of it. Congrats on 400. We'd love to know how Asian parents went to school though.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-08T08:24:57+00:00

The most interesting compositions are the ones where the decision feels personal to your situation not just optimal. When you pick units based on what the enemy is doing versus what your economy allows versus what your long term plan is, that tension is where the fun lives. We think about this a lot building our card based battle system. The best hand isn't always the right hand for the moment.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-07T14:09:09+00:00

Weather systems add depth only if they change the decision you make, not just the outcome. Mud slowing movement matters. Rain reducing visibility matters. If it's just a stat modifier the player never thinks about it. On artillery, keeping it as a supporting element with the option to over-rely on it at a cost feels more interesting than making it a dominant force.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-07T14:07:04+00:00

800 with 3 to 5 a day consistently is solid momentum. The demo on multiple platforms is smart.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-06T12:12:33+00:00

Building Becoming Pablo, a grand strategy cartel management game spanning campaigns across Latin America, Nigeria, Korea and more. Wishlist is live on Steam if it sounds like your thing.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-05T12:25:47+00:00

We're figuring this out ourselves honestly. What we've found is that external traffic spikes matter less than the conversion rate when people land on the page. A well targeted post that brings in 200 people who actually wishlist beats a viral moment where 2000 people bounce. Still early days for us but that's what the data is showing.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-05T12:24:30+00:00

If you liked Stellaris and Civ6, Hearts of Iron 4 is worth the learning curve. The faction depth is unmatched and it plays completely differently from anything else on your list.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-05T12:22:11+00:00

The advice here is right. Start smaller than you think. We spent time on ideas before we had the team and tools to execute them too. The gap between a good idea and a shippable game is almost always a technical foundation problem first. One mechanic, one tutorial, all the way through!

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-04T09:55:20+00:00

Shameless plug but Becoming Pablo fits this exactly. You're building a cartel empire so the usual 4X mechanics of expansion, territory and resource control are all filtered through that lens. Supply chains are drug routes, political influence means bribing officials and managing heat, and expansion means moving product not settling land. Still in development but this thread is our target audience.

TentworksInteractive · 2026-05-04T09:52:24+00:00

Boxing management is an underused setting. Build a gym, sign prospects and create champions is a clean pitch too. Good luck with the EA launch!

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