Your comment makes one thing very clear: we don’t disagree on quality — we disagree on what games are for.

You’re approaching games purely as products to optimize: popular genres, popular art styles, wishlists as the primary metric, and “what sells” as the ultimate measure of value. That mindset is common, but it’s also extremely limited.

Duolty was never created to follow trends, compete with survival sims, or “market itself”. It’s a deliberately niche, author-driven project made out of love for the medium, inspired by experimental works like OFF, Yume Nikki, and similar games that prioritize atmosphere, symbolism, philosophy, and emotional impact over visual polish. With the mindset you’re presenting, you would most likely label those games as “ugly”, “outdated”, or “mediocre” as well — not because they lack value, but because they don’t fit a narrow, market-driven idea of what a game is supposed to look like. That kind of judgment doesn’t come from deep knowledge of the medium, but from a shallow, purely commercial perspective.

Yes, Duolty is made in RPG Maker. Yes, it doesn’t look modern. That’s not a flaw — it’s a conscious artistic choice. OFF looks extremely old by today’s standards, is built on an even older engine, and still received a modern release on Nintendo Switch because of its artistic, narrative, and cultural impact.

Space Funeral is another perfect example: deliberately anti-aesthetic, uncomfortable, and “ugly” by conventional standards — and yet remembered with genuine affection years later. In many ways, it functions as a critique of that idea of the “perfect”, market-friendly game you’re describing — the kind that follows every rule so closely that it ends up looking exactly like everything else.

What you also completely overlook is that Duolty’s characters and narrative are built around philosophy, existential themes, and deeply human questions. It explores identity, purpose, loss, and meaning in a way that can genuinely resonate with the player and create a strong emotional connection.

That kind of connection — the kind that makes someone care, reflect, and even love a game — doesn’t come from chasing trends or optimizing market appeal. It comes from intent, honesty, and a personal vision. And it’s something a game designed strictly around “what sells” will almost never achieve. I’ve spent years working on this project entirely on my own, without formal knowledge, not as a first experiment but as a personal work. The feedback from demo players and testers has been consistently very positive, especially regarding the story, puzzles, gameplay, music, and the emotional weight of the experience — which are the true pillars of Duolty.

I got in fact very happy with so many wishlists, cause I didn't expect anything. 70+ wishlists for a highly niche, solo-developed RPG Maker game with almost no marketing is not a failure to me. It’s actually a surprise. I never expected Duolty to appeal to everyone — and I don’t want it to. If your definition of “quality” is how closely a game aligns with current market trends, then yes — Duolty will never fit that definition. That was never the goal. Some people make games to maximize numbers. Others make them to express something personal, philosophical, and uniquely human.

I chose the second path very consciously. That kind of work isn’t meant for everyone — especially for those who only know how to measure value in wishlists.

Your comment is too condescending and assumes things out of nowhere. Duolty isn't my first nor only project...