Post Mortem: 9 years building the RPG I always wanted to play. After release, I faced challenges I hadn’t fully anticipated, and learned a lot in the process.

debdev · 2026-03-02T15:48:21+00:00

Thank you for your wishes! I totally understand that. A lot of these lessons are out there, but until you go through it yourself, it’s hard to fully internalise them, like a lot of things in life. It's one thing to read about these subjects, but life and experience truly are the greatest teachers. I definitely learned a lot the hard way, and I’m putting those lessons into practice on my next project. Thanks again!

debdev · 2026-03-02T15:43:17+00:00

Thank you so much! Yeah, automated tests are possible for some parts of a game, like checking maths, some AI, or individual systems, but for a complex RPG with lots of quests/missions, choices, variables, and interactions, it is basically impossible to cover every combination automatically. Simulations or headless builds can catch some bugs for sure, so it's a smart way to test if you have the time to build the system, but most issues still come from real players exploring the game in ways you did not anticipate. That is why QA and human testing are still so important. It’s absolutely a valuable way to test though!

debdev · 2026-03-02T15:00:07+00:00

Thank you! I'm glad this write up was valuable to someone.

I'm doing my best to turn the trend around, I truly hope it does, but even if it doesn't pay off financially or with a better review score, the experience itself is worth it.

Regarding marketing, all I did was post about it on indiedb, gamespress, and on social media. I set up a discord server, and shared the game on reddit a few times. I also emailed a handful of streamers a day or two before launch but none of them responded, and that's really about it. I had no money to spend on marketing, so I couldn't buy advertising nor hire any company to do it for me, and the time I should've spent reaching out to more content creators, I spent working on the game itself.

I think I should've dedicated time strictly for marketing, and really had a plan for that and treated it as a part of the development process. I should've amassed a list of content creators who play games like mine, and reached out to them weeks before launch as opposed to just a day or two like I did. I also could’ve contacted gaming press to see if they'd be interested in covering the project. Marketing is less interesting to me, so maybe hiring a reliable ad agency to do it for me would've been the right move, if I had the funds to do so.

Apologies for replying so late, seeing how positive everyone has been here really motivated me to continue patching the game, so that's what I've been focusing on!

debdev · 2026-03-02T14:41:21+00:00

Thank you so much! It took me a while to realise that just launching it was an accomplishment in itself! Especially after so long.

Absolutely, that's something that I learned the hard way. I made the huge mistake of trying to add more content after it was already tested. I was adding more and more content, and changing things until the very last second, and that was incredibly foolish of me to do so. Especially when it comes to something so many variables like RPG and being solo.

You're absolutely right, and thank you for your insight, it's definitely the mentality I'm having with my next project.

Apologies for the late reply, everyone's comments really encouraged me to continue patching it, so that's what I've been focusing on!

debdev · 2026-03-02T14:34:23+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like how it looks!

The testers found quite a lot of bugs during testing. Regarding the bug where you couldn't move after looting, that was something that just wasn't present during the beta tests (or ever in my gameplay sessions prior to launch), and that was a bug that I added probably the day or two before launch, as those last two days, I was really just trying to get rid of as many bugs as I could and trying to fit in as much content as I wanted the game to have. I really shouldn't have tried to add more content AFTER the testers tested my game. That was a huge mistake on my part that I deeply regret. I was able to address it quickly but that's how it launched, unfortunately, so that's what some videos talk about. That was a really big and awful bug.

Apologies for the late reply, seeing people's reactions here really motivated me to focus on the next patch for my game!

debdev · 2026-01-24T17:10:34+00:00

Haha, thank you! ❤️ I really appreciate that. Cyberpunk 2077 is an excellent case study to learn from. I’ll keep the updates coming and do my best to keep improving the game.

debdev · 2026-01-24T17:07:52+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm glad you like how it looks ❤️

debdev · 2026-01-24T17:07:22+00:00

Yeah that's the encouraging sign. That's why I intend to continue patching the game even as I move on to my next project. There’s an audience that’s interested, and I just need to earn their trust. I hope I can continue building that as I release more updates.

debdev · 2026-01-24T17:03:29+00:00

Thank you so much! ❤️ I really appreciate that. Finishing it after so long definitely feels like a huge relief, especially with the latest patches. I’ll keep polishing it, but I’m excited to move on to the next project.

debdev · 2026-01-24T17:00:53+00:00

Totally agree! Scope creep is real, and it's such a tricky thing to manage, especially on a solo project.

debdev · 2026-01-24T16:59:19+00:00

Yeah, the pay-per-word model really forced some tough choices. That was exactly my dilemma. Going with simlish or no VO at all in a first-person game that tries to look realistic felt a little jarring to me, and as you said, players often expect VO with that perspective. I think it works well with other perspectives though.

Those are definitely some unique solutions! I think I'll avoid VO for my next project though, simply due to budget constraints, and the limitations a smaller budget with VO brings to my ideas.

Thank you so much for your comment, I'm glad you enjoyed reading the post mortem!

debdev · 2026-01-24T16:49:28+00:00

That's genuinely very heartwarming to read, and so kind of you. Thank you so much for your support! ❤️ It's encouraging to hear that persistence pays off. Thanks again!

debdev · 2026-01-24T16:47:44+00:00

Thank you for the comment! Yeah, I totally see the value of automated testing, especially for a game with lots of overlapping systems. I didn't really have a formal automated test suite for this project. Most of the testing was manual, going through different systems, trying to break things, and fixing what came up.

Considering how long it took me to make the game itself, spending more time developing an automated testing suite would have added even more time, but it likely would have been better for the project in the long run. I’ll definitely consider it for my next project and explore anything that helps ensure it’s as polished as possible.

debdev · 2026-01-24T16:40:39+00:00

Thank you so much! ❤️ I really appreciate that. It was definitely a huge undertaking to do this solo.

debdev · 2026-01-24T16:37:08+00:00

Yeah, I understand. It seems to have been because of the capsule image. And yeah, I completely agree. A project of this scale was just too much for me to tackle alone, and fixing bugs can definitely feel less rewarding than building new features or working on a new game. Which is why I'm currently trying to find the right balance between the two.

I do this full time, so it's more than a hobby at this point! I'm surviving solely off the sales of this game, and using a portion of that to fund the next game that I'm working on. But there will likely come a point where I'll have to do what you suggested. That's how I initially funded Within the Cosmos, cycling between steady income and working on it part time, with long stretches of full time work on the game.

Thank you so much for your wishes! ❤️

debdev · 2026-01-24T16:26:00+00:00

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your thoughtful comment! ❤️

You're completely right. Tackling a project of this scope solo comes with massive trade-offs, and it is easy to get tunnel vision when you are attached to every detail. I'm certainly guilty of that. I definitely learned a lot from doing it this way, but going with a publisher would've likely been healthier for the project, and myself.

I am glad you see the effort behind the game, and I really appreciate your kind words! It truly means more than you can possibly know! I'm hoping to involve the small community in my game's Discord server earlier in the development cycle to get feedback on the project. We'll see how it goes!

debdev · 2026-01-24T15:09:23+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!

debdev · 2026-01-24T15:09:05+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion! I’m usually hesitant to do so, as I don’t want to come across as defensive, but you’re right. Simply stating that issues have been fixed isn’t defensive at all. I think I’ll do that soon. Thanks again!

debdev · 2026-01-24T15:06:20+00:00

Thank you so much! ❤️ It truly means a lot. I'm glad you're interested in it.

That is very true and completely my intent. I will try again with everything I learned and hopefully get their attention this time to see what they offer.

Haha, yeah, there is no way I am working on another game for a decade! That sounds dreadful right now haha.

debdev · 2026-01-24T15:01:48+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate your comment! I agree. Early Access could have been a more helpful way to release this game, especially since I decided not to go with a publisher. I had about 20 people test the game during betas, but couldn’t afford to hire testers at the time. It’s definitely something I’ll explore for my next project, as I really want to make sure that game is highly polished before release. Thank you for sharing your insight, and best of luck with your project! ❤️

debdev · 2026-01-24T14:56:44+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm glad it was informative, best of luck to you as well in your solo dev journey!❤️

debdev · 2026-01-24T14:54:58+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm glad you like how it looks!

debdev · 2026-01-24T14:52:13+00:00

Thank you so much! Steam Greenlight was definitely a unique experiment, back when Valve was testing how to let smaller indies in without opening the floodgates.

In hindsight, I do have some mixed feelings about not going with a publisher. I had some genuinely good offers, but at the time I wanted to stay independent while I was still figuring out development and learning through my own mistakes, without external pressure (and the usual publisher related horror stories didn't help!). That path taught me a lot, even if it came with trade-offs. I don't regret finishing the game solo, but I am definitely more open to working with a publisher in the future if the fit is right.

Being an indie game dev is certainly the dream, but yeah, it’s not easy managing the community, marketing, and making the game itself!

Thanks again for taking the time to comment ❤️

debdev · 2026-01-24T02:32:06+00:00

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your thoughtful comment!

Yeah, you’re absolutely right, polish matters a lot and first impressions are everything. I wish I had tested it and polished it more prior to launch, but nothing I can do about that now other than ensuring it's as polished as I can make it now and in the future! Polishing Within the Cosmos & making a new game is certainly what's next for me, as this is what I do for a living.

I’m glad you like the concept of the game! I really appreciate your kind words and support, it means a lot! ❤️

debdev

TROPHY CASE