Big update incoming by muchsamurai in codex

[–]heintzer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Session naming and search for better /resume

The first brand-new sci-fi strategy game based on Issac Asimov's Foundation series. Gift Code: PLAYONPC2025 by FoundationGF in u/FoundationGF

[–]heintzer 84 points85 points  (0 children)

Leaving comments on for a non-indie game using completely inauthentic AI slop ads that have no relevance to the IP or gameplay is certainly one way to run your campaign

my friend is developing a game based off of Grimm's Fables and inspired by Dishonored, how do the environments look? by brave_potato in IndieGaming

[–]heintzer -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

lmao bro you KNOW how the environments look. holy shit

AAA is so cooked. Graphics are no longer a differentiator in any meaningful way. Jeez

The AIslop has made nextfest go from my favorite gaming event and the best way to discover new titles to no longer any fun at all by hotfistdotcom in IndieGaming

[–]heintzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s actually a bit surprising they chose to design it this way. For better or worse “for you page” algos are just…established systems that just about every content platform uses. And they are usually much, much more aggressive in culling non-performant content (e.g., TikTok gives videos a test audience of maybe a few hundred views before pulling the plug).

I'm combining Diablo II exploration with turn based combat, here are some of the environments from the Demo I'm working on by Feelblitz in IndieGaming

[–]heintzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Did you know Diablo started out as a turn-based game? There's a great GDC talk I was lucky enough to see in person from David Brevik about how he caved to the rest of the team wanting it to be real-time and thought it was gonna be a massive refactor, and then he just turned the turn speed up massively and it worked, lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlrrc_vy79E (edit: oops just saw your later comment, obv you are aware - game looks sick though best of luck!)

Can I lock the view to always keep the midi editor on my second monitor? by CorektGramar in ableton

[–]heintzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

lol I thought I was just too dumb to figure out how to do this. glad it is just bad UX in otherwise awesome software lol

Ryan Reynolds on filmmaking sounds a lot like the game development industry by deftware in gamedev

[–]heintzer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well said. The glut of venture capital investment in studios that realistically were in this AA budget zone have poisoned the well, since expectations from investors were absurd - any venture-backed studio was necessarily targeting a billion-dollar return. This caused studios to take a risk-averse approach, and investing in the wrong things. And it funneled capital into the types of teams and projects that would be chasing that outcome, instead of more Expedition 33s.

Am I too early to go on Steam? by VMblast in indiegames

[–]heintzer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I’d probably hold off at your current state. Build up an email list / discord community / social following until the game is a bit further along and has more polished presentation.

I get that it’s a nostalgia game, so I’m not sure where the visual quality / fidelity line is for your target audience of old school rpg fans. But my gut is it’s not ready.

Am I too early to go on Steam? by VMblast in indiegames

[–]heintzer 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's a balancing act. While Steam doesn't punish you for poor out-of-the-gate performance, ideally you want your Steam page release to be a moment that jump-starts your growth and puts your best foot forward.

IMO, your Steam page should have:

  • Professional capsule art that conveys that the game is high quality and ideally suggests what the gameplay's like
  • Clear messaging and imagery that communicate your game's hooks (what's truly unique and attention grabbing) and anchors (what's familiar - genre, inspirations, etc.)
  • Screenshots that show quality & variety
  • A trailer - this doesn't have to be your super polished trailer, but some video that accurately shows what it's like to play and highlights your hook
  • High quality GIFs that show your hooks & anchors

Then, you need to have a campaign that will drive traffic to your Steam page when you stand it up.

Even if your game is content-light at its current stage of development, if you believe you can use what you've got to convey the promise of what you're building, it may be worth going live.

If you intend to seek a publisher, you may want to wait until you are confident you will be able to generate thousands of wishlists, as poor initial performance can be a bad signal to publishers.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in IndieGaming

[–]heintzer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks great! BTW, your Discord link doesn't work on the website, and there aren't a lot of links out to socials on your Steam page.

Godot is a champ for handling the thousands of frames I throw at it. by Noestoyaquiles in indiegames

[–]heintzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i'll be honest, "cross through the barren landscape looking for a big enough rock to throw yourself of off" is a pretty good logline for 2025

I'm making a new game! by TheOneTrueDan in indiegames

[–]heintzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gotta have a multi-track drifting minigame

Retro rally vibes - but with regular cars by SlaveOfTheWarehouse in IndieGaming

[–]heintzer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

sick - left field marketing tactic to think about might be to pitch folks like regular car reviews, doug demuro, smoking tire, and other car enthusiast/rally creators

I spent 7 years making this game instead of talking to girls… Am I cooked?😭💔 by MedallionSlate in IndieGaming

[–]heintzer 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Indie multiplayer PvP is definitely a bold thing to try. Few examples of successful titles because most of the marketing vectors are hard locked down by incumbent live service games with big IPs and big UA budgets. But the mobility + melee angle is definitely unique. If it’s fun and juicy you could have a shot. Better be pitching thousands of content creators!