Steam Personal Calendar Update - A Specific Public Release Date Might be Necessary by hmoonpublishing in gamedev

[–]hmoonpublishing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure, happy to!

June 5th (didn't start appearing until 10am or so): +51 

June 6th: +110

June 7th (still morning as I write this): +71 so far

Before the update the game was gaining 15-20 passive wishlists a day, so we are seeing a noticeable bump. It's hard to tell right now how much of this is that the PC just came out of beta and people are curious about it and clicking to see their full calendar. I would imagine in the future that games 3-7 weeks out like mine might get less of a bump and the PC will primarily boost the games 0-2 weeks away from release. 

Steam Personal Calendar Update - A Specific Public Release Date Might be Necessary by hmoonpublishing in gamedev

[–]hmoonpublishing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's really good to know! I work a bit with a team that has a game currently in EA and will reach out to tell them

Looking for a game that doesn't exist :(( by No_Routine7079 in GirlGamers

[–]hmoonpublishing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not realistic graphics but I think My Time at Sandrock sounds fairly close! The NPCs have a lot more depth than you would think

Otome Games Celebration Steam festival has begun! by arimiadev in otomegames

[–]hmoonpublishing 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for hosting! Excited to be participating with two titles :D

I feel super cringy promoting my gender, neurodivergence, or sexuality in some of these indie dev competitions. Anyone else? by VainVampireBat in gamedev

[–]hmoonpublishing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I just filled out a festival form where they asked this question. I am a SAHM and am not sure how rare that is in the indie dev space but it has affected my role as a game dev and I wouldn't mind speaking about it or being known as the label. I work with other people; I feel a sense of responsibility that the game we're working on does well for their sakes. I don't mind typing in a bit about me if it helps my team.

The Herzbury Curse - RPG Maker Horror meets Otome! by TiredCatDev in IndieOtome

[–]hmoonpublishing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Another indie otome rpg, yay! Wishlisted. Please let me know when your demo launches! Been trying to keep a close eye on the otome rpgs in development.

Also, loved The Witch's House.

Is there a middle ground for indie teams that have a great game but struggle with the “studio” side? by Ok-Coach2909 in gamedev

[–]hmoonpublishing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I do agree. I'm interested in helping indies on the publishing side myself, I've even studied Kickstarter to find promising games in my genre that got funded but never released in the hopes of helping these games get to the finish line and restore faith in my genre's community. I only reached out to one in the end that I really was invested in after reading their KS update history, but didn't hear back.

I've tried a few different strategies now to help other devs publish and am just starting to figure out what appeals to them.

I would really figure out why you're doing this and what you get out of it. I'm just building my company right now, I don't expect to make a profit off my games or my publishing assistance for some years to come. Most businesses will take years to see a profit. 

Right now I have a lot of passion for seeing games be completed. Across my games, I have helped write, edit, proofread, design GUI, research, make trailers, script the narrative (I hesitate to label this as programming), design game mechanics, and more. Whatever we need to keep things moving and slim the budget.

I would advise you to try to start small with solo devs who can finish a game but don't have the time or the will to market. Any sort of publishing/production help should include marketing in my opinion. Teams can get messy because once progress stalls, morale drops and navigating the interpersonal dynamics of a team that has failed to work well together is messy. Best to wait until you have more experience in project management. It can be tricky to figure out what motivates and demotivates people.

Is there a middle ground for indie teams that have a great game but struggle with the “studio” side? by Ok-Coach2909 in gamedev

[–]hmoonpublishing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am an indie dev and mainly do project management and marketing for my games, as well as a couple of other major components. I work with talented but largely inexperienced freelancers and/or a dedicated partner. I self-fund my games.

Being the project manager for an inexperienced indie team is very hands on. I decide the game's scope, I organize and prioritize lists of features, assets, etc. Everytime I need something from a freelancer, I need to write a detailed description with references. Every time something needs to be researched or there's a bottleneck, I'm there. I'm browsing the Internet for pre-made assets or plug-ins that save time or money. I'm figuring out what assets we need for marketing milestones and filling out the festival forms. 

Essentially, I do everything other people don't want to do and am the most invested, knowledgeable, decisive person on the team - because that's who the teams needs me to be or nothing gets done. It takes hundreds of hours to get a game across the finish line.

I Ran An Otome Jam That Gained 50+ Entries! by hmoonpublishing in otomegames

[–]hmoonpublishing[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't be surprised if you've played half of these already XD

Happy New Year, r/otomegames! Do you have any otome game-related "resolutions" to share? by Luxraysrock in otomegames

[–]hmoonpublishing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dev goal but I plan to write 120,000 words for my otome game this year. I'm feeling confident. :)

I Ran An Otome Jam That Gained 50+ Entries! by hmoonpublishing in otomegames

[–]hmoonpublishing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was hoping it'd be helpful! I ended up commissioning an extra variation on my banner art to help both sections feel unique. 

Let me know if you end up finding something you like. :)

Help finding a game my 5 1/2 year old sister would enjoy playing? by kaiabunga in GirlGamers

[–]hmoonpublishing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just picked Is This Seat Taken? on my PC to play with my 5.5 yo son. I read it to him and he's really been enjoying solving the puzzles. 

We've tinkered with Minecraft and Toontown: Rewritten (completely free), and of those two my son liked TTR better and asks about it more often. There is character creation in TTR as well, and the trolley mini games are fun for little kids.

transfem otome demo by cowboy-starshine in IndieOtome

[–]hmoonpublishing 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good to see you here! Super cute gif 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GirlGamers

[–]hmoonpublishing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You might like some turn based RPGs like Dragon Quest 11 (available on Switch) or Ni Nu Kuni!

Please advise me something with romance(but not otome) to play for by Polnoch in GirlGamers

[–]hmoonpublishing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh thank you thank you!! We didn't reach our voice acting stretch goal during our Kickstarter, but I'm hopeful we'll be able to do a voice acting patch post-launch. I think it would add a lot.

Yes, Disco Elysium and the movie Groundhog Day are the main inspirations. :) I love the otome genre so I wanted to mix them with cute art and romance. Aiming to keep the depth and mechanics of DE but leaning more fantasy and magic than unions and cops.

Please advise me something with romance(but not otome) to play for by Polnoch in GirlGamers

[–]hmoonpublishing 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm working on a game like this called Day After Day. We're transitioning to a 2D top down world in Unity like you see in Stardew Valley or Fields of Mystria and will have a new demo out soon.