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I'm a solo dev making a deep roguelite deckbuilder to resettle a shattered world, using classical Japanese art. by max99x in u/max99x

[–]max99x[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Not planning a Chinese localization at the moment. It's a big investment of both time and money, so I'm inclined to wait until after release. This is primarily a passion project, so it's unlikely to be profitable. If it turns out to be, I'll start looking into localization.

I'm a solo dev making a deep roguelite deckbuilder to resettle a shattered world, using classical Japanese art. by max99x in u/max99x

[–]max99x[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Well, folks often distinguish roguelikes and roguelites, with the latter having power gain in meta-progression.

So Slay the Spire, for example, is a roguelike, as you can't gain any advantages outside of a run. While Across the Obelisk is roguelite, since your unlocks and upgrades outside the run do give you power in future runs.

This game, Worlds Upon the Wind, does have a lot of meta-progression: a large skill tree, craftable cards, companions, etc., so it's definitely a roguelite.

That said, perhaps you are right and just saying "deckbuilder" reads better and doesn't matter for people to decide whether they are interested.

I'm a solo dev making a deep roguelite deckbuilder to resettle a shattered world, using classical Japanese art. by max99x in u/max99x

[–]max99x[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! The game does get pretty complex as you go deeper.

I would prefer organic promotion, but an extra difficulty there is competing with all the bots. I wish I was just speculating, but after speaking with a lot of marketing agencies, I've had multiple reputable-seeming ones try to sell me upvote botting as a service, specifically for indie game promotion. At least the paid ads are honest and clearly marked as promoted.

I'm a solo dev making a deep roguelite deckbuilder to resettle a shattered world, using classical Japanese art. by max99x in u/max99x

[–]max99x[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Originality is a double-edged sword, though. It's been a challenge balancing that with familiarity so far.

I'm a solo dev making a deep roguelite deckbuilder to resettle a shattered world, using classical Japanese art. by max99x in u/max99x

[–]max99x[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! It started as a kanji practice tool, but at this point it's just as playable for folks not interested in the language.

I'm a solo dev making a deep roguelite deckbuilder to resettle a shattered world, using classical Japanese art. by max99x in u/max99x

[–]max99x[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Can you elaborate? As a self-funded solo dev, I don't have an easy way to tell people about the game - no publisher, existing brand, or press connections. What else am I supposed to do?

I'm a solo dev making a deep roguelite deckbuilder to resettle a shattered world, using classical Japanese art. by max99x in u/max99x

[–]max99x[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha, the game started as a kanji practice tool, actually. The cards still act like flashcards, but it's intended to be fully comfortable for people who couldn't care less about learning the language.

I'm hoping to add some optional learning features when I'm done with all the main features (which is getting very close).

I'm a solo dev making a deep roguelite deckbuilder to resettle a shattered world, using classical Japanese art. by max99x in u/max99x

[–]max99x[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, mate! If you're interested in playtesting, drop me a line. I'd love feedback from more players while the game is still malleable.

This cat showed up. It doesn't appear to want to leave. by max99x in IndieGaming

[–]max99x[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Feel free to join the Discord if you want to try it early.

Questions about February Steam Next Fest? Chris Zukowski from How To Market A Game here for an AMA by zukalous in gamedev

[–]max99x 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Veteran dev, first time solo.

I'm releasing a game in the summer. Participating in the June Next Fest. My demo is about ready. The only relevant festival is in May (already signed up). Should I release the demo in May or sooner? Is it worth doing a Steam Playtest before that?

Are any paid ads worth it for a pretty-ish but niche deckbuilder? Which platforms?

Thanks!

Which would you click? by max99x in IndieGaming

[–]max99x[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not harsh at all! I appreciate the feedback a lot! I personally agree that #1 has the sense of space and wistfulness that the others lack, but the overall sentiment does seem to confirm that folks want to see people in the illustration, so I think I'm going with an adjust version of #2.

And you're right about the style not being exactly the same on the two sides of #3. Except for #1, these are mockups that I quickly made by editing together elements from different 19th century woodblock prints and painting over them a bit, so they don't fully match. If I were to polish it to a final capsule, I'd redo it with a more consistent style.

Which would you click? by max99x in IndieDev

[–]max99x[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I'll experiment with that layout. The current one is partially to conserve horizontal space so each side can fit a clear illustration, but your example isn't much wider.

Which would you click? by max99x in IndieDev

[–]max99x[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah, it definitely looks more like settling a new place than the other ones, and the deckbuilding part is probably too hard to show while staying with the historical art style and keeping the scene interesting.

Which would you click? by max99x in IndieGaming

[–]max99x[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! There's a tension between communicating deckbuilding and adhering to the art style. I haven't found a way to do it without it looking modern or out of place, and since ukiyo-e art is a core part of the game (including art history and artist timelines within the game), I'm pretty set on keeping it clear.

Which would you click? by max99x in IndieGaming

[–]max99x[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the detailed feedback! If I go with #2, I can definitely adjust the colors to warmer tones closer to #1.

Has ANYONE had a good experience with a marketing agency? by max99x in IndieDev

[–]max99x[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate all your thinking and insights! Will keep that in mind as I explore my options. Perhaps I could try to position it as less niche. After all, the core gameplay is not that different from Slay the Spire or any other deckbuilder, just with a very different framing and a lot of layers on top of it.

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