Hello to the 4 people who actually read my posts…
Ever since I joined GDevelop on July 16, 2023, I have had my ups and downs on GDevelop Forum. Now, I am having yet another down again. It seems like barely anyone cares about Twardy 2.0 anymore.
Just so you know, I am not quitting. I am just alerting you how I truly feel.
Hi WorldStudios,
Did you by chance read this topic? How can I get plays? I think specifically the first few replies address a problem that is very similar to yours.
The majority of users in this forum try to develop their own games. They may be gamers themselves and they are probably interested in the projects of others using Gdevelop, but my guess is that most of them are not the audience for promoting your game.
This is a common problem that you can see in many game developer forums and some defend the idea to promote a game to fellow game developers. But imho this is a very ineffective way to build a real audience for your game.
I read most of your posts and I am always amazed by your enthusiasm for your games but I wondered many times, why you expect that people who just happen to use the same tool as you want to engage deeply in the details of your game and decide about its mechanics etc. You should (also) do this in places where the majority of users are gamers, preferably those who are interested in the kind of game you are developing.
I haven’t played your game so I cannot give any specific feedback. Generally, you need to have something that catches the interest of people, something they want to spend their precious time on. There are tons of good games out there and you have to convince them somehow that they should try yours instead. Just because you put a lot of effort into your game does not guarantee you any interest.
Don’t get disappointed by the low engagement with your game in this forum. Make something you like, have fun making it and if you feel you have really something to show, do it in the right places. You can absolutely do it.
Where do you think I should start posting?
I can only give you very basic ideas, since I don’t know where the people who could be interested in your game are hanging out. I saw that you have an itch page and that you are on youtube. I would try all the other common social media channels too plus dedicated subreddits (not game developer subreddits!) and gamer forums for your kind of game. If no one knows about your game, they will not got to your youtube channel etc. There is also a number of youtube videos and blog posts that mention possible places for promotion.
I watched the latest of your devlog videos on youtube. I don’t know if you want to hear my opinion and of course you are free to reject it.
If I was you, I would wait a bit with promotion until you have something substantial to show. At the moment your game art is very basic. Maybe that’s the style you are aiming for but even then there are inconsistencies (e.g. your player character (Twardy?) is blurry) etc. It also seems that most of the announced features are not implemented yet (?). I understand that you want to develop the game together with your audience, but this works only if there is a real audience.
I can see that you have already put a lot of effort in the game but a potential player does not care about that. You need to ask yourself, what makes your game special in any way? If you were in the role of a player, would you be interested in the game you are making at the current state?
The first step is to make something that is different and catches the attention of potential players (through gameplay and/or style and/or story). Then you announce it everywhere you can and the game may find an audience. If not - even if it is difficult - it is probably better to move on and make something different.
Hello @WorldStudios,
I know that feeling all too well and I’m sure there are a ton of developers that share the same feelings. So I just want to reach out and say that you are not alone feeling the way you do and it is a very valid one.
Also, I would give some advice on your game but I see another user has posted some really sound advice for you! I guess the last thing I can do is give encouragement and say do your best, have fun doing it, and it’s okay to take a little break here and there to refresh. Hope these words help even if a little bit!
-Cheers
Yes, you are right. I plan on making the art style the same as it is now when I release it next year. BTW, the Twardy 2.0 player character is actually named Mark. Also, the new features are not implemented yet, but I plan on adding them in the August monthly update and/or future monthly updates. I will still be posting on GDevelop Forum, but I won’t have high expectations this time. I won’t be promoting my game here, but I might be asking/answering questions in the “How do I” category and giving feedback from time-to-time. Thanks for the feedback!
I read your posts and I always admire how you cheerfully keep plugging away at it. The whole process can feel like you’re talking into a void sometimes. It helps if you can enjoy the process. Then just keep putting your logs and work out there and doing the best you can. I wish I commented more to show encouragement and I’m sorry I didn’t provide feedback so you could see that there are people who keep tabs on your goings on.
It’s ok. I’m glad you read my posts. It’s nice to know that people actually care about the game.
As @Drona mentioned, the more finished and playable it gets the more audience or attention it will likely gather. But even then, it’s a very competitive field because there are so many games. I really think you have to enjoy the whole process, the creation of games, the seeing your ideas come to life, the making of devlogs and promoting your games, the pride of seeing your finished project no matter if it was popular or not.
Of course if there’s some part of the process you don’t like, probably better to outsource that part asap. For instance say you hated making devlogs. Just get a sibling to do it for you or something. The more you just keep doing the parts of the process you enjoy, the more likely you are to keep on chugging away at it in spite of sometimes discouraging lack of interest from others. In the end, you made it and you can be proud of it and you can move on and keep making things you enjoy.
It might be helpful to put all your “Twardy” posts within a single thread in the future. So your readers would have a better overview about your development progress.
Was this just an example? Because I LOVE making devlogs.
Haha it was just an example, I was thinking of myself…
you should start posting on reddit, here, and other places to get players. You cant just upload a game and expect it to get players. I made a game, (i took it down to remake it) got around 800 players. I advertised it on reddit. Thats where i got most of players.
forgot to mention, i got 800 players before i took it down.
That’s some good insight to know. Did you pay for advertising on Reddit? Or was the advertising something else? I’m just curious.
Probably referring to posting on reddit, promoting your game.
I just went on r/gdevelop and posted my game. I went to r/PlayMyGame to if i remember
Okay thanks for the info!