Reading advice from successful game devs to “my game didn't sell well” -style posts on reddit can be instructive too: https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments

Reading advice from successful game devs to “my game didn't sell well” -style posts on reddit can be instructive too: https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/9k8wsi/my_games_didnt_sell_well_heres_my_advice_for_you/ https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/9k8wsi/my_games_di... Jason Rohrer's advice there was essentially: - Games have to either make an instant emotive connection via their art style or gameplay concept (and be priced well enough for an impulse purchase), or prove that they are deep and long-lasting enough that they'll be worth the investment in time and money. - Single-player games that don't do the above are especially hard sells, because hit gameplay trends are veering toward multiplayer games: “If your game's initial impression gives people pause, it's already over.” The Infinitroid developer might learn something from that advice — I checked the trailer at https://infinitroid.com/ https://infinitroid.com/, and the game looks fun, but I don't feel that instant connection to the art style or gameplay concept in the same way I did with Minit or Monument Valley (both instant impulse purchases), and I don't get the impression that it offers weeks of gameplay like The Witness or Stephen's Sausage Roll do (purchased both later after consideration and persistent appearances in media and social feeds). It feels like most “my game's a commercial failure” posts I read could have been saved by spending more time on the initial concept and art style, and on testing the market before the three-to-ten year investment in building the full game was made. Reducing the time to market also seems like a sane strategy. It may have taken five years to build Stardew Valley and 10 years to make Owlboy, but that does not mean every successful game involves holing yourself up for half a decade or more. Developers also seem to underestimate just how much marketing a successful game needs even when the concept is great. Look at what the Boyfriend Dungeon team did to get traction for their game (5 years of marketing, 10 releases of other mini games on itch.io to build a following, website built 11 months before release, appearance on panels and in game press, months of Kickstarter planning), and check that you're prepared to do the same with your game if commercial success is important to you (it is fine for it not to be): https://medium.com/@kitfoxgames/years-in-the-making-how-kitfox-games-played-the-long-game-with-boyfriend-dungeon-hype-debd0338a0dc https://medium.com/@kitfoxgames/years-in-the-making-how-kitf... Rohrer also mentions that he made 13 games before he had a hit (also happened to be his first multiplayer game), so perseverance and learning from failures seems like a big factor too.