3 ms·

I'm the developer of https://www.farmhand.life/ https://www.farmhand.life/, an open source indie game with a modest following. I've seriously explored commercia

by jckahn 3y ago

I'm the developer of https://www.farmhand.life/ https://www.farmhand.life/, an open source indie game with a modest following. I've seriously explored commercializing Farmhand, but never actually followed through with it (aside from an exploratory spinoff[0] that never even made enough money for Steam to pay out to my partner and I). It became clear that I'd have to fundamentally change Farmhand in ways that cater to monetization opportunities (via in-app purchases or ads) rather than my own interests. And if the game failed commercially (which it almost certainly would, statistically speaking) then I'd be stuck with project that's not fully aligned with my interests and values. I'd almost certainly lose all motivation and the project would die. So, Farmhand just exists as a free open source game that I love making and handful of people enjoy playing. And I hope it continues on like that for the rest of my life. I think I'll reflect positively on that choice on my deathbed. - [0]: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2080880/Farmhand_Go/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2080880/Farmhand_Go/

glimshe 3y ago
Well written! I think you should up the price to 4.99!
- jckahn 3y ago
  Thank you! I think increasing the price of Farmhand Go from $.99 would pretty much kill all future sales, as we've only sold 85 units since launching in 2022. It's great to know that someone thinks the game is worth more than that though. :)
  - ctenb 3y ago
    A game costing less than one dollar strongly signals it's not worth any money, let alone my time. I'd probably not even look at it for that reason.
    - schemescape 3y ago
      I agree with this. Also, a higher price leaves room for discounts, which might help convert wishlists. Disclaimer: I don’t know what I’m talking about.
    - glimshe 3y ago
      Yeah, this is a well studied economic effect. Sometimes increasing prices increases sales. My first "gut" reaction looking at his game was "Gosh, a 99 cent phone game, no thank you" but I kept looking and it's not bad. People who play real games (rather than addiction-driven phone games) are willing to pay to get what they want, within reason of course.
    - jckahn 3y ago
      That's an interesting point. My partner and I went back and forth on pricing before we settled on $.99. That seemed to be the price that these types of narrowly-scoped, casual games go for. It's certainly possible that we got that wrong, as we are not experts at this kind of thing.
      - glimshe 3y ago
        These people will also get your game for 2.99 once it goes on sale. You don't want the full price of your life's work (based on your words) to be 99 cents, this is the exact price point of one gazillion awful games. I'm a heavy gamer and pretty much refuse to buy 99 cent games. Well, do a before/after comparison of profits after changing the price, and running a few sales (like thanksgiving), and come back to tell us how that went :).
        jckahn 3y ago
        We just upped the price to $4.99: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2080880/Farmhand_Go/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2080880/Farmhand_Go/ Thanks for the suggestion! I don't expect to start making significant money with this change, but it will be an interesting learning opportunity if nothing else. I'll update this thread if we see a meaningful change in sales! :)

by jckahn 3y ago

glimshe 3y ago

Well written! I think you should up the price to 4.99!

jckahn 3y ago
Thank you! I think increasing the price of Farmhand Go from $.99 would pretty much kill all future sales, as we've only sold 85 units since launching in 2022. It's great to know that someone thinks the game is worth more than that though. :)
- ctenb 3y ago
  A game costing less than one dollar strongly signals it's not worth any money, let alone my time. I'd probably not even look at it for that reason.
  - schemescape 3y ago
    I agree with this. Also, a higher price leaves room for discounts, which might help convert wishlists. Disclaimer: I don’t know what I’m talking about.
  - glimshe 3y ago
    Yeah, this is a well studied economic effect. Sometimes increasing prices increases sales. My first "gut" reaction looking at his game was "Gosh, a 99 cent phone game, no thank you" but I kept looking and it's not bad. People who play real games (rather than addiction-driven phone games) are willing to pay to get what they want, within reason of course.
  - jckahn 3y ago
    That's an interesting point. My partner and I went back and forth on pricing before we settled on $.99. That seemed to be the price that these types of narrowly-scoped, casual games go for. It's certainly possible that we got that wrong, as we are not experts at this kind of thing.
    - glimshe 3y ago
      These people will also get your game for 2.99 once it goes on sale. You don't want the full price of your life's work (based on your words) to be 99 cents, this is the exact price point of one gazillion awful games. I'm a heavy gamer and pretty much refuse to buy 99 cent games. Well, do a before/after comparison of profits after changing the price, and running a few sales (like thanksgiving), and come back to tell us how that went :).
      - jckahn 3y ago
        We just upped the price to $4.99: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2080880/Farmhand_Go/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2080880/Farmhand_Go/ Thanks for the suggestion! I don't expect to start making significant money with this change, but it will be an interesting learning opportunity if nothing else. I'll update this thread if we see a meaningful change in sales! :)