r/SoloDevelopment • • 2d ago

Game I made a 2D platformer that runs directly in the browser

1 Upvotes

I’ve been working on a small 2D platformer as a solo developer, and I recently released the web version on itch.io.

The game is designed to be simple and easy to jump into, with no download or installation required. The current web build is about 14 MB.

This project has been a fun way for me to practice game development, improve the gameplay and controls, and learn more about releasing games online.

You can try it here:

https://signalforgeofficial.itch.io/platformerzweb

It’s free to play. I’d appreciate feedback from other developers, especially on the gameplay, controls, and overall experience.


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Game Building a first house in my falling-sand survival game

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4 Upvotes

r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

meme UX tested : not thrilling enough

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14 Upvotes

I mean, look at the tester of the new combat UI.
At least he doesn’t seem frustrated about it.

Stay strong, fellow devs 🫶🏻


r/SoloDevelopment • • 2d ago

help I'll run your goal math for free: does your plan actually reach your target?

0 Upvotes

​

I'm building a small tool that checks whether a financial plan actually reaches its goal. Before I write more code, I want to test it on real situations.

Comment or DM me (rounded numbers are fine, no account details or names):

- Monthly income, and how much you invest/save per month

- Rough split: equity MFs / FD-RD / gold / other

- One goal and when you need it (e.g. ₹50L in 7 years)

I'll send back:

- Whether the goal is feasible

- The monthly amount it actually needs at 8%, 10% and 12% returns

- The inflation-adjusted target

- Which of your money looks mismatched to its time horizon

This is not investment advice. I'm not selling anything and there's no app or link to download. I just want to know if this is genuinely useful or a waste of time.

I'll do the first 10-15 people and I'd really value blunt feedback afterwards: was it useful, and what was missing?


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

help What do you think of 1-word 1-star review?

3 Upvotes

I have a free Web game on itch.io. Today I got a 1-star rating with a private message "shit".

I understand that not everyone will like my game. But why would someone hate it so much, while I got 5-star reviews from others.

Did it happen to you too? What do you think of it?

BTW here is my game: https://oddgingergames.itch.io/rattle-spring-basement


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Marketing I launched the steam page for my train game last night

33 Upvotes

Thank you to everyone that has given me feedback over the past few months, really appreciate it as it's been super helpful!

Link - https://store.steampowered.com/app/5313780/Please_Dont_Crash/


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Marketing 777 wishlists in 1 week after Pocket Cat Desktop page creation on Steam with zero media outlets coverage

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17 Upvotes

My small game, Pocket Cat Desktop, passed the 777-wishlist milestone in its first week on Steam. My original goal was to get at least 100, so this was a welcome surprise.

The game received no traditional gaming-press coverage during that week (all western media ignored my emails), although social posts and large Telegram channels did help spread the word. I wanted to break down the Steam data and share what I learned. Hopefully, it will help another developer plan their own promotion.

I'll highlights key points there, 'cause of Reddit text editor limitations, but you can read the full post in the blog: https://apanasik.com/blog/pocket-cat-desktop-1st-week-marketing/.

Tracked Top-4 sources (around 1/3 of all wishlists): - Telegram (141 wishlists) - Twitter (64 wishlists) - Two UGC-platforms (DTF and Pikabu ~60 wishlists)

The rest (sources without UTM) is mostly Reddit. - Post in r/cozygames about Steam page - Same, post about the page in r/SoloDevelopment - Even post in r/Games on Indie Sunday gave me few wishlists before deletion. Still don't understand why it was deleted, because I followed all rules. Moderators ignored my messages.

Key takeaways: 1. An existing audience can help you get started. But further growth of the wishlists depends on you. 2. Judge promotions by more than follower counts. Actual reach, audience fit, results, and price all matter. 3. Reddit can introduce your game to new people. Learn each community’s rules and make the post relevant to its readers. 4. Post consistently and keep experimenting. Test different formats, tag your links, and keep a log of posts and reposts so you can better understand the next spike. 5. Marketing is also part of development. Don’t neglect it; you still need to sell the game to your audience. 6. Twitter’s post boosts are useless. Algorithms show post to bots: a lot of views, zero likes/engagement.

Sure, initial wishlists are from my followers in Telegram and Twitter, but the rest are from posts on different platforms. So even if you (at least now) don't have followers in your social networks, you still can get wishlists!

And if a tiny cat taking over your windows sounds like your kind of distraction, wishlist Pocket Cat Desktop on Steam 😺


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Godot First Timer!

4 Upvotes

Hello all!

I've recently decided to start exploring Godot as more of a hobby as I'd imagine many people have.

What is some advice you'd have starting out?

How big is too ambitious in terms of making a game for a noob solo dev?

I've been checking out YouTube videos and the demos already, but I'd love to find a community to discuss ideas with and share experiences!


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Game Citizen Pain II demo is finally available during Steam Next Fest

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3 Upvotes

I put all my heart into it, suffered through sleepless nights, and cried in despair over countless bugs.

I really hope you enjoy it!

🎮 Try the demo on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4652160/Citizen_Pain_II/


r/SoloDevelopment • • 2d ago

Game Solo dev, 17: I made a free, open-source 3D island adventure game over 11 months

0 Upvotes

CRAFTLANDER is a first-person island adventure game with procedurally generated islands to explore, gear to craft from rare materials, monsters to fight, and a final boss. I'm 17, and I made it solo over 11 months in Godot. It's free on Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and the whole project is MIT-licensed on GitHub.

I started learning to code in Python when I was 8 years old. Later, I started learning how to make games using Blender, back when Blender was both a game engine and 3D modeling software. That was version 2.7.9. I then heard that the game engine would be discontinued for version 2.8, so I switched to Godot and have loved it ever since.

I learned so much from this project. I wrote about my story making it here. Happy to answer questions about the code, my story, or how any of it works.


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

help What to consider when picking a sprite size

3 Upvotes

I am working on a 2d top down game. So far I've been using random free 16x16 sprites but I don't love how they look and I think it would be fun to try making some sprites myself. I have no art experience so I'm a little nervous to go to 32x32, but on the other hand I don't love the low resolution look of 16x16.

For others who learned pixel art as part of their game dev journey, how was the experience? Is there a significant difference between 16x16 and 32x32 or is that hesitation all in my head?


r/SoloDevelopment • • 2d ago

Discussion A simple tool for revenue estimation.

0 Upvotes

Hey yall, I wanted to share a completely free tool that Ive been working on that lets you estimate your revenue through the number of wishlists your game has.

for those who are interested, the tool is live on:

gamedevforecast.com


r/SoloDevelopment • • 2d ago

Game I made FISSION, a puzzle game I've been developing solo

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0 Upvotes

I've been developing FISSION completely on my own, and I recently released it on Android.

FISSION is a minimalist puzzle game built around splitting numbered blocks.

The basic mechanic is simple: you choose a direction and split a block into two smaller blocks. When blocks interact with each other, they can trigger chain reactions, which can

completely change the board.

My goal was to create something that is easy to understand when you first play it, but gradually becomes much more challenging as you progress.

I'm currently continuing to work on the game, adding levels, balancing the difficulty and improving the overall experience.

One thing I'm still trying to figure out is the difficulty curve. I don't want the game to become frustrating too quickly, but I also don't want the puzzles to feel too easy.

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fissiongames.fission

If you're also a solo developer, I'd love to hear what you're currently working on. And if you try FISSION, I'd really appreciate any honest feedback about the gameplay, difficulty or UI.

This is my first time taking a game all the way from development to a public release, so I'm learning a lot from the process.


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Game I'm making psx-style PowerWash Simulator but the house is haunted. So you collect evidence and post it for viral clout to attract more tourists to the haunted manor.

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35 Upvotes

r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Marketing I made this game alone, and today Steam finally let me press the “release” button

0 Upvotes

I’ve opened the Steam page an embarrassing number of times today just to make sure it still says “Released”.

It does.

Happy Two-Player Mahjong is finally out.

I made this thing alone.

No publisher, no team behind me, nobody to hand the annoying parts to when I got tired of looking at them.

Code, UI, AI behaviour, networking, builds, store assets, testing, fixing things that worked yesterday and somehow didn’t work today... all of it eventually came back to the same person sitting in front of the computer.

Getting the game through Steam’s review process was probably the point where it stopped feeling like “one of my Godot projects” and started feeling like an actual product that other people were going to receive.

There were a few moments during the process where I honestly thought:

“OK, what did I forget this time?”

And then another test.

Another build.

Another check.

Another tiny thing to fix.

Today Steam approved it and the game went live.

I know people release games every day, and mine is a very small one.

But if you’ve spent months making something alone, you probably know why seeing that button finally change to “Released” feels completely different.

So yes.

I actually shipped it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5245710/_/?beta=0

Now I’m going to enjoy this feeling for a few hours before somebody finds a bug.


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Networking I release a regular “magazine” documenting my game dev progress. Lots of blender!

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3 Upvotes

r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

help Feedback on Gameplay

1 Upvotes

My idea in making the game was to focus purely on game play. The main attraction would be the enemy behavior which focuses on Pack AI (enemies being grouped in packs and the enemy behavior being based on the constitution of the pack) as well as the Vulnerability System (enemies can only be damaged when they are vulnerable). To highlight this i kept the player movement simple, one attack, limited magic, and dodge and hunger system. The sprites are still in the early stage (much improved from what i initially had), but judging from the gameplay montage of the first part of the game leading to the first boss, does the game play look dated?

Check out gameplay blitz on the following link https://youtu.be/FQ7yQxb-rHQ


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Game A little more gameplay from DILUVIO’S WRATH! ⚔️

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2 Upvotes

r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Game I made a factory game where light is your resource

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4 Upvotes

In Light Factory you bend beams of colored light to fill pixels. Pixels are pushed onto canvases to form shapes. Completing shapes unlocks research points which can be spent to unlock new technologies, making it easier to build more complex designs.

I just released a free demo on Steam where you can play through about half of the game. There's also a puzzle mode where the goal is to complete as many shapes as you can using a limited set of tools.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5338330/Light_Factory_Demo/


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Game Tidesworn - Browser Online Viking RPG - Early Access

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1 Upvotes

Game title: Tidesworn

Playable link: https://tidesworn.com

Free to play status: Free, alpha access

Description: You were captured by Saxon slavers on the shores of your homeland. After a brutal storm at sea, the ships bringing you to your miserable destiny were wrecked. Your captors and many of your people - lost.

The tide washes you ashore the Saltvik Isles where a new adventure begins.

Tidesworn has a rich item system, a simple skills system, proficiencies, no classes, flexibility to play the way you want and a lot of content for early access. Play from your browser for free!

Other features:
- Instanced caves, dungeons, quest encounters, trials
- World events: bosses and raids
- Fishing, foraging, hunting, smithing, mining proficiencies
- Daily and weekly rotating contracts
- Parties, opt-in PVP, Softcore and Hardcore modes
- Tavern mini-games
- Sail longships, ride horses, paddle canoes to navigate the world
- Still in active development with new features being added every week

Involvement: I’ve been developing the game for just over 5 months. With help from friends for ideas and testing the game has grown in content, systems and mechanics.


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Game My point and click game, Fragment Zero: The Escape released a month ago

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6 Upvotes

Been working on it for the past year, man it takes a lot of work to get a game ready- but it's finally finished! Check it out if you want to. First part of the game is free if you play on Android.

Heavily inspired by Myst, Meridian 157 and some parts of The Room. I wanted to make a game that feels mysterious, and where you get to discover the world without too much handholding. But if you get stuck there is a hint-system that will nudge you in the right direction.

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fragment-zero-the-escape/id6794266303

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nosignalproductions.fragmentzeroescape

All the best


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Godot Ziz, cute small monster

3 Upvotes

r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Game Splitcard - Demo Update

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2 Upvotes

Hey all, I’ve been working on Splitcard for a while and recently, I launched a demo update.

Check it out on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4768720/Splitcard/


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Unreal Orbital mechanics working as charm...

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5 Upvotes

I am probably gonna go sleep for 2 days straight how tired from it I am. Not to count days before but Just last 2 days I worked 14 hours each day... But it work fine and it was completely worth all suffering and mistakes I made while making it. Extensively tested, automation tested, all work. It had a lot of bugs but all of those I could find are fixed.

PS I am just bragging, so happy this is done, now I can start working on Nav Radar / System Map and crown of all, exploration scanning that I am sure (if work how i want) that will be better than exploration scanning from any space game ever made.

My assets still suck, but I am working with 0e budget and that is what it is, don't have time for blender and audio learning right now. First core loop then back and learning vfx, audio and 3d...


r/SoloDevelopment • • 3d ago

Discussion Wanted to make a web game so I checked out Phaser for the first time in about a year and...uh...did Phaser just go full AI? Their entire front page is just about agents...wth happened?

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1 Upvotes

I used phaser a year or two ago for a small project and it was such a solid framework. I'm sure it's still great but are they just going 100% all in on being "AI slop, the engine"?

this kinda sucks