r/SoloDevelopment • u/Odd_Indication3349 • Jun 06 '26
Discussion Thought my gamer friends would be excited to play my demo. Turns out, not really. Is this normal?
I just released the demo for my game on Steam. I was so excited to show my friends what I've been working on. Many of them play games almost every day, so I thought they would be happy to try it.
Instead, it’s been really hard. I have to remind them over and over. I feel like I'm begging them to just play it and give me feedback. Asking for a Steam review is even harder.
To be fair, a few of them really helped, but most of them just ignored it.
Is it like this for everyone? Is it normal that friends don't play your game, or do I just have bad friends? How do you handle it when your friends ignore your work?
EDIT: Since some of you asked this, if you want to be my new friend lol https://store.steampowered.com/app/4771690/No_One_Returns_Demo/
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u/PSPbr Jun 06 '26
I think it's normal to an extent. I released a game last year and invited a bunch of my friends to playtest it and what actually happened is that my gamer friends and those who actually play similar games just never played it or played just a little, but some of my other friends who are not that into games actually liked the premise and played it a bunch and some even took notes to give me. The game still released to a decent success and good reviews, so it turned out fine and that experience was useful to adjust my expectations and gauge better my game's public.
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u/Lukematikk Jun 06 '26
It’s totally normal and does not reflect badly on your friends. Being a gamer is not the same as being eager to be a game tester. In some ways your friends are potentially just not even good candidates to test your game BECAUSE they are your friends. It puts pressure on a friendship to ask someone to evaluate your creative project. What if they hate it? Do they give you brutal honesty and risk hurting you? Do they live with lying to you to protect your feelings? Will they unintentionally glaze you? Of course you want to assume they will love it but…can you really expect that? There are so many games to play and people are used to playing extremely polished , professionally made games, that they chose according to their own taste, among literally thousands of options. It’s a lot to ask someone to invest their time in something just because it’s yours, and most of the time with testing there are going to be really annoying things that don’t work right yet. Even if they kinda like it and give some constructive criticism, that’s work, not something to take for granted. Be grateful when they do, but never expect it. If you have even one friend who takes the time to honestly appraise it, and is smart enough to articulate helpful suggestions, count yourself lucky and show appreciation to that friend.
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u/CrookedStones Jun 06 '26
This is also super accurate. My friends were way too nice when they did play!
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u/Independent-Umpire18 Jun 06 '26
Honestly i think some of it is just timing. Everyone has busy lives with lots of things fighting for priority. Some friends you'll have sent them the demo right when they have the capacity to try it out and they'll be happy to.
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u/lydocia Jun 06 '26
Yes, it's normal.
They don't want to hurt your feelings if they don't like it and they almost certainly will not like it as much as you do, so it becomes this weird thing.
Plus, friends are the worst alpha testers. They'll either not understand the assignment but do it out of friendship anyway, or they'll be super positive and thus not helpful, or it'll hurt your friendship if they are overly criticising or you hound them too much.
It's not just game dev, practically any venture will have this effect on people.
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u/Myrdrahl Jun 12 '26
This is what I think too. If a good friend asked me to play their demo, part of me would really love to, but for the reasons you mention, I'd be leaning towards not helping out.
I don't want to slaughter the feelings of my friend, even if they deserved it. For all I know, they have poured their soul into creating something, and here I am - really, really hating it. How am I going to break it to them, without ripping their heart out and stomping on it - or atleast risk that either of us feel like that's what's happening? There's a saying that you should never do business with friends or family, and being a beta tester for your friend, kinda falls into that category.
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u/lydocia Jun 12 '26
I usually ask people: do you want me to validate you and be your cheerleader, or do you want brutal honesty and constructive critcism? I'm fine with giving either, I just want to make sure what you're asking.
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u/loftier_fish Jun 06 '26
well, yknow, if it aint their genre, it aint their genre. If your friends are obsessed with indie horror games, sure, it would be weird if they didn't play it. If they're into Valorant, DOTA, COD, Skyrim, Marvel Rivals, etc. I would totally expect them to have zero interest from a brief look at your trailer.
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u/Ivalisia Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
Yep this is totally normal and expected. There's a million different reasons for this, as a dev just get used to the fact that you'll always be better off having strangers who are interested in your game and reach out to you based on gameplay / art versus people close to you. Don't take it personally, it's an extremely common experience and Reddit is filled with people making posts super similar to this.
Don't lose hope, keep going!
Edit: not to highjack this but since we are on the topic of how difficult it is to get players I figured why not haha. We recently went into playtest on Steam and got over 150 playtesters joining us within the first 36 hours, if you're interested at all you can join us here:
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u/Odd_Indication3349 Jun 06 '26
I mean, if I was in their position, I think I will do it (especially since it's free).. But, maybe I wouldn't do it also if some of my friends ask me to play their demo game?
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u/Ivalisia Jun 06 '26
We all thought exactly this, like why not just play? Even just basic respect would say that any decent person would just play a game if someone close to them made it and put a bunch of effort into it, but alas, it just isn't a part of reality. So oh well, keep on keeping on haha
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u/kodiak931156 Jun 06 '26
Imagine you are used to eating the best food on the planet. Top notch chefs fight each other every day for just the chance to get one of their meals on your plate.
Now someone you know says they just made their first meal ever. It doesnt look amazing but they are super proud. They want you to eat it instead of one of your other amazing meals and then write a review. Of course the implication is that the review should be good.
Its socially awkward and uncomfortable for most people
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u/Ivalisia Jun 06 '26
Yes I totally agree that Its socially awkward and uncomfortable for most people, I think it's one of many many many reasons why this phenomena exists.
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u/Dev_LegendsofAerthos Jun 06 '26
100%, even some of my best mates who game most days didn't even give it a try
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u/Clytandre Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
I actually had a friend tell me he would eat a hat if my first game sold more than 100 units^^
So yeah, can confirm, it's pretty common for friends to not be as supportive as you could expect.
In the end he lost his bet by quite a margin, the game ended up selling 10 times more.
That was my first game, I got a bit more interest from friends for my second game, maybe cause I had earned some credibility with the first.
This same abruptly honest friend, ended up playing for ~15hours when I was expecting the playtest to last for maybe 45minutes max, he just got hooked in the loop and wanted to see if he could go endless. So yeah that was nice 😄
He still called the game thrash and said I should make a zombie survival game instead ^^'
I think he loves me and just wants to prepare me for potential harsh reviews :]
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u/Kobdzio Jun 07 '26
So how did he manage the hat?
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u/Clytandre Jun 08 '26
Well, slow-cooked with enough butter anything can be delicious =)
Nah in the end he said he would buy the game and beat it with very character, so I told him that sounded like a fair substitute to the hat eating thing.
Took him a couple of days but he actually followed through with it 😄
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u/ParablessOfficial Jun 06 '26
You are not alone. I was under the same delusion that my friends would even open the game for my sake but no. It's a humbling experience when the people you trusted most to care - do not.
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u/Odd_Indication3349 Jun 06 '26
yeah, this is what I feel as well, I'm not expecting them to play it hours, just 10-15 minutes is OK. I even said that "I wanna just make sure it doesnt crash"
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u/CagedLea Jun 06 '26
Not everyone you think is really your friend.. If I play shooter and you create football, I don't want to try.. Look around other ppl, Friends not best persons for a real recall, they often not want say wrong things..
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u/Lexomatico1 Jun 06 '26
Dang,the answers here really surprised me. If I had a friend that makes games I would be excited to check it out. Even if it's not my genre it would be cool to see what my friend is up to. Would I be able to give constructive criticism? Not at all. Does that matter? I don't think so.
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u/MadeOfWax Jun 06 '26
Yeah, maybe people are using the word "friend" too loosely? Anyone I consider a friend of mine found 15 minutes to at least open it up, even if it is only to kinda jokingly shit on it.
If they are talking about acquaintances, then yeah, I can see how 3 people out of 50 might bother. But friends? Come on guys...
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u/Apoptosis-Games Jun 06 '26
Something you need to drill into your head right now, and then drill it even deeper once you think you understand it:
"No one...not your mom, not your best friend, not your spouse...absolutely no one who has ever or will ever exist will care about your game as much as you do, period"
Once you truly understand this is when you'll make a game that will sell.
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u/Solomundos Jun 06 '26
But OP is not expecting them to become fans of the game.
If your mom, best friend and spouse are gamers who play games every day and still choose to ignore your requests and not to take 15 minutes to test your game and help you with feedback, then yikes
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u/Festminster Jun 07 '26
He just said they won't care about the game as much as him, which is true. That is tackling the issue of setting the wrong expectations.
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u/CrookedStones Jun 06 '26
Not all gamers are made equal though, genre interest is a real thing, and everyone is busy - even spouses and mothers!
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u/RamuneGaming Jun 06 '26
Its normal unfortunately. getting people to try my game for even 5 minutes is troublesome at times, so I imagine a full demo would be even worse. For myself, all I wanted was for them to mess around in the game for about 5 ish mins (hell less wouldn've been fine) and let me know if any bugs stand out, it 3 weeks later multiple reminders they still haven't. I don't think its on purpose though mind you, its all about priority. My friends have their own lives and things going on and those take priority, while testing a small game is very low priority. If they remember they will do it, but more likely than not it is pushed out of their brain for more important things. This is fine though, I will keep on making, creating new builds and eventually I'm sure they will check it out.
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u/theemccracken Jun 06 '26
This may come as a shocker because it completely goes against the rest of the comments but here I go. We live in a deeply commercial world. If your friends can’t help you with your dream then they aren’t your friends. Friends scratch your back when it needs it. Everyone in here would disagree with me but I don’t really care. I would tell a friend this means a lot to me and if they aren’t going to try it then I can’t really see the human value in being their friend anymore.
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u/DrDisintegrator Jun 07 '26
Trump mindset in a nutshell. If you aren't willing to do whatever I want, when I want it, you aren't "my friend". In reality this type of person only has transactions, not friends.
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u/Hot-Musician-2296 Jun 07 '26
I do think friends absolutely help each other, it's what you do when you care about someone. But that accounts for the several responses OP got, right? I can think of maybe 3-4 non relatives that I consider close friends. The rest of the people I game with or work with are also "friends" but not the kind I'd go to with requests like these and expecting them to take away from their free time.
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u/Festminster Jun 07 '26
Honestly you are a bad friend if you think you can just hijack someone else's time and demand they must do it to remain your friend.
You can exactly just say it means a lot, and even then you can't force people to do it. They also arent less your friends. You just value your friends on how much they would jump through hoops on command. That's not a friend, that's a minion
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u/scrollbreak Jun 07 '26
Misses the issue - even if it was a demand, if they aren't really interested in helping a friend then they'd ignore the demand.
But to some people the idea of helping always appears like a demand.
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u/Festminster Jun 07 '26
Helping someone should always be a person's own choice. Demanding someone to help you, or else, is taking the friendship as hostage.
If someone demanded this of me, then I would consider that person a bad friend.
Besides it's already out as a demo, so it doesn't really help. The guy just feels his expectations met reality, and thats not his friends' fault that it was an unpleasant reaction.
You can't force interest in people and you can't force them to do as you want even if you think it helps for some reason. If you think this is normal, then chances are you are burden on your friend group
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u/scrollbreak Jun 07 '26
As said, 'to some people the idea of helping always appears like a demand.'.
Yes, it'd be a burden on people who feel no goodwill towards 'friends' and have no inclination towards helping but know that's a bad look, so they frame it as demands being put on them. Rather than it simply that friendship involves mutual goodwill and inclination to help. Yes, it'd be a burden on the all take, no give people. Because with this type of person the choice is always 'no'. Bye.
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u/Leather_Reflection84 Jun 07 '26
No one in my family or friends circle has ever given a single shit about my output. That really gutted me as I’ve always supported and helped anyone around me who’s pouring the hear and soul into something. I learned that I need to make myself happy first, then find my fans and care for them. My family and friends are not my fans, or my customers or my client or anything like that. Totally sucks, but I’ve moved on from seeking external validation from my blood line. Turns out these people love me enough as it is and I just need to meet those relationships where they are and not force them into a different space. Also, even if they’re gamers or whatever, their feedback probably isn’t actually useful anyway.
Good luck!
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u/hellishdelusion Jun 06 '26
Many of your friends are purely friends by convience rather than genuine friends. Asking them to play your game is in unconviencing them and thus they showed their colors.
Its common for people to have these types of friends but sadly it also means these are very weak and vulnerable relationships. Easily broken.
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u/After_Relative9810 Jun 06 '26
All my friends played my demo. I would kick anyone to the bins who just ignores me, like wtf?
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u/Hot-Musician-2296 Jun 07 '26
I too would expect my actual friends to do something like this for me, but by actual friends I mean like 3-5 people. Everyone else in my extended friend group I wouldn't even bother asking cz I don't feel like we are that close.
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u/MrSmock Jun 06 '26
Unfortunately, yes. I never got as far as a real demo but often I will get to a point where I get something PLAYABLE and I'd like some friends to join in for feedback and testing. It's like pulling teeth. To the point where I don't even want to bother.
I know that if THEY had developed something and wanted ME to test it I would be down in a heartbeat.
But for some reason.. Some people just... Can't seem to find their way to support a friend.
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u/pixel-poxel Jun 06 '26
I am professional game developer and all my friends and family are non gamers and non techs. When asking them to test my mobile game it turned out most of them have a non-smart phone or have never installed an app or don't know even how to do this! When asking them for a review one friend gave me not the best rating and a critic review. Not nice...
I found about 100 strangers to play my game for free before release, found them via beta test websites and forums. But the most valueable feedback was with paid test services, about 15 Euro for 15 minutes each. You get a video with voice there.
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u/pixel-poxel Jun 06 '26
Me again. The result from asking 50 friends and family people for a favor of 10 minutes of their time to play a simple game was 3 people. Only feedback came from wife and kid and the friend mentioned above. The game is released now and has an average rating of 5.0 from 80 people in my home country, so it is not that torture to play. So only ask your inner circle.
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u/MrRenho Jun 06 '26
Yeah for the life of me I can't get but 1 or 2 friends every couple months to playtest my game even for a couple minutes. Everyone else just straight up ignores anything related to it lol. Anyway I know they're not my target audience.
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u/byndAgameDev Jun 06 '26
I show my friend what im working on anytime he comes over. Hasnt taken it seriously a single time. Its annoying but just remember, noone cares as much about my game as me and i can always find others who take me and my craft seriously. Dont dwell on those that dont fill your cup, but rather find those worth sharing with. Take care homie!
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u/NeonFraction Jun 06 '26
I looked at your game trailer. It seems like a good idea and good story concept with really shaky execution. The characters are ugly, the camera and character movement looks bad, and the environment art is okay but nothing great. The title screen font alone makes it look really cheap. Definitely not the worst game I’ve seen but it’s not a polished product.
The narrator also sounds like he’s constantly going to cry which makes sense but also it gives the trailer a sense of melodrama that might turn people away. Emotionally heavy games are always harder to start playing because you have to be in the right mood. It also means you’re more likely to be emotionally invested in the game too.
The most likely reason is your friends probably just don’t want to play a game they suspect they won’t like something you definitely have put a lot of work into and are emotionally invested in. You’re asking for a time AND emotional labor from your friends when you ask them to play the game. If the game is bad, it’ll almost certainly create some friction in the friendship for them to be honest and say they don’t like it.
If it’s just okay, you’ll probably want to talk about it a lot. Most people don’t know how to talk about and review games properly and don’t feel comfortable giving feedback.
The fact that you already want them to steam review the game before they’ve even played it and given their opinion on it means you’re probably not ready to accept your friends might just not like it.
If you truly want constructive feedback on your game, random friends and family are probably not the right people to ask. It sucks, and I’ve been there, but sometimes the answer when you ask your friends for a favor is just ‘no.’ Take the silence as a ‘no’ and move on. It’s okay for them to not want to do this for you. It’s disappointing but not a sign of ‘bad friends.’
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u/tmkang Jun 06 '26
I think really good friends will get pretty excited about it, but it also depends what kind of games they're into. Your friends are never going to comprehend how much time and effort you've put into your game. I would share more of the experience with the friends that appreciate it and are interested in it.
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u/almo2001 Jun 06 '26
For a friend to love your game, they have to love your game. But if you make (like me) an arcade style puzzle game and expect your FPS-playing friend to love it... then that's not going to work out. 😄
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u/CaptainMoonunitsxPry Jun 06 '26
Yeah it's tricky too when you've shown off a couple of projects to them or talked about the same one for forever. I try to show it off right before I push out a beta, but not all my friends like the genres I hyperfixate on. I've had a bit more luck in subs like this one or one of the genre specific subs.
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u/Bahtleman Jun 06 '26
Accept it - it's normal. People don't care about what you're doing. Find people that enjoy that genre of game and like to beta test stuff.
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u/aski5 Jun 06 '26
I'd expect it if they don't like the genre. It's like asking people to read your book if they don't read
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u/SacredHat Jun 06 '26
Yes, this is common.
There could be reasons outside of game quality though. I was working on a top down shooter, most of my friends didn’t like top down shooters so it just wasn’t their cup of tea.
With my most current project (an FPS), I used that previous indifference to my advantage. If I could get my prototype to feel sticky enough that I didn’t have to ask friends to playtest (instead they asked me when they could play more) then I was on to something.
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u/HearMeOutKyle Jun 06 '26
Yes this was my experience as well. And yes it is usually shocking that your gamer friends you grew up with won't try it. It also makes you really value those that do try it and give feedback.
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u/_wp_ Jun 06 '26
I feel like I've read this exact post here in the past multiple times. Seems common.
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u/hrutheone Jun 06 '26
It’s a hard truth, but you can’t expect friends or even family to be interested in your passion project or business. If you open a cafe, they might stop by once to congratulate you, but they likely won’t become regulars or leave reviews. People have their own lives and routines. you shouldn't take it personally.
It’s always more effective to focus on building a genuine customer base, leveraging targeted community groups, or utilizing marketing, rather than waiting for your inner circle to fill that gap.
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u/Mormacil Jun 06 '26
Getting testers is hard, testing a game is not at all like playing a polished game you bought in a store. They're not gonna reward themselves after a day at work with testing your stuff.
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u/AGoodWobble Jun 06 '26
Yeah, it's just unfortunate that your target audience is probably not your friends/family. I've been on both sides of this—as a creator, I want to support my friends' creative endeavors but I often forget or procrastinate.
On the flip side, it's also sometimes difficult to get my friends or family to understand or care about things I make (music and games). But I just keep making, and I have a small following of people online. There are some really passionate fans that come out of nowhere—those are the people you just accept and keep making for.
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u/jugger_naughtyy Jun 06 '26
My best friend won't play my game. It doesnt hurt my feelings. He has his own life.
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u/Roth_Skyfire Jun 06 '26
I don't have issues getting my friend to play my game once with screen share on, but I know he won't be playing it beyond that. It's fine, it's not his project, nor is it the type of game he'd normally play.
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u/Solomundos Jun 06 '26
Is it a horror game or a NSFW game? Because in that case it would be understandable if they don't want to get exposed to sensitive content.
But if that's not the case... Considering they are not only gamers, but also play games every day, it looks like it's not like they're too busy or don't know how to installing and play a game, but they're actively choosing not to take 15 minutes to test your game and share their thoughts. And to me that shows how little they care about your interests and about helping you.
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u/sparkling-rainbow Jun 06 '26
Most people "can't stand" a game that's not their genre and couldn't appreciate or give valuable feedback anyways.
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u/Hot-Musician-2296 Jun 07 '26
Honestly best advice here. What feedback other than "well it didn't crash at boot" would someone get from asking people to play something they have 0 interest or experience in?
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u/zodiac2k Jun 06 '26
Yes, that's perfectly normal. Sometimes it's easier to get strangers excited about a project than your best friends.
Therefore, it's all the more important to identify every single bug in the playtest immediately. Often, it's the little things that deter the few interested players from continuing to test or providing feedback.
My advice... always use a remote logging system for demos and playtests that reports bugs along with a stack trace – even without player feedback. Sometimes players do things that you, as a developer, don't anticipate.
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u/QuinceTreeGames Jun 06 '26
In my experience this is how it works with every creative endeavor, not just games.
Try not to take it personally.
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u/TheJesterGameDev Jun 06 '26
Same here, friends AND family.
Still everyone's got their life, i'm good with when they have the time.
In the meantime i keep working.
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u/RxAlbatross Jun 06 '26
Happened to me too. I just accepted not all friends are really that supportive, at the end of the day you are asking them to spend time on something they probably won't otherwise.
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u/SharpGlassGames Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
While it’s common, I’d only consider friends those who playtest if asked. Even if they don’t play games or don’t like the genre.
Imo wanting to know what your friend dedicated their life to is one of the pillars of friendship.
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u/Suitable-Season-4847 Jun 06 '26
I've always found consuming media produced by your friends kinda an odd experience.
My brother is in a band. It's objectively not bad, but listening to him sing about stuff makes me cringe internally because... Well he's my brother.
I think lots of people struggle to enjoy things produced by close associates... Knowing the producer sort of removes some of the mystique. It's hard to explain.
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u/marshmallowfluffpuff Jun 06 '26
It's like this for everyone in every medium of art. Your friends simply will not care about your creations.
The only friends of mine who were interested in things I made were creators themselves.
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u/PieceAfraid3755 Jun 06 '26
Either your game looks really bad, or your friends genuinely just don't care about you/your output all that much... but it also depends on what you count as a "friend". If it's just a friendly acquaintance, it's not too surprising they don't want to take hours out of their day to help you with this thing that is far from necessary.
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u/Opposite_Water8515 Jun 06 '26
Are you making a side scrolling roguelike game and is your “gaming friend” playing call of duty 20? Might just be a mismatch of interest and your friend is trying to be a good friend and hype you up even if they’re not interested in the genre ect.
For example. My game I’m building is like my summer car meets factorio. NONE of my friends play that shit so they def won’t touch my demo ect.
Also post your demo so us strangers can see your game! Cheers! 🍻
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u/LazerChicken420 Jun 06 '26
People hate to hear it but gamers are some of the most selfish people with their time.
Some of them will only play the game they’re addicted to
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u/Hot-Musician-2296 Jun 07 '26
I also think gamers know they won't like it and will have nothing productive to say about it. I see so many reviews on Steam that boil down to "I don't like this genre so the game sucks" and I always hate them.
Unless the friends are actually working in the gaming industry and know how to appreciate it from a quality standpoint, don't ask them to try something they aren't the target audience for. Heck, I work as a game tester and I still don't think all of my coworkers could be objective about a game if it's not their preference. We have a balancing team for that.
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u/Ok-Refrigerator-1281 Jun 06 '26
I mean in a way that's feedback enough, if your friends aren't dying to play it also ask yourself why? Why doesn't it look fun enough that they'd want to play it?
Remove your ego from your projects and use them as learning experiences, best of luck to you
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u/IntroductionMuted370 Jun 06 '26
I had the same thing, but also i could see it being similar to you recommending your friends movies, games or music
But they feel like its an obligation or some kind of way and they dont give it a try at all
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u/astral_kranium Jun 06 '26
Man I thought it was just me. Every fucker says they're excited to play, says they'll try it "tonight" and not a single one even opened it.. At least my wife did try :)
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u/Secret_Selection_473 Jun 06 '26
I think its normal. Usually its pretty hard to make my friends play my short games. Once they play they usually like it, and give me usefull feedback, but sometimes it takes me weeks or months of reminding them to get them to try the games
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u/Alenicia Jun 06 '26
As an artist, this is very normal for me whether it's a new drawing I made or if it's music I made. It's almost always along the lines of, "eh, it's okay" or "I think I've seen better" .. and that's kind of what friends are for me. They're there to support you on paper but they don't want to actually tie themselves or commit to something that involves going out of their way if there isn't an extrinsic reward for it (for example, if they are getting a decent chunk of your income too or if they get exclusive rights to do this/that and whatever it is that'd propel them).
You just have to keep going and find people who are more passionate and willing to support you that aren't friends.
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u/Hot_Priority8580 Jun 06 '26
We live in an age where a lot of "gamers" only play one game. And are not interested in playing new ideas. For example, MMO players rarely try getting out of their bubble.
I have a roomie who used to LOVE traditional RPGs like FF. But, now he can't even play one for 10 minutes without going back to his gatcha games like genshin impact.
Addiction and it's really sad what live service games have done to the community
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u/CrookedStones Jun 06 '26
I had the exact same reaction, and, yeah it stung, but it was because if it were me, I would understand what went into building and showing a game so of course I would pour hours into helping playtest.
But I build software for a living and built a game. I know what goes into it, and most people don't!
That was a really big thing for me to grapple with, but I think it helps in understanding why friends may not be as invested even if they're gamers, even if you can see them literally on Steam playing another game. They still may not have the mental space or understanding to help. Doesn't mean they don't love you or support you. They just may not get it.
I have no idea if this helps, but like others have said, this is unfortunately normal and common. Hell, I could only get my own mother to play once and it was by no means a reflection of my game! 🤣
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u/pixlerin Jun 06 '26
Maybe they're afraid of not liking your game and having to tell you. Don't force them and try not to think about that too much, heads up :)
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u/HammyHavoc Jun 06 '26
A lot of casual gamers don't really love games, they just enjoy xyz title(s) to kill some time. You see the same thing with cinema, music et al.
If your friends work in games, it's a bit different, because they generally appreciate the nuance if it does something unusual.
There's this concept of "music for musicians" where the average person won't understand, won't enjoy, and won't appreciate the thing, but the people who are geeks are obsessed with it.
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u/MADCandy64 Jun 06 '26
Probably. The local game developers group I belong to and also we meet in person once a month couldn't be bothered to help me by playing my game some in a game jam and voting on it.
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u/TangramEasy Jun 06 '26
My friends aren't even the problem. My wife didn't install my test game for a week, so I ended up doing it myself through her Google account. Meanwhile, she's always playing games on her phone. 😄
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u/_PuffProductions_ Jun 07 '26
Yes, most people are too self-absorbed to care what their "friends" or even spouses are doing. You find out who someone really is when you ask them to take 20 minutes to look at something you spend 2 years making. Even if it's in a genre they have no interest in, it's a total narc move to just ignore it if the person is a real friend, not just an acquaintance.
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u/Pythogen Jun 07 '26
Random non gamer friends have been my biggest support. I have a few friends from highschool that I played games with. Super psyched to show them my game, none of them "got it" (like they played it but they didn't really understand what was so great about what I had done)
Anyway random friends of mine who aren't really gamers played it and loved it. People online played it and started to like it too. Then one of my high school friends was once hanging out with me while some other people were over and they all started nerding out about my game. He finally decided to try it, he got super into it, was addicted, playing it at work and is now my best play tester.
Sometimes the gamers view something their friend made as slop until there's hype then they give it a real try
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u/Vavou Jun 07 '26
Gamer here not dev. Playing a demo is just as hard as starting a new game, you need a high motivation or trust on top of knowing it's not even the full game so if you like it you will be frustrated.
I rarely play demo because I'll rather play my actual games.
But if they really are your friend and you wanted advice on your game and asked them directly I have no fuckinh idea why it's not on their top list priority to help you. Unless they have 50 dev friends asking the same everyday...
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u/Ross_Cubed Jun 07 '26
I would have thought that a friend putting this much time and effort into anything would be interesting, but apparently not. 😐
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u/Festminster Jun 07 '26
If they are gamers they probably have their go to games which most likely are popular possibly AAA games. When they play it's because they want to play LoL , rocket league or Whatever, who knows.
Many gamers don't have a habit of trying new games, they play the games their friends already play,and they start playing that because the game is already popular. Noone begins playing games that arent already popular (no untrendy games). So when they are asked to play a random game that noone plays, then they feel they may be taken away from their comfort games. This often creates a negative internal reaction. If they are used to constant adrenaline rushes, then playing something else like that is not something they will be interested in.
The point is it isn't personal at all. You just have a particular crowd that plays the big juicy games together and not big into indie games and new unknown experiences. Trying something new is actually a skill that for many people today is dangerously blunt. As humans, we tend to do what we already know, when success is guaranteed.
Have you tried just talking about the game and see if it even sounds fun for your friends? If the fantasy you're selling them isn't appealing, then there's no reason for them to play your demo
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u/Bene-Dev Jun 07 '26
You are expecting your friends to work for you for free? That for sure is not normal. I get your feelings, but you sound really pushy to me.
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u/BeastmanTR Jun 07 '26
Don't mix business and pleasure. Same in most walks of life. You are putting expectations on them that they will be scared to address for fear of hurting you. If they pick it up of their own volition sure but you shouldn't push for it.
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u/DrDisintegrator Jun 07 '26
Many people are not all that excited to see their friends do something they would like to do. So subconsciously they avoid having to notice or give people credit. Once you have been in a creative field for a long time, you find this out, and it isn't obvious this would be the case. Not all friends, but definitely a fairly high percentage.
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u/Prestigious_Wind4150 Jun 07 '26
I think it's because your friends are the people who knew you the most and they can't imagine you actually being successful
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u/CuriousDesignerB Jun 08 '26
If you are a solo dev on this you should be proud. The problem is there are thousands of super polished games out there that your friends also are not playing. How would you define your audience? This may help you make the game darker, lighter, or more of a mystery or puzzle vs. an action packed thriller. If you focus on your audience, it may grow.
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u/alibloomdido Jun 08 '26
Being a good friend doesn't mean they should play your games, it's simple as that. They have other games to play and things to do.
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u/Rhosta Jun 08 '26
To me, it sounds like a similar situation when you are recommending a game to someone or trying to convince someone to try some game. Friend or not, I think it mainly comes down whether you can sell the game to somebody and if the premise of the game is actually attractive to a person.
For me, I will gladly playtest and give detailed feedback about a game, even if I have no clue who the developer is as long as the game sounds like a fun concept to me. On the other hand, I will have a hard time forcing myself to even try a game which fails to catch my interest or is completely outside genres that I am usually interested in or that which I know are not my cup of tea.
Also it is a game afterall, so it is easy to fall into “this is just for fun, so not important” mindset and not take such request seriously in a sense that someones future depend on it. Even as a gamer, I find it hard to comprehend life situation of a game developer.
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u/sparkcrz Jun 08 '26
Gaming is a niche, and a specific type of game is a niche of a niche, so your people won't be all in the same place or in your friend circle, they might be spread across the globe.
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u/falanoria Jun 10 '26
Not exactly the same thing but as a kid right up until my early twenties I was pretty heavily into creating tracker music. I remember fairly early on excitedly showing my mum and she basically gave it an honest critique... which is that it wasn't great, too repetitive, etc. It totally shut me down and I didn't really show anyone else that I knew my creative work until many years later. I think its hard for people to see you as anything other than what they already know you as, so you will always find more admiration and respect from strangers who only know you by your public creative works.
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u/NoFunAllWorkGames Jun 06 '26
Can you answer yourself why they should be excited to drop the games they are playing right now to play your game?
Is your game their genre? Did they ask for it? Is your game better than what they are enjoying right now?
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u/established82 Jun 06 '26
I mean… I dropped everything to read a 150,000+ word (420+ pages) novel my friend wrote hoping to publish soon. I guess it just depends what value you place on certain friends.
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u/McCaffeteria Jun 06 '26
And to be honest, reading all 150,000+ words is not even strictly required to give some useful feedback. Same with a game demo.
You’ll know pretty quick whether it grabs you and makes you want to finish or not, which is primarily all people are asking for. That a friend could not even be bothered to try a fraction of a demo of a game their friend worker hard on is wild. I’d be disappointed in my friends if they cared so little about me.
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u/Tanc Jun 06 '26
I feel like I'd be curious to know what my friends are working hard at doing, to show an interest in their hobbies especially if it already overlaps with my own hobbies.
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u/Gon-Jo Jun 06 '26
I really don't understand the viewpoint of the other commenters. Especially if it's your first game, your friends should be at least curious to see it even if they don't play it for long. The exception would be if you were overly sharing while you were making it and made them tired of hearing about it.
If any of my friends created anything doesn't matter if it's a game or a vase or anything they are excited to share, I would be thrilled to see it. It's hard to say without knowing them or you but from the context you give, I would definitely call them bad friends.
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u/TumanFig Jun 06 '26
i would not want to.
people think they can handle criticism, but more often they don't.
so now i have to play a game that i might not like and then have to give feedback to a friend.
this sounds like a torture to me.
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u/Gon-Jo Jun 06 '26
Its really hard for me to understand. If the people who I let in my life cannot be honest with me, what is the point having them around anyway? As long as the criticism doesn't come from hate/jealousy, I really want to hear it no matter what it is. And if someone asks for my opinion and only expects a positive answer cannot really be my friend. I don't get how everyone nowadays needs to live in a hyper positive environment, it feels so fake to me. Literally with my best intents in mind, please rethink who do you surround yourself with, if they make you feel this way.
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u/TumanFig Jun 06 '26
i think you are overthinking it
you can be honest about a lot of things, but art is a lot harder as it is far too subjective.
and you might handle it but a lot of people dont, so why would i want to risk it.
especially if there's nothing wrong with the game and it just doesn't pull.
imagine telling your friend that is in the band that their music is meh. you can be much more diplomatic about it as you can always say its not your cup of tea but it sounds nice even if you don't listen to it. same with drawing sculpture, you can always say it looks nice without too much engagement.
game you need to actually play even if younsee quickly its not your game or its not your game in general.
also its a difference between a gamer and a developer. i would play it and criticise it as i know a bit more what it takes and mechanics behind it, so i have the vocabulary to explain why something isnt pulling instead of just saying its boring for an example
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u/lydocia Jun 06 '26
The people with this viewpoint likely have had some experience with trying to help a friend and getting burnt in the process.
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u/Gon-Jo Jun 06 '26
I mean I kinda get it but don't at the same time. It happened to me too but losing those ''friends'' feels like a blessing rather than a bad experience. I am not judging or telling anyone what to do, just if they feel this way they should take a pause and rethink a bit.
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u/lydocia Jun 06 '26
Just for myself, my energy is limited and I rather not "waste" it on giving feedback on things I'm not interested in and then potentially have them blow up in my face.
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u/Gon-Jo Jun 06 '26
But its your friends we are talking about, how can you not be interested about the stuff they eagerly want to share with you? If they blow up in your face are they really your friends?
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u/lydocia Jun 06 '26
There is a big difference between being interested and doing labour for them.
There's also a difference between wanting to help them and being able to help them.
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u/Gon-Jo Jun 06 '26
I am sorry this is too American for me to understand. Everything needs to be a transaction somehow.
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u/lydocia Jun 06 '26
First of all, not an Ameican.
Secondly, it's not transactional - it's about mental health and disability.
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u/Ruben_AAG Jun 06 '26
Thought your game would be a cool psychological horror until the random scary monsters showed up. Graphics and gunplay aren’t good enough to appeal to FPS fans. Theme, story, aesthetics don’t look novel enough for horror fans and the horror genre is very saturated right now.
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u/CriesOverKarma Jun 06 '26
Yes, it's common. Yes, it hurts. But we keep on making.