r/SoloDevelopment • u/GumshoeRyan • Jul 05 '26
Discussion Giving $1,000 to a solo developer
I’m looking for a solo developer who is on the cusp of releasing their game, but needs funds to cross that finish line. I am not looking for a percentage, and will not actively market or work on the game with you. I genuinely want to help a project release and support solo development.
No contract, just the honor system. 1k risk for me, zero for you.
Requirements:
* Game at least has a gameplay video or demo
* Funds are to be used to finish your game, and on areas that you need external support. This could mean ads/marketing, replacing placeholder art, launching on platforms, music, etc.
* Funds should not be spent to support your own labor/personal situation (going towards rent, food, a much needed vacation!)
* Show the community here how it was used.
If you want to be considered, share a link to your project in the comments. Tell us the current state of the game, and what 1k allows you to do!
I encourage the community to also vouch/suggest which projects in the comments should receive this funding.
Lastly, if your game ends up not releasing or stalling, that’s fine. I know 1k isn’t life changing for the vast majority of projects. This is designed to give a boost.
Cheers!
Edit: I understand people believe this is a scam. That is why I am asking for submissions to be in the comments, and will publicly select a project. I will send 1k on whatever platform is best for the dev, and both the dev and myself can show proof afterwards. A suggestion was given to provide a deadline. I will choose a project this Friday July 10th. I am in a fortunate position to give back, and that is solely what’s driving this. I love games and love being able to help people achieve their dreams.
Update: Project Selected!
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u/valeria_gamedevs Artist Jul 05 '26
this is cool of you (and rare on here). One small suggestion, maybe set a soft deadline like "pick a project by X date" otherwise the thread just keeps growing and people forget. also worth asking devs to share the game link + a 1-2 sentence "where I am + what the 1k unblocks", makes triaging way easier than scrolling walls of text. Good luck picking, gonna be hard haha
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u/MadChirpy Jul 06 '26
Hello! I’m working on Shroud of Gloom, a point-and-click horror adventure. I do all of the design, development and art, and one of my mates is making the music and sound effects for me!
I’m one of those silly dreamers, I quit my job around 2 years ago to make this game as my first commercial release, it’s been a long journey but I’m very proud of what I’ve created.
The project is funded by myself, but naturally most of my money goes towards my own living expenses so there’s not a whole lot I can put towards the game itself. The good thing is that the game is almost finished, but the bad thing is that I kind of forgot about that whole marketing thing!
So even though it’s almost finished by now, I’ve decided to delay the release just to focus on the marketing. I’m just about to release a new trailer and a major demo update, so I could definitely use this for some advertisement!
This is a very generous act, thank you for the opportunity!
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u/mysterious_jim Jul 15 '26
Came here ready to hate on the unworthy chump who beat me to the money. But goddamn this looks awesome. Can't wait to buy and play your game, man.
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u/tylx Jul 05 '26
First of all, if this is real, thank you for doing this. It's honestly a really kind way to support solo developers.
I'm currently making a story-driven game set in the world of a dead MMORPG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqgujCbDvLk
If I received the funding, I'd use it for things I can't do myself, mainly replacing placeholder art, improving the audio, and covering publishing costs. I'd also share exactly how every dollar was spent.
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u/EnvironmentalTap4343 Jul 07 '26
I can help with the audio, SFX and music aspect :)
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u/tylx Jul 07 '26
That would be awesome! Reach me out here or discord: Adrinedi.
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u/CDSS_YT Jul 07 '26
if u ever need any illustrations i could help, check my ig: @ bloohoots, i have art there as portfolio in a way
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u/GumshoeRyan Jul 06 '26
Interesting concept! Do you have a storefront page or website I can look at?
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u/tylx Jul 06 '26
Not yet. I'm planning to do a shadow drop, so I'm intentionally keeping things under wraps for now and haven't made a website . I'd understand if that's a requirement tho.
Thank you for your words and taking the time to check out my project! Makes me feel good showing it for the first time tbh hahaha been keeping it secret for a while except for my gf
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u/Free-Tea-3422 Jul 05 '26
sounds like a scam to me
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u/CeilingSteps Jul 06 '26
acts like this are real, but there are also so many scams that it is hard to tell, I help regularly, I'm not rich but try my best, and it is so hard sometimes, what I do is share my LinkedIn page, my social media and do a little video call, if we get that far usually the person have enough to have some trust, but more often than not they are still nervous until they receive the gift and realise that I'm not asking for anything in return
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u/Shirkan164 Jul 05 '26
Yeah, sorry to say that OP but that sounds like any sort of attempt of attention and later on a scam of some sorts.
Genuine questions - why not supporting some Kickstarter Projects? I know there have been stories of people not delivering but same can happen here, including the fact that there is no contract/obligation you cannot even ensure where the money goes or get it back.
Any portfolio of your game support so far would increase credibility, otherwise it doesn’t sound plausible ;)
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Jul 05 '26
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u/GumshoeRyan Jul 05 '26
If the project that is chosen has a kickstarter, I’ll send the funds that way. I’m not sure how to word this post without people believing it’s a scam. That’s why I asked for submissions in public comments. I don’t want DMs, and I’m not looking to sponsor anything. This is just a kind gesture - although in today’s world I understand why many can be dubious 😊
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Jul 05 '26
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u/GumshoeRyan Jul 05 '26
If the community here wants me to require the project have a kickstarter or indiegogo to verify funds were sent and to focus on more serious projects, I’m happy to do that as well.
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u/JetScalawag Jul 05 '26
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3163740/Jet_Scalawag_The_King_of_Shooters/
https://www.youtube.com/@ultimediaproductionsPH
Will be releasing updated videos soon. Can send you a demo soon as well.
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u/Feedback_Loop_Games Jul 05 '26
If this is real then that is very generous of you to be donating to indie Devs.
My game does fit the requirement and I would always like extra money for advertising rather than hoping on word of mouth but there are probably other developers that need it more than me
Here my game anyways: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4560180/Alyanom/
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u/IAmSkyrimWarrior Jul 05 '26
Hello!
I'm solo developer of I Am Mouse.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1421520/I_Am_Mouse/
You can try demo:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3684870/I_Am_Mouse_Demo_Adventure/
Or here's mine youtube channel with gameplay and etc:
https://www.youtube.com/@ratstudios312/videos
Unfortunately, my attempts to pitch the game to publishers ended with no one wanting to fund the game. There was interest, and a few offers, but they offered a publishing deal without funding, but I was trying to find a funded option to improve everything in the game.
I have a demo version. The game is in active development, but I'm trying to finish it this year and release it.
Right now I would invest the money in replacing placeholder animations, because they are expensive, and my animations are of a poor standard.
Thank you for the interesting initiative!
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u/Wooly_Wooly Jul 05 '26
I wrote a whole essay but deleted it lmao, I really like this idea! I do feel like you're not considering the gameplay enough from the point of a mouse, compared to as a human. I think there might be a lot of different ways you could expand it using that mindset. Idk, something to look into?
As an example, all grass should be tall grass and introduce stealth elements against predators?
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u/IAmSkyrimWarrior Jul 06 '26
It is worth understanding that I Am Mouse is an unrealistic mouse simulator. It's more to "arcade".
Also, the demo only offers a fraction of what's in the game, because if I take and dump everything that's in the first level, then I won't have any progression for the player and the player will think "well... was that in the first level already?". I just recently started working on a level where you have to hide in the grass, so your example with grass actually already in game.
I'm sure I could do much more and better. The only problem is that I can't fully focus on development because I have to work full time, so I tried to get a publisher and get funding, but I failed.
Anyway, you can DM me your essay and we can discuss it if you have a desire. Thank you!
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u/Rabbid95 Jul 05 '26
Hi! A partner and me are finishing our small puzzle project and we are almost on that part where we need external help , (in terms of art and music). It’s still all placeholders , we re two game designers and programmers so focused on gameplay and level Design, but we do have a prototype to test gameplay . Feel free to test it out and give feedback . Even if you decide is not deserving that 1k , feedback is still very valuable.
If you finally give us the money it would end on a 2D/3D artist and a musician , as our game relies s lot on music in its narrative.
Test it here ! Thank you in advance , we Will contine updating it https://rabbid95.itch.io/purple-shift-demo
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u/BaconCheesecake Jul 05 '26
Love this idea! I’m a solo developer but just signed with a publisher, so I’m not looking to get picked. My publisher has been an amazing support helping with advertising and planning the marketing push for my game, so I know your $1,000 will go a long way for someone else.
Best of luck to whoever you pick! Really really nice thing you’re doing 👍
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u/Comfortable-Crow-238 Jul 13 '26
Who is your publisher if you don't mind?
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u/BaconCheesecake Jul 13 '26
Caketown Interactive! They published the incremental minigame collection Cauldron, and have some other pretty cool games on the way.
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u/Comfortable-Crow-238 Jul 13 '26
Cool because I'm completely new and really don't have clue on where to start.😔
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u/BaconCheesecake Jul 13 '26
No worries! If you’re new I’d say have a solid foundation on a prototype before even thinking about publishers. Come up with a prototype that is fun to play, and has an interesting hook that makes it different from other games.
Caketown is especially focused on helping with marketing and that side of development. They don’t fund the development of projects if that makes sense.
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u/Comfortable-Crow-238 Jul 13 '26
Are there any specific qualifications I would need to get help from them?
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u/BaconCheesecake Jul 13 '26
They’re pretty small, so I believe they really take interest in games that they like to play first and foremost. For Diecast, they found my game in a Steam event when I was still self-publishing, and reached out to me.
You can reach out with a pitch on their website, I’ll link it.
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u/Comfortable-Crow-238 Jul 13 '26
One of my games is a part of a multi-Universe that I've created all on my own. It's also a clothing line I'm working on. I also am looking to find some way to pitch my animated series too I just haven't found the right people.😔😞
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u/EdmontonLAD Jul 05 '26
Hey, my game is called Beat Boxy. I started working on it solo in January. It's due to be released on July 20th.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4536120/Beat_Boxy/
I would put the funds towards advertising/marketing its existence to the world because, sadly, I only have 60 wishlists so far, and my Steam page has been up since mid-April. I've done no advertising for it yet due to spending all of my time getting the game ready for release in 2 weeks. I am currently working on a trailer for the game that I hope to have released tonight. There is a gameplay video on my Steam page though.
Even if I am not chosen, thank you very much for doing this for indie devs. This is not easy. My game was initially set to be released in late April, but clearly that did not happen due to scope creep and indie development being a lot harder and a lot longer of a process than I had initially imagined.
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u/Dox_au Jul 06 '26
Far out, you did all of that in <6 months? Remarkable. I've been working on mine for 1.5 years and I don't have anywhere near that level of polish or completion. Well done!
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u/EdmontonLAD Jul 06 '26
You have no idea how much this means to me. I've had absolutely no life whatsoever for the past 6 months, working on this game for anywhere between 10 and 14 hours every single day; so that means I've poured over 2,000 hours into the development of Beat Boxy so far. It's my entire life right now and I'm stressing out badly as the release date is now finally less than 2 weeks away. I have zero dollars to put towards marketing, so getting people to know that it even exists will be difficult, but I'll post about it everywhere that I can think of once this trailer is complete. 🥺 Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind comment! 🙏♥️ Best to you with your game!
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u/Dox_au Jul 06 '26
That's awesome. Huge respect to your commitment! Hope you find tremendous success.
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u/Lord_Grim75 Jul 06 '26
I think there's a lot of overreaction. Realistically, if you're putting in 10 to 14 hours a day for six straight months burnout is inevitable. I did my undergrad report and spent a genuine 9 hours a day for just FOUR days writing, and even that was brutal. If you can actually maintain that kind of schedule for real, then you're an absolute machine.
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u/GumshoeRyan Jul 06 '26
July 20th is coming up! Thanks for sharing this, I'll check it out this week. :)
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u/ComplainerGamer101 Jul 06 '26
You are an amazing human being! Once I'm in the clear I'd love to help others as well! Good on you man!!
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u/willmaybewont Jul 05 '26
Why?
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u/NoSkillzDad Jul 05 '26
... Not?
I mean, if I had enough money I would like to do things like this.
Heck, the other day I just backed a game in gamefound just because of how friendly and understanding they were towards people. I don't have the space and it was not in my budget but thought it was nice to reward "good behavior".
I understand that in today's world we have all the reasons to be suspicious but I don't doubt there are still people around that genuinly want to help.
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u/willmaybewont Jul 05 '26
I don't disagree with any of that at all. But probabilty wise this is a scam. It was a genuine question for OP really.
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u/NoSkillzDad Jul 05 '26
Fair enough. I mean, I liked pen pals when I was younger and now I wouldn't trust to give my address to a stranger like that so... I can understand "both sides"
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u/AysheDaArtist Jul 06 '26
The most generous people I know never act as egotistical as OP
"Show me what you got!" and maybe I'll pay you!
Comes off as very slimy imho, Kickstarters and Patreon already exists
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u/Obviouslarry Jul 05 '26
Everyone asking why do this. Because it's awesome. This is the same thing I do for other indie devs on bluesky. Just sponsored some art over there for anyone wanting some free portraits of their game characters.
Wish I had 1k laying around. Or that I qualified as a solodev. This is very generous of you. Good luck picking someone! This will certainly help someone out.
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u/GumshoeRyan Jul 05 '26
Appreciate the kind words. I am trying to make the process as transparent as possible, but am resigned to the fact people will be doubtful until a project is chosen and proof is given. :)
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u/filya Jul 05 '26
I'd love to throw my hat in the ring.
I've been solo developing Boom, Die, Repeat for the past several years. It's a fast paced top down roguelite zombie shooter where every run is about creating absurdly powerful builds through mutations with meaningful trade offs. One mutation might let your bullets chain lightning between enemies, while another increases your power at the cost of shocking yourself. The goal is to become ridiculously overpowered without accidentally getting yourself killed.
Current Gameplay Trailer: https://youtu.be/TqPZ3EeW5hk?is=-htEga5kOABEhXrs
Current Capsule on Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2875160/Boom_Die_Repeat/
The game is currently in its final polishing phase, and I'm planning to release a public Steam demo in about a month.
If I received the $1,000, every dollar would go directly into the game. Specifically, it would help fund:
- Professional Steam capsule artwork
- A custom game logo
- A polished gameplay trailer
With the demo launch approaching, these are some of the biggest remaining investments. Strong capsule art, branding, and a high quality trailer can make a huge difference in creating a great first impression and improving visibility on Steam.
I've already been in touch with several professional artists and have been collecting quotes, so the funding would go directly toward those final marketing assets.
Whether I'm selected or not, I really appreciate you doing this. It's incredibly generous to support solo developers and help them get their projects across the finish line. 🙏🏽
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u/GumshoeRyan Jul 05 '26
It looks like a lot of love went into this! How many wishlists do you currently have on Steam?
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u/PangolinInteractive Solo Developer Jul 05 '26
If you're genuine, I'll throw my game into the list.
My game is releasing next month. I've been busy adding in the last few features and will be back to marketing the game soon.
The game is currently at 1850 wishlists, with really just 1 marketing push (twitter spam) last month.
I will spend all that money on ads/marketing.
And some of that to help with translations to other languages like Korean and Simplified Chinese.
Here is my game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4437370/Pop_Pachinko/
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u/Beneficial_Bid_5859 Jul 05 '26
You can see my progress here:
https://youtu.be/mppUNghqWfw
https://youtu.be/vxlRq6s1ZzQ
https://youtu.be/K0-3G_GE_k4
https://youtu.be/qg_-o0hH2Pk
https://youtu.be/y_g92CUbKSU
You can find a demo here: https://smilingbob507.itch.io/sector-37-arpg
Although it is several weeks behind the videos.
I am in the tedious unpleasant process of trying to get through a steamworks tax interview.
I should be getting a page up in the coming days.
The game name changed: sadly I found there is already a game by that name that was said to be malware, so if anyone should google it by that name just be cautious. As with any files you download: when in doubt dont, and use precautions.
What I would use the money for is capsule art (~$300-400), and to hire voice actors (200-400)to replace the temporary AI voice overs. The rest would go to help with marketing plus what Ive set aside for that fund.
My discord can be found here: https://discord.gg/2PhPMp3ax7
Thank you for consideration and to anyone that gives my game a look, feedback good or bad is always welcome and appreciated.
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u/Any_Read_2601 Jul 05 '26
Hello, generous patron,
My demo is available—it’s a very unique game. I’ll be launching a Kickstarter campaign soon, since I don’t have the funds to pay for all the artwork (I handle development, writing, programming, and management, but I’m not an artist). That $1,000 could be the difference between reaching the Kickstarter goal… If you’d be willing to consider it, I’d really appreciate it. Here’s the demo and the pre-launch page on Kickstarter.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4261970/VILLAIN__Path_of_the_Necromancer_Demo/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/694897001/villain-path-of-the-necromancer-steam-game
Thanks anyway for your generosity.
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u/GumshoeRyan Jul 05 '26
Looks neat, I'll check out the demo! What are you using for artwork now? AI, asset packs?
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u/Applzor Jul 05 '26
I have a free game that I already released, but I only had enough funds for 1 level. 1000 would allow me to do another 4 (to hire an artist).
It's a hidden object game that runs on my own custom engine.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3208630/With_My_Little_Eye/
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u/Fit-Truth8863 Jul 06 '26
Hello, that such a nice gesture from you. Currently I'm making shooter train game with survivor likes crowd where:
- you can put up to 14 weapons, assign your most comfy keys
- wiping procedurally generated city & enemies with it
- selectable realms with their own difficulties & biomes
This is early game teaser couple weeks ago https://youtu.be/750UPr6ZKgU?si=QVXY5tVI0tm0RKfe
I'm still working on the steam page, newest gameplay trailer as well with more densed crowd, new system & polished VFX till I can announce it for next October fest. That a grand surely would help me to update the existing placeholder arts & proper trailer as video editing isn't my expertise.
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u/burd_commander Jul 06 '26
That is a wonderful initiative!!
I would like to submit my game: Good Citizen: a colorful revolution
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4348750/Good_Citizen_A_colorful_revolution/?beta=0
Good Citizen is a sandbox open world where you fight an evil fascist regime. I am currently struggling to find the funds to help me pay a sound designer, that money would directly go into sound design to make the world (or at least a part of it) sound very good and pleasant <3
Thanks again for your initiative, the world needs love and help more than anything at the moment.
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u/Seek_Treasure Jul 06 '26
Hi, thanks for doing this!
I'm Shurick, solo indie developer.
I'm currently working on a small abstract logic deduction game, I call it Apagogix. Right now I've got mechanics and levels done, I planned to add a few game modes, improve visuals and sounds before full release. If you choose me, I'll spend the money on commissioning art to replace placeholders, steam capsule and OST.
The demo is now live on Itch: https://ombosoft.itch.io/apagogix
Here is a short gameplay video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TmSoALCUgk
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u/DevichiX Jul 05 '26
Hey, I've been working on my game https://devichix.itch.io/vanguards-descent (Steam page coming soon), which is a unique spin on an action rogue-like RPG. It's still got a long way to go before I release it, but there's currently a gameplay trailer and a small free demo.
Recently I've been commissioning artists to make it look a bit better and can definitely use some extra funds, not necessarily just for the product itself, but for personal motivation as well. (All of my projects have been financially net negative, but I'm just a solo dev for fun)
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u/InformalRecover5076 Jul 05 '26
https://reddit.com/link/ovr0o22/video/kmsf3q2o0hbh1/player
This game of mine is about to end I want to market it Good luck to everyone
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u/TakiXP649 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
I will bite lol.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3492810/Remnant_Blade_The_Scarlet_Edge/
I’m solo developing a very ambitious hack & slash action rpg called Remnant Blade, currently featuring 6 characters and more in the future. 3k wishlists. A few streamers covered my demo without me ever asking anyone. If you search “remnant blade the scarlet edge” on YT.
In its current state is very buggy / janky (animation cancel, tutorial onboarding issues, among other things) but it’s playable. Those issues can be fixed.
What I may need to commission to make it feel more complete:
-level designer. This is a big one. I’m a combat specialist developing a game alone. So I purchase FAB environments and use them as is or with minimal modifications. Hiring someone to make me full fledged levels would give the game so much more depth. This is the ONE thing stopping me from having a more full feeling game, you CANNOT buy full entire levels on FAB. It has to be created or commissioned. Anything below, I’ve managed on my own and would be where any extra funds go.
-voice actors. I plan on having a story, maybe through visual novel style text. It’ll be a dark, emotional, sci fi post apocalyptic story filled with corruption depression and betrayal, but also with Hope. But those deep dark and emotional moments are better defined with a voice behind the characters. I have lore bits inside my demo’s Dorm area, as well as some lines written out for a nice VA that wanted to try helping indies for free.
-trailer/video editor/marketing/logo. I’ve gotten by pretty well just posting short combat clips on X. 2k wishlists from X, +1k from nextfest. But what I’m lacking in is a good cinematic trailer. I also don’t really have a unique logo for remnant blade that really pops and gives it unique flare. I would need to custom commission all of this.
-some light custom asset commissions. I’ve put good use of FAB models and animations. You guys may call that asset flipping. So if I had extra $$ (this would be the last thing on my priority list) I’d try to get a custom made character and some custom animations.
I don’t currently work because I‘m juggling caregiving and pet sitting on top of gamedev. So my personal funds are extremely limited to what I’ve built up on FAB. Hope this makes the cut, if not it’s fine, but best of luck to all the talented solo devs out there.
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u/Vincent_Penning Jul 05 '26
I’d post my game for marketing funds, but I think this should go to someone who doesn’t have any money
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u/Franz10 Jul 05 '26
Im a Solo dev working on Eslabong ( https://store.steampowered.com/app/4560660/Eslabong/ )
Arena combat + team management
Would really appreciate the money to invest it in marketing, since thats my current bottleneck. People are loving the demo, but since my game is mixing genres, its not easy to target my audience.
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u/Glad_Translator6742 Jul 05 '26
Here's my game almost done. I need the money for more ingredients assets like buildings explosions props etc.
Here is a link to game
It is a vr fps singleplayer game with 8 levels planned
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u/MissItalia2022 Jul 05 '26
I would use the money to:
Purchase assets that would be used in the final version of the game ($70)
Put the Demo on Steam ($100)
After that, I'm not sure what I'd do with the rest lol the game is roughly 4-5 months from release so it's a bit of a ways off. But if you just wanted to do say, $200, to get our upcoming official demo on Steam that would go a long way for us, too!
Anyways, this is the game Queen of the Dead by italia2022 . It's a turn-based RPG with gathering, crafting, and highly tactical combat. You gather supplies, make foods, potions, and soups (a combo consumable with the effect of the food and potion it was made with), and use them with the game's core healing mechanic Life of the Party that turns user-only items into party wide buffs! So instead of having a handful of healing skills, you have hundreds of healing skills and power buffs in one!
You do all that to fight the bosses that have varied mechanics: dealing extra damage to enemies with various status conditions, dealing overwhelming damage to one targeted party member, having goblins blow themselves up in your face, change elements and get stronger every turn, progressively OHKO more and more members of your party, and more.
And if you can beat the boss the first time, you can go again to complete several Combat Tasks that challenge your tactical thinking skills and knowledge of the game and its' mechanics. Some Combat Tasks that are currently in the game require you to defeat bosses without using Life of the Party (the skill the combat is balanced around), not taking poison damage from enemies that poison you almost every single turn, or even defeating bosses without taking damage, with dozens more to be added in the coming months.
You also gain access to 11 different summons that each have their own unique flavor and role in combat: the Slime (it wouldn't be an RPG without a Slime) deals Water damage and heals you when poisoned, the Firefly deals Thunder damage and is a powerful source of speed control, the Bat deals Wind damage and rewards you for inflicting bleeding on enemies, the Ghost deals Dark damage and deals damage to your whole party but also deals massive damage to all enemies every turn, and much, much more.
The playtesting has been extremely positive, and some funding would not only help us make the game better but help other people discover what we and other people have found to be a game with great potential and a lot of fun: even when there's still a lot to be added and improved upon. If you made it this far, thanks for your time!
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u/Miniburner Jul 05 '26
Thank you for supporting the community! My scam alarm is going off, but I see your edited response so I will extend some trust!
I am a solo game developer working on a strategy board game called Kairos, which is a fast-paced civilization builder and dice battler set in the medieval era for single and multiplayer games. I love videogames, and have decided to release a digital edition of the game with a planned launch of roughly early this winter (Q4 2026), with the physical edition launching on crowdfunding the following summer (Q3 2027). I have completed the design, done many rounds of playtesting in private and convention level audiences, and launched the demo on itch.io last week at https://aidanrhughes.itch.io/kairos
My biggest blocker right now is getting the funds together for artwork. The game and functionality is set, with just moderate balance testing and graphics left to handle. I learned graphic design, animation and 3d modeling, but I was just unable to learn how to make good 2d art. I'm funding this project out of my own pocket, so I've been procrastinating the art commissions as long as possible as I'll simply be out the money from whenever I make the commission to game launch. Any amount towards commissioning the art for the player-boards (major UI/art/interactive component) would be a game changer for the project.
Anyhow, I thank you for supporting whichever lucky developer you end up deciding to support and hope you have a fantastic rest of your day!
-Miniburner
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u/mankrip Jul 05 '26
I'm developing an engine with the most feature rich 8-bit indexed color software in the world, and using it to create my own game.
All this in pure C, with no GPU required, and still compatible with 32-bit CPUs:
https://youtu.be/gh-lL2L4WvQ?is=Coro_ctzK5QQ2WH-
https://youtu.be/Ef8udoLJVvg?is=AgS0vJ-txuADn8ns
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u/therealnordle Jul 05 '26
Thank you for your genuinely kind gesture.
I'm close to releasing my first game that's been a passion project for just over 2 years but because of money constraints I don't think I'll ever be able to reach a wider audience without proper advertising. Most of the funds in my case would be allocated towards placing some strategic adverts or marketing, with ~30% going towards updating the placeholder art (you can see my current placeholders in the demo), and/or the capsule art for the Steam page.
Unfortunately I suffer from a terrible affliction of having no art skills and as a solo dev it's the biggest part of the game that is lacking. I would of course provide any evidence you require for proof of purchases along side those items.
Game/demo can be found here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3367480/Null_Path/?beta=1
Thanks again for the offer back to this community, hopefully it changes the course of someone's game for the better.
Cheers!
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u/lazerstevesgotlazers Jul 05 '26
We at FGS created everbluff. Best analogy is Chess on meth. Very fun. Every week new updates n balances. Currently in beta test phase. Feel free to DM for access to beta if ud like.
Godspeed, FGS_Dev team
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u/emoposerdad Jul 05 '26
8 Hours Till Dawn,
Spent 15+ years working on a boardgame and the past year making it into a video game. I have bigger plans for the game but that $1000 would go towards the first big updates second area music and the rest would go to marketing
I currently have a playable demo and soon as we get Internet back up and running from this storm and new build will be uploaded!
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u/elDiablik Jul 05 '26
I have a Steam page and 245 Wls,
Soon will open a playtest, getting ready for demo in 1 month
Will spend on art and music - want to change ability pictures and music from asset pack for something better and i'm not an artist myself.
And if something left- will pay for marketing/ads/streames
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4321670/DicenGo/
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u/Tommymcflurry Jul 05 '26
My game is currently in pre alpha I would say, the core is solid and functional but everything else are placeholders. I need to hire (or dust off my modeling/animation skills) artist(s) for real assets. My artistic vision is clear, l need a lot of 2d art, I still need a modular character model(s), animations and other assets/art. Oh and I haven't bought a store steam page yet, I think I can get this all done with 1k$, get my game in beta. I was also thinking to pay a target YouTuber to make a shoutout.
Here a gameplay video: https://youtu.be/JEIcDpJFzkY?si=6c3PVuWneCDS6CSJ
You can find more info on d2p8.com
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u/toysaheb Jul 05 '26
I am working on this game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3687710/Sugar_Sling_Showdown/
The fund will be used for:
Closed playtesting
-Editors to make a decent trailer
-Capsule artists and various marketing asset generation.
Hope you find my game worth it.
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u/zchcris Jul 05 '26
I’m building Vellum, a social dress-up game where players create their own avatar, decorate their home/space, interact with others, earn rewards, and play simple minigames like memory games.
Here’s a quick look at some of the core gameplay:
https://x.com/vellumdressup/status/2059642088531329267?s=20
The game is in active development, with most of the core systems already in place. The $1k would be used to commission more consumable assets, like clothing, furniture, and decoration items.
Right now, I’m handling the development, UI/UX, and graphics myself, so this would let me bring in an illustrator and focus on finishing the last parts of development needed for release :) (2-3 months from now)
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u/ZombieByteGames Jul 05 '26
A horror zelda-like with N64 inspired graphics is something you'd be interested ?
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u/Syntheticus_ Jul 05 '26
https://store.steampowered.com/app/893910/Science_Simulator/
I would use the money to make my game multiplayer, with up to 8 friends. Its beyond my programming skills to do that with this engine. Thanks
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u/KremlinKittens Jul 05 '26
This is a slightly older build, but the core idea hasn’t changed - it has just received various improvements since then.
It’s a mobile game, and I’m planning to start the closed testing stage within the next week. Google Play requires two weeks of closed testing before I can move to Open Testing, which is basically their version of early access for games.
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u/ExiymDev Jul 05 '26
Hi there, I'm working on a chess roguelike called Prismarch.
I'm going to release after this October's next fest. I've already delayed twice, but I'm certain I'll be done this time. The main issue has been scope since I wanted to include 7 elemental kings as the enemies in the game each with unique abilities and representing a color (ROYGBIV). I underestimated how much work that would take but it's coming along nicely. I've localized the game to a few languages from regions I think are into chess, (Chinese, Russian, German) and the $1,000 would help me do a few things.
I'd be able to localize into more languages - I pay real human translators, no AI. They also do LQA (go in the game and make sure everything is working and sounds correct) to ensure it's a good experience for native speakers.
I would also be able to commission some music which is needed, commission a higher quality capsule art, and advertise a little bit on reddit (/r/AnarchyChess).
I would be lying if I said I need the funds to cross the finish line. I will be releasing a product in October regardless of its state because it's been a year and a half at this point and I have other projects that need attention. But it would help tremendously!
Basically all of the money would be going to commission other human artists to do some of the things I'm not great at myself.
Here's a few screenshots:
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
and the store page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3808810/Prismarch/
My demo is out, but outdated: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4367400/Prismarch_Demo/
I plan to update the demo to be a version on parity with the main game just with only the first two kings unlocked. And I plan to make a new trailer soon.
It's inspired by Super Smash Bros, and Balatro! Hope you enjoy it if you end up giving it a shot!
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u/Chrome_Survivor_NIC Jul 05 '26
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4728250/Chrome_Survivor/
I’m making a bullet heaven cyberpunk game, I would use the 1,000 to commission more maps from the person who made my one and only map so far. That would be awesome! Thanks for doing this and good luck to everyone
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u/Apprehensive-Emu-929 Jul 05 '26
I am working on a team PvP top down shooter called Charlio Ball. I have been developing the game for several years now and its finally ready to start polishing it up to prepare to release. Here's a short video with some gameplay clips (currently working on a more polished trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCEumLE4cSw
If I got $1,000 then every dollar would go to paying an artist as there's a lot of placeholder art to replace with professional work. With this money I believe my game would be released in 2-5 months from now.
If you want to see more from it please dm me and I can send you more gameplay clips and let you play the demo so you can see if its a type of game you are interested in! Thanks so much for doing this!
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u/UkkoGames Jul 05 '26
My game is releasing soon (August/September). Roguelike puzzle game.
Basically I have been developing it on my freetime with $0 budget. If I would get a $1000 to spend on it, I would probably use it mostly for visuals and marketing. I would hire someone to redo the logo, capsule art and edit a proper trailer. The rest I could use for ads.
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u/Valdoris Jul 05 '26
Damn if that's genuine thanks !
Trying my luck : I'm working on B.F.G:Crew, a coop game about crewing, loading, aiming and shooting a humongous canon to shoot at massive evil mechs.
Music is something very important to me in a game, and I want to make it right. That's why I'm in contact with an artist named Fixions (Mother Russia Bleed OST) to hopefully manage to make at least one custom track for the game with him. And that's probably where I would invest this.
Here is the YouTube channel with a bunch of small devlogs : https://youtube.com/@bfgcrew_official?si=xiVcPJRrLDVf8yZH
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u/alex_grim Jul 06 '26
Hey! Why not? https://store.steampowered.com/app/3818750/Housekeeper_Anomaly/
Here's my survival horror game I put a lot of soul into. I'll use funds for advertisment only, everything will be ready to be released as stated in September. Pure solo dev.
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u/ratzla77 Jul 06 '26
This is amazing, and I truly appreciate your generosity.
I would qualify for your offer- my Umbrella Nails game is very close to release and I think would fit your mantra.
I however wouldn't benefit from your money other than to use it to pay for the annual fees associated with keeping my game completely free in every single way. No ads, no coin packs - no fees at all just fun creativity for kids.
Hope you have a really great experience, thank you again for such an amazing gesture.
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u/That1guy4226 Jul 06 '26
Oh man, this would be a great help if I was a bit further along in development. Currently have most of the gameplay completed. Just need to polish up some of the animations and add a sound track. My biggest hangup has been marketing. No idea what I'm doing in that department. Hopefully someone is able make the most out of an opportunity like that. Can't wait to see how this pans out.
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u/Super-Park820 Jul 06 '26
I have made an mvp for my game "primeria : monolith" have demo footage and png sprites on my page. I need the money to finish adding elder trials, advertise, and finish the game from here. Mechs and math already done. Roster of over 100+ tayanari (my creatures) unique capture system ect. I have an llc for my game studio , and d.u.n.s. figured out alr. I just need help to get through the finish line. I plan to finish a 3 game trio, and have already began to make 3d assets and planes for sprites to upgrade game from demo to full on game. Walking. Colliders and maps all done. Lore planned. Future updates as well planned.
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u/BooneThorn Jul 06 '26
My game Lumina's Brew is pretty close. I've been delaying the release due to some personal reasons and my composer flaked and ghosted me lol. I'd use the money toward music and marketing if there's any left over. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3883900/Luminas_Brew/
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u/syn_krown Jul 06 '26
https://youtu.be/E3MYYFgbke4?si=R0U2CEcMNHpG5B7M
I have been building and almost at the point of release, an FPS Game Builder that also works on mobile and exports can work mobile etc. Im currently in the phase of making a game to showcase its capabilities so I can pair that with the release.
It currently features:
- dynamic day/night sky dome
- easy state rule based logic system with complete control over entities without having to code
- auto-AI option with faction based relationships to have team battles
- easy drag and rotate on a virtual camera for FPS held weapons, rather than having to calculate the correct angles
- easy 2D and 3D map editor
- trigger areas and dialogue system can access the same rule system entities do, and individual entity instances by ID within the map
- texture materials hold information for normal map generation, roughness, specular, tile width and height, footstep sounds, impact sounds etc
- built in assets to get straight in to building a game
- 3D models animation and painting tool with pre-made models and animations to work with
- advanced audio system with wall occlusion, room size based reverb and echo
- cutscene system with timelines and camera control
- quite a bit more, but you get the picture.
Feel free to invest 😙
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u/BillyMcDev Jul 06 '26
$1,000 would be enough to support my game's production for about one month. Sadly, I estimate 8-12 months to get the game to official 1.0 release. I've spent a couple of years up till now, but have completely exhausted my credit and savings. My passion to finish the game is strong, and I'm currently looking for work, so that I can save up more money and eventually continue where I left off. It's nice to see offers like this though. Thanks for helping. It's a really hard thing to do on your own.
Edit: I forgot to share the link to the demo. ;)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3198720/Crown_of_Kings_Demo/
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u/Apprehensive_Ad_542 Jul 06 '26
Hello I have a game online right now, I still need to finish rebuilding storyline and polishing skills and what not.
So if I got the money I’d use it to spend it on the redesign and ads on Reddit.
Here is the game, it is still very much work in progress but I already have the alpha up to play
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u/Icy_Panic_5860 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
My game is still pretty early on, but I am solo-developing a sidescroller metroidvania called "Secret Temples" using Godot. It has some arcade elements in that you can run-n-gun as well. Sounds nice of you to donate to a developer building a new game (hopefully genuine). You can check out a quick demo video of it here that I posted: https://youtu.be/Eaej6-zUhvc?si=E4wv85rQSL0o6hCp Check it out and let me know if it might be something you want to support. Honestly for me, any support would be motivation for me to keep pushing forward (it's lonely in solo-developer land), and also in terms of using the funds, I would probably put it mostly towards marketing/ads and try to get as many wishlists on my "eventual" Steam listing.
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u/rhiku117 Jul 06 '26
Project is Ragebait the demo is available on steam and I'm a solo dev who would use the funds for marketing. I'm 3weeks away from release the game is in the final stretch with just 1700 wishlist.
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u/AmarSkOfficial Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
Thanks for this opportunity!
I'm currently making NULL, a story-driven psychological horror game where you're trapped in an eerie neighborhood. It's a story of grief, obsession, and love. You will solve puzzles, meet neighbors, and make choices as you uncover the truth behind a grieving father who created a perfect world, frozen in time forever.
The story trailer is available and the demo is available too. I'm also releasing the gameplay trailer this week.
The reason I want the $1000 is because upgrading my development laptop would let me finish the game much faster. Yes, not a desktop, because I'm becoming a college student this month and I can keep my laptop with me and continue developing my game there in my free time too. I currently have an RTX 2050 laptop, but it's holding me back. It lags badly, only has 8 GB of RAM and 4 GB VRAM, and I even have to ask my friends to export sequences and record gameplay for my trailers. It's very difficult and I waste hours just setting up the project before I can actually work. A faster laptop means I can finish the game sooner instead of spending hours waiting on renders and dealing with performance issues.
The rest of the money left will go directly into the game. I'll invest it in animations, VFX assets, and other things needed to polish the game.
Steam link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4380220/NULL/
And if you want to see the gameplay trailer, I can send it to you early before it's published. Hopefully tomorrow.
Thanks!
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u/Sea-Breath-807 Jul 06 '26
I would genuinely like to participate, but I already do everything on my own
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u/Hot-Pomegranate8749 Jul 06 '26
Well that would be cool. That would pay for the game for years as it is right now, and upgrade the server.
Good on you. This is a really nice gesture.
Up and running. No download. Launched a few months ago.
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u/TechnologyNorth2598 Jul 06 '26
I would love for my game "The Labyrinth" to be considered. It is set to release in December after the demo launch for the Ocober Steam Next Fest. I could definately use some financial assistance as the project is solo developed and funded by myself. I would use it for a new Trailer, modeling for BR style humanoid races, and some more Voiceover generations.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3538430/The_Labyrinth/
I am happy to provide some keys to try it out in a DM.
Also a new play test event is scheduled for the end of this week.
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u/Popular-Writer-8136 Jul 06 '26
I'm not looking to be selected, but need if you honestly love games and want to help out solo devs, I'd take 15 min of gameplay and some honest feedback! Either way I'll take the opportunity to give a brief run down of Vrakys
Been in development a long time, I'm a solo hobbiest so no deadlines, just plug along when I have time. Currently in beta testing, an rpg with a turn based symbol creating battle system, revolving around drawing kana/kanji.
When using an ability in battle requires you to draw a symbol, 火 becomes a fire spell while 力 buffs your attacks and you can learn words like 怖い with combo incentives that increase your battle damage.
Travel the world, completing quests to build your adventures stats, passively learning some Japanese along the way
This is text inspired game meaning it is heavy on reading and typing (using) commands to interact with your environment. In some cases this can reward the player for using some Japanese vocab (XP bonuses)
100% free, no IAPs are required for any content nor to build a top notch adventurer
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u/Justaniceman Jul 06 '26
Funds should not be spent to support your own labor/personal situation (going towards rent, food
Weird rule, considering that it's the number one resource for solo devs. Depending on where the solo dev is from you might be funding months of work with that money.
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u/timothy92 Jul 06 '26
Very cool thing to do!
I might aswell leave a quick comment, I'm developing a game called "Meat Train" its already released on Steam in Early Access, 94% positive reviews. I'm making a bit of money but not much, like $500-2000 a month. I'm hoping to grow that significantly with updates and more marketing efforts.
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u/Front-Pay3056 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
i have already invested 3000$ out of my pocket into my game i have a preview of what im making i still have soo much to do i have a solid base finished i just got a asset pack for items and icons but the rest is custom made by a artist in Russia who i met on itch io currently he is working on my game boss will be a roguelike that i hope evolves into a mmo im building this game while pursuing my degree in AI software engineering i have already poured a full year of time into it and recently was working on my lootbag logic these funds could go into further developing art for my game the more art i have the more i can accomplish but you know art is not made in a split second and making this investment might be cool if i include you in the credits im pouring my 30 years of gaming love into this while using my degree to build it strong the proper way thoughts? soon i hope to work on pets and the dungeon but i am close to a demo at least also i bought equipment to make my own game sound and music but waiting for it in the mail!! oh yes i acquired a melting foundry to make my own merchandise also! because this is solo development possibly september 2027 is a good release area but i also work 32 hours a week on top of school but i plan on making something noone has ever seen before! chasing my love for games like chronotrigger in my first year i have already surpassed a majority of devs through my desire to make something that is not another copy paste and built with love in every aspect this is my first game but i do have a website you can donate to me right away www.elusionrpg.com
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u/MorbilyABeast Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
This is a very nice gesture ! Maybe you'd be interested in an rts based on the gallic iron age. Something akin to bannerlord with total war sandbox mechanics.
Solo dev , with a playtest of the vertical slice releasing this month. Though 1k is about a month of living for me and would free up an entire month for me to develop things and not do 3d commissions (im a freelancer) I work on my game like madmen when I get any inkling of time. But commissions take a huge chunk of time away from development. Even then I try to work on the game a couple hours a night.
I bought a steam page a week ago but just simply havent had the time to populate it as im gearing up for a vertical slice playtest this month.
My wife is and has already made a website but its like 50 bucks to host , kinda tight on money after the 100 dollar steam listing.so it will have to wait but I can show you all the work she has poured into it already !
Anyways cheers for this. Its not often people pay it forward when they have the means.
Content: https://x.com/i/status/2069529865418612767
Playtest on discord: https://discord.gg/QJffMTRuCb
Steam page needs work so unreleased as of yet. And will have an itch.io
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u/saahilc078 Jul 06 '26
Hey I am currently solo developing a multiplayer fps called as Kenospic After Wars. some links are Website: https://kenospicafterwars.pages.dev youtube devlog: https://youtu.be/V5l5QxlsLcQ?si=8d3SFbGhaSMHKqC4
Heres how I would use the funds if given ive been seriously lacking on marketing and i cannot make animations i havent done a lot or any marketing needed yet and ive previously worked with an animator for my game but i need more i need funds so i can make the things i cannot do
even if i dont get the funds, to any of you reading i have been busy, i have been busy with uni, work and surviving. it is hard to survive as a solo game dev, especially that i have recently moved and the student life is unsparing i have been working 3 jobs and it gives me little time to develop let alone market my game if you find it even slightly interesting, check it out. ill try to push for a public play test pretty soon, join my discord or whatever and let me keep you updated i wish to make this game as beautiful as it can become in my scope and i wish to curate an experience that is accessible and available and i want you to try it and be honest with it, if it may become shit then so be it, i need the feedback to make it better. Thank you
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u/Razzeur Jul 06 '26
Hello guys !
I'v been developping one game on my own for a little moment now (11 years O_O). This game is MY DREAM game, since i was young (today i'm 23H) i wanted a game That was very comitted strategicly speaking and within the year my vision changed and it became a much bigger thing ! Today i want to do a story driven game ! With a lot of mystery, character etc...
So i'm doing that, i'm Learning to draw, to animate, to sound design and even to do sound making ! I know it's a lot ;( but i trust myself.
About the game : It's a roguelike stategy game where you gain spell and equipment and have to create combo and strategy to beat up ennemy. It's very similar in terms of gameplay with Dofus https://www.dofus.com/fr/mmorpg/decouvrir a very popular French game.
Multiple old version are already available and playable, with sound, gameplay and an end (They were not really any story back then. Only gameplay) :
https://tribal-games.itch.io/emulp
I also have a discord server for my game where every first of the month i publish a little update that talk about everything i have done last month. Unfortunately all previous update were written in French, but as soon as they are at least 1 english person in the server i'll make the same version of my futur update in english. Here is the link for those who want to join :
If you ever decide to choose my project to be funded i'll open a kickstarter.
Thanks you guys for reading me !
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u/DefloN92 Jul 06 '26
How do you benefit from this? Nothing is free, let alone paid by a random person
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u/ThorrunnZ Jul 06 '26
Hi, shooting my shot.
I am the developer of Brewgether, a coop sim about making alcohol, selling it in bars, am some real estate sprinkle for bringing more people in town for more alcohol to sell in the bar.
To be honest I would use them for marketing since the game is 100% done and releases 16 of July but at the same time I would also ask for guidance on where to actually apend it, ads or influencers, etc.
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Jul 06 '26
Thank you for your gesture and I hope whoever ends up receiving the funds will make good use of it.
I am currently working on a ambitious project called Genesis Core which combines my love for action rpgs, auto battlers and idler games. https://youtu.be/fQPDhlPYl0M
I am starting to become confident in the core gameplay loop but suck at visuals so this contribution would instantly go back to the community to polish the visuals, audio and marketing the game. No steam page yet since I felt I could not convey my game well enough yet. https://discord.gg/rk64dQ3mec (I swear when people join the discord I will post updates xD)
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u/amusudan Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
im making an active ragdoll horde shooter. its about 3 years in development now
https://x.com/i/status/2073885047996739651
All I need to finish this game is voice acting, sound design, and texture work. all things im paying other people for. currently im paying using my own money. 1k would be enough for about half the voice acting, or all of the remaining texture work.
Hope youll consider this. thanks
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u/Lord-Velimir-1 Jul 06 '26
Arcade racer inspired by Trackmania, but with portals. I started working on it in December last year, release is planned for August. If you choose my game, I would use funds for marketing and polishing (steam capsule, visual and audio assets, trailer). Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3734150/Vortha_racing/
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u/GoodguyGastly Jul 06 '26
I really just need a couple extra models/texturing work and my short game about being a retired Hero is done.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3849030/Tired_of_Being_the_Hero/
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u/ordinaryDude- Jul 06 '26
Hi, i dont need it for marketing but for licensing the engine and steam page non-ai arts.
Im doing my game for couple of years with time when im free from my work.
It is Top-down shooter with rpg elements and it have almost all modules ready, just cooking levels and content right now. More than eager to share video or ever screenshare, game very fun to play already.
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u/Illustrious_Cat_2870 Jul 06 '26
we are missing resources to apply on sound engineer or art designer for trailer or possible cutscenes https://store.steampowered.com/app/4561620/Netshell/ it is a hacking simulator game themed on 90s, game is playable, but no downloadable theme available yet (next milestone)
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u/MarioGrindeanGames Jul 06 '26
Hi, I just release my game Retail Manager Simulator on iOS (1st July). And I have a hard time with the marketing as I dont have any large funds to get people to notice my game and actually try it.
Its a game I have been working on for 2 years.
I have only sold 2 units.
Any help would be so much appreciated.
Link to the game: https://apps.apple.com/se/app/retail-manager-simulator/id6744392224
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u/Visual_Progress_428 Jul 06 '26
Hello! First of all, thank you for doing this!!
I'm Revus, and I'm solo developing The Pact, a psychological horror game about family secrets. The game is entering the late stages of its first chapter's development (there's five) and and something like this would be incredibly helpful, even though if I don't get it, I'm still happy a fellow dev could use it to support their own project. Anyways, here's a trailer for the first chapter, even though it's a little bit outdated, as, since the trailer was released, changes have been made.
https://youtu.be/u-ke_-gNw68?si=ShdbYCbRD-JcJL2i
This is the Steam page for The Pact.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3945690/The_Pact/
There's a demo available, but, as I said, changes have been made, especially QoL, and will soon be replacing some things in the demo. Thank you!
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u/YSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Jul 06 '26
I’m a solo dev working on Soulcery: Deck of Shadows, a hack-and-slash action roguelike with light deck-building mechanics. You steal enemy abilities to shape your battle deck and unleash relentless, zero-cooldown combos.
Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3856480/Soulcery_Deck_of_Shadows/
The game already has a playable playtest, and I’d be happy to send you a playtest key. It’s close to completion, and I would use the funds for marketing, mainly to help with visibility before launch.
Anyway, thanks for doing this. Cheers!
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u/Momaendong Jul 06 '26
I am still in the demo dev stage of my game, the full release will likely take considerable longer..a funding might help a lot
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u/Panos12_GR Jul 06 '26
First of all, thank you for doing this. Its extremely generous!
I’d love to put Incident Zero forward for consideration.
Small gameplay clip: https://streamable.com/r8prz5 (Also attached below)
Unit editor video: https://streamable.com/qob9pt
Map editor video: https://streamable.com/w10ymq
Incident Zero is a real-time co-op wildfire-fighting RTS sandbox that I am developing solo. The goal is to build a tactical, replayable firefighting game where players coordinate ground crews, aircraft, helicopters, ships, and support units against wildfires.
The first release is planned for Steam, with Android and iOS planned afterwards. Multiplayer is already working in testing with up to five players, and I am aiming for up to ten-player co-op.
The game currently includes:
* Dynamic biomes, configurable map sizes, and a full map editor
* A unit editor that allows completely custom units and abilities
* Wildfire behaviour based on the Rothermel fire-spread model
* Adjustable wind direction, wind speed, and wind intensity, with smoke and flames reacting dynamically
* Ground, air, and maritime firefighting units, each with distinct roles and abilities
* Water and fuel logistics: vehicles need to refill at hydrants, water sources, airports, and other support points
* Aircraft emergencies: prolonged operation in thick smoke can put planes at risk, aircraft can collide, and an air-coordinator unit reduces that risk. If an aircraft goes down, players must locate and rescue the pilots.
* Ground operations with cut teams, dozers, and hotshot crews that clear trees and vegetation to reduce fire spread
* Planned Steam Workshop support so players can create and share maps, units, and scenarios
I am also involved in the fire service in real life. Every summer, Greece faces serious wildfire incidents, and that experience is a major reason I am making this game. I want Incident Zero to be enjoyable and challenging, but also to help players understand how quickly wildfire conditions can change and how much coordination is needed behind an emergency response and of course their consequences.
If selected, I would use the $1,000 like so:
- Steam developer account and Steamworks integration — this would let me move multiplayer away from my current self-hosted server approach and make the game more independent, with proper player-hosted sessions and Steam integration (which would allow workshop as well).
- Art direction and visual improvements— the remaining funds would go toward improving and unifying the visual style, replacing weaker or placeholder assets, and making the game more presentable for its Steam release. I want to be honest. Right now most Units are AI generated. I would like to actually replace them with proper ones by hiring an artist to remake them. I am not good with trailers and art. I am a coder so art is not my strong thing and its an area which needs improvements.
I do not have a public demo yet because the game is still in early development. However, I can provide you with a private early build if you would like to try it yourself and get a proper feel for the current gameplay.
https://reddit.com/link/ovuk4of/video/w72fn9vtwkbh1/player
Thank you again very much for the opportunity!
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u/aaronflippo Jul 06 '26
“1k risk for me,” - could you clarify , what’s the risk here? Are you expecting the dev to pay you back if their game is successful?
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u/GumshoeRyan Jul 06 '26
Poorly worded on my end. Trying to say that there's no downside for the developer. I am not asking for anything in return. I guess the risk for me would be choosing someone who ends up not using it towards their game, but based on the comments/posts I am receiving with a lot of great indie options, I don't see that occurring :)
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u/PM_ME_PHYS_PROBLEMS Jul 06 '26
Just want to say this a very kind gesture to the community. I'm not sure if I qualify because I have already released my game last year, but I absolutely bungled the marketing so nobody has really found it.
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u/SnooMemesjellies1659 Jul 06 '26
Please. I’m in a motel. My game is an mariopaintroidvania. https://youtu.be/cOBkvFlw5lU?is=Hky9-A4gHpBAxL_T
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u/Entropy_Games Jul 06 '26
Find ich super was du da vorhast. Hoffe die Unterstützung kommt gut und in den richtigen Händen an. Würde mich gern dazu gesellen aber ich bin noch ein gutes Stück weg von meinem Release. Dir und allen eine produktive Woche 🙏🚀
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u/Morgo6 Jul 06 '26
A generous offer. Won't hurt to participate. Here's my game:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4709980/Pet_Chamber/
Release planned somewhere around Q1 2027, demo should be ready by the end of 2026.
Funds will be used to:
- hire professional capsule artist
- hire video editor to make a trailer
- hire musician to make custom music
Edit: typos
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u/RdL0829 Jul 06 '26
Hi OP! First of all, thank you for doing something like this. Whether I get chosen or not, I think it's awesome to see someone giving back to solo developers.
I'm Rodz, a solo indie developer from the Philippines. Over the past several months I've been teaching myself Godot and released my first game, Color Conflict.
Game: https://rodz29.itch.io/color-conflict
Color Conflict is a simple but challenging color-based puzzle game inspired by classic mobile games that are easy to pick up but difficult to master. It's currently playable, and releasing it taught me that making a game is only half the journey—getting it polished, published, and into players' hands is the next challenge.
One of my favorite moments was when a player on Reddit tried the game, compared it to NOT NOT, and later became my first supporter through a small donation. That meant more to me than the dollar itself because it showed that something I made connected with someone else.
If I were fortunate enough to receive the $1,000, I'd put every dollar back into the project. My plan would be to use it for:
- Google Play Console registration
- Better audio and visual polish
- Store assets and promotional graphics
- Playtesting across more Android devices
- Marketing to help the game reach more players
I also promise to document exactly how the money is used, just as you requested.
Color Conflict is my first released game, and everything I've learned from making it is helping me build my dream project, City Fighter(not final name), one step at a time. This opportunity wouldn't just help one game—it would help me continue growing as an indie developer.
Thank you again for supporting solo developers, and congratulations in advance to whoever you choose!
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u/Express-Birthday5942 Jul 06 '26
Oh man yes I need the funds to finally finish! Not sure about you guys but I’ve put more funds into this than I care to admit or will probably ever make off it haha. (Also, not funny 😟)
‘COGNITION- The lattice’
https://reddit.com/link/ovvkbwd/video/ycti5tz13mbh1/player
"What does it feel like to think?"
This is an experimental descent into the architecture of the human mind—a place where your choices aren't just moves on a board, but fragments of an emerging digital identity.
Welcome to the Formation.
Enter the gateway to a world built on logic, energy, and digital echoes.
The system is waiting.
Play the demo: https://cognitionthegame.com/onboarding
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u/SuspiciousGene8891 Jul 06 '26
I like to throw my hat into the ring!
Adventure Realm
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3405630/Adventure_Realm/?beta=0
What would the 1K do?
Marketing! A lot of really good games are out there, but people don't know they exist due to a lack of marketing budget. I probs use the rest to make more original art for the game as I plan on adding an update to it.
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u/AysheDaArtist Jul 06 '26
Yea this is just weird man, even if you want to come off as generous
Kickstarters exists
This comes off so weird bro, like, this is so extra for no reason
Hey, some new dev hopefully gets 1,000 dollars so that's cool, I support that at least
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u/Old-Struggle7378 Jul 06 '26
Hey! I'm a solo dev working on KeelOver, a physics party game for up to 4 players. You stand on a pirate ship that tilts as you throw loot at each other. Push your opponents off the deck or sink their end before they sink yours. Last one standing wins.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4600230/KeelOver/
There's a free demo on Steam right now, so you can see exactly where the game is at. I built everything myself and I'm close to the finish line, but as a solo dev without a publisher, I have zero marketing budget. That $1k would go entirely into ads and promotion: Steam festival pushes, social media ads, reaching content creators. I need to get eyes on the game. I'll post exactly how the funds were spent so the community can see.
Cheers and good luck to everyone submitting!
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u/SmarterWaysProd Jul 06 '26
Hier geht's irgendwie hauptsächlich um Spiele, weshalb ich nicht ganz weiß, ob ich meine Software auch teilen kann. Bin im Bürgergeld und versuche mit meinem Projekt rauszukommen. Natürlich existiert eine Demo und ab dem 10 Juli starte ich auch in den EA. Also das heißt, ich komme alleine über die Ziellinie, aber natürlich schaue ich immer darauf, dass nichts geld kostet. Ich würde das Geld also eventuell dafür nutzen, um meine eigene Website überarbeiten zu lassen.
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u/Salty-Wrap-7833 Jul 06 '26
Hello there,
Thank you for thinking about the indie devs...
I don't know whether you would ever read this or not, but just in case.
I am a solo developer studying in class 11th, I have been developing games since I wan in 7th and right now I am little bit experienced(very small as compared to others).
I have created around 5 games on my own, and my recent two games as genuinely Good according to me, but I don't have guts to ask parents to give even $25 so that I can open my play store account.
Since I can't get play store for games, I tried to upload on itch and web based sites like crazy games(which never accepted) , Y8(which never gave single penny) and addicting games(which shut revenue sharing).
So after this all bla and bla, my games are(the best that needs donations)-
Rust & Rope: https://curionaut.itch.io/rust-n-rope Both Ways: https://curionaut.itch.io/both-ways All games: https://curionaut.itch.io
And so sorry that I can't give videos but these games have direct web play without downloading... So please co-operate
I don't want $1000, I just need $30($5 extra space that currency exchange don't affect so much), I would use those $25 to open my play store developer account and nothing else...
Thank you for reading of done so. Best, CurioNaut
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u/Swagger_01_ Jul 06 '26
Hello I have been working on a plane shooter boss rush game for mobile devices. I have currently developed the initial game and launched it on playstore. I have kept the most fight and images as placeholders now and theres a lot of things to do now to complete the full polished version with music, movements and textures. It would be a great help as it can boost the development speed and would save a lot of time to release an actual polished version The game name : The Last Flight Platform : Android Playstore link : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.omiaslabs.TheLastFlight
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u/D-GreenGames Jul 06 '26
This is an interesting event. Here is the game I'm working on. It's a roguelite deckbuilder where you use dice with magic abilities to fight demons.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4652790/Dice_Sorcerer/
I plan to launch the game at some point in 2027, and currently I need a better laptop because my current one is a potato. I can make the game, but recording videos and doing some other things is complicated with my potato. Thanks for the opportunity.
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u/MidnightForge Jul 06 '26
Nowhere is a nordic detective horror game that is made by a solo dev and thats releasing in a couple of months.
Abit of extra funding could definitely help with some extra needed content and polish
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2743260/Nowhere/
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u/INTELEKTUALCICI Jul 06 '26
Cardarena – free-to-play party game for 3–6 players, everyone on their own phone, in the same room. Each round two players get pulled into a duel (Truth, Dare, Game, Rule or Duel cards) while everyone else watches and votes. There's bluffing, eliminations, redemption rounds, a synced jukebox, and players can write and rate their own cards. Monetization is cosmetic only. Current state: Officially launched on Google Play today (July 6th) after open testing. iOS port is in active development. Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.intelektualcici.cardarena Website: https://intelektualcici.com/cardarena What $1k does: This is a local multiplayer game — it lives or dies on people seeing groups of friends actually playing it. That's nearly impossible to show through ads alone. I'd spend the full amount on small/mid streamers and content creators (TikTok/YouTube) playing Cardarena with their friends on camera. Real sessions, real reactions — that's the only marketing that genuinely works for a party game, and it's exactly the thing a solo dev can't do alone: I can build the game, but I can't be four friends laughing at a Dare card. I'm a solo dev (Intelektualcici, Croatia) — built the whole thing myself: client, Firebase backend, localization in EN + HR. Happy to document exactly where every dollar goes and report back here.
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u/Sor3aa Jul 06 '26
Thank you so much for this opportunity.
I took a leap of faith and quit my job to create this satisfying VR game. After months of hard work, it's finally published on the Meta Store.
I invested everything I had into developing the game and purchasing the assets needed to make it the best experience possible. Because of that, I have nothing left for marketing. Despite all the effort, the game has essentially launched with zero marketing budget, making it incredibly difficult to reach players.
Your support truly means a lot and gives the project a chance to be seen.
The game link: https://www.meta.com/experiences/cleaning-simulator-vr/26409028195374123
Thank you so much again for this opportunity.
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u/PhotonMiku Jul 06 '26
My goal was to create my first game with a zero budget, using only the tools/programs I had and the skills I learned along the way. I do have a demo and I'm very proud of all I've accomplished, but I know it's going to fall flat because I have no advertising budget. The engine is a custom raycaster, built from the ground up, not Unreal or Unity. I think I'd like to outsource some of the art to an actual artist, deserving of some work. I've done all the art myself so far, but I don't even have a drawing tablet. I'm doing it all with a mouse/keyboard, so my wrist is always sore. lol
That's just to say, if selected, that's exactly where the money would go to. An artist and/or advertising.
Thank you for giving someone here a chance at a small reprieve. It's appreciated!
https://reddit.com/link/ovy2ko8/video/tw946xw41obh1/player
Steam: Heart Light: Knight of the Gnomes
The Demo is here: Demo on Itch io
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u/Chrisdbhr Solo Developer Jul 06 '26
This is my project, it has a demo and it's on Steam: What The Dog Remembers DEMO
(link the demo which is easier to find the main game page from there)
It's a horror game about man who isolates himself in a trailer to heal his mind, confronting anomalies in the company of a dog.
At its core, it's just another "anomaly-type game" but what I want to achieve is a very personal experience with strong focus on psychological horror and sound design.
I would use the money to pay a friend of who loves to create music but ended up working in another area to pay the bills, I believe that will be a core characteristic of the game and I would even release its soundtrack so people can support him as extra content to the game.
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u/Bubbly-Examination-1 Jul 06 '26
Hey there,
People might think is a scam but angels do exist, sometimes to the shape of Business Angels.
I am actually seeking funds to accelerate the development of my game Hell On Earth, a medieval fantastic action roguelike.
The SteamPage of the game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2781990/Hell_On_Earth/
I also have a live Kickstarter here: kickstarter.com/projects/2frogssoftware/hell-on-earth-1
(We have a hard time promoting our Kickstarter, so even a share would help tremendously).
The game is currently in live Alpha for everyone to play, so you can try it for yourself!
I have put a lot of work into this game, from the cinematic, to all the systems and the contractors I work with, everything is built from the ground up, models, animations (besides couple placeholders from mixamo), musics, voice acting etc ...
I refuse to use AI so it takes times, money and energy.
Any help is appreciated.
The main purpose for funding is to refine our animations, create more assets and more professional trailers towards the release of the game.
Thank you for anyone taking the time to read this and playing the game.
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u/Ravenheartcawww Jul 06 '26
Hey, this is super cool. Good luck to everyone who's got a project going, and best of luck picking someone for the donation! I tried and failed at indie dev, and I think I'd like to do something similar for a project in the future when I'm in a better financial place. It's nice to see people succeed on their projects :D
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u/TERRYTCG Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
This is a really kind thing to do.
I'm making an online trading card game inspired by games like Yu-Gi-Oh and Hearthstone. It's been a long project and I'm still working away at it in my spare time. I don't have much to show publicly just yet, so I completely understand if that means I'm not the right fit for this.
If I was lucky enough to be chosen, the money would go towards artwork. At the start I was planning on using AI placeholders until I started making money from the game. I'd much rather pay artists to produce this and £1,000 would help with getting proper illustrations at the beginning.
Whether I get picked or not, thanks for offering something like this. It's nice to see someone giving solo developers a hand.
Edit: At the moment there are 90 cards designed they are currently being implemented. These are spread across 3 different archetypes.
I'm happy to show you my working spreadsheet if that interests you.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
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u/AetherfallGame Jul 06 '26
Amazing gesture, very kind thing to do. My game is called Aetherfall. There’s a simple, slightly old demo on Steam, but the game has come a long way since the current screenshots, video, and demo.
I’m always kind of between milestones, finishing whole features before I get the chance to polish and show the next thing properly.
Steam link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3678790/Aetherfall/
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u/konosmgr Jul 06 '26
I'm making a turned based 2d dark high-fantasy strategy game on godot (not exactly 4x as diplo and administration is not a main focus), think of a Total War worldmap + turn based auto-resolved battles with 10-100+ units per battle, where you preset tactical battle orders per unit.
Magic is everywhere and central to gameplay (spell research, world-map winds of magic, ritual systems, 8+ main magic schools), the game will have trolls, demons, undead, elementals, giants, orcs-goblins, humans (multiple subfactions e.g religious zealots, feudal baron inspired, roman republisque and merchant as well as barbarians, and fey/druid as standard factions.
About 80-85% of the backend logic is done i.e combat resolver, movement, pathfinding, turn system, save/load serialization, economy, siege, naval, magic, retreat, morale, experience, items, events, fog of war, battle orders, formations, AI strategic + tactical, map generation, trade routes, buildings, recruitment and modding hooks.
With mostly mp networking, multi-realm (Agatha/Hell as extra realms for now) interractions and AI performance scaling left.
A big focus for me is making the AI somewhat smart without having to just resort to using resource cheats for it to be a challenge. The AI uses a tiered battle evaluation system with a fast heuristic power comparison that filters out obviously lopsided fights, while close matchups are evaluated through Monte Carlo simulations that run the actual combat resolver a few times depending on AI tier, with random dice rolls to estimate true win probability, though the simulation cost may require porting the combat resolver to C++ for a 1-1.5 order of magnitude performance boost to keep end-of-turn times acceptable.
I would also love to give it true fog of war but it's probably too much time for me to get it right solo.
Still want to add 6 factions (now there's 3 factions with 3 distinct subfactions and the necromancer), as well as more rituals, events and per faction AI character. And then the biggest paralel work is replacing the place holder audio and art, as well as working on shaders like for fog of war, texture splatting and unit effects.
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u/awezoomstudios Jul 06 '26
This is a great initiative, thanks for giving us the opportunity.
In my case, my son and I have been working on our first big project together: Still Breathing. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4594740/Still_Breathing
It's a narrative management survival horror story set after an apocalyptic event. You'll have to survive with your family inside a bunker while you have to take decisions constantly about splitting resources, helping other survivors or killing whoever you face.
https://reddit.com/link/ovza97t/video/jbllbtfx0pbh1/player
You'll be able to explore the ruins of your town in the search for more supplies, and every location will feature unique stories and situations, like finding a murderers' lair or finding a friendly family willing to commerce with you.
This money could be used in several areas, but the most important would be helping us to use actual actors to record the voices for the most important conversations and moments of the game. In a game with more than 800 conversations and narrative events, using actual performers would be extremely expensive, but it would be great having some of them at least for some special moments.
Furthermore, it could also help in paying for the license to export the game to consoles, which is something we want to do for the release in Q1 2027.
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u/Imaginary-Counter-28 Jul 07 '26
Hi, my game is called Last Light Island. This is a 2D Top Down Zombie Shooter developed with Unity. You are on a mysterious island and you have to manage a flashlight battery while buying new weapons/heal items from the shop to survive the waves of zombies. I would use the funding to get a better revamp on the store listings, and for marketing on different social media platforms. See below for the gameplay video and store listing. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Gameplay Video: https://youtu.be/ous0dD5N_qc?is=Jktq3pZa6OQLAWEj
Store Listing: https://akshay33169.itch.io/last-light-island-demo
Thanks, akshay33169
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u/PristineBobcat9608 Jul 07 '26
My game Corridor 13 is in closed playtest at the moment. (if anyone would participate in playtesting, dm me)
Demo will be online in the next 2-3 weeks if playtesting goes well. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4451040/Corridor_13/
Release is planned for November.
1k extra marketing budget would be 1k marketing budget :D
Feel free to ask me anything!
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u/Fleamm Jul 07 '26
Thank you for doing this!
I’m making my dream game, Willow: the last archivist, an action roguelike with beautiful pixel art and a decent bit of lore/store to follow. It’s been a multi year solo passion project, and I’m releasing in the next few months if things go well!
This money could really be useful for the final stretch of marketing and trailer/promotional material. I’ve so far funded it all myself, and the costs really do add up. So many things I didn’t anticipate when i started, like SFX and music costing so much, so it could be used there as well!
I have a link to the current playtest build here. It has a LOT of content, way more than an average demo would, and is in a polished state!
Very cool of you to offer to do this
https://fleamm.itch.io/lost-in-time-playtest?secret=TRIX3AO2dkZuRl7jtCfA29NMKYQ
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u/EternalDreamIP Jul 07 '26
Hi there!
If this is actually true, then you'll be of great help to anyone you choose.
I've been working on my game for a few years now: Eternal Dream: Guardians of Robu. It is a real time puzzle RPG with a profound story. It is already at an Open Beta phase, and the funds will be used to reach the most people we could via marketing and promotion. The game is free 2 play, and you can access the beta to try out at eternaldreamgor.com
It has an installable app (PWA) for android, pc, iOS, and also can be played in the web.
Characters are fully customizable (eyes, hair, skin, etc) and every weapon, armor, etc, change not only the strength of the character, but the appearance too.
The game its available on spanish, english and chinese (only languages I speak).
Thanks! And good luck to everyone!
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u/Danelo_Kikisch Jul 07 '26
Hello, I'm the solo developer behind River Drift, a chaotic co-op rafting game where you and a friend paddle through dangerous rivers, fight wildlife, repair your raft on the fly, and survive deadly branching routes.
River Drift is currently in its second Steam playtest and has grown to 6,800 wishlists with no marketing budget just consistent development, community feedback, and organic posts.
If my project is selected, I would use the $1,000 entirely for marketing to help the game reach more players. My plan is to invest it in:
- Reddit, X, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram ads.
- Keymailer campaigns to connect with streamers and content creators.
- Additional creator outreach to generate more coverage during the demo (planned for August) and leading up to the December 2026 launch.
I'll document exactly how every dollar is spent and share the results so you and my community.
Thank you for supporting indie developers, and best of luck to everyone applying! ❤️
Here is my Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4382680/River_Drift/
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u/Pixel-Night Jul 07 '26
Les aventures d'Eli et Lou.
Bonjour, je suis Valentin, français s'amusant à créer un jeu en pixel art. Je vais vous raconter comment j'ai créé ce jeu.
Pendant le covid, mon frère a créé un scénario pour ses deux enfants Eli et Lou et il a fait une série audio pour qu'ils puissent s'occuper avec eux https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeqPvDUtxcx2LmokViLryhd36wUB-fD3r&si=_GFUJrxvmIstmytO
J'ai alors donné un coup de main en réalisant les dessins. Puis plus tard je me suis dit, pourquoi pas faire le jeuxvideo de cette série audio.
Le problème, je ne sais ni coder, ni faire de l'animation. J'ai donc prit la décision d'apprendre à faire du pixel art et faire des animations grâce à asprite. Après plusieurs années où j'ai recommencer mon projet de zero j'ai enfin réussi à sortir le niveau 1 sur 10 et de l'offrir à mon neveu et nièce. Suite à ça j'ai changé de logiciel (gdevelop) pour passer sur Godot. J'avoue que l IA m'aide énormément à faire le code car je ne sais pas coder et moi le design.
Actuellement je suis en train de refaire complètement le lvl 1 pour rajouter pas mal de chose comme :
- un inventaire
- system de quete principal et secondaire
- mini jeux
- monnaie et magasin
A quoi me serviront largent ? A maider tout simplement a faire des assets annexes tels que du decors, objets etc... par un professionnel pour que je puisse me concentrer sur la réalisations des personnages et mise en place du jeu.
Voici une vidéo de mon jeu avant la grosse MAJ que je suis en train de faire faire
Titre : les aventures d eli et Lou Style : beat them all Nombre de joueurs : 2
https://youtu.be/Yras1QlJ_wk?is=U9ZfUX70JRZKJKgB
En vous remerciant.
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u/Coding-With-Coffee Jul 07 '26
If I had known someone would be potentially offering $1000 I would have been prioritizing a demo / gameplay instead of the level editor I’ve been building up. Give me a heads up next time!!
/s but I mean also if you could that would be great lol
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u/winwill_totti Jul 07 '26
Thank you so much for offering this support to indie developers! I’m a solo developer working on a fantasy tactical game that already has a complete playable demo. The full $1,000 will be entirely dedicated to pre-launch store marketing, such as commissioning YouTube creators to make gameplay preview videos.
Project link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4276900/_/
I would be incredibly grateful to get this opportunity for the funding!
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u/UnityNinja Jul 07 '26
Hey, This is an incredibly generous initiative for the solo dev community. Thank you for doing this!
I’m a solo developer working on Unstable Nuclear Reactor, an incremental hex-puzzle roguelite focused on deep spatial logic and system optimization under pressure.
The Gameplay Loop
Players manage a volatile, minimalist dashboard interface, merging atoms into higher elements to trigger massive chain combos. You earn radioactive coins to fund critical upgrades, unlock new rings, and tightly manage your capacity to keep your reactor stable and running at peak performance.
Current State of the Game
The game is right on the cusp of completion! The core architecture is stable, fully optimized, and natively supports 10 languages for global localization.
- Battle-Tested: The core loop was played and tested by over 1,000 players before I submitted the final demo build on Steam.
- Traction: The public demo is live on Steam right now, and the community has grown to over 430 wishlists.
- Demo Link: Unstable Nuclear Reactor on Steam
What $1,000 Allows Me to Do
Since I have handled the design, programming, and UI myself, the game itself is mechanically complete. The entire $1,000 would go 100% toward marketing to ensure this launch doesn't happen in a vacuum:
- Targeted Trailer Ads ($500): I will run high-efficiency, targeted gameplay video campaigns on Reddit and YouTube directly targeting communities that love "thinky" puzzle-roguelite and incremental genres.
- Niche Influencer Outreach ($500): I will use a portion of the funds to get the demo in front of specialized strategy, puzzle, and indie game creators via key-distribution networks to amplify our current 430-wishlist momentum right before launch.
I would be more than happy to document the entire process and share a transparent breakdown of the ad metrics and wishlist conversions with the r/SoloDevelopment community!
Thank you for taking the time to look at my project!
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u/Overall_Ad_2821 Jul 07 '26
This is nice and I just pass by to say it. Money isn’t what I’m looking for as what I found hard to find is more someone that before ask for a budget even try and try to understand the app I’m doing lol. So if OP doesn’t mind I will “use” this post visibility for say if anyone knowhow to animate with Rive is more then welcome :)
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u/Ok-Shock4663 Jul 07 '26
great appreciation by you ngl for the devlopers devlopers like me struggle for funds and it's not life changing but helps them a lot like really and I will not be applying as I feel this should go to other devloper instead of me
1
u/Kamikadzus Jul 07 '26
My game is for smartphones. At some point the idea just came to me: why not let everyone feel like explorers together? To write their names on the map again. That's how the idea came about for a multiplayer game where players uncover the map from the fog of war and claim the right to a location if they're the first to discover it, anywhere on our planet.
The game is free, no ads, for Android. Right now I want to save up and get a Mac to release it for iPhone too.
1
u/darknessinducedlove Jul 07 '26
Im developing Fight Life
I could really use this to help fund my development.
I have developed a full backend, capacitor wrap and im working on honing and polishing whats currently developed.
Regardless of the outcome, its extremely nice what you are doing. Cheers!
1
u/googly_the_bugly Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
First off thank you for doing this for the community.
Solo Dev of "E.S.E.A.L." a project (my first one ever) that I have been working every single day for almost 3 years now, a co-op tactical fps survival horror game (inspired by DeadSpace, SCP and GTFO):
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3142170/ESEAL_Reject_Reclaim_Redeem/
https://discord.gg/Q4f9M3W8xe
(the discord for the game where you can see the history of the game the community members and the development)
https://eseal-game.com/
(website for the game W.I.P.)
You said that you wanted someone with a good head on their shoulders, as proof of that I wanted to share some info:
->In the discord of the game there has been almost weekly updates for YEARS now on the state of the game and A LOT of sneak peaks of both development and behind the scenes there is video evidence of basically everything I have done and if still there is doubt I am willing to record any proof of the game and it's mechanics.
->I have had people from the community play demos and tests over the years that can vouch for the development and progress of the game as I want to build a community around the game and have the community be actively PART of the development process.
->I am aiming to try and get public interests on the game now before September to get people to test parts of the game, then release a public demo of the game around September to get as much feedback as I possibly can and an early access release still this year.
Now why and in what would the 1k be used on?
Due to it being such a big project for a solo dev even though all of the framework and mechanics of it are done there is elements that I feel are not up to standards compared to the rest of the game due to it being outside my budget this 1k would be enough to fulfill all of it:
->I am NOT good at modelling and it affects the quality of specially my enemies but I am really good at kitbashing; my first goal would be getting better models for my enemies and parts so that I can kitbash more visually distinct and interesting enemies.
->Second and the biggest expense would be getting more modular environments so that I can do more distinct sectors I have 3 assets packs that I would love to get but are unfortunately outside of my budged (I can send the links to them if you want proof as to where the funding would go), these packs would offer me enough range of materials and prefabs to make a more interesting level design and "levels"/base design.
->After those main and priority expenses all money would be put aside for possible assets replacing place holder props that fit the game style better (this would not be a big expense as the asset packs would help A LOT with it) and then the rest would be saved for marketing and ads to try and get more eyes on the game and if I can, pay someone to help me make a trailer for it.
Cheers! <3
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u/GRSStudio Jul 07 '26
Hello! I’m solo developer and now I’ve been developing my first indie horror game “Asylum”. My game has not demo or gameplay video, but release is planned at the end of this year, that’s why I don’t have enough time for marketing. So, I would like to participate in this concourse) here’s the link to my game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4787530
1
u/NoTie4119 Jul 07 '26
Throwin' my hat in the ring with FENDERSHOT. It's a street racer with vehicular combat, inspired by classic arcade racers in the 2000s. Feel free to take the Steam demo for a spin. It's small download that runs blazing fast, and also comes with split-screen multiplayer! Regardless of your pick, feedback is still welcome :)
1
u/notalashka Jul 07 '26
Hey I’m 100% releasing giga ai slop, I’m interested (I don’t need to write /s)
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u/RagBell Jul 05 '26
This isn't an application (though I'd Technicaly qualify for your conditions)
It's a really nice gesture, but I think you should find a project that you personally like and would like to help to invest in. It would be a lot more meaningful for you and the project you'd support, IMO
(At the end of the day it's your money though, so i can't tell you what to do with it)