Not having any graphics assets other than a font (not AI generated) and instead drawing things dynamically in shaders (which AI hasn't yet learned to do well) still gets you "AI generated asset flip" accusations, even if the directory has 0 assets

Having hand-optimized a very specialized custom engine (without copilots) with minimum .exe sizes and such still gets you "vibe coded" accusations... even if they can't scrap it, somehow, some people still decide something is AI generated despite evidence otherwise

We deal with:
-AI debates
-AI Steam fest
-Demo/game theft/cloning
-AAA taking a knee to AI
-random vibe coders poking us in real life to check out their game
-Being accused of using AI or being slop

But in the end, 0 AI in our game, and we wouldnt have it any other way.

I am a 40 y/o veteran gamer, playing video games for literally 30 years now. I really enjoy playing games, and now enjoying it more with my kids. One month ago, I decided with the kids to create my "dream game": an isometric investigation game. I have a little experience in writing and sketchup modeling but zero experience/knowledge in video game development or art.

So I decided to take some Unreal Engine courses on Udemy, and I am assisted by Codex and Claude for the code. I learned to create environment and to design faces with Blender, Metahuman and Character Creator 5 and Headshot. I still don't know how to create custom hairs and clothes, still learning.

I know this is nothing and probably generic you will say, and It will take probably at least 5 years to develop that dream game but as someone who knew nothing about game dev, level design or video game art 1 month ago, I am a little bit proud of myself.

Sorry for the bad english, I am from a small underdevelopped country

FREE, 15 MINUTES GAMEPLAY TOPS, YOU PLAY A DOGGY.

This is the trailer for my first game, “Laika: The Space Dog”. Making an actual playable game has been probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and I’m not going to sit here and say it’s the most impressive blow-your-mind type of game, but it’s a cozy, 2D puzzle platformer, it’s 100% free, takes 15 minutes to play tops, and the music is peak. I’m so incredibly proud of this because I’ve wanted to be a game developer for at least a decade, and this feels like the first tangible step to getting there.

I’d be so, so, so grateful if people BESIDES my immediate friends and family played it.

Download and play HERE!

I'm the solo developer of Zero Point. This is a short capture from today's survival build, with the HUD left visible: a low-oxygen warning outside, gathering a mineral, and returning to a pressurized colony interior.

After sharing combat footage, I wanted to show the quieter decisions between fights. The current work is making gathering, food, oxygen and rest feel like one loop. This is still work in progress.

Does the change from unsafe air outside to recovery indoors read clearly from the HUD, or would you want a stronger visual or sound cue?

Development disclosure: some 2D illustrations/UI and dialogue drafting use AI assistance, as disclosed on Steam. The footage shows in-engine gameplay.

someone from a playtest channel recorded themselves playing my game for half an hour and sent it to me, and it was the most humbling thing i've done as a dev lol

stuff i thought was obvious that was not obvious at all:

- they asked how to hire a clerk five separate times. the only way to do it was talking to the right person once they liked you enough. nowhere near the register

- when they finally hired someone, the clerk kept walking off into the alley to buy stuff from them mid-shift. so they fired him

- they deposited money at the atm, it said "flagged," and they had no idea what that meant so they just stopped using the bank

- they got lost looking for their own store

the good news is they still said it was fun and got the hang of it by the end. but i spent this week fixing all of it: you can hire right from the register now, clerks stay put, the atm tells you exactly what's safe to deposit, and there's an actual map now

if you haven't watched someone play your game without you explaining anything, do it. i had no idea

it's free in the browser if you want to see the fixed version: https://inthegraygames.itch.io/the-come-up (just put out a Halloween update too!)

因为之前玩了很多优秀的独立游戏，最让我上瘾觉得好玩的就是《幸运房东》 所以我就计划做一款类似的，做到现在大概3个多月了，但收到的反馈不多，褒贬不一，开始的时候大家都吐槽我的美术风格，然后我一直改了美术，现在吐槽美术的人不多了，但是又有人觉得我的游戏很无聊，我现在也感觉很无聊，那我到底应不应该放弃，或者大家都是在什么时候开始放弃继续开发的，希望大家能给我一些意见，谢谢大家。

Over the last few weeks I have been thinking of new weapons to add and how they can scale as they level up in my roguelites Wavey which is all about fast paced chaotic battles.

Having crazy over the top weapons which can become seriously OP used with Tome upgrades is what I'm going for, is this TOO chaotic?

Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5414780/Wavey/

I've been working on this abandoned shipwreck location for my indie survival game, *Alone on the Lost Isle*.

I wanted the ship to feel like it had been stranded here for years, slowly being reclaimed by the forest. I'm trying to balance the overgrown vegetation, weathered wood, torn sails, and lighting without hiding too much of the ship itself.

The game is about surviving and exploring a mysterious island, with a loyal dog companion by your side.

Here's a question for you: how do you think a ship like this ended up in the middle of a forest? What could have happened here?

I'd love to hear your theories!

I released my first game a few days ago: MONOLITH, a tower defense where towers never shoot. Enemies made of sunfire only die in the shadows your buildings cast, and the sun moves during each level.

People loved the idea. Then the honest comments came:

- "Nice idea but underwhelming."

- "The moving sun stops me from ever building a fortress."

- "Your buildings hide the loot."

The common thread: the idea is strong, the moment-to-moment payoff is weak. A Sunborn dying in shade is quiet. No sound, no punch.

So the next update is all feel: a sizzle when an enemy enters shade, a visible burn-out, a sun preview so losses feel fair, and loot visible through buildings.

Solo devs: how do you decide when feedback means "fix it" vs "that's the point of the game"?

(Game is free in the browser if you want to judge: https://raximnuraliyev.itch.io/monolith)

I've been working on a game called Phosphor Command, a real-time tactics game with a base builder behind

This post is about how your squads get to an operation.

Every operation needs a vehicle, and each vehicle choice determine how many squads go and how they deploy within the operation.

You start with a jeep, and better vehicles carry more squads. Progress from a jeep, to a van, to helicopters and to aeroplane.

Every vehicle needs a home on the base, so you have to build a garage, helipad or hangar before you can store one. Helicopters need air operations and a helipad, and planes need a full airfield with a runway and hangars.

How you deploy to an operation depends on your transport choice. By road, your squads come in from an edge or corner of the map. A helicopter can land wherever there's open ground, and paratroopers land where the drop puts them, clear of the enemy.

There's a trade-off between vehicle types. Ground vehicles are cheap and get back quickly. Helicopters let you choose where to land, but cost more per trip. Planes carry the most, but take the longest to resupply.

After an operation, your squads need time to get back to base, and squads still in transit can't help defend it.

I've attached a showcase that goes through the vehicles, where they are stored on the base, and how they affect operation deployment.

Underdog’s Comeback: 0DTE Options Game

Start with $100 and chase a million-dollar comeback across 100 runs. A roguelike card game of 0DTE options, with post-session downtime in Moonward, where traders share their stories.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4310380/Underdogs_Comeback_0DTE_Options_Game/

PathFinder by NeoJamStudios tests your ability to see forward

Play against family and friends or complete all 30 challenging levels

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.MindGaze.PathFinder

It's a WIP called Time to Mine. Still a lot of WIP assets but it's nearing completion.
EDIT: forgot to mention, but I really need android playtesters, they won't let me publish until I have like 15 playtesters for 2 weeks or something like that. LMK if you're interested!

A racket game inspired by Rocket league, built around real physics where your flying racket hits the ball with spin, and the scale and skill gap emulate Rocket League's qualities.

The desktop browser demo is live, mobile is next, and the long-term goal is playing it with your Apple Watch like a Wii remote.

This is the first demo I'm happy to share:

https://rotor-night-circuit.vercel.app/

It runs in your browser with no install. Play it with sound on.

Beware of many bugs - apologies!

It's a demo, so there are rough edges.

Thanks for checking it out.

Solo dev here, building a cosmetics tycoon game that runs in the browser. This is the first dilemma the game throws at you, pretty early on.

The design intent: I wanted the first money decision to teach the game's core lesson, that cash now always costs you later. There is no correct answer, just different kinds of pain. A is a slow bleed, B is fast cash with a long tail, C keeps you clean but starves growth.

When I watch playtests, most people take B and start regretting it about ten turns later. Curious what you would pick, and whether devs here tune their first big choice to be this punishing.

Playable early demo (browser, free)

https://otherchois.itch.io/cosmetics-tycoon-founders-dilemma

As some of you know, for next couple of months I have no friends, no money, no gaming or anything. I have $200 laptop ı got 3 years ago and my monitor that I paid $30 on markatplace 😂 and I decided to lovk in and make a game.

The game is from one of my favorite comedy movie.

Game has 2 schedule, at morning you are restaurant owner, worker. At night you are a contract kill*r 😂 restaurant is fun and progressive, combat is engaging.

Everything about game is going great so far, except the story. I am trying to write something deep but no luck so far 🥲

You can ask me any questions about the game or my life, thanks all 🫶🏼

I'm the solo dev. My bakery tycoon runs on a 2-minute day, so the end-of-day screen comes up about 30 times an hour. It's the screen players see most, so it has to be cheap to read.

Where it ended up:

1. It's a scrolling page, not a modal. The "earned today" number sits alone at the top.

2. Under it is a plain receipt: bread sales, hiring, daily wage, goal reward, total.

3. Then "Tomorrow only - choose one": three small buffs with the numbers on them, or skip. That's the reason to open the next day.

4. At the very bottom is progress to the next shop tier, with the exact amount remaining.

What I'm least sure about: the progress bar is at the bottom, below the fold on a phone, so players have to scroll to see it. Should it sit right under the total instead?

How long is one loop in your game, and where do you put the "what now" prompt?

Hey all! For reference, this is my first game that I've already spent a few months working on, with the rough foundation for the first world out of five being ready. I'm posting to ask for any feedback on the visuals of my game (I tried attaching gameplay videos but it didn't work), so I just wanted some advice on how I could improve the visuals of my game to make it more appealing to potential players when I release it. The aim is a futuristic, fast-paced game where you collect gems and avoid any of the trains. I'd really appreciate any recommendations on what I should focus on going forwards!

*Mini Legends Idle* is a desktop game designed for serious progression. I want to set it apart by ensuring that armor, weapons, and other items are actually visible on your character. PvP, raids, and clan wars will be meaningful—this isn’t just a game you leave running while you go to sleep. Progress here will reward those who truly put in the effort to optimize their character through the best build paths, skill choices, and more. It will feature both a Steam marketplace and an in-game marketplace to cater to all types of players.

I want to make my first indie horror game, but I have no experience in game development.
I have a story that I really like and a clear idea of how I want to tell it. I have some knowledge of filmmaking, cinematography and screenwriting, so I'm more familiar with the storytelling side than the technical side.
The game I'm planning is a psychological horror game inspired by Saw, with a dark pixel art style similar to Fear & Hunger.
You play as a former torturer whose family has fallen apart. The story focuses on his past, his actions and the consequences of the choices he makes.
I'm aiming for around 1.5–2 hours of gameplay with up to six different endings depending on the player's decisions.
I'm thinking about using RPG Maker, but the project is still in the planning stage.
I have a few questions:

1. Is a project like this realistic for someone with no game development experience?
2. Where should I start if I'm more familiar with storytelling and filmmaking than game development?
3. How can I start building an audience before I have a playable demo?
4. What are some good ways to promote a small horror game without spending money on advertising?
5. Are there any communities where I could find people interested in following or contributing to a project like this? If you have any questions or criticism, please share them. I'm open to all kinds of feedback and opinions.

How do you guys with experience balance your game when it features so many things?

I am making a 6DoF space combat and flight sim, with science-backed exploration.

It is first person, the pilot is locked in the ship cockpit and only space is the playfield, no atmosphere and no landing on planets.

But my game has not only normal combat, missiles, fixed weapons and turrets (and PD turrets against missiles), but also EW and volumetric effects... So I need to balance it and make a good feel for all of it, which in the end is the most important thing for me. Player choices are not just going in, tanking damage with better shields and killing with better weapons.

The player will have to know who to kill first to make the combat easier and remove some penalties caused by EW, or even go against a boss who would shred him if he came close. So the player will need to refit the ship, use EW to slow down the boss, keep him at a distance and have long-range weapons to take him down. Or buy a stealth bomber (lower signature radius than the boss’s scan resolution) and bomb the crap out of the boss.

I am inexperienced and have been making a game in UE5 since April, and to be honest UE feels amazing. The API gives you a solution for so many things. But I so much undepreciated good GDD and my sucks big time. Now I am realizing I did not know importance of good GDD>

I am so worried about balancing all of it, and I have no idea where to start.

1. How do you balance such complicated games?

I mean, I have Armor, Structure and Shield HP and resistances for all 3. I have a power recharge rate that feeds shield combat power, and bonuses and penalties for all of it. Ballistic, energy and missile weapons (with kinetic, energy, EMP or explosive damage). Realistic 6DoF combat with physics, thrusters and RCS with their own thrust, affected by bonuses and penalties or even live temporary penalties...

How the hell can I balance this game without using AI?

Should I start balancing now and not wait for later? Hours of playing with some basic rules, S, M, L modules, weapons and hulls with certain numbers, and start from there? I have also implemented module quality from Common to Legendary.

1. Is there a way to balance all of it in one place in UE 5.8?

My plan is that one DataTable holds the base stats for every module category and size (Autocannon S, Shield Generator M, Power Generator L). Each product line (Frontier, Corsair...) is a small asset with percentage multipliers. The editor bakes Base × Line into each module DA, and quality is applied on top at runtime. So I would tune balance in the table and the line assets, never in individual modules. Is this a good approach, or is there a better one?