i implemented an in-game camera system that allows you capture beautiful moments in my immersive maze game called Go North.

it also recognises objects in the frame to allow for some fun picture-taking side quests.

When taking my game into the wild and obvserving players, I did my due diligence.

I paid attention to how the battle system didn't flow quite right, I found people experience bugs and other little issues...

I got around to adressing most of these for the next update of my Steam-Demo, but all this time the flame that burnt the brightest in me was about finally getting around to all the little details I picked up from observing players.

Especially children, they just try anything for a tiny bit of joy, like jumping on the beds or hitting the chickens. Adding these small details is not part of creating a MVP.

But it is ultimately the jelly that shapes an interactive experience into something memorable.

This is the belief that made me abandon the UX field: Human experiences should not be centered around the most efficient path from point A to point B, just how you can't win at singing by being the fastest.

I can't convince the world to adopt that viewpoint, but I will always carve some time out of my busy development process to add a little nonsense to the experiences I craft.

If you are curious about my project, you can find it here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3218310/Mazestalker_The_Veil_of_Silenos/

It looks a bit dark since it’s evening in-game! 😅

Hey everyone,

I'm a solo developer and wanted to share a bit of my story.

For the past 9 months, I've been working almost entirely alone on my psychological horror game "Overcome Your Fears" in all my spare time. The only help I get is with ambient sounds for the game.

This is also my first major project - I basically learned the engine from scratch while developing the game. I had some basic C# knowledge from school, but everything else I had to figure out from zero.

The game is now in its final development stage, and just a few days ago I managed to hit the 1.000 wishlist milestone. That's a huge number for me - just imagine 1.000 people in one place lol :D

I'm incredibly excited that this is actually happening. In exactly one month, I'll be participating in Steam Next Fest and showcasing my demo there.

I'd love to chat with you all, whether you're a developer or just a gamer! Feel free to ask me anything and I'll be happy to answer!

TL;DR: Solo dev here -> 9 months working on my first major project alone -> Just hit 1.000 wishlist milestone -> i'm happy af xD

Here's the Steam page if you want to check out the game!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2065400/Cloud_Keeper_Shrine_of_Dal/

Hey fellow solo devs! I've been working solo for about three months on a cozy aquarium simulation game. The core loop is raising fish in your aquariums, breeding them, and designing the tanks. On top of that, the second main mechanic is fishing in the lake.

The goal is to discover every fish species and eventually find the mysterious one that the main character’s father always dreamed of raising.

Since I'm working alone, I’d really love your input on fun, lighthearted activities the character could do throughout the day. I'm aiming to add little extra mechanics that keep players entertained without being frustrating or overwhelming. Feel free to suggest crazy or out-there ideas too!

The game is called The Aquarium, and if it sparks your interest, wishlisting it on Steam would mean a lot! 💙

The part you see at the beginning of the video is the feature I called 'MVP Card' in my 2.5D Roguelike RPG called Rogue's Odyssey. In the game, most UI animations share this similar motion style, very bouncy bouncy (I don't even know if that's the word for it lmao).

It's quite a short video because I cropped it from another video, but it should give you an idea. What do you guys think of this? Does it look polished enough? Or what should I do to improve it even more?

And in case you're interested in our demo, feel free to drop by us at ❤️

Discord🔗 https://discord.gg/Wz256uFVvx
Steam🔗 https://store.steampowered.com/app/3792120/Rogues_Odyssey/

Much appreciated!

PS: About the feature, what it does is, basically, you hunt down bosses, this window pops up, and then you imprint the boss card to give your skills enhanced ability, like 'casting firebolt on critical hit' or something.

PS2: You may also be aware that the sounds and images are placeholders UwU

Hallo! Thought I'd share some GIFs of my game. It's a surrealist comedy point & click adventure.
The demo's out if you'd like to give it a try, it's on PC, Mac & Linux and works well on Steam Deck. Recently added a Simplified Chinese translation.
Here's the link if this is your thang. ❤️

About two months ago I posted a screenshot of my game Tegula on this subreddit asking for feedback on the visuals. I got some answers with valid criticisms/suggestions so I worked on addressing these and in general polishing the visual aspect a bit more.

Here are the main changes I implemented as a result: - More subtle hex-grid boundaries - Replaced tile symbols with geometric pattern - Increased building/unit sizes across the board - Changed camera Fov to be a bit closer to parallel projection - Implemented normal mapping and fresnel effect (not very obvious in this screenshot) - Tweaked fog of war appearance

What do you think, is this a step in the right direction? Does this look more professiona, or still quite hobbyist to you? What further improvements/feaurres could make a big difference? Thanks for any feedback 🙂

Hey everyone,

My name’s Guillaume, and I’m a solo indie developer from Switzerland currently working on a project I’ve been dreaming about for years: ZEROPUNK.

ZEROPUNK is an ambitious open-world game set in a futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired megacity. I’m developing everything entirely solo — from the environments, to the systems, to the overall vision — and my main goal is to create a world that feels truly alive, not just visually but also in the way it reacts to the player.

Here’s what I’m building: • 🌃 A living city → not just a backdrop, but a place with day/night cycles, weather systems, and AI-driven citizens. I want NPCs to actually have routines: going to work, driving vehicles, hanging out in bars, arguing in the streets, and reacting naturally to what happens around them. • 🚗 Vehicles on the ground and in the air → from cars and bikes to flying ships. You’ll be able to drive through the neon-lit streets or rise above them into the skyline. • 🕹️ Singleplayer mode → a narrative-driven experience where you explore the city, meet characters, and uncover the hidden stories buried within its districts. • 🌐 Multiplayer mode → PvE and PvP systems, factions fighting for control, a player-driven economy, and deep character and vehicle customization. • 🎭 Immersion as a priority → cinematic atmosphere, ambient sounds, glowing lights reflecting on wet asphalt, and a feeling that you’re walking in a real, breathing city.

What I’m aiming for is a balance between storytelling and sandbox freedom. On one side, you’ll have a structured path with missions, choices, and consequences. On the other side, you’ll be able to just wander the city freely, discovering hidden corners, underground clubs, rooftop markets, or just sit and watch the city life unfold around you.

As a solo dev, it’s definitely a challenge to bring this vision to life — but it’s also what makes the journey exciting. I’m taking it one step at a time: experimenting with AI behaviors, testing vehicle physics, designing modular city blocks, and always looking for ways to push the immersion further.

I’d really love to hear feedback from the community: • Which features stand out to you the most? • What would make this world feel truly alive for you as a player? • From your own dev experience, what advice would you give someone trying to balance ambition with realism in a solo project?

Thanks a lot for reading this long introduction 🙏 I’m excited to share more about ZEROPUNK as it grows, and I’m even more excited to hear your thoughts and ideas.

— Guillaume

I've released a prototype for my game "Smash Bones."

If you're interested, feel free to check it out and leave your feedback.

Link: https://misteryjay.itch.io/smash-bones

"Hi everyone! Here are some new screenshots from the game I previously shared: Logistics Simulator: America. The Steam page is still pending approval, and I’ll share it once it goes live. In the meantime, feel free to join our Discord to follow the project, share your ideas, and connect with the community."

Discord: https://discord.gg/GX7R62uK
Contact e-mail: [kilichamza77@gmail.com]()

Rubble Eats The World. There's a demo if you want to check it out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3752210/Rubble_Eats_The_World/

With some basic UI in place, combat now works. It might not be pretty and there's lots to be done but with all the "make it exist first" posts around, just wanted to share some of my work with you. Thank you for stopping by!

I’ve been experimenting with different math/logic puzzle concepts and ended up releasing three small Android games.
Each one is quick to play, but tricky to master:

1. MathCrossProf – a number crossword
   • numbers and operations cross like words,
   • remaining time = points,
   • global leaderboard,
   • new puzzle every time.
   • https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mathcrossword
2. Make Number – a target-number challenge
   • start from target = 1 and use numbers/operations in a row or column to hit it,
   • succeed → target increases,
   • fail → back to 1,
   • short 1–3 min rounds.
   • https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.makenumber
3. MirrorQuarters – a visual logic puzzle
   • complete the whole square from just one mirrored quarter,
   • requires pattern recognition + logic,
   • increasing difficulty.
   • https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mirrorquarters

👉 My question to you:
Which of these puzzle types do you think has the best chance of catching on with casual mobile players?
Do you prefer the crossword style, the target-number gameplay, or the visual logic twist?

Would love to hear your thoughts – and if you try one, feedback is super welcome 🙏

So I'm making a daughter-raising game where you raise the stats of the player and their daughter. My question is, should the opening stats have some amount just to indicate experience and keep the immersion, or is it okay to have all stats at 0?

Originally, I was going to put all but a few stats at 0, but then I wondered if it would be too immersion-breaking. Thoughts?

I’ve been stuck in the planning stage for a while, just thinking about the game I want to make. To push myself forward, I’m starting this weekly devlog series.

The plan: write a devlog every week (Week 0 to Week 15) while building my game, and release it on Steam at the end of the journey.

I’ll share progress, struggles, and lessons learned along the way. Hopefully, this will keep me accountable and maybe inspire others too.

Thanks for reading, and see you next week for Week 1!

Hello, as a solo developer I had stopped making games a while ago because they didn’t gain much interest. I switched to software development, trying to create something unique. After a couple of unfinished projects (still working on them), I finally built something that gained real attention in a small VR niche community.

I put it up on itch.io for $15, and in 2 weeks I’ve made 22 sales. Not a huge number, but it surprised me since it started as something I made just for myself, and then a lot of people started asking me to release it. I worked really hard on it for the past 2 months, and now it’s out.

Here’s my dilemma:

• I already have a Steam page (paid the $100 fee), but I never used it because my previous games didn’t get traction.
• Now I’m wondering if I should release this VR app on Steam too.
• On itch.io I made ~$200 in 2 weeks, which feels like a good sign, but I know Steam is much bigger.

Do you think it’s worth putting a niche product like this on Steam? Or should I wait until I have something more “broad appeal” to sell?