itch.io

It seems to me that when many become drivers, they start to distance themselves from pedestrians, and when they become developers, they start to forget what it means to be a player (and a buyer of games).

I have been playing different games for over thirty years, and now the market is really oversaturated. But let's be honest - even among low-budget projects there are real masterpieces, and projects that were made by huge companies for years turn out to be a complete disappointment.

Personally, I have been playing a lot of indie visual novels in recent years, but it is impossible to give everyone a chance. And competent marketing will not help here. I know that now the opinion that people should do what they like is very popular, but this does not mean that others should like it too. Books or games, there is talent or not, but the lack of a broad outlook and basic education of game developers ... Cute ideas of cute kids will not replace minimal quality. People think that if they drew a line with a trembling hand, then this is already a picture that everyone should see, and even better, buy. And this is absurd. Artists draw thousands of strokes daily during training and still often remain mediocre. Our life is limited in time and it is definitely not worth wasting it on everything.

Last year, I watched hundreds of games on jams, but bought only four games on Steam. And I marked two more future ones. I deleted six games that took too long to develop from my wish list. I am no longer interested in these topics and similar projects have overtaken them.

I would also like to point out that many developers forget that Steam is not the most popular platform for sales by chance. It's just that in some countries you can only buy a game there. For example, I can't spend a single cent on itch.io for the simple reason that payment systems block our country. But Steam and GOG are quite accessible to me. And there are millions of us. The market really needs to be seriously studied. Marketing research is a science and a person who has the incentive can master it.

I am not writing all this to offend you in any way, because in the end I am your follower. It is just that perhaps you will be able to further adjust your future strategy if you feel like a player again.

This is a small but very cute game. It has completeness and its own style. I am very glad that it is finished and not one of the endless demos at jams. I do not know your plans, but I think that if you continue the idea of this universe, it will be a great way to grow and create new interesting and stylish games. Thank you for sharing your creativity!

A good game is the best gift for any holiday! I am very glad that this game continues to develop and I hope to play the full version with pleasure over time. Thank you for your work!

Thank you, now I understand the problem better and I appreciate your cooperation. And yes, the game works after blocking.

Comodo

Actually, I also have Windows 10. And after launching hundreds of games on Ren'Py, this is the first time.

If this helps, here are the firewall data for the connection

And the game froze for 10 minutes and never started after the connection was blocked.

Unfortunately, when the game starts, it tries to connect to the Internet. The firewall blocks it and after that it simply does not respond to Windows requests. It works if you allow the connection, but this does not suit me as a user. This is usually a problem with games on Unity. But this is not Unity. Why do you need this connection?

Thank you! This is a great New Year's gift!

Just finished playing the latest update and now I am absolutely sure that this game can make a player obsessed. The scenarios, the idea itself, the atmosphere, the images and the extraordinary music bring to mind thoughts that simply never came before... This is real art. Thank you for sharing your talent!

Of course it will be wonderful, I will personally make sure of it! 

As for my kindness, thank you. You make very touching games, and this is a sign of a sensitive nature. I can’t say that I am always reserved and kind (and some other developers know this too), but I don’t see any reason why not to support a good person. Take care of yourself and plan your own wonderful next year.

In my life and work, I have met several people who, by their terrible fate, taught me an important lesson - we must be able to stop in time. Before other people no longer know how to get rid of us or we become victims of a microstroke (or worse).

You develop games yourself and for free, so there is no need for explanations here.

As for Silver Shields, now that you yourself see the problem, I can say frankly - I did not see how this game could develop. The scope of the idea is very large and there was no sense of direction. Perhaps in the form of several separate stories, this project would have come to life. Having rested and switched over, you can still see a new perspective for this game or find the strength to simply put an end to it in time.

In any case, you have already made so many wonderful games. Just a couple of weeks ago, I happily replayed Untouched by the Frost and this game perfectly helps with the too short days and winter blues. Therefore, I believe that you will still accumulate ideas and inspiration for new wonderful stories. And it does not matter how many years it may take. Just close the door and gather your strength and move forward.

Sea and romance, mermaids and dangers - what else could you ask for? I really hope that this development will continue and the game will eventually appear on Steam.  The world building, art and atmosphere captured me completely. Thank you for sharing your creativity!

I agree with you about the reasons for the success of indie games and the reasons for the suspension of development. But I also see another side to this. Previously, young people wrote poetry and drew in their albums, now they create visual novels that everyone can see. This is a wonderful dynamic in my opinion. It has simply become more noticeable how many people have urges to do this in order to splash out their emotional impressions from learning about the surrounding and inner world. Well, as the French writer Jules Renard said: talent is not in writing one page, but in writing a thousand pages. Let's be honest - many of these works would not have been finished even with universal approval. Even genuine talents usually have clear boundaries. And simply the manifestation of abilities under the influence of emotions even more so. Although I do not apply this to you, otherwise I would not have written so much)) So do not waste more time on this discussion and go create!

Well, I'm glad it helps you in some way. Although I must admit that some developers here remember me from a much more critical side. I just can't help but smile remembering their reaction...))) The ability to accept criticism is a sign of a mature mind, but what can you do... Some people were born geniuses (Their mother told them so and other developers, whom they also praise). 

Jokes aside, I'm just a long-time gamer and haven't lost my enthusiasm over the years. For me, games are the Art. And I know that new talents will come and bring something new. Therefore, despite the fact that I tell myself to play only large finished projects, in the end I still go to jams and try new products that interest me without much hope for their completion. As for your game, I was pleasantly surprised by your enthusiasm - new updates were released right during the jam and it is noticeable that you put a lot of yourself into this brainchild of yours. I will be very happy to see the final development in time and I hope that you will take care of yourself so as not to burn out on this difficult road of creation.

Nice pictures! You work very fast. I like how your imagination works and I am watching this development with pleasure. Thank you for sharing your creativity! 

I can't tell you how excited I am for this game! The world building, characterization, art, music, atmosphere captured me completely. Thank you for sharing your creativity!

This is such a dangerous game in its sweetness)) I really want to see it finished

Great news! They are all interesting in their own way and I want to know more about them)

It was a pleasure to meet all the boys in one game at once! I am really looking forward to the development of the main game and the continuation of Oliver's story. Thanks for your hard work and good luck!

The second year is an interesting game. Thank you for your creativity!

Please check the latest version for Windows. It does not work. Error description:

While running game code:

  File "renpy/common/00start.rpy", line 288, in script

    python:

ScriptError: could not find label 'start'.

This game is totally underrated! I've played it more than once and everything about it is great - the plot and atmosphere, interesting characters and the background of the relationships. Thank you for sharing your creativity!

I will definitely do this! The game is fresh and interesting. I also hope that eventually it will be on Steam.

I really liked the atmosphere of the game and the choices available.  Thank you for sharing your creativity!

I liked the well-maintained style and dynamics of the game. This game has its own special atmosphere and I look forward to a new update to feel it again. Thanks for your hard work and good luck!

I can't tell you how excited I am for this game! The world building, characterization, art, music, atmosphere captured me completely. Thank you for sharing your creativity!

This game has become one of my favorites in the collection of short games. It is perfect in its brevity.

It was really funny! Although it is still difficult for me to understand where the different paths will lead in the end, but this is even more interesting) Thanks for sharing your creativity!

It was scary, funny and cute at the same time)) I hope for a new story about Jake and Jonathan in the future. Thanks for sharing your creativity!

I just finished the game and had a lot of fun! I love the artwork in this VN and the unobtrusive music really adds to it. To tell the truth, Alex had such a gentle face that he simply left me no choice and I started with him)) Although I secretly hoped that the mystery could be left unsolved and the verdict left - suicide. But this Koleth also left me no choice. At the same time, I really liked that MC can bring his subjectivity to the point of absurdity (as well as each of us). This gave the game a special liveliness. Thank you very much for the wonderful game!

I spent a very interesting evening in the company of lovely monsters. I love the artwork in this VN and the unobtrusive music nd voicing really adds to it. I admit that I am not a fan of Lovecraft, but Mikel... Maybe I will warm up to this topic)) Thank you very much for the wonderful game! 

The game is already very good, but of course I miss the CGs... I'll be happy to play it again when everything is ready) Thank you for sharing your creativity!

It was very lovely and atmospheric. Don't be shy and share your creativity with us again and again ;-)

You are doing great! You have something to tell and express to others and it is wonderful. It is difficult for me to express it in English, but in your stories there is some urban glimmer that shines through all the fairy tales of games even in ''Wolf in the Woods''. And it is intriguing. Maybe it is just a mature view of old stories. Anyway, I wish you strength and patience to express it in a long game one day.

I am very glad that you, like seraten04, make your own solo games. Although I adore games from Hyakuten Games, it is still interesting to learn about your individual approaches to creativity. This game is very organic in its laconism. Although I would like to know Paul's wish...))

I wanted to let you know that something is wrong with your posts. I am your follower, but none of them are showing up in my Feed. I specifically go to your page to see the changes... Maybe this is a problem with your followers, so the posts are left without any reaction.

This is the best dramatic game ever. I really hope to see the ending of any of the routes. Thanks for sharing your creativity!