Indie Devs Struggle with Game Management
Independent game developers are building tools to manage their own game libraries, track progress, and facilitate multiplayer experiences. They face challenges balancing development with personal commitments and desire alternatives to existing, often proprietary, solutions. These projects often start as personal solutions and evolve into shared resources.
SOURCES (60)
“Recently released a free to play Steam game. The Lifetime Total Units is at ~7K. But I only have ~120 unique users. Is this all bots that automatically grab free games? submitted by /u/ledniv [link] [comments]”
“Hi, all! I'm creating a game where users will be able to create and publish their own levels in-game. I've been doing some research about what technologies I could use for this, but since Unity's UGC was discontinued, I failing to find obvious choices. What would you suggest for me? Here are some requirements: - It's made with Unity - It'll be hosted on Steam - User generated content will be linked to the player - Others will be able to just pick a level from an in-game list,”
“Here is the alpha test video submitted by /u/Hot-Adeptness8110 [link] [comments]”
“I hope the atmosphere in my game works super well, worked very hard on it. here's a few gifs of how chapter two is going so far. if you want to try the demo here's a link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4106800/Project_Titan_The_Redacted_Files/ submitted by /u/F117lionhart [link] [comments]”
“I'm very new to coding so trying to focus mostly on the art and writing side of things, so as to not overwhelm myself early on. Making progress! submitted by /u/Whatacoolkid- [link] [comments]”
Too much logging in console. Impressive stuff otherwise.
“Due to poor planning I was pretty late to pay my Steam Direct fee, so I ended up releasing my game in browser for the time being. I'd like to participate in the October Next Fest, and from what I've heard it's a good idea to have your demo launched 1-2 months before the start of next fest. Since I'm basically sitting on a near-finished demo in the meantime, I've released my game early on browser to try to get it play tested and keep momentum going before the Steam release. Wa”
“Nice idea! Maybe I'll add something like a code that you can copy paste and get that person cursor, like how counterstrike crosshair works. For now in your plugin folder there is a data.json that stores all your settings regarding that plugin”
Hey everyone, About a year ago, I posted here about how our game was practically stolen by the publisher. You can read the original post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/1m1h7r8/8_years_in_the_making_zero_profits_and_lost_ip/ Long story short, we've been…
“I'm new to game development. I've always said when I make games I want them to be highly moddable most of the time, but I realized I haven't considered what I would need to be actively doing or not doing throughout the production process to make mods as viable as possible. Is it more or less just building the code to be modular? Are there design choices I would need to consider? submitted by /u/ParkityParkPark [link] [comments]”
“This is my first game project, and I'd really appreciate some honest feedback. Do you think a game like this is worth finishing and releasing on Steam, or would it be better to move on to a new idea? I'm making a card game that supports single-player and multiplayer (4 players). It features three classic game modes: Blackjack (21), Poker, and Durak (the classic Eastern European card game). The main twist is that players can "cheat" by using different random abilities, and each”
“Hey fellow devs, I have been working on the Multiplayer for my DAW game and I have managed to make a quick session today where I tested 3-way multiplatform connectivity: 2x Android, 1x PC. I am quite happy with the current state and how reliable the transport is...but adding MP component to already complex real time audio synthesis system was not the smartest decision:D Youtube submitted by /u/Emotional-Kale7272 [link] [comments]”
“Game name : Hunt Cook Repeat Link : https://hor-yang-kai.itch.io/huntcookrepeat Feel free to give feedback and remind u that this game is very short to complete entire gameplay loop. submitted by /u/fagmaggo [link] [comments]”
“Started this project as a small experiment and ended up learning so much about mobile game development. A Perfect Dodge is a challenging Bullet Hell game focused on reflexes, precision, and surviving increasingly difficult enemy patterns. Made completely by me in 2 months. Available on Google Play I’m still improving it and would love to hear your honest feedback. What feels good? What needs work? Thanks for playing! submitted by /u/RaftenmG [link] [comments]”
“This is the shop for our 4 player local co-op game. But currently it's insanely confusing and ugly... But I can't really tell why... It would be immensely helpful to hear some second opinions and feedback. Thanks in advance! submitted by /u/Present-Progress-272 [link] [comments]”
“What do I do when I get an idea for another game while I’m currently working on one, and I really want to start working on the new idea instead? submitted by /u/WizardFinger76 [link] [comments]”
“Since I don't have a trailer yet these gifs are the only way people can see my actual game in progress at the moment. I do plan to add one later but I don't have the time to make it on my own and I don't have the funding to pay somebody else to do it at the moment. As such it is very important to me that the gifs portray the gameplay clearly. Thanks in advance for your time!! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2514420/Idle\_Isekai\_\_An\_idle\_RPG?utm\_source=redit submitted by”
“What do you think of my pixel-art bone knight design for the game? I'm open to your feedback. submitted by /u/Significant_Emu2351 [link] [comments]”
“Just cleared Steam review! would love feedback on the trailer of my first game Mutant Tide before launch. Cursed shrines that trade your blood for power and then physically run away from you, sealed cave arenas, elemental weapon evolutions. Things I wish I knew before submitting for review cycles, - Valve tests controller support hard. - The Steam Overlay doesn't take window focus, so pause on focus loss doesn't catch it. You need the actual Steamworks overlay callback. - Your library ca”
“OK, so I had an idea of game, and I made it. It was a simple web based game which i thought would perform good so i made it. And I launched few days ago, and i wanted someone to give real feedback, so i called by sister to play this but i didnt told her that this was made by me, we played it, most of time she was winning. Idk how, i should have won cause literally i made this game. And she told its fun too which made me really happy, she also had some problem while playing which i noted down and”
“OK, so I had an idea of game, and I made it. It was a simple web based game which i thought would perform good so i made it. And I launched few days ago, and i wanted someone to give real feedback, so i called by sister to play this but i didnt told her that this was made by me, we played it, most of time she was winning. Idk how, i should have won cause literally i made this game. And she told its fun too which made me really happy, she also had some problem while playing which i noted down and”
“Hi all, I'm working on an abstract strategy grappling game called Tau I won't explain how it works because I want feedback on the 'tutorial' Option A: new players start here and are coached thorugh a game https://tau-game.com/#coach Option B: new players land on the menu https://tau-game.com with a how to play button as an option, and the option to figure it out for themselves. A strong aesthetic and philisophical core of the game is ellegance so the coach option as an ad or a la”
“Hi guys! I just launched the first zone demo for my project, The Depths Below, on Itch. It includes the first 5 floors, the town crafting loop, and the first major boss fight. The Gameplay Loop: Tactical Turn-Based Combat: You need to watch the turn queue closely and focus on breaking enemy guards using type weaknesses before unleashing your heavy hitters. Dungeon Crawling: Hand-drawn isometric exploration where the dungeon completely resets and heals itself every night. Town Management: Retreat”
“I've been working on game dev since the start of 2026 and figured it would be best to start discussing what I've been building. I've spent the last half year pouring my nights and weekends into building the game's core systems. Now I'm moving onto the world-building and dungeon crawling aspects of the game. I'm a SWE by trade and was using this as an excuse to learn C# but started to really enjoy the process of game dev so stuck with it. Gather Loot. Help or Betray Your F”
“As i *sort of* finished writing the main ideas and storyline I realized that it's only good for animation/comic/cutscenes and there's.. nothing to play Especially that the game isn't fantasy or anything It's all real life which isn't fun at all but i can't let go of that story i love it everyone thought it's great I'm an artist I've done digital and classic art before and I'm good at it so that's not a difficult part for me But i have no idea what to d”
“Hi, I finally finished this stable update with many features: 1- add game scenes 2- add settings 3- enable player death screen 4- add +3 zombie types with enhanced ui 5- Put the multi player files but not finished yet, need many time for testing 6- add zombie hit animation please give me your feedback, the whole game based on your ideas :) submitted by /u/_DedSec_0x90 [link] [comments]”
“Books for Bad Neighbors is a text-based, narrative-driven, thriller game about being a bookstore clerk, fulfilling customer's order and discover their secrets. First time making this kind of narrative-driven games. The game system itself comes together pretty quick: the interface, the loop(purchase books, fulfill orders, loop) shaped up in roughly 1 day. ...then I spent the rest of the week on writing: ~3.5k word written. 3 total rewrites. The plan was to make a lovecraftian horror story. Bu”
“A little preview of some progress on the first level of the game! Including a small showcase of the Flour mechanic, covering yourself in flour allows you to reveal hidden platforms and puzzle elements. A similar mechanic will exist for Jam, where covering yourself in the yummy sticky stuff lets you stick to walls and ceilings! submitted by /u/PerfectedInserenity [link] [comments]”
“https://store.steampowered.com/app/4607320/CORE/?beta=0 submitted by /u/FrenchFryBoyYT [link] [comments]”
“Game is Stinker Golf, a 1-16 Multiplayer golf game where you edit the course while you play. Wishlist it on Steam if it looks interesting! Steam | Discord submitted by /u/GupaGames [link] [comments]”
“After a few years in the works, I finally managed to release a short demo for my indie game, "Cheddar Con Carne - Colby's ODDyssey". Please feel free to check out the demo in the link below and I hope you'll get to see more wacky misadventures from Colby Cheddar and her pals real soon. https://neonzumi.itch.io/cheddar-con-carne-colbys-oddyssey ~Neonzumi Interactive. Music used: "Instrumental Music from UOEIA" by Ergo Phizmiz submitted by /u/WhimsicalDormou”
“After a few years in the works, I finally managed to release a short demo for my indie game, "Cheddar Con Carne - Colby's ODDyssey". Please feel free to check out the demo in the link below and I hope you'll get to see more wacky misadventures from Colby Cheddar and her pals real soon. https://neonzumi.itch.io/cheddar-con-carne-colbys-oddyssey ~Neonzumi Interactive. Music used: "Instrumental Music from UOEIA" by Ergo Phizmiz submitted by /u/WhimsicalDormou”
“Hey everyone, probably one of the older crew posting but my history goes back to 86 when my Mom brought home an NES and I instantly became enamored with gaming. I largely credit that with my eventual path towards software engineering. I desperately wanted to get into game dev in high school and college but back then (late 90s, 2000s) graphics work was brutal, information was nil, Google didn't even exist, so I ended up going into this little known thing called "web applications." F”
“Hey all, A couple years ago, myself and co-developer released a demo for our horror game The Dogsitter. It got some really good feedback and a few pretty highly viewed let's play videos! After working here and there on some other projects, we circled back around to finally release a substantially longer version of our horror game, complete with weapon pickups, combat, multiple continues, and a completed storyline. The Dogsitter relies primarily on spooky atmosphere and tension, with little t”
“When I joined raylib 6x Game Jam , I knew I wanted to do something in 3D. After the theme was announced, I decided to solve a major pet peeve of mine with procedural toys like Townscaper and Tiny Glade . I wanted a game with at least some challenge - a spatial strategy puzzle governed by tight grid rules and structural color-matching dependencies. But I also wanted players to walk away with a piece of 3D art they could download. The solution? A built-in exporter that lets you download glTF files”
“We're a team of two developers working on Rogue & Raccoon , a realistic single-player FPS where you infiltrate enemy bases, complete tactical objectives, and use a raccoon companion to access areas the player can't reach. We're a small indie team, so even harsh criticism is welcome if it helps us make a better game. Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3411470/Rogue__Raccoon/ submitted by /u/anubhav124 [link] [comments]”
“Today I made a few 3D models for my game in Blockbench. Honestly... I have no idea what I'm doing. I messed around with a 3D program years ago, so I'm mostly learning as I go. Since I'm basically a complete beginner at programming, I used an AI coding agent to help me build the prototype. At least now you can walk around and look at things! It still looks very rough though. There's a LOT of polishing left to do. Also my yogurt expired yesterday. More of me in the comments.”
“It can still improve, but I'm proud of where I am after many iterations. The game is called Paradoxical for the curious! submitted by /u/gubebra [link] [comments]”
“I started working on building a game about two months ago after I got bored pursuing new security certifications. My game, xJetVectra evolved from a rail shooter to a 4-player arena dogfighter. Just last night, I successfully implemented a Node.js server to support multi-player capabilities. It's coming along nicely. I've been using AI to help me with the physics, but the art, code, design, and gameplay have all been me (initially inspired by implementing a StarFox clone in Javascript).”
Game - Lone Lines: RPG submitted by /u/XYN-games [link] [comments]
“Hello everyone, I have been developing a souls-like game called Godless Dawn by myself for nearly four years. So far, I have spent around $600–700 on assets and other development needs. I launched the Steam page today, but I have not reached the wishlist numbers I was hoping for. I am planning to release the game in Early Access in Q1 2027 and reach the full release around Q4 2028. Until now, I have promoted the game mainly through Instagram, where I have around 5,000–6,000 followers and nearly”
“I've had a Half Life 2 port to wasm + webgl cooking in the background since March but the teenager sqlnt beat me to it the other week. Since he got single player working, here's multiplayer! submitted by /u/lukesta5 [link] [comments]”
“Game name is Floor Glitch: Steam Demo . I'd be happy to have your feedback. submitted by /u/hellf1re1887 [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone! Yesterday I released my little game - it tries to mix a settlement simulator with tower defense. There's no heroic story behind it: I didn't quit my job, didn't pour my life savings into it, and didn't spend nights coding in a garage. I just made a game I wanted to play myself. The thing is, I don't have much time for games. That's why Thronefall really clicked with me - you can jump in, play for 20-30 minutes, and walk away with that nice feeling of having”
“From a guick game jam prototype to something more ambitious. We're building a surreal, narrative-heavy card battler but there are absolutelv no turns. It's fast, it's weird, and it's finally coming together. Very story focused so that the card battles serves plot points and progression. Still heavily in development, but we'd love to hear your thoughts on the concept! Any feedback is welcome! We dropped a trailer recently. Our game is called Appa if anyone's curious enough”