Indie devs get stuck iterating on design with no outside input
13 posts across 3 communities in the last 60 days; 54% from r/IndieDev.
“I have this idea for a first person, seafaring horror game that I really want to get started on. The only problem is I have no idea where to get started. I know nothing about modeling, enemy design, level design, programming, music composition, or just game design in general. It…”
“Hi everyone. I’m new to game dev, still learning the basics. I want to make a narrative-driven game so I wrote an opening scene from the protagonist's POV. It's not a finished script, just me trying to find the right tone and direction. English isnt my first language so forgive…”
“I’m making a horror game, and I swear level layouts have become the thing I dread the most. I’ll spend hours sketching layouts, trying to make them interesting, then decide they don’t work and throw them away. Repeat that a few times and it starts feeling impossible to make…”
Several developers are seeking feedback on game mechanics, animation, and map design. Others express frustration with development challenges like getting stuck in a game or struggling to write compelling narratives.
SOURCES (35)
“I am making a game for my GF, but I need feedback on this prologue from y'all. submitted by /u/plekiko [link] [comments]”
“Hi, I've been working on a game I've always wanted to play. I've been building Banners of Blight, a 3D strategy game inspired by the old mobile classic First Wood War, rebuilt as a darker medieval war. There are more than 30 levels each having a unique layout so its always interesting. Variety in units you can use and gates you can build. There are various mid battle events to keep you on your feet. A story about two sworn brothers runs through it, told a piece at a time. It's a”
“So, I'm making a game called INFERNO, which is a point and click game about a warrior who enters The Inferno (basically hell) and has to get out by fighting enemies, solving puzzles, and going through the 7 areas that each represent a sin (Lust is first, then Envy, then Sloth, then Gluttony, then Greed, then Wrath, then finally Pride). I need help coming up with ideas, characters, enemies, and also some lore. I especially need help with what each layer would be like; I have a pretty good ide”
“I have this idea for a first person, seafaring horror game that I really want to get started on. The only problem is I have no idea where to get started. I know nothing about modeling, enemy design, level design, programming, music composition, or just game design in general. It all seems really daunting but I also really like my ideas. Any recommendations on where to get started or what systems to use? Even where to start learning would be helpful. submitted by /u/CrabkyGangster [li”
“Super early prototype. Each color = different unit role. Trying to make colorful and 'strategic' coexist. Honest question: Would you give this a chance, or does 'rainbow' in the title make you assume it's a casual game? submitted by /u/AirInternational9291 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve been trying to make the visuals in my Roguelite game Neon One-Man Army a little softer on the eyes. Apparently “neon cyberpunk” doesn’t have to mean “flashbang simulator” 😅 Does the new outline feel easier on the eyes? Especially during fast movement, which one would you prefer? Neon One-Man Army is a fast-paced FPS where you grapple through the arena, stay airborne, shoot rogue robots, and build your run with upgrade cards and skills. If you want to see how it feels in motion, there’s a f”
“I’ve been trying to make the visuals in my Roguelite game Neon One-Man Army a little softer on the eyes. Apparently “neon cyberpunk” doesn’t have to mean “flashbang simulator” 😅 Does the new outline feel easier on the eyes? Especially during fast movement, which one would you prefer? Neon One-Man Army is a fast-paced FPS where you grapple through the arena, stay airborne, shoot rogue robots, and build your run with upgrade cards and skills. If you want to see how it feels in motion, there’s a f”
“I’ve been trying to make the visuals in my Roguelite game Neon One-Man Army a little softer on the eyes. Apparently “neon cyberpunk” doesn’t have to mean “flashbang simulator” 😅 Does the new outline feel easier on the eyes? Especially during fast movement, which one would you prefer? Neon One-Man Army is a fast-paced FPS where you grapple through the arena, stay airborne, shoot rogue robots, and build your run with upgrade cards and skills. If you want to see how it feels in motion, there’s a f”
“I’m not entirely happy with the implementation, but I can’t quite put my finger on what needs fixing (the game is *Tank General*; there’s a demo on Steam). An outside perspective might be fresher and more objective. I’d appreciate any advice or suggestions. submitted by /u/RokDooMTG [link] [comments]”
“Ideating with weapon animations for my game where you play as a priest exorcising a house but instead of timidly exorcising demons you beat them down and rip them apart as exorcism lolol.. submitted by /u/SenTryBBG [link] [comments]”
“This is a game that came from an interesting idea I had but it got past the designing phase can you please say if it has a good hook or even if it's cool as an idea! Anything will help! submitted by /u/Haunting-Stress1968 [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone, I’m the solo developer behind Paper Shred Studios. For my debut project, I wanted to build a short, psychological retro raycaster that embraces that raw, classic creepypasta vibe. "ITS HERE. IM HERE. YOU ARE HERE." Can you find all 14 objectives? (Note: Turn down your headphones a bit before playing, the software audio overdrive handles are set pretty high for the atmosphere). Play it free on Game Jolt: https://gamejolt.com/games/n0_ex1t/1093521 submitted by /”
“Hey! I’ve been building Bone Halls, an undead-themed action roguelike with different heroes, strange weapons, soul masks, and a lot of things flying around the screen. I’m also experimenting with a few ideas I loved in SC2 co-op, especially distinct hero playstyles and maps built around objectives instead of only survival. It’s still an early demo, but I’m happy with how it’s starting to come together. Play it in your browser: https://joey-jiang.itch.io/bone-halls I’d love to know which hero cat”
“Hi guys, i am developping my game but not sure how to start playtesting. Is it better to start with people who dont know genre pr even not playing games or start with veterans? I think starting with experienced players better cause i will test my game core and can improve it then make unexperienced oned play and test qol(quality of life) Like to hear your way to do playtesting, also would be great if you have any resource you can share submitted by /u/Mindless_Language459 [link]  ”
“I'm the artist for a little indie team, working on a space game called Omen. I was asked to make some loading screens for it, but I can't help but feel that something is off about them. Everyone else thinks they're sick as flip, but I feel like something is wrong or something is missing. I have a few more that I still need to make, so I'm trying to figure out my issue before I jump into those ones. All feedback is welcome and appreciated. Thank you. submitted by /u/Vu”
“hello! So, the thing is, im developing a story right now, and one of the characters wears a mask. i’ve got a general idea of what it looks like, but im really bad at designing stuff. Even though im bad at it, i’d like to draw it. So, do you have some like, tips for designing that kind of stuff? Also if you know stuff about masks pls tell me submitted by /u/Odysseus_of_Ithaca1 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve been working on a 2D RTS called Warrior Architects as a solo indie developer, and after years of development, I wanted to share some things I’ve learned from actually trying to build a relatively large RTS project alone. The game started with a fairly simple idea: villagers gather resources, build a settlement, research technologies, and eventually form an army. But the scope grew much faster than I expected. Some of the systems I ended up working on included: Resource gathering and worker”
“Im working on a pixel middle eastern BC setting type game and i wanted to see if my HUD is clean to read and nice and what do I need to fix if anything. Thanks for any help. submitted by /u/riseofzion [link] [comments]”
“I wanted to share the latest VFX I've been working on for the rocket launcher. One of my favorite parts of creating VFX is finding the right balance between impact and style. I wanted every explosion, smoke trail, and muzzle flash to feel powerful while staying true to the game's stylized anime look. Everything is animated at 16 FPS, which helps give the effects a more hand-crafted feel that fits naturally with the rest of the visuals. There's still room for improvement, but I'm”
“I started developing an indie pixelart game a couple of months ago, and I wasn't fully sure what the genre of my game was until I found out about Eastward today. I felt like my game was a big mix of a bunch of stuff (top down pixel art, with metroidvania style maps, a cooking mechanic to replenish mana, abilities you can gain to keep accessing new areas of the map, heavily story based etc.), and I was scared maybe it was too much information for one game, but then I found Eastward and I thou”
“Trying to achieve a liminal atmosphere. What are your thoughts on this look? submitted by /u/Syntaxed_ [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone. I’m new to game dev, still learning the basics. I want to make a narrative-driven game so I wrote an opening scene from the protagonist's POV. It's not a finished script, just me trying to find the right tone and direction. English isnt my first language so forgive me if I cant find the right word. I’d love to hear what you think. Prologue I wake up. My parents lie on the floor beside the bed, thin and curled together. I crawl over to them. They’re cold. My vision blurs. My”
“Hi, Currently I'm having some form of a writers block about designing my game, programming is not very difficult for me, and most of the 3D designs are either outsourced by designers on Upwork/Fiver or assetstore models. But but game design blocks me, somehow I cant envision my next steps. My wife thinks its either the sleepless nights, stress or maybe need a day or two completely off the game and come with a fresh new eye. I'm building a game inspired by Pacific Rim, mech robots vs big”
“I’m making a horror game, and I swear level layouts have become the thing I dread the most. I’ll spend hours sketching layouts, trying to make them interesting, then decide they don’t work and throw them away. Repeat that a few times and it starts feeling impossible to make progress. Lately I’ve been looking at a layout and just saying, “Good enough,” then moving on to the next Part of me thinks that’s the right call because a playable level is worth more than another week of drawings. The other”
“I am new to gamedev and been watching a bunch of gamedev videos/streams lately and keep running into two pieces of advice that kinda contradict each other 1)show your games, get feedback 2) don't bother polishing a game that's bad so like... which is it? feels like "show your crappy game anyway" but idk where the line actually is. when do you need to show it vs when do you need to just drop it and move on. Right now im literally grinding to get a game i already think is bad int”
“Just released the first trailer for my new game! I’m curious, what was your honest first impression? Did it make you think, “Yeah, this looks cool,” or did anything feel unclear, weak, or uninteresting? I’d especially love to know what the trailer made you think the game was about before reading anything else. Any honest fedback is appreciated. submitted by /u/masanbasaa [link] [comments]”
“Recently I shared Ironholm , my indie RTS, here on Reddit. One thing that came up a lot was that the environment felt too static and lacked variety. So I went back and reworked the environment. I replaced all of the vegetation, added wind animation, and tried to make the maps feel much more alive without hurting gameplay readability. I also put together a short Before vs After comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ih7d2wGEaw Thanks to everyone who took the time to leave feedback. Reading”
“I love Horror so much and i am good with directing and cinematography at it, BUT my brain is empty when it is about writing. Yesterday i did not write any word for hours then i started writing a comedy short film and i had ideas without end, but i also want to write horror :( submitted by /u/whosaidiamnormal [link] [comments]”
“Recently I asked for feedback for my game Plebs, and many people suggested wanted to see more clearly when units take damage. So I added red unit highlighting and some blood particles each time a unit takes damage. What do you think? submitted by /u/PixelWhippedDev [link] [comments]”