Creating games has become easier and more people are creating their own videogame experiences. This is awesome – we get Dust: An Elysian Tale, we get The Binding of Isaac, we get The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. We get Chariot Wars and Epica and...well, okay, not every game is great.
New developers are often learning how to use an engine on their own, have no outside support and can be really hopeful that their baby is going to be great. And that's okay – we all want games to be great. Unfortunately, most indie games are terrible, boring or utterly tone-deaf, put together by people who want to make something without putting the effort in and should really be seen as alpha builds and nothing else.
Why is this a thing? Thanks Google!
Not you though, you're smart enough to look outside for information and help. So, without further ado, here are my reminders for developers:
Don't be an arsehole.
Seriously, this covers a lot of behaviour. Someone is ranting about your game on the forums – be professional, be polite. They might be a troll but chances are they will have a specific problem with your game and are venting. Ask them what the problem is and see if you can help. If you can't, then explain why honestly and in a non-aggressive manner. Show that you care.
Don't start banning and blocking players.
It's easy to view a forum or site as your personal fiefdom and yourself as the arbiter of judgement. Stop that before it starts. Your game may be amazing, it may be frigging terrible, but either way you're likely to take some flack. People have opinions, let them air them because the moment you start to block out negative opinions you are alienating your community and stifling a chance to get feedback that could genuinely help you.
Do start banning and blocking players.
Yeah, I know, I just said not to do this but as with all things it's not always that simple and there are many shades of grey. Here are some examples of when it is acceptable to block and even report players:
- if they make a death threat
- genuine harassment of other forum users
- spamming for keys or offering to pirate the game
- anti-lgbt hate speech
- racism
- sexism
- if they're a spam-bot
Games are played by a lot of people from many different backgrounds, don't let your forum or game be used as a place to exclude these groups. It's amoral, it's cowardly and at the very least it will lose you buyers. 45% of gamers are female, for example – if you find someone stalking female forum users and game players, threatening them with death or rape (which is a common occurrence not dealt with a lot of the time) then those people may be put off from buying your game and you will look like you are tacitly condoning the scumbags actions. You will get way less flack by caring about your players experience and all it costs you is time and a minor amount of effort.
Listen to feedback.
Some will be negative, hell maybe all of it will be. Feedback and constructive criticism are there to help you, they let you know where you might have gone wrong and it's one of the most important tools in the toolbox for a developer whether they're independent or corporate.
Put as few obstacles between an in-game death and a restart as possible.
Every time you die in a game you shouldn't have to push a button twice, wait on a loading screen, push another button and then wait for the game to put you back into play. The more complex and time-eating the process of playing the game, the more frustrated players will get and the more likely they are to simply turn-off. Yeah, you may have gotten their money but you haven't gotten their loyalty and you might have set them on the path of avoiding your games in future.
Jagi is out of there, only to return! Keep it quick, not frustrating!
Give keybinding options.
Not everyone wants to use a gamepad just as not everyone wants to use a keyboard and mouse. Some people struggle due to physical disability and a lot of younger players don't have the cash to spend on a new controller. Rather than saddling players with what you think is a good control layout let them tweak it to suit themselves. It'll make a lot of people happier and more likely to play your game.
Focus on one outlet at a time.
You want to publish to Steam, GOG.com, Google Play the Amazon app store and everywhere else? Fine, but don't do it all at once. Just cramming basic control changes into the standard PC game and then submitting it looks unprofessional and often won't work across platforms. Test your game on every platform you intend to use and tweak it as needed.
Learn how to use an engine properly.
There's no real excuse for this one. Current game making tech like Unity, Construct and Game Maker is easier to use than ever, even for non-programmers. They're well-documented, with free online tutorials and even full certified courses available online (I used Udemy, but there are virtual colleges and the Unity Development course from Unity). If all you are doing is sticking in a template with minimal changes, sometimes none, then you are not a game maker, you are an asset flipper.
Keep your idea simple.
This goes for the game mechanics but also the story. You may want to create a huge world a la Final Fantasy but focusing on that won't work. You need to have a straight forward story – this empire has taken over the players country and we want to stop them. The princess has been captured and we need to save her. The players family is missing and they need to find them. Keep your story focused, then build up the world and its characters. You need a strong base for the world, characters and events to revolve around. And make your controls simple and fluid. It makes it easier, more immediate and more fun for your players.
Reward your players.
This isn't just for mobile apps (the excellent Steppypants and DomiNations do this well) but all games should reward their players for playing, positively reinforcing the gamers behaviour, whether through unlocks, more story, extra content or even a change in the menu screen. If you have a game with a definite end then reward the player by showing that they've completed it. Have a good ending screen, make small tweaks to the menu, change the music. They've spent time playing your game, think of this as a chance to say thank you to them for finishing it.
Price Appropriately.
This is a major stickler. Game development, especially indie development, is time consuming and all game development costs money. You must, however, be aware of what your games worth is to its audience. A well crafted, beautiful story in a gorgeous world that lasts for 3 hours may have cost more to make than a well-crafted, fun pixel game with mediocre art design. That doesn't mean it's worth more. Here are some things to take into account when pricing your game:
- You may have spent a good couple of years on a game. That's not the players fault so don't charge them for your lost time.
- Engine costs shouldn't be passed onto the gamer, you can always reuse your engine.
- Gameplay length is a major consideration for a lot of players, they may only be able to afford one game so length is a consideration.
- Unless your game is something that is a huge, AAA-esque experience which gives out free milk from the teats of Jesus himself as a bonus then don't charge $60/£50 for your game. Hell, most AAA games aren't really worth that much as they're mediocre at best.
- How saturated is your market? If it's a truly unique game type that has never been tried before then that may give you niche and oddity appeal. If you're just another FPS multiplayer shooter then either find a unique angle or keep your price low. There are plenty of other games for people to buy.
Show don't tell.
A shotgun of exposition right in the face is not great storytelling. Doesn't matter if it's text or narration, show whatever you can. It's more engaging than just talking at a player. Make sure the story makes sense too – gibberish is a useful tool but make sure it has a reason for being there.
Include other modes.
But only IF that doesn't take away from the main focus and mode of the game. No-one wants a tacked on multiplayer element that takes time and effort away from the main game.
Flashlights.
They work like this:
See how, even when the light is down, ambient and scattered light bounces around the room? Welcome to how light works.
Not like this:
This is a tiny LED beam torch, not a normal flashlight
Get it right. Being left in near pitch darkness doesn't make a game scary or tense, just irritating.
ONLY USE MICROTRANSACTIONS IN FREE TO PLAY GAMES.
While I'm on about how you shouldn't fleece people with nasty psychological tricks to make them spend more on a game they've already bought I'll throw in this point: DON'T REMOVE CONTENT FROM YOUR GAME TO SELL ON AS DLC. It's unethical and players DO notice and take note.
NSJR DITR YRCY OD TRSFSN:E.
Make sure text is readable and coherent.
You're not as funny as you think you are.
Comedy is different from a comedic tone. Just referencing something that happens in another game, in a movie or in a meme isn't comedy. You need to evolve it and move it along, otherwise you're just saying “here is a thing, look at it and laugh because I think it's funny”. I'm looking at you, Lords of Shadow. Stupid cake reference. Parody is when you look at the thing and mimic it whilst over-emphasising it's aspects to the point of absurdity. Satire is similar but more subtle – take the base idea and push it in a different direction pointing out it's inherent idiocy or lack of logic. Furthermore, pointing out that something is boring, inane and done to death doesn't stop it from being all of those things. It isn't satire either and pointing it out won't stop it being awful when you do it.
Answer information requests!
If people are asking you for info about your game, even if it isn't due out or hasn't been confirmed yet, then answer them. Don't lie and say the game isn't going to be released or showcased when you know it will be, Ubisoft. Same for everyone. If folks want to know about your game, especially in the gaming press, then tell them what you can without ruining the experience of the game. Keeping the press on-side is a good way to get exposure and being honest with your players garners you some respect. It's also just the decent thing to do.
No-one owes you exposure.
No-one owes you a review, least of all a positive one. You want to get people looking at your work, you contact them, you be polite and you respect their decision if they decide not to cover your game. If they cover your work and don't like it, take their criticism on-board and see if there's something you need to fix. REMEMBER: all opinions are subjective and have their own merits.
Don't make the player babysit needs.
Survival games are bad for this, you play them and spend the whole time just feeding and watering the main character rather than getting on with the game and the exploration. They're the most egregious but this happens in other games too – do you have an effect that continually makes the players health drop down so they have to deal with their health over and over and over again? Consider changing that for the sake of making the game feel more fluid and less frustrating.
Don't steal shit.
Assets, even bought ones, need to be altered and used properly. Don't nick music (Warner Bros, I'm looking at you.) and if you want to use some music ask the creator. Hell, ask the creator of ANYTHING you want to use that isn't originally yours. Don't copy and paste game descriptions, don't copy advertising and don't copy whatever is popular at the moment – you'll just look desperate and make something that is derivative and subpar.
If you steal for your game, you're a loser
There's so much more that should be taken into consideration but the biggest one, for me at least, is to ask “Why?”. Why is something happening, why is this in the game, why does this work, why doesn't it work? Why should the player care? If you can't answer a “why” question in a way that is positive then think about changing or altering that part of your game.
These are just some considerations, feel free to share your own experiences as players and makers in the comments!
Tenebris Play on Steemit is ran by DM-Jo, a swearing, tea drinking Brit whose hobbies include gaming, tea drinking and pushing fake swearwords into common parlance. Her favourites are "Cockwomble" and "Quimwaffle". She is currently working on her first full solo game: Lillia's Lemegeton.
Baby picture from Playful Factory
That fucking book image from, actually no, here's a wallpaper sampler from First Home Love Life
Fist of the North Star .gif courtesy of Otaku Japan
Bender from atmosphere.js
The Wet Bandits courtesy of the Home Alone Wikia
Incorrect flashlight from dtisolar
Correct flashlight from Off The Grid Guru
Anyone interested in further reading? Take a look at thedesignersnotebook.com, a useful resource shared to me my Game Designer Barry North (who is available for hire, just saying).