Torchview - Retro Pixel Horror

So how much did my first Steam game make? TLDR: $501 Gross, $319 Net, ~-$400 Profit Below is a post-mortem teardown of my first release on Steam as a solo developer. #indiedev #solodev #gamedev I've been learning game development for over a decade as a hobbyist, not ever taking it too seriously. Last year, I decided I needed to finally finish a project and release it on Steam. I launched Game Time Glizzys on November 10th, 2023. I had no expectations on sales. Getting to the finish line was the goal the entire time, and finally getting there was a huge accomplishment in my professional career. Aside from a few asset packs, the game was entirely developed my be, with a big assist to my friend @MushroomBoy1022 for doing some awesome VA. I spent around $700 making the game. I launched with only around 130 wishlists and with little to no marketing - just a few random posts on social media and the occasional (dead) Twitch stream. I launched with the price of $4.99. Upon launch, I did do some paid advertising but that proved to be not worth the investment. I also did a small giveaway on Twitter and the post did quite well while giving out 5 copies of the game. It did not however, translate into any immediate sales. I ended up with ~70 sales in the first week, which to me had exceeded every expectation I had. I'm feeling great! But then - chargebacks. I was actually shocked at the percentage of chargebacks - nearly 40% of sales were deemed fraudulent during the first week. This, while I had no expectations of actually making money, was very disheartening. Overall, I do think it's a fun little game, but I don't think I did a good enough job of showing off the game and convincing potential players to give it a look. I also think the price was a bit high for the amount of content. People who have played it like it, and I'm sitting at 8 reviews, with 7 positive and 1 negative. Knowing that people played it and enjoyed it is a really cool feeling, though I'll admit, any time I see the review count on Steam change, I'm terrified at what it will say (lol). Though the game can be financially considered a flop, the wealth of knowledge and experience I gained was invaluable. I am now currently developing my next game, a continuation on the Game Time Glizzys concept, at a larger scale. What all the game dev Youtubers say is true - just finish your game. Even if it sucks, or it's not perfect, or it's not your dream game, getting to the finish line and releasing your first project is an incredible feeling. Knowing that you can finish a game is vitally important in your game development journey and I'm as motivated as ever to do better next time.

Grab Game Time Glizzys for only $1.99 during the Steam Winter sale! Serve your customers, sabotage the competition and keep your stand alive! Plus there is a Christmas tree that spawns hotdogs! Link below! 🌭🌲 #steam #wintersale #indiegame