My first game's reception is heartbreaking :'(

1.8k

u/BootLox_Games Jan 21 '26

Look at the positive side. You managed to create and publish a complete product on steam. Not many people get to this point, but you did

380

u/TouchMint Jan 21 '26

Yea hopefully the reviews point to things you can fix!

Releasing a game isn't the end of the journey, more like somewhere along the halfway point.

128

u/RockyMullet Jan 21 '26

Negativity hurts, but not as much as indifference. At least people bough it and cared enough to review it.

I'd say look at their input, see if there's a disconnect with the expectation that your steam page gives and the reality. It's generally the issue when players say negative things about your game that are supposed to be the positive aspect. No games is made for everybody, getting attention from the wrong players can lead to negativity, cause they were expecting one thing and got another.

Anyway, good luck with your game.

Edit: I also saw that your game was bundled with "A game about feeding a black hole", it might have brought in players that were expecting something faster and more like "A game about feeding a black hole". Again, "expectation vs reality" might have been the issue.

78

u/samredfern Jan 21 '26

I know the feeling! It’s a really tough industry

43

u/visnicio Jan 21 '26

my game doesnt even have enough reviews to be mixed lol, congrats man, unironically

81

u/TTheGamersforge Jan 21 '26

Take their feedback and improve the game, 55% of the players enjoyed it enough to leave a positive review so you clearly have something, now you should refine it.

17

u/NeoChrisOmega Jan 21 '26

Out of curiosity, were the beta testers friends/relatives? Or did you include anyone random as well?

And honestly, I wouldn't see this as a bad thing. There are FAR more people that never release a game, and get into analysis paralysis, burnt out, bored, or switch projects.

For example, I've been working on games for over 10 years now. And I haven't finished/published anything outside of my college capstone. Mostly because I teach it, so most of my development time goes to new concepts I can teach, so it's more modular than everything coming together. But still, be proud that you have the game released!

You can also be one of the coolest developers ever and listen to the feedback, update the game, make big announcements on Steam and whatever social medias you use.

9

u/Honest_Games Jan 21 '26

I can tell ya, you are doing better than me lol. I have not made a cent.

8

u/Scry_Games Jan 21 '26

What are the complaints?

Is there a theme to them?

If they're fixable, fix them. Release the updated version and thank the reviewers. I flipped a few negatives to positives doing that.

8

u/Far-Tension2696 Jan 21 '26

never ask friends/family or tester for feedback. never! just stranger will tell you the truth.

but take it easy. you did where 99/100 fail. you release something! remember "artists ship!"

8

u/Sushimus Jan 21 '26

when players dont care they dont leave a review at all, so youve managed to consistently get players to buy into the vision of the game and hope to see it improve :D

6

u/Eastern_Seaweed4223 Jan 21 '26

It's brutal. I'm sorry buddy. Keep your head up, learn from the criticism, listen to it, and grow.

7

u/ivancea Jan 21 '26

Hey! I'm quite a critic on idle and incremental games. They're a very special niche; let's see why:

Most idle/incrementals are like that. Creating a good, non-repetitive idle game is hard. It's not about adding upgrades, do some maths, and call it a day. FWIW, even famous idles like Cookie Clicker are shallow, and would have worse reviews if it wasn't for Orteil, its art, storytelling and release date.

That's good, but don't create a wat between beta testers and normal players. Both are valuable, and none is more right than the other. Understand both, and if your beta-testers are friends or something, caution.

It's an idle/incremental. Most idles can't be reviewed after just 1 hour of gameplay. So don't read roo much into that "8h". 8h for your game is 1h for a graphical adventure.

Entitleness is probably not the word. If some review said that, look at it in a constructive way: many simple incrementals are free. It's just how things are. And it doesn't mean yours have to be. But players will compare anyway. $4 looks good for a normal incremental IMO, but it depends on the specifics of course.

Also: The time it took to make the game means nothing, remember this.

Well, consider that "Mixed" reviews isn't good, but it isn't terrible. People liked it. And there are always more players than reviewers.

Now, to give you some personal ideas around incrementals, I usually categorize incrementals like:

Plain incrementals: Simple repetitive loop. They look good for 20 minutes, then it's the same with bigger numbers. Worst ones; I'll usually add a negative review there, whatever the price (You're not entitled to better reviews even if it's cheap or free!). For example, Time Clickers could fall here, even if it could be in the next step. But it does some things very wrong
Normal incrementals: There's a more hand-crafted loop, some more content, but it's still the same mechanic. Cookie Clickers or Clicker Heroes are good examples. They're basic equation solvers, but they have some content where you can waste some time
Good incrementals: The kind of game I'll never forget. Incrementals that are not numeric loops. They add mechanics out of the incremental meta, and integrate them nicely. Some examples being Melvor Idle (More idle than incremental), Gnorp Apologue or Leafblower Simulator. They are top tier incrementals I 100% recommend playing to understand the psychology behind the genre. Because they're, in different ways, amazing. And you can 100% complete Gnorp in some hours. But I will pay for it double of what I would pay for a 1000h-length generic incremental.

6

u/Thornorium Jan 21 '26

I’ve read some of the reviews and it looks like it’s enjoyable but it’s missing a bit that makes it feel “rewarding” and that while it’s mostly idle, there isn’t enough to manage.

Think back to the OG Cookie Clicker, it’s not until a bit into the game that you’re able to leave it to idle, and even then there’s some things you need to pay attention to for small bonuses.

If you work some of these types of mechanics into your game, they might appreciate it more.

You published your game, be proud of yourself and keep working on it. You’ve done more than me at least, I don’t even have much of a prototype, nor even published. Keep working on it, or move onto your next project knowing that you’ve succeeded.

4

u/CampeOn_Games Jan 21 '26

Don't be sad because you've achieved something great! You created a game, published it, sold it, and you also have reviews from people who like and enjoy playing it. That's incredible. Keep up the good work and use the comments to improve and make the game better!

5

u/Shinigami_SugoiOppai Jan 21 '26

What’s the game called? I’d love to check it out

4

u/Emotional-Peace3520 Jan 21 '26

Improve your game and take pride in the fact that it was mixed with positive bias.

You made something - they didn't. They just played it and didn't completely love it. Iterate it again.

4

u/Hawkes75 Jan 22 '26

To paraphrase Dan Harmon: "We can all be critics, and we can all make something that sucks. So make something that sucks, then criticize it until it doesn't."

In your case, you now have the benefit of dozens of people giving you honest criticism.

3

u/petitponeyrose Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 21 '26

Hey mate, I have no experience, but understand you; I am sure a lot of people enjoy it.
Think about it, you brought joy to some people somewhere At least half of them :p !
I just checked it: It looks fun :)
ANd not so many people can pride themselves of having 200 concurrent players :) !

3

u/ScriptKiddo69 Jan 21 '26

The fact that people wrote negative reviews is promising. It means the game is good, but has some big flaws. If you can fix the flaws then you will have a good game on your hands.

From the reviews, it seems like the gameplay is too simple and there seems to be a lack of content. I think both of these issues can be solved by adding some more layers onto the game. Most idle games have multiple layers of prestiging. I think that's what you should be focusing on.

3

u/MPool08 Jan 21 '26

Each negetive review is a feedback. Work on it and see yourself bloom

3

u/Interesting-Yellow-4 Jan 21 '26

You made a thing, you should be proud. It's more than most people manage.

3

u/Available-Guava5515 Jan 22 '26

If there's anything I've heard from devs over the years, it's that feedback is the first step towards refining your game and making it the best it can be. Feedback is a good thing! People cared enough to give you insight into your game. Embrace it! This is an opportunity!

3

u/AlphaBlazerGaming Jan 22 '26

Who were the beta testers? If they were people you know personally, there's a good chance they just refused to mention anything negative

3

u/Hfkslnekfiakhckr Jan 22 '26

mixed reviews with 55% positive is not a 5.5 out of 10. it's not a 55 out of a 100 on your math test. some people liked it some didnt. most people liked it! not every game is for everyone. some of my absolute favorite games hold mixed reviews

3

u/rizkiyoist Jan 22 '26

Bad reviews with valid criticisms you can learn from is way better than good reviews of people saying, "Cool".

3

u/stowakeagain Jan 22 '26

Look, reading every comment will drive you insane. 55% positive reviews is amazing. People just have differing tastes in games. Make what you want to make, not what other people want from you. Look at no mans sky and stranded deep for examples

2

u/GingerVitisBread Jan 21 '26

Consider making a list of all the things people have complained about and all the things you might just want to improve anyway. Start with the simplest problems and look at how many of them you might be able to get done in a day or a weekend, maybe a week if you're up for it and release an update with a sale for 25% off just to catch some attention. If it still bombs, you don't have to keep working on it, but the option will always be there. You can also spend some free time here and there while you're working on other projects and tweak this or that and release an update in a month or two. All I'm trying to say is that it's not over until you decide it is, and that getting something playable to steam was a huge accomplishment as it is.

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

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2

u/Honest-Golf-3965 Jan 21 '26

Most people never even get to the publishing stage. Far from it.

Keep it up, each one better than the last

2

u/Redstoneinvente122 Jan 21 '26

A lot of people never even launches their first game. That's something you should be proud of. My first game got trashed on stream by reviewers lol.

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u/Hand-of-King-Midas Jan 21 '26

Think of all the people who wanted to make a game, but didn't.

Think of all the people who started to make their game, but didn't finish it.

You finished your game AND published it. You have created a piece of artwork that will outlive you. Be proud of yourself for pushing this far! The criticism may even help you to better your work for your next adventure. Take small bites though, overwise you'll drown yourself in negativity

2

u/The_Green_Mayo Developer Jan 21 '26

Completely agree with most of the people here;

you released a game! thats a big deal regardless if it does well or not!
People did leave feedback, which means it gives you something to fix or grown on for your next one. No Mans Sky got appalling feedback when it launched, look where they are now.

You did an awesome thing, be proud of you :)

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

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u/DefinitelyGiraffe Jan 21 '26

Hey, the majority of users liked it. There are a lot of people who can't say the same.

2

u/Lethandralis Jan 21 '26

I think your game looks unique and interesting

2

u/coubs15 Jan 21 '26

Over 10 reviews is something to be proud of! Make the necessary adjustments and keep your head up. Game dev is brutal, not many can do it!

2

u/GauchiAss Jan 21 '26

If my first game got 55% positive reviews out of the totally random crowd of people buying 4$ games (at that price they might not do much research before buying) then I'd think I did an OK job for a first attempt.

And of course you're compared to the hundreds of good games that are at a similar price now that they're at -70% every month or two, but these top games are the 1% of games released so don't think too much of not being at their level (yet)

2

u/Fuehl Jan 21 '26

Everybody starts with baby steps. Not everyone will like the same stuff you like.

Just take the good things people really enjoy and use them to enhance your game, or make another building on the good things. And either scrap bad parts or improve them.

As a dev you should be focusing on WHY they don't like certain things, and not why they DON'T LIKE certain things

2

u/Quindo Jan 21 '26

Maybe add an option where you can ask the player how long they want the game to last for them. (1 day, 1 week, 1 month, ect.)

Then depending on what they select you can implement a boost or something that will make the game go faster depending on what they select.

Then you can reply to those negative reviews stating you added a new system to account for players like them that want a faster idler experience.

2

u/Own-Dot9851 Jan 21 '26

As an inspiring game dev, I understand your feelings. This is one of my biggest fears for releasing something. I released a game in the Google store before and it received no feedback cause it didn't seem like anyone even tried it. I put a lot of time into it but I decided it was better to move on to the next project instead of putting more effort into something that felt like no one wanted.

2

u/Elanonimatoestamal Jan 21 '26

Cheer up, you can still update the game and improve the aspects that have problems.

2

u/Odd_Violinist2395 Jan 21 '26

Dude you did so much more than me or most people, I'd say 55% positive is really good. Be proud

2

u/TrevorLM76 Jan 21 '26

What’s the game name? I like idle’s.

2

u/Euclidiuss Jan 21 '26

Don't ignore your negative reviews. A good reviewer always finds positives in a game he or she doesn't like. Listen to criticism and improve your next project based on that. When I started out game dev as a quake mapper my first map pack bombed and most people hated it. But I took the criticisms I got from that and made my second map pack better. Reception was much more positive than the first pack. Remember, not everyone who dumps on you is your enemy and not everyone who gets you out of the dump is your friend.

2

u/bencelot Jan 21 '26

People don't see the effort unfortunately. They are comparing your game to products made by much larger teams of people

2

u/Slagenthor Jan 21 '26

Where you are right now is still a dream of mine. Please keep that in mind. Well done!

2

u/johnyutah Jan 21 '26

The most successful people are those who fail the most. They get back up and use what they learned to improve.

2

u/Randy191919 Jan 21 '26

I mean 55% means that more people like it than dislike it. That’s good.

The question is where are the negative reviews coming from? If the reviews are at odds with the core intention of the game you probably did something wrong with how you marketed your game. Different people like different games, and fans of fast paced action rpgs probably won’t enjoy your slow idle game, no matter how good it is, because that’s just not their niche.

That’s fine and not something you can change, but if 45% of your players are the wrong crowd, you should look into how that happened. Did you bundle it with the wrong game? Did your trailer suggest it’s more action packed than it is? SOMETHING probably made people who are not the idler crowd buy your game and then it’s no wonder that they didn’t like it. The question is now what brought the wrong people in and how do you fix that?

2

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 21 '26

I really, really, REALLY know that feeling, without getting into details. The disappointment.

"slow and meditative incremental idler", -

& would be surprised if it was an action roller coaster shooter behind such description.

This proves but one thing :

ppl are full of s. Get used to it.

Released a prototype, ,,credible'' users complained that project had a default skybox. Can't make this up.

Go into release day with zero expectations, do as best as you can, but stay away from expectations.

Most of my expectations failed.

When you go out there with zero expectations after you done your best, if it fails, so what, if it does average - nice, if you succeed - awesome.

2

u/Keln Jan 21 '26

I have seen players reviewing it badly playing for 10hrs, for a 4€ game, saying that there is not enough content. Standards for these kind of games seems to be that you need to make way more content to make people happy :/.

I would say you’re victim of the current fame of idle games and players expecting a lot as they try multiple of these games weekly, trying to sink hours on them.

2

u/VianArdene Jan 21 '26

On the bright side, 18 reviews in a day is a really great achievement. Some people can't even get their game played. That means you're close, you're just not 100% there yet.

Looking at the steam page and reviews, most of these sound reasonable so there's probably some good information and feedback to mine here. Like it or not, things like prestige mechanics and unlock progression are expected in incremental/idle games. I don't think you need a hundred layers of different mechanics, but enough that someone could see something new every 10-20 minutes for about 2 hours at least.

I don't know what's present now without playing it myself, but broadly players need new goals that unlock new things. Prestige once, get a flat multiplier. Prestige 3 times, trade in points to unlock challenges. Complete challenges to add a new food type, etc. Egg inc and revolution idle would be great comparison points.

I think the general play area presentation is spot on, no notes. It's cool watching the snakes run around and the mess of numbers.

The UI on the right needs some work. A bit more conveyance (darken button when you don't have enough money) and more definition to the buttons themselves perhaps. RGB color scheme with buttons shaded on all sides comes across as really default. The link below has some good examples- directional lighting artifacts, heavy bottom shading to sell 3d depth, unique borders, etc.

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/gui/buttons-set-211824?srsltid=AfmBOopNNgjuwcda5urr2MY5yObp_wcQvOp0TovmJSU0SEE1c7wTTER9

Again, you're close! People want to like this game or they wouldn't be leaving reviews. Push a bit further, add some additional features, regroup. When you finish the new features, make a community post inviting people to try v1.1 but wait until you're confident you've crossed that 2+ hour mark so you don't burn good will.

2

u/susosusosuso Jan 21 '26

Which game?

2

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Tarnished-Tiger Jan 21 '26

Brother it’s your first game. The fact that you built and released a game already puts you in the top 10%

2

u/FavenGamesStudios Jan 21 '26

Its okay, keep going! If you like what you are doing, what is stopping you?

2

u/DandD_Gamers Jan 21 '26

I agree with the others, be happy people played and even gave feed back, it means they somewhat cared.

You got a game on steam too! So now its time to improve, refine and define.

BTW, out of curiosity, how did you beta test?

2

u/titanbuble14 Jan 21 '26

If you makes you feel any better. Before making fnaf, scot made games that people disliked a lot and turned that into his strength to create fnaf.

This negative moment is just a moment, not a representation of your entire game dev carreer.

2

u/SilvanuZ Jan 21 '26

I can understand how you are feeling.

But on the bright side: You managed to publish a game on Steam..Like..70% of all gamedevs don't get this achievement!
Yeah around 50% doesn't like your game...but the other half likes it!
Maybe you can improve your game or make a new one.

But it was a journey for you and I'm sure you got a lot of experience during this journey.

Be proud of yourself. Don't give up.

2

u/na3ee1 Jan 21 '26

18 people actually bothered to write a review fro your first game? That's great progress, try again and don't repeat the mistakes you made with this one. Simple formula for incremental improvements.

2

u/Spongedog5 Jan 21 '26

It's difficult to learn, but it would be good for you to be thankful that people spent time giving you feedback on your product. We can be hostile towards people who give us negative critiques but in relation to our development in the hobby/career they are often even more valuable to use than those who review positively.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

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2

u/riskywhat Jan 21 '26

No Rest for the Wicked launched to mixed reviews. It's now on very positive. I'm sure there are many other examples of this happening. If you think you can improve the game, keep at it!

2

u/SirLordBoss Jan 21 '26

Could you link the game? I'd like to have a look

2

u/RickSanchezero Jan 21 '26

Dude!!! Keep you head up!!! Everything awesome! You release you game! Time will show everything, targetable player will find your game, and evrything will be cool!!!

2

u/Pisquilah Jan 21 '26

dude, you're literally the person who achieved what EVERYONE on this sub is trying to.
how many posts do you see here saying "I want to become rich and that's why I got into indie gamedev"?
virtually zero.

we're here because we want to make games, and you did that while everyone else is trying.
the only thing I can say is CONGRATULATIONS!

2

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

Don’t sweat it, at least you’re not reviled, hated and banned from multiple subs just for making the game like we are at r/21stCenturyHack … I’m ready to give up myself.

2

u/Plastic-Occasion-297 Jan 21 '26

Well if it makes you feel better football manager 26 had %17 score on release and unlike you they have a big team and millions of dollars. In a way you performed better.

2

u/Eymbr Jan 21 '26

The fact you had people play it at all is a win really. As a musician and author I feel blessed to have anyone listen to or read anything I make. It doesn't matter to me if they didn't like it because at the least they gave it a try.

2

u/Maxsmart007 Jan 21 '26

This is the wrong outlook to have IMO -- you cannot take it personally when your work is criticized. Every single review is a person explaining what they want and what didn't work for them. Each piece of advice is feedback you can use to make this game the best possible version of itself, and I find that framing to be so much healthier. Sure, it sucks to have something you thought was awesome getting mixed reviews, but it's all feedback and that's not bad.

Tangentially, if the public reception is this wildly different from the tester reception, I think you've probably got a bigger disconnect going on here. The testers weren't representative of the final audience, which strikes me as either bias in the tester selection or the game was marketed to the wrong audience.

2

u/Beanbag_shmoo Jan 21 '26

Not every game has to be THE game. You have more games in you and you will learn from this experience. I hope you get more positive reviews moving forward but when the dust settles do see those less positive reviews as potentially valuable. What can you learn from them? Something about gameplay? Something about the marketing? The visuals? Learn and move forward

2

u/MercurialMind_ Jan 21 '26

It seems like most people are enjoying your game but think that it is too short or too shallow. You can definitely cater more to these people with time, and I wouldn't treat it as people being dissuaded from your game! I think the feedback you are getting, while disheartening, is actually super useful for your game

2

u/Laricaxipeg Jan 21 '26

You got past the 10 reviews limit, a win that I'm sure I won't reach lmao

2

u/VitSoonYoung Jan 21 '26

Your game has players!?

*look back at my 0 players game"

2

u/Curious-South-9168 Jan 21 '26

Looking at the criticism, no-one is saying it's bad, one thing to remember is that criticism comes from a place of caring, and a desire to see it improved. Not to make you feel as though your labour was worthless, they've found things that need improvement in their eyes. When your playtesters gave you positive feedback, but now that you've released it there is a broader audience. Your game has only eighteen reviews, but your all time peak was 208 people, that means that even those who were negative of your game cared enough to point out its flaws.

2

u/MajorBarracuda8094 Jan 21 '26

It's not all bad man, look at this way, your doing better than some multi million companies ; you actually care. You can do this man, just pick yourself up and try again. This is your first game, don't beat yourself up about it as much, you did great

2

u/mistermashu Jan 21 '26

My steam game doesn't even have a single review lol. Great job focusing for 1100 hours, that is impressive.

2

u/Wyattmebro Jan 21 '26

Huh this looks neat. I'll check this out after my nap and give her a whirl.

2

u/DzekRL Jan 21 '26

How did you conduct the beta test? Was it just a few people from your discord, cause usually people within a community will rarely tell to your face that certain things are shit.

You know, like when you eat at a restaurant and the food isn't good, most people will not complain and tell the waitress everything is fine to avoid confrontation and awkwardness, but they'll just never come to the restaurant again.

But that being beside the point. Making games is HARD. Extremely hard. Finishing a game is even harder.

Take from it what you can in terms from a learning experience, but don't take it as "I failed to achieve what I wanted to, hence I am a failure", that would be a big mistake.

2

u/PersonOfInterest007 Jan 21 '26

I’m very sorry to hear this; it must be hard on you.

Since the beta feedback was positive but the current reviews aren’t, it’s at least possible that part of the problem is that Steam is presenting your game to the wrong audience, e.g., people who don’t actually like the general genre of your game.

If you want to experiment with that, try changing your tags. Look for some popular games that you think are similar to yours in genre, style, and overall quality, and try to match their tags. You can use the site https://steamtaghelper.com/ to enter the games you think are similar to get the tags to use.

I’m not saying that that will necessarily fix the problem, but it’s worth a shot.

And don’t let the reviews get you down. If there’s feedback that will help make your next game better, great. And ignore the rest.

2

u/Time-Ad3717 Jan 21 '26

It looks like users are leaving reviews, take that input, sort through the constructive criticism vs not so constructive and improve it! But this is a complete W in my book.

2

u/mmaxamms Jan 21 '26

As someone with almost 3k hours in Idle Games on Steam (there's plenty not on Steam as well), the complaint I see in your reviews that would caution me away from purchasing has nothing to do with speed, and everything to do with lack of prestige options 🤔

Slow, meditative, and incremental growth is fine, but if I can't continue making growth (either mechanically through an extended system of permanent prestige upgrades, or through strategy by prioritizing a complex system of standard upgrades in a cost vs benefit system), after the first run, it's not much more than a novelty in the grand scheme of things.

Just my two cents as someone invested in the genre, not trying to put down your work at all. I was actually going to add the game to my wishlist until I read some of those reviews, and thought the insight might help is all!

2

u/Minaridev Developer Jan 21 '26

I got similar "review score" on my first Steam game, but it wasn't my first game that I made, just first one to be released on Steam. I got compared to Sad Satan, which tells about the gameplay. I have considered releasing sequel to Steam too, but I don't think I will.

You're not alone.

2

u/Upstairs-Tennis9884 Jan 21 '26

This might sound patronizing or maybe even the word I'm actually trying to think of, but it isn't intended that way.

I regularly read a book to my kids called Elbowgrease by John Cena about a small, electric monster truck that doesnt have any of the desireable qualities that his brothers have. Long story short, at the end of the book he finishes the race in last place and, while he is hard on himself about it, his friend points out that there are a lot of trucks that flipped over or otherwise didn't even make it to the end of the race. His hero pulls up next to him and praises him for having gumption and pulling through to the finisb. Everybody else stood out in the spotlight, but his superpower was fighting through to the end no matter what obstacles he faced.

I have started developing several games and have not even come close to ANYTHING shippable or even playable. I saw the obstacles that looked like they were going to prevent me from shipping the end result I was imagining and (partially due to ADD) moved on to the next thing.

You might not have finished with the result you were hoping for, but MANY people before you haven't even finished the race at all. You are way ahead of most people who aspire to release a game and if you have gotten this far, you have something special. I don't know if you will ever be successful as an indie dev, but I know you won't be if you count this as a loss rather than the very reall win it is. Read the comments, learn the lessons, and get better.

Best of luck!

2

u/DamagedSol Jan 21 '26

Most people dont bother leaving a review unless they feel a very strong emotion towards a thing.

Either enjoyment or dislike that is to say.

A person who eats a burger they like at their local joint doesnt usually leave a review.

Personally the reviews that I've left behind on games have either been because of;

A) I genuinely loved the game and want to express that

B) a change was made that I find unbearable and frustrating.

2

u/DifficultyExpress656 Jan 21 '26

I have looked at the comments to your game and found it interesting people call it shallow and still playing it for 8 hours 😳

2

u/PetrosAnastasiadis Jan 21 '26

Ay i get u, but its still a huge thing to be proud of releasing a functional full game. I saw you had people play for ~8 hours(!) thats a long time and it means you kept them engaged for way more than what u normally see. You should be proud of that by itself even if they have complaints.

A random tidbit ive heard that you could keep in min: reviews are not a measure of quality but of delivering on expectations. If you meet peoples expectations, they will leave a positive review, if not, negative, even if the game is good, just not what they expected.

Maybe your marketing or other games in the genre gave players wrong expectations for what the game is? Not necessarily true, just something to think about.

2

u/Anon324Teller Jan 21 '26

Honestly, you got at least 18 people to play your game and care enough to review it. That’s better than a lot of first attempts, you’re doing good so far

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

I love simple idle games. People for sure can be very harsh with their words, especially when reviewing something. Don't take it too much to heart, think of it as angry advice on how to improve anything that may need improving. Don't let the few loudest mean voices turn you away from what you do. I find it very admirable that you put your time and effort into something like this. Not many people can say they did that, and publish it on Steam no less! Keep it up bro 🤙

Edit: just looked at your page and the screenshots you posted of the game. It looks like something I'd absolutely play and have a great time with, sitting in the background while I play something else. Next time I'm on Steam I'm gonna look it up and try your game out!

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u/Tpickarddev Jan 21 '26

The first AAA project I worked on way back in 2006-9 came out a bit buggy, the reviews were terrible as people enjoying it don't leave reviews, people who get bugs or hate it do leave reviews... With a bit of time and some patches, fixes, the drama died down and it's looked back on fonly in the series it was for. worst feeling was we could see dta saying people loved the game and sank hundreds of hours into it so the reviews felt different to reality.

Honestly it felt soul crushing at the time and helped me in a lot of ways, to get a thick shell, to be able to read reviews and see frustration and actual issues and help fix issues rathr than just the rage.

You now also have data, so if you improve stuff or patch things and it moves the reviews up... you'll be able to see it happen which is a real buzz.

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u/friendly-manspider Jan 21 '26

Dude, making and publishing an actual game is hard work. You should be proud of the accomplishment of completing that alone. I remember making and publishing a small iOS app for school and it’s a ton of work.

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u/MEPETAMINALS Jan 21 '26

I very much know the feeling.

I released back in November -- and have done ok (~75% positive with 90 reviews), but definitely see the red thumbs more clearly.

Couple suggestions.

You can't please everybody, people are prone to deciding what a game should be before they even play it, and if it doesn't fit the rigid idea they've formed, they get upset.

You can't fix this, but making the trailers and description as accurate as possible may help.

Read the reviews with a critical (but not defensive) eye. A lot of negativity in reviews is not exactly in good faith. (i.e. they complain about performance when running a pc with less than half of the minimum specs, or they're upset that a game specifically marketing as a slow paced trading game is a slow paced trading game instead of the first person shooter they wanted.)

That said, there can be a whole slew of complaints that you are developer-blind to, and it can be very worth making efforts to address these complaints.

Importantly, if you do respond to a review -- be polite, non-defensive, and earnest. Don't respond at all to people with nothing actionable to say.

Get as many hands on the project as you can - before asking for their money. My game for example launched in a pretty rough state, despite having a playable demo out for more than a year prior to release. I can't even imagine how much worse it would have been had it just been me testing things out on 1 or 2 machines.

Also - having a demo may well insulate you from *some* of the negativity, as people who are immediately disinterested are less likely to buy refund and review.

If you've got eyes on the project, run betas/etc prior to release if you can.

Lastly - looking at your game things aren't dire. Many of the negative reviews list positive features, and the general feeling is that the game doesn't scale much for an idler game and has minimal content, with some even acknowledging that the game could get better over time.

Imo responding gracefully, (and publicly), with your intentions to address criticism/add content/etc -- may well turn things around.

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u/Rainnefox Jan 21 '26

Mixed reviews just means you have things to work on! How you respond to the criticism is up to you, but I know that devs who listen to the people playing the game and make meaningful changes (while not compromising their vision and heart of their game) are some of the most respected people in the gaming world.

Sit with the comments for a bit, ignore the ones that aren’t helpful and see what you can do!

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u/first_person_looter Jan 21 '26

Lots of well regarded artists in all different fields (movies, music, painting, books…) Released their first works to less than positive reviews. It is absolutely heartbreaking, and understandably so. I have made films that were not received well. The one piece of advice I’ve continued to use to help me (even though it never actually cures my feeling of rejection - is to take what I learned and put that into my next project.

Lessons meaning any constructive criticism from others, also meaning lessons you learn about yourself when reflecting on how it affected you. Obviously all of us artists wish that our art was received by everyone as well as we like it ourselves. The irony however is that we are also our worst critics. So when we are actually happy with our work, it can be that much more hurtful when there are worse critics than ourselves.

So yeah, in my experience that pain will never go away, although it may very well subside substantially. I’m currently playing God of war Ragnarok and Kratos Frequently reminds me to not let my feelings affect me negatively but to harness them into positive action. I wish the life of an artist were easier with at least less heartbreak, but sadly it doesn’t seem like that is coded into the universe for us.

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u/Straight-Earth2762 Jan 21 '26

You got people talking about your game at least! look at it like constructive feedback to make a sequel that's better. You have the foundation so it wont take you as long to make another game! Dont let it discourage you OP

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u/iRaXty Jan 21 '26

you don’t need to be sad. Read them and try to learn/improve. You published a game and it’s already a success imo. Good luck!!

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u/endlessriverstudios Jan 21 '26

I just went to read the steam reviews and the way that you’re addressing them in this comment section is disingenuous.

It doesn’t seem like people are asking for a fast paced game - they want a sense of progression, things to do, things to unlock.

I’m not here to tell you what game to make, but I feel like you need to listen to what the players are actually saying without being defensive if you want this to be a learning experience.

Congrats on the release!

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u/throwaway000010292 Jan 21 '26

Hey don’t let it get you down! At least you made something creative! I’m sure that’s more than they can say. I remember when I started working on my pet game I had zero care for anyone ever seeing it or playing it. But I made a post and one person told me how much they loved the design. And that was all it took for me. I think if you focus on the good things and ignore the rest then all is well. Now I’m not saying ignore the reviews. Maybe read them from an outside perspective and see if there’s anything to learn or take note of. Maybe someone’s complaint can be something to change in how the game is described, presented, or works.

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u/ParadoxicalInsight Jan 21 '26

Hey, if you're ever going to get bad feedback, is when you're beginning. Bad feedback should just be signs of what you can do to grow :) Your first game can't be perfect after all

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u/streats1 Jan 21 '26

Take the negatives as feedback, develop and publishing is not easy. You did something amazing on doing that. Use the feedback to either push out updates or for a new project

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u/shahen-crow Jan 21 '26

That's fine, its your first game. You will learn and grow as you continue, most people doesn't find success at the first try. Take it as a lesson, we can only learn from our failures.

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u/sisyphe-123 Jan 21 '26

like you said it's your first. most make it till their fourth or so, learn what you can and iterate on it, you'll be fine

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u/ShadwDev Jan 21 '26

You created and published a game, that’s what I am dreaming about doing. Don’t get discouraged, you’ve done amazing and you should be proud of yourself. I only wish to be able to get this far. Hope everything goes well for you!

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u/CuriousQuestor part-time developer and part-time villain Jan 21 '26

I’m interested in the difference between playtesters feedback and real feedback. How do you playtest it? Who were your playtesters? Do you think there’s a way to catch this feedback earlier?

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u/eyeswulf Jan 21 '26

Mixed with 18 reviews is hardly a sample. All it takes is 2 "bad" reviews for you to drop below 10%. I think you are being too biased in your selection because you are so close to it

Alternatively, you just need about a handful of positive reviews to improve your rating

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u/backrooms_2026 Jan 21 '26

Just ask them whats wrong with it and what they would fix. If that many people don’t like the game then something’s seriously wrong. Negative reviews will become your best friend in the future! Imagine if you actually dropped the game and this happened… Find out what’s wrong with it! 🫡

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u/2leashed Jan 21 '26

Sorry this has you feeling so bummed, think of all of the skills you have developed over the course of the game you can always try building a new game next with all those skills 🫶

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u/Pkittens Jan 21 '26

18 reviews in 1 day for your first game? Pretty good.
Bundling it with that black hole game might've set people's expectations really high for your game, which caused bad reviews in that context.
Idk what's meditative about the game, looks pretty (visually) stressful to me except for the music!

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u/Brettinabox Jan 21 '26

Id look at the quality and process of your testing group. If they were random they probably just said nice things to get a free game.

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u/-usernames-are-hard Jan 21 '26

I’m not a game dev, and I don’t know why this is in my feed, but I do have lots of creative hobbies so I might have some good advice:

The first songs you make aren’t going to be received well. The first book you finish isn’t going to land you an agent. The first article you write isn’t going to end up in a magazine. You just have to keep making. It sounds insurmountable to put all of that work into another project, but here’s the secret: you don’t have to. All of that time spent making the first one was time spent learning. It was the hard one. Doing it again and again is actually the easy part. And - as you will soon realize - the fun part (though it probably doesn’t sound fun right now). Take a break, and in a couple months when that creative itch starts nagging at you, get back to it.

Good luck!

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u/ContinuedOak Jan 21 '26

You did something not a lot of people do, finish and publish a game (myself included in not being able to do that yet) we learn from each ‘fail’ and technically you only fail when you give up, so you could take review feedback that is useful and add it into an update, add a fast pace more stressful mode ect, the skies the limit

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u/NoJellyfish8473 Jan 21 '26

Hey ! Gg for publishing your first game ! Your reviews are mixed ? Ok , enhance your game for yours fans but you doing something incredible : create & publish a game ! It’s okay if your first game is mixed , you just acquired a great experience !

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u/NotABurner2000 Jan 21 '26

Think about it like this. Do you positively review every game you just kinda like? Usually you'll only review a game you really love, or really hate, right? So most people who reviewed really loved your game. Those who didnt review it probably thought it was okay or pretty good. Not bad, imo

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u/Zealousideal_Ant2545 Jan 21 '26

The feedback from unhappy players is the most precious one. Turn on that into strength for your next game, the 1k hours you spent will pay for sure, never give up!

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u/AsteroFucker69 Jan 21 '26

don't get discouraged, take the productive feedback, ignore the noise, and improve/fine tune your game.

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u/Adorabelle1 Jan 21 '26

Not a game dev myself but id try to take a mental break from the reviews. Pleae do not obsess over peoples feedback.

Learn the lessons you need to and try again when you feel the inspiration:)

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u/Murky_Macropod Jan 21 '26

18 (min) people experienced something you created, which is more than most people get.

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u/Professional_Bid_986 Jan 21 '26

First off, 18 reviews in the 1st 24 hours is amazing, especially for your first game. Means people are playing it, and cared enough to comment.

You got positive reviews too. Don't overlook that. Read them, take in what can improve. If you plan to make updates you can communicate that in a community letter.

If you don't plan to make updates, take those comments into your next game as ways to improve. Not all comments will be productive, so take each one with a grain of salt.

Good work getting a game out, most people dont even get that far.

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u/NaveGCT Jan 21 '26

55% does mean that most people recommend it

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u/shuanDang Jan 21 '26

most games that want to do a relaxing zen mode will add the zen mode as an 'option', because the zen mode is for a tiny niche audience subset of the arcade crowd. or market the game as a cozy game experience.

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u/CanadaSoonFree Jan 21 '26

Well at least those 1100 hours aren’t lost. Your next project should go much faster and you may be able to make something better :)

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u/cosmic_cozy Jan 21 '26

The visuals of your game don't really look meditative or slow. The capsule could actually be for a scifi shmup. Slow/meditative would be brighter, less color and less contrasts and softer forms.
I don't want to sound harsh, that's just what I thought when visiting the steam page.

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u/_parfait Jan 21 '26

You went further than I ever did. I quit projects halfway due to scope creep or jumping into new ideas. Be proud of it

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u/alamohero Jan 21 '26

On the bright side 18 reviews isn’t a huge sample size. People in the wild can be harsher critics than playtesters or gaming forums.

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u/Still_Pin9434 Jan 21 '26

Getting 18 reviews day-of-release is nothing to be heartbroken about. Getting above the 10 review mark at all is a massive success !!

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u/FHAT_BRANDHO Jan 21 '26

You dont have enough of a survey base yet. I went to your reviews and saw more praising it than I did criticizing it at a cursory glance. Its only been a day lol give it a month and see what people say

Offhandedly, the gripe I saw the most of was that people felt like they had unlocked all the content too fast, maybe key up the incremental idea or add more goals deeper into the game

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u/csfalcao Jan 21 '26

Where's the link to your game?

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u/Healthy-Tough-9537 Jan 21 '26

First launch is rarely successful. Just keep going!

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u/SpooktorB Jan 21 '26

Bright side: Your starting out about where Scott Cawthen did.

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u/Gritsmaster Jan 21 '26

Try again! It’s not about their opinion, it’s that you made something you wanted to make. Congratulations, and good luck on your next project — it’ll undoubtedly be way better!

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u/dogscatsnscience Jan 21 '26

Interpreting feedback is a skill unto itself, one reason polling is so complicated.

You don't know what people's expectations were when the bought the game - based on images, video, price, or whatever text the read (assume no one but you has actually read your whole text): 18 reviews might be too early, and you need more of your target audience to try the game.
You don't know what type of player bought the game - if you wanted idler players to buy it, but someone picked it up because they assumed it was closer to a factory game (as an example), the feedback might be valuable, but you have to adjust the lens you see it through.
Maybe you made the wrong game for the right audience - the things you like about the idea are actually closer to what the feedback is looking for, in which case the feedback could be ultra helpful if you're willing to lean into the things they're looking for.

To be a bit reductive, imagine you're a restaurant. You're going to serve this dish every day, to new people, for a year. Every time someone walks in the door and gives you feedback, you either:

have an artistic goal, and you need to learn which feedback to reject: you don't want to be laid astray by people that were looking for something else, but happened to walk in your door,

or you have a technical goal, and you want to make the best version of a dish that people like: it's your job to filter out the reviews to figure out who is providing feedback that is going to help you refine your direction.

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u/Dorterman Jan 21 '26

Just a quick look at the game, I can tell it has a very interesting design, and definitely fits the meditative idea you're trying to convey. But from the reviews, it seems like it lacks a lot in progression. It is still a game, and therefore does need progression to some degree, even if it's slow.

If I could recommend, I would suggest making a lot of the unlocks locked behind progression, add some more content with progression, and slowly expand the map, and maybe even play on the idea of planets and galaxies since you're in space. Just some ideas. It has a lot of potential as a game for sure, so definitely just take the reviews as criticism. Remember, they paid money and gave your game time. Negative review or not, they tried it out, and therefore your game has potential at face value.

Good luck!

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u/Careful_Coconut_549 Jan 21 '26

You did great garnering interest compared to the vast majority of games released this year - most won't get more than a couple of reviews ever, and you got 18 in a day. The overall score can still get positive as you get more. I'd take this as a sign you did more things right than most. And as for negative reviews; I truly think it's better to evoke a feeling than be faced with silence. It'll help you get better and really, video games often are a form of art, and it's a failure of art to not evoke feeling.

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u/Ok-Courage-1079 Jan 21 '26

Don't expect perfection the first time around. That's not as common as you think. Keep going and you'll get better.

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26 edited 11d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/skyline79 Jan 21 '26

May I ask, who were the beta testers? People you knew or complete strangers?

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u/Gmroo Jan 21 '26

Reviews point to super concrete improvements. Jump on those and do another push. You'll get your refresh. :)

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u/Wizardfinn_360 Jan 21 '26

Change the way you approach this. You created a game which is already better than most people. Now even if the feedback is negative make sure to ask what specifically they found boring or slow. Get as many details as you can and make sure that you get everything cleanly on a paper. You can now see what people, real people look for in games. Don't be bummed I am working on my first game and seeing yall making games gives me the courage to keep trying. Good work and I hope any future games get better reviews stranger.

Also, you can now use some stuff you made to make a new game faster and more polished as well. I always expect the worst outcome and then surprise myself when it succeds even slightly more than I expected. Be proud of what you accomplished.

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u/UnknownEvil_ Jan 21 '26

I didn't even get any reviews

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u/blavek Jan 21 '26

Are any of the complaints actionable? If they are then your community is telling you how to make the game better for them. Playtest responses aren't going to be a great barometer for how the genal public will like your game. Your playtesters are invested in some way which helps them to enjoy your product. But your average joe I think doesn't even read what the game is about before they buy it. You can also wait until your community finds the game but you'd probably have a better chance of solving algebra equations by chewing bubble gum.

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u/poopy_poophead Jan 21 '26

You made a game and people bought it and at leat half of them liked it.

You are in the top 10% of game devs...

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u/Puzzleheaded_Ad_9080 Jan 21 '26

I am new to game development, but spent years as a professor writing papers and books so I completely understand the feeling of getting less positive feedback on stuff I worked on for years -- it sucks. Yet, it's also an opportunity to learn how others interpret your design, data, framing, interpretation, etc. It definitely stings, but the fact that you completed something compelling enough for people to spend time and money on it is a great accomplishment. There's a lot of stuff out there (great and garbage) that people never discover. You did enough things right to intrigue people to buy and play it. Also, it's still early. You just released it and reviews are just like any other type of data -- unstable at small sample sizes. If it's still mixed when you have 10x the number of reviews you have now, then that is more telling than your current reviews.

Also, some games aren't always as great as they could become at the initial release... some devs just want to get something out, get a feel for what players like/dislike, and then transform it into a better version of what they originally intended.

I know nothing about your game or you (other than what is in your post), but I think it's rad you had an idea, built the game, and released it. That's more than most ever do, and your game might be totally awesome. It's just too early to tell and there's a lot to celebrate already. And, soon, you'll get more data and get to think about what you want to do with it, whether that means updating the current one, or cutting ties. Either way, you did something hard. Savor that.

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u/Drythes Jan 21 '26

18 reviews? Far from bad (and now you know what your audience wants with the reviews)

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u/Sensitive_Ad_5031 Jan 21 '26

It is a first game, it’s very rare to succeed from first try at anything.

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u/Giocri Jan 21 '26

Betatesters might Just have been more close to your targhet demographic than the people who stumbled onto your game on steam, try to look at how your steampage looks and see if it gives a clear idea of what the game is like gameplay wise

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u/Adventurous-Cry-7462 Jan 21 '26

Sounds like you didnt vet your beta testers properly. They were probably friends and family or just not the target audience

Discussion My first game's reception is heartbreaking :'(

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