SURPRISE GAME: BAD WRITER

[Gunroar:Cannon()]

Wow. Normally itch.io stuff doesn't sell so it's cool to see one doing that, especially since it's Love2d (rarer) so this is to nice to watch. I wish I could get mine like this How many downloads?

[pauljessup]

Wow. Normally itch.io stuff doesn't sell so it's cool to see one doing that, especially since it's Love2d (rarer) so this is to nice to watch. I wish I could get mine like this How many downloads?

It's been 152 downloads since Friday, and each day seems to double the last. Friday I only sold 3, and so I thought this was going to be like Embgerglass and maybe only sell 12 copies or so (you know, the game I worked a whole year on). But no...this silly game I wrote in 2 weeks is selling way more than I thought. I mean, I bet to some really big games 152 is a drop in the bucket...but for me, for only being five or six days? That's kind of nuts!

Congrats!
Can you tell how you made it? Ideas, concepts etc.?

Sure! the idea was just me realizing selling short stories is like a video game, and that the few and far between sales make it addicting. My first ideas were for a more complicated game, having a plot and other stuff. The more I worked on it, the more I realized a really simple game was more fun, would be done faster, and would just overall be a better (albeit simpler) game.

I used TileD to make the map, but I didn't use STI. Not for any reason in particular, I just wanted to export to PNG and load the maps as layers, and then define collisions and place objects while playing the game. I have no idea why I didn't just used STI, I've used it in the past, hah. But anyway, Aseprite for the sprites, etc. I weirdly spent a lot of time coding the transition between first and second floor and the kitchen. That, and the textbox that pops up. I spent more time on that than anything else.

So, erm, yeah! I randomized the texts, created a system for creating, remembering, and submitting short stories (basically it's all weighted, the publisher has an acceptance score and a wait time for response, randomized, each story has a random score that's made higher or lower depending on your happiness and the number of ideas sold, etc). I also created a simple randomized title and name generator, using already existing magazines and short story titles as the base for creating the word pairs.

The rest is all just interacting through SNES JRPG style menus. It was a lot of fun. Weirdly enough, the gameplay could just as easily be done as a text adventure.

[Gunroar:Cannon()]

Wow. I won't even say you got lucky, because that's all you.

[pauljessup]

I think somehow luck did play a part in it...mostly because I have no idea how to replicate it at all, or make another successful game like this...

Still! It's so very exciting. Like right now, it's still #1! How is it beating out NORCO? A game with hype and buzz and a team behind it!

I am flabbergasted, but very grateful

[Davidobot]

I think somehow luck did play a part in it...mostly because I have no idea how to replicate it at all, or make another successful game like this...
...

First of all - congrats on the successful game!

Second - I noticed you were talking about a switch/android port of your game in the itch comments. I have experience with both (and have a Nintendo license + got LOVE working on the devkit) so feel free to message me to collab on the port and/or advice.

[pauljessup]

I think somehow luck did play a part in it...mostly because I have no idea how to replicate it at all, or make another successful game like this...
...

First of all - congrats on the successful game!

Second - I noticed you were talking about a switch/android port of your game in the itch comments. I have experience with both (and have a Nintendo license + got LOVE working on the devkit) so feel free to message me to collab on the port and/or advice.

thanks! And you know, I might just take you up on that offer.

[pauljessup]

Looks like my PM might be stuck in the outbox for some reason.

Email me-
hello@greybeard.games

[Davidobot]

...Email me...

Done deal - speak soon

[pauljessup]

Sounds good!

[Davidobot]

Just FYI for this thread. We did end up releasing on Switch! Released in the UK/EU/Australia today and will be releasing on the US eShop in a week's time!

Here's our press page: http://badwriter.riddlefox.com/