Where would you like to play this? On your cellphone or desktop? Any specific platform (steam, itch.io)?
I've been thinking about releasing a package of levels for free on my website and then sell (for a small price) packages with new levels. I think this is a good strategy where I could demo the game and if people really like it, they would contribute buying content. How do you feel about that? Could this strategy hurt me in the long way, if I want to become a game dev (Epic x Apple/Google polemic)?
Please, help me out on this. Here's a little play through I recorded today.
https://twitter.com/victorqribeiro/status/129435445402472448...
So please offer “IDGAF” $5 bundle or something like the original fieldrunners.
Other than, iOS or Steam please. Epic is horrible to use as a gamer. I’m probably never going to register on your site to pay you.
Mindustry is a good example of a simple, low cost game that runs through steam and iOS (and I imagine android).
Without actually playing it, and only looking at the video you provided, it looks like a playable, but basic tower defense game.
I don't think this is a game you can effectively charge for, for a few reasons:
* It doesn't appear to offer anything unique over other basic tower defense games
* It seems very simplistic; your playthrough video didn't appear to show a game start, round start, round end, or game end screen. It looks unfinished
* It appears to be using stock art from the Kenney.nl site
None of these are explicit reasons not to charge - I am an amateur game dev, and use the Kenney art for most of my stuff :)
My games are also largely incomplete, there are things that I should add, but none of them are the game that I am working on, most of them are prototypes to build skills and test mechanics for something else.
It is awesome that you built this, and I think a better approach would be to publish it on each of your website, the Apple store, Google play store, and Itch. Publishing to each of those is relatively easy, and is a good learning experience.
You could also offer players an in-app purchase to upgrade to paid version, and implement features that appeal to them (including something as basic as supporting you as an indie dev).
Publishing those apps, and building a payment feature will be a big step in ensuring you have skills that are marketable as a developer, and help you learn the pitfalls of publishing, it also starts building a portfolio you can point at when applying for jobs if you want to go that route.
Keeping the game free means that folks will be more likely to try and play your game, and if you build in social features then you can solicit feedback from players about what they like and don't like, which will help you learn about game design.
Providing an option to pay creates the potential to make some (even a small amount) of money while doing this.
Either way good job, and look forward to playing it once it's published somewhere!
Especially for a competitive genre like tower defense with hundreds (thousands?) of titles, programmer art just won't cut it.
If you're hellbent on selling a tower defense game, have you considered hiring an artist to improve the look?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgjByP-EhdA&list=PL3pnEx5_eG...
One thing that's critical in my book: "Normal" mode should beat new players regularly until they get the hang of the game. It's boring to win easily. I'd go Android and give the first x levels for free rather than in game purchases.
Edit: typo
No one can know for sure.
Kingdom Rush (tower defense) started out as a free web-based game. Later they released on google and apple stores. Didn't seem to hurt them. Probably wouldn't have been a successful game without that initial free version. The free web game hooked me at least.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOfphxLT9mY
Another all nighter, but I'm very happy with how things are going.