Alex the Abyssal Novelist
@abyssalnovelist.bsky.social
Gamedev menace, taker of artistic liberties, scourge upon the world.
I do narrative + gameplay design and gameloc.
You can find my portfolio here: https://abyssalnovelist.carrd.co
Email me at: abyssalnovelist@gmail.com
I do narrative + gameplay design and gameloc.
You can find my portfolio here: https://abyssalnovelist.carrd.co
Email me at: abyssalnovelist@gmail.com
Doing epic gamer stuff
November 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Doing epic gamer stuff
Playing through LOK DIGITAL (store.steampowered.com/app/2207440/...) < a very cute and very fun puzzle game! Finished the first world (puzzles 10, 11, and 12 are extra challenges and thus optional) and loving it!
October 26, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Playing through LOK DIGITAL (store.steampowered.com/app/2207440/...) < a very cute and very fun puzzle game! Finished the first world (puzzles 10, 11, and 12 are extra challenges and thus optional) and loving it!
Got back into cookie clicker. Short-term gamedev productivity estimated at zero.
October 25, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Got back into cookie clicker. Short-term gamedev productivity estimated at zero.
"AI Human Resources"
October 24, 2025 at 10:30 AM
"AI Human Resources"
>Work on game in X genre
>Google "Why has Y game of X genre fame failed?"
>The reasons match up exactly with what you are currently designing.
>Google "Why has Y game of X genre fame failed?"
>The reasons match up exactly with what you are currently designing.
October 4, 2025 at 10:12 AM
>Work on game in X genre
>Google "Why has Y game of X genre fame failed?"
>The reasons match up exactly with what you are currently designing.
>Google "Why has Y game of X genre fame failed?"
>The reasons match up exactly with what you are currently designing.
Time to Qud it up!
September 22, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Time to Qud it up!
Have you seen the Yellow Sign?
August 2, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Have you seen the Yellow Sign?
Here's how our downloads by region looked like!
Point of interest: France (localized game, non-localized Steam page) 58 downloads. Germany (neither localized) 59 downloads.
Localize your Steam pages as well, folks! They further communicate that yes, your game is available in that language.
Point of interest: France (localized game, non-localized Steam page) 58 downloads. Germany (neither localized) 59 downloads.
Localize your Steam pages as well, folks! They further communicate that yes, your game is available in that language.
June 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Here's how our downloads by region looked like!
Point of interest: France (localized game, non-localized Steam page) 58 downloads. Germany (neither localized) 59 downloads.
Localize your Steam pages as well, folks! They further communicate that yes, your game is available in that language.
Point of interest: France (localized game, non-localized Steam page) 58 downloads. Germany (neither localized) 59 downloads.
Localize your Steam pages as well, folks! They further communicate that yes, your game is available in that language.
We also made sure to publish a Linux and MacOS version of our game! Was it worth it?
Well... not really? But learning how to set everything up properly only took us approximately 16 hours of screwing around, but we'll remember that process forever, making future exports that much easier.
Well... not really? But learning how to set everything up properly only took us approximately 16 hours of screwing around, but we'll remember that process forever, making future exports that much easier.
June 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
We also made sure to publish a Linux and MacOS version of our game! Was it worth it?
Well... not really? But learning how to set everything up properly only took us approximately 16 hours of screwing around, but we'll remember that process forever, making future exports that much easier.
Well... not really? But learning how to set everything up properly only took us approximately 16 hours of screwing around, but we'll remember that process forever, making future exports that much easier.
A major part in our success, besides me being a nuisance online, has been the game's localization. Localization is an absolute potential multiplier for your game!
We approximate that anywhere from 15 to 25% of our entire Steam traffic came from Mandarin speakers.
We approximate that anywhere from 15 to 25% of our entire Steam traffic came from Mandarin speakers.
June 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
A major part in our success, besides me being a nuisance online, has been the game's localization. Localization is an absolute potential multiplier for your game!
We approximate that anywhere from 15 to 25% of our entire Steam traffic came from Mandarin speakers.
We approximate that anywhere from 15 to 25% of our entire Steam traffic came from Mandarin speakers.
Steam also had double the CTR compared to Itch.io
My biggest takeaway, which I hope everyone learns something from, is that while Itch shows your game to everyone (wider net), Steam shows your game to the select few goblins most likely to be obsessed by it (smaller net, bigger fish!)
My biggest takeaway, which I hope everyone learns something from, is that while Itch shows your game to everyone (wider net), Steam shows your game to the select few goblins most likely to be obsessed by it (smaller net, bigger fish!)
June 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Steam also had double the CTR compared to Itch.io
My biggest takeaway, which I hope everyone learns something from, is that while Itch shows your game to everyone (wider net), Steam shows your game to the select few goblins most likely to be obsessed by it (smaller net, bigger fish!)
My biggest takeaway, which I hope everyone learns something from, is that while Itch shows your game to everyone (wider net), Steam shows your game to the select few goblins most likely to be obsessed by it (smaller net, bigger fish!)
Note: On Steam we had launched the page a few days before Next Fest. The demo launched two days before. On Itch we had been live for slightly over a year.
June 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Note: On Steam we had launched the page a few days before Next Fest. The demo launched two days before. On Itch we had been live for slightly over a year.
Eyeballs: how I lovingly refer to impressions.
Over a 7-day period during Steam Next Fest, Steam gave us ~50k impressions. Itch.io gave us ~500k impressions.
Steam had Next Fest, Itch.io had us push a major announcement, both had limited 'marketing' (me being a nuisance online).
Over a 7-day period during Steam Next Fest, Steam gave us ~50k impressions. Itch.io gave us ~500k impressions.
Steam had Next Fest, Itch.io had us push a major announcement, both had limited 'marketing' (me being a nuisance online).
June 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Hi, I'm Alex the Abyssal Novelist, I'm doing a lot of stuff for our non-commercial indie project "A Dark Forest". Check it out here!
store.steampowered.com/app/3314970?...
store.steampowered.com/app/3314970?...
June 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Hi, I'm Alex the Abyssal Novelist, I'm doing a lot of stuff for our non-commercial indie project "A Dark Forest". Check it out here!
store.steampowered.com/app/3314970?...
store.steampowered.com/app/3314970?...
I've been using these!
June 19, 2025 at 9:08 AM
I've been using these!
June 17, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Our game A Dark Forest passed 200 ratings on Itch.io! Inching ever closer to that 4.7/5 rating! 👀
tinytakinteller.itch.io/the-best-gam...
#gamedev #indiedev #Godot
tinytakinteller.itch.io/the-best-gam...
#gamedev #indiedev #Godot
June 13, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Our game A Dark Forest passed 200 ratings on Itch.io! Inching ever closer to that 4.7/5 rating! 👀
tinytakinteller.itch.io/the-best-gam...
#gamedev #indiedev #Godot
tinytakinteller.itch.io/the-best-gam...
#gamedev #indiedev #Godot
#Gamedesign got me like
On a serious note, "not stopping the players from having fun" is the single most important thing I've learned from playtesting. Good game design enables smooth transitions in play!
On a serious note, "not stopping the players from having fun" is the single most important thing I've learned from playtesting. Good game design enables smooth transitions in play!
June 12, 2025 at 4:27 PM
#Gamedesign got me like
On a serious note, "not stopping the players from having fun" is the single most important thing I've learned from playtesting. Good game design enables smooth transitions in play!
On a serious note, "not stopping the players from having fun" is the single most important thing I've learned from playtesting. Good game design enables smooth transitions in play!
June 11, 2025 at 4:48 PM
We are certainly taking part but knew no one with a Steam deck, so actually it would be great if you could tell us if it works on one lmao
Thanks for the offer! 🖤
Thanks for the offer! 🖤
June 10, 2025 at 12:33 PM
We are certainly taking part but knew no one with a Steam deck, so actually it would be great if you could tell us if it works on one lmao
Thanks for the offer! 🖤
Thanks for the offer! 🖤
I should NOT be allowed to be in charge of marketing and/or copywriting bro 💀
June 9, 2025 at 6:12 PM
I should NOT be allowed to be in charge of marketing and/or copywriting bro 💀
Finally played Flocking Hell by @sextantstudios.bsky.social ! Really enjoyed it! Originally I wanted to check it out looong ago, but real life stuff got in the way of that, sadly.
June 8, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Finally played Flocking Hell by @sextantstudios.bsky.social ! Really enjoyed it! Originally I wanted to check it out looong ago, but real life stuff got in the way of that, sadly.
Woo! Pleasantly surprised over 500 folks already nabbed a free copy of our Steam demo for A Dark Forest!
Feel like playing a free idle/clicker game? Check it out! store.steampowered.com/app/3314970/...
#indiedev #gamedev
Feel like playing a free idle/clicker game? Check it out! store.steampowered.com/app/3314970/...
#indiedev #gamedev
June 8, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Woo! Pleasantly surprised over 500 folks already nabbed a free copy of our Steam demo for A Dark Forest!
Feel like playing a free idle/clicker game? Check it out! store.steampowered.com/app/3314970/...
#indiedev #gamedev
Feel like playing a free idle/clicker game? Check it out! store.steampowered.com/app/3314970/...
#indiedev #gamedev
