Just published my first game
Hey everyone!
I know there are some people on Tildes who like making games as a hobby. I’ve had a long-standing passion for game development, but I never managed to finish a project. About a month ago, I decided to push myself to finish a small game and publish it somewhere, and finally that day has come! Orb Sweeper, a 3D minesweeper puzzle on a sphere, is now live on the Google Play Store. Just as a disclaimer: it’s free, has no ads, and works offline by default, so I’m not earning anything from it. I just genuinely wanted to share my first finished project, along with the joy and relief I feel now.
Honestly, I’ve always been more ambitious when it comes to game mechanics. I’m a big fan of strategy games, especially TBS games over the years, so of course I always dreamed of creating a grand 4X strategy game of my own. Over time, I implemented many different systems and mechanics that are complex on their own: generation of realistic and interesting maps, pathfinding, economic models, different variations of game AI, and so on. But since these kinds of projects are huge, I was never able to finish one as a solo developer, or even bring it to a properly playable state. I burned out relatively quickly.
Over time, I realized what motivates me to continue: when somebody else is also working on the project, and when you can quickly see the results of your work. Both things are difficult to achieve. First, it’s hard to find people who are ready to spend a lot of their free time developing a big strategy game while following the same vision. Since it’s a hobby and I cannot pay for development, I also have to spend a lot of energy motivating others, not just myself. The longest I managed to keep a small team of two enthusiasts together was one month.
Second, with complex games like strategies, there are only a few big and impactful mechanics that bring the game to the state of a playable prototype, but getting there demands a ton of polishing. Graphics, sounds, small animations, 3D models… a lot of work that is almost invisible on its own, but contributes enormously to the overall look and feel of the game. Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in these small fixes, and that also leads to burnout.
So I decided to make my projects progressively smaller until I could realistically complete one from start to finish. It’s a bit sad to see that only a Minesweeper-like game survived this approach, but I feel like it’s an important starting point. Seeing my game actually published gives me a bit more motivation to finish other projects.
But then… it’s Google. All interactions with its platform make me feel a bit frustrated. It’s surprisingly difficult to publish such a simple game. I even had to hire paid testers just to satisfy their entry requirements for closed-test user engagement. There are so many policies regulating data handling that even if your game does nothing in terms of transferring data, handling accounts, or showing in-game ads, you still have to go through all these bureaucratic procedures anyway. I guess it’s probably the same with Apple, but their famous support still hasn’t helped me with account verification after a month, so I’ve yet to experience that side of things fully.
Anyway, I’m glad that the game is available somewhere at least. And I actually play it myself sometimes on my phone. I know some people here are going through similar obstacles, so I have a question for you: what motivates you to continue working on big, complex games? And more generally, how do you avoid burning out on long-term projects?
I'd like to take a look, but I'm de-googled (I don't like that term because I'd prefer not to even give giant corporations the legitimacy of using their name as verbs, but it's commonly understood - more so than "de-big-data-ed").
It looks like the game's permissions don't require Google Play Services (great!) - do you host an APK somewhere that I can install? Or will you also share Orb Sweeper on Fdroid?
You can download self-signed APK from GitHub repo: https://github.com/anechunaev/orb-sweeper/releases/tag/v8
Unfortunately I will not be able to publish on F-Droid because I use sound effects with restrictive license. I do not even host this files in the repo.
Obtainium is great for grabbing releases directly from Github.
This is awesome, congratulations on finishing a game! That's more than I've ever done. I really like this. When I first read your post I was like "oh that's a cool twist on minesweeper, maybe I'll get a game or two out of it", but I've now played several games without really meaning to haha.
Feedback:
Congrats again! And yay for Godot!
Edit: many small wording things
Thank you! I appreciate a lot such a thoughtful and informative feedback. I will definitely address this issues in coming updates.
everything the guy above you said, addendum i think is for the game to save its current state. i ask, not knowing how much hassle thats going to be for you
Happy to help! Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
I’d like to disagree with this one. I’m not sure if it’s universal, but all the maps apps on my phone follow the same principle. For single-finger zoom, it’s tap-then-swipe (like a double tap except the second tap is held, not released straight away) and then upwards to zoom in, downwards to zoom out. My muscle memory is strong enough that I could believe this has been true for as long as smartphones have had map apps, but I’m not 100% confident on that.
Oh interesting! I can't think of a single app I've ever used in the entire time I've had a smartphone that had one-finger zoom configured the way you describe. I had no idea that the way I'm used to wasn't universal.
@AaronNight - maybe a toggle would be more appropriate for this then, if you decide it's worth pursuing.
Yep, just implemented it, about to test
To be honest, other than maps, I’m genuinely struggling to even think of any apps at all that use one finger zoom. I feel like two finger pinch has become so ubiquitous, I only knew about the tap-and-hold one finger zoom because for years I deliberately chose smaller phones that I could use one-handed. (Alas my most recent phone has gone the other way, I finally caved in to seeing the direction phones were going and jumped in the deep end of the biggest phone that Apple sold at the time)
Usually one-finger zoom is also available in browsers and photo apps.
Yeah, I was just going to say what AaronNight said, it's all over the place in my experience. But it's also never the only option available and you're never forced to use it, so I can understand how someone might not know it's there. It's a "both/and" situation rather than an "either/or" one.
Congratulations! This is a really cool take!
Minor note, you hold to mark mines which is good, but most minesweeper type games, you can hold a number if it has exactly that many open spaces left to mark all open spaces. So if there's a 2 with only 2 open spaces left, you can hold the 2 to mark both instead of marking each space as a mine. Would be cool to have this added if you plan on making updates!
That's cool feature I didn't know about! Thank you, I'll definitely add it.
I honestly didn't expect this post to receive so many thoughtful replies. Thank you all for the kind words, encouragement and feedback! Reading through the comments was genuinely motivating.
@Pavouk106 thank you for the donation! And thanks to everyone who tried the game itself. Seeing people actually play it, enjoy it, and even keep it installed on their phones is honestly heartwarming.
I made few changes based on your comments and suggestions:
The update is available on Google Play and on GitHub. I hope you'll enjoy it!
Nice turnaround on feedback response :) that's one area I floundered in my first project despite getting useful feedback, it's still tucked in memory for when I find the juice to get back to game dev again.
Congratulations! This is something to be proud of. Let me know if you’re ever able to develop a version for iPhone, I’d be happy to play it.
I don’t have many thoughts about the development process because I mostly develop TTRPGs and cards/dice games, so for me the refinement and play cycles are what interest me. It takes next to nothing to sit down and come up with a rule set and then immediately start testing it since my developer tools are often literally just a text document and some dice.
But I guess even tabletop games need some polishing too, like text refinemenet, graphic design for printing etc. How do you deal with it?
They do. Ideally I get my rules into the hands of beta testers, but barring that I try my best to play them and come up with edge cases and game breaking scenarios. Since my current obsession is with single player games, it works out that I am often the only one testing it, but ideally it gets the shakedown from others.
My interest is piqued, like a lot!
Tell me more about these solitaires, or single player games, as you call them :)
Well the card and dice games are generally variations on other games I’ve played and enjoyed but with rules to make them generic and not beholden to a special deck of cards or special dice, although I do have a few unique games that I invented specially to be played inside of other TTRPGs for flavor.
The solo TTRPGs are based off of a system I’ve created but haven’t formally laid out, that is making an attempt to be a headless, genre-less system that describes meta-narratives and act specifically as an extendable template, so that I don’t have to roll a custom system if I’m inspired to create a different genre of story.
Right now it revolves around progression and regression tracking, and narrative-modifying events, which trigger narrative progression and regression adjustments. It sounds rather dry but it’s meant to be something of a sketch, giving you ideas how to tie dice rolls (or whatever randomization element you choose) back to narrative conceits.
The fun of this system is applying it towards modules that implement and extend the rules. I’m on my phone so it’s tough to describe, but basically it’s very much what I think of as LEGO for narrative design. I’d be happy to provide an example later when I’ve got some time at my computer.
Congratulations! Finishing something is a great feat! And also understanding that you have to go so much smaller than you could ever imagine is a great lesson. Now that you have finished and published a little something, the next one can only get bigger! Again: congratulations! 🎉🎉🎉
First impressions: Good! A fun little twist, it looks to be the perfect kind of busywork I need when I listen to audio books to stop my mind from wandering away. A keeper! Thanks!
A really tiny something: something is bugging me about the End screen, the UI of what buttons are where feel slightly off, but I dont really have a great idea on how to change it... Maybe "close" could move up the top-right corner of the result-box with just an "×" and then the buttons at the bottom of the result-box could be "exit" and "new game" while you only have "inspect" at the bottom of the whole screen (like "exit" is in the first screen). I think that the important change is to move "new game" into the result-box. But this is really a teeny, tiny thing!
Some propaganda: I just wanted to suggest that for this kind of small thing that mostly is a learning experience and morale booster you might want to consider making it libre software so you can publish it on F-droid avoiding Google all together (DISCLAIMER: I have no experience making or publishing anything on any platform I just don't like Google ;)).
I have no idea what's available on the apple side of things though ;)
Thank you for your kind words and valuable feedback! Yes, I find this screen a bit weird too. I will try to fix it eventually.
Regarding Google, I totally agree. APK is available to download from GitHub release page. Unfortunately that's the most I can do.
One more thing: the controls during the actual game are marvellous, just a few games in I don't even think about them. Very smooth and yet exact. Very well done!
Movement is genuinely great. It feels smooth to navigate the orb and I don't ever think I'll accidentally hit the wrong field unless I physically spaz out and double tap my phone screen or something. It could very easily turn into something frustrating when you whip around and accidentally trigger mines, but that never happens.
Edit to add: @fnulare also touched on the controls. Games that feel good to play often have more staying power.
I feel this. Im a software dev building a monetized shopping platform right now and was looking for a partner in the Amazon space (Amazon is a bit of a catch 22 where in order to get access to their API you essentially already need to be driving sales to them.. which in my case I can't do without their API). A partner for this wouldn't even necessarily need to be a developer- still, couldn't find anyone interested.
Yeah, exactly. Modern big platforms are frustrating. That resonates with what I wrote about Google. You have to invest money into your app to release even if you are indie dev with free app. It feels that this platforms are optimised for established businesses, and no one thinks of independent developers or small business trying to start.
I hope you'll manage to break through that barrier.
Congratulations, a huge success! I published my first game this year too :) it feels good to get one of your own out there
It looks like a Godot game, any interest in uploading a web playable build to itch for iPhone and other not Android platforms? I've found engagement is way higher when folks can just play from a link without a download/install.
Oh the one piece of feedback I have so far is that a sensitivity slider for how fast you spin the orb would be great. Fun extension on the minesweeper concept, you've built something of your own here :)
Thank you! That's a good idea, I was so busy going through all regulations that I forgot about itch.
I haven't read your post (yet), but I have played the game.
It is staying installed on my phone. Perfect mind-twister for those times you arensitting somewhere for a few minutes and have nothing to do!
Thanks!
I will come back here in a few hours and read the wall of text, I promise!
That honestly means a lot to hear. "Staying installed on my phone" is probably the best compliment a small puzzle game can get :) Thanks for giving it a try!
The rest of the text is just me whining about how hard it is to make your own game and not burn out.
Got to finally read your post.
Don't think you ended up with "just a minesweeper type game". Almost everyone I know wouldn't be able to put together a game.like yours. One thing is to put it together, another whole story seems to be to publish it. And you went through both and ended up victorious!
The game might seem like easy one, but I really like it. It is easy enough to casually.play, it doesn't need network, doesn't have ads and is user friendly. If only there were more such games. I would even pay for such games as I understand there are people behind them.that have to eat and pay the bills. Speaking of that - do you have Paypal or can I send you a few bucks some other way? You definitely deserve it! PM me details.
And back to your post - I also think big in mayn ways when I think about some project. But big projects are hard and lengthy. It's good to cut them in dmaller pieces and work on those and only then put it all together. Maybe even have some time in between the small bits. Or maybe do a few smaller projects firat to get all the necessary experience - not only technical experience, but also time management, burnout prevention etc.
I say you did great. There are not that many people who could pull this off and you did it. Thanks and congratulations!
Thank you! I think I will try this approach with the next slightly bigger game: first plan it extensively, then implement step by step.
Regarding donations, I participate in GitHub sponsorship program: https://github.com/sponsors/anechunaev It's not the most convenient way to donate, because you need a GitHub account. But there are also other ways to support: to leave a feedback on Google Play store, try the app and give a feedback on found issues, or to put a star on the repository. Sometimes that is even more significant and important. And I appreciate a lot the effort that you and people in this thread put to try the game and share their thoughts. Thank you very much! I really appreciate it and will improve the game in next updates based on this suggestions.
My suggestion would be to auto-save when exiting (if possible; if I didn't miss somethihg - maybe it works).
I'm on Vithub and I'm familiar with the program. Will donate through there. Thanks for the info!
I will definitely read it! I imagine it is very interesting to read, Just not the proper time for me to delve into.
And I'm complete asshole... Congratulations on your first game!
Congrats on releasing a game! I gave it a try and had fun, I like the twist on the old minesweeper format.
Congrats on the release!
Minesweeper on a sphere plays differently than on a rectangular grid. When I'm on a rectangular grid, it feels like there are more opportunities for logical deduction along these lines:
I run into those situations fairly often on rectangular grids, but after playing a few games on your orb, I haven't noticed any corresponding situations. Don't know if that's because there's no edges, or if it's because most tiles have 6 neighbors instead of 8, but something about the geometry doesn't provide as many logical footholds.
(Now I'm curious about hexsweeper, and about rectangular-grid-but-it-wraps-toroidally-sweeper!)
Yes, you are right. Minesweeper on hexagons plays differently, because of fewer neighbours. No-guess mode becomes trivial, but I know that some people like it anyway. I find it more interesting in classic mode on higher difficulty. On square-based minesweeper, usually it is quite difficult to calculate mine probability entirely in your head. But since hexagon-based minesweeper is simpler, it is easier to calculate probabilities there. Much better suits for casual gameplay.
By the way, square-based minesweeper on tor or cube would be also played easier than classic one, because tiles will have more connections to make a logical chain and reveal their neighbors. Not dramatically different, but easier anyway.