The Launch
The last 72 hours were crazy!
From staying awake all night the day before the release to fix bugs and implement the last key features, to releasing the game live on Twitch with more than 50 concurrent viewers supporting the game right away, it has been quite an amazing ride so far!
Follow my Twitch channel here if you want to watch!
I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who took the time to play.
Some of you reported bugs, your cool bragging achievements, new game ideas, and everything has been noted carefully (and some are even already implemented!). Keep in mind that I'm a solo developer, so I can't fix everything right away. I need to prioritize features. I'm still working hard to fix urgent bugs but I think that all game-breaking and major issues were solved withinin the first 48 hours. You can check out the Patch Note that I made for V1.0.3. The best way to report problems if you encounter any, is to post them directly on the official Vidvad's Discord server in the #bugs-feedbacks channel.
I'm very proud that we were able to reach 10 positive reviews in less than 24 hours especially for such a niche game that released in the middle of the holiday season (yikes, I know it's not the best time to purchase a game, but the timing wasn't right before!). If you played the game and has not posted a review yet, I recommend doing so to help reach 100 reviews which is the next milestone! These milestones make Steam promote the game more, so it's super important. The game is 15% off until December 25, so now is a good time to purchase and play during the holidays!
Ok, so now that we have the game in a stable condition, what are the next steps exactly?
Roadmap for the next months
Goliath Depot took 6.5 months to develop.
My goal was always to make a small and compact arcade game but the more time I was putting into the development, the more ideas I had. My vision was to launch it with my initial plan of a small game and if it was well received by gamers, I'd develop extra content as a bonus. I didn't want to waste effort on a project that nobody wanted to play. I'm happy to say that so far, the reception has been super positive and I already made a list of important features I'd like to add to the game until February 2024. Then, I will evaluate if it's worth the effort to continue for a few more months, or if I move on to the next project.
If you have feature requests for a V1.1, jump into the Discord server to chat!
Features to be added in V1.0 before the end of 2023
- Unlockable character skins and color palettes. Everything is already implemented, I need to finish drawing the skins.
- New speedrunning features - a practice mode unlocked when you clear the game in which you can select any level and play it. It saves your best time locally. I will also add a IL (Individual Level) timer in the main game when you activate the Speedrun Timer in the options.
- An improved transition system between levels with the level number and name to keep track of what you've done, where you're at and what's missing.
- Credits (yeah I know, I haven't even did the credits!!!)
- Steam Achievements
Features that will be added in a V1.1 in February 2024
These are confirmed features. There are more that I'd like to add but I'm committing to at least finish these and if I have time, I will add more. I know that the game can be quite short if you're only doing the bare minimum, but this is what it is! It's obviously inspired by early NES games and 80's arcades which were built to be that way. BUT, I'm listening to feedback and I know people want more! So my goal is to add more content to the game while also staying true to what it is!
- Input rebinding and more controller support.
- New game modes to be unlocked after beating the game. Nothing to reveal yet, but there are a few "remixed" game mode that I'd like to push soon for both solo and co-op.
- Bonus levels - initially I made secret bonus levels that you could find within the game. Mini-games that would grant points but I scraped the concept a few weeks before release due to a lack of time.
Steam Curators, influencers and YouTubers
With the hectic end of development, I haven't have time to do a lot of marketing to influencers. I reached out to a few, but if you're a curator that would like to cover the game, send me a message on Discord. I have been overflown with weird emails, many of which I suspect being scams (sorry if you're not), so to confirm that you're legit, I'd prefer to have a Discord conversation before handing out keys. I don't want to see a key being sold on a bootleg foreign website. This will be a priority for me in the next few weeks.
PS. you don't need to have a million followers for me to hand you a key. I'm also a small streamer with a very small crowd, I know what it's like. I'm mainly looking for retro gamers, speedrunners and co-op enthusiasts. Don't be afraid to reach out!
Next project!
No spoilers (the game is already wishlist-able on Steam anyway) but the next project is going to be Chaos in Aisle Seven. Not in the form that was promoted on Steam, I will revise what the page says and how I advertised it to not get into trouble with expectations. The hook stays the same, but the gameplay will be a bit different. Stay in touch, but I'll start working on this very soon!
Happy holidays everyone!
-David (Vidvad)
