Hello everyone, I'm Hua. It's been one month since our first Steam indie game, Tongue of Dog, launched on June 2nd. At this milestone, I'd like to share some project data, insights about our team, reflections on our journey, and our plans moving forward. This serves both as a retrospective on the project and an update for all the players and testers who have followed and supported "Tongue of Dog".
About the Game
Tongue of Dog is a challenging platformer built entirely around the unique mechanic of using a tongue. You control a dog that cannot run or walk normally; progression relies solely on grappling and pulling yourself forward with your tongue. This creates a demanding, easy-to-fall experience reminiscent of games like Jump King and Getting Over It.
Development Journey
The project folder was created in May 2022 – which feels like "three years ago". Active development started somewhat later, spanning over two years in total. This was a lengthy and learning-intensive process for our small team.
Launch & Sales Data
Official Launch Date: June 2nd.
Units Sold (1 Month Post-Launch): ~370 units.
Wishlists Prior to Launch: ~3,000 units.
Revenue
After Steam's revenue split and US tax withholdings, our net earnings are approximately $714 USD.
Cost & Profitability
Development Cost (Financial): $0. We employed a "beggar-style development" approach, primarily relying on the unpaid time and effort of myself and team members during our spare hours.
Did we "Lose"? Judged by opportunity cost (e.g., potential earnings from working at a game company during that time), absolutely. Making indie games isn't solely about profit. To be honest, the financial return is disproportionately low compared to the immense effort invested, and the main responsibility for this falls on my own experience and capabilities as the producer.
Team Acknowledgements
While "Tongue of Dog" is a small game, a surprisingly large number of people contributed. As I teach at a school, some colleagues and students participated:
Core Development (Code, Design): Primarily led by me.
Some Level Design: Initial design and construction by my students, iterated upon and modified by me.
Art: Began with my own rudimentary attempts, later significantly enhanced with the valuable participation and support of teachers and students from our art department.
Story: Special thanks to Xiaozhou and the students she led for crafting the narrative.
Critical Programming (Leaderboards & Workshop): Special thanks to Afei! Afei tackled these technically challenging modules that were beyond my capabilities. Afei and I have collaborated for nearly a decade, starting with our first indie game ArtDiff. Through "Tongue of Dog," he remained steadfast in developing these quirky games with me – efforts that required significant input yet yielded little financial return.
Are We Satisfied?
Looking solely at sales figures? Deeply unsatisfied. The effort-to-revenue ratio is far too low, falling well short of expectations. This responsibility lies with me.
Profoundly grateful yet feeling guilty towards participants. As the producer, my decisions led to contributors investing a lot of hard work without commensurate reward.
Hearteningly: Many long-time players expressed satisfaction with the final product. This is incredibly encouraging and heartwarming. A huge thank you to all players for your enduring support and patience!
Invaluable Lessons Learned: This project was a precious trial by fire. We gained immense experience, and now have a far clearer direction on how to approach and what to make for our next game.
Key Advice for Your First Steam Game
If you're launching your first game on Steam: Give yourself full permission to make mistakes and experiment! Your first game doesn't need to be perfect or your "dream game." It can have flaws and shortcomings, as long as the price point honestly reflects the quality delivered. Crucially: Strive to drastically shorten your development and release cycle! Aim to learn the necessary lessons and navigate the inevitable pitfalls as quickly as possible. Then, rapidly apply those insights to your next project.
What's Next?
Future of "Tongue of Dog": While the game has flaws we regret, it faces some fundamental challenges. We will not be investing further effort into developing new content. We will continue to maintain the game and address critical bugs.
The New Game! We are fully committed to developing our next title! Check out the attached concept art for a hint: it will blend building mechanics, farming elements, and function as a desktop idle game. Looking forward to sharing more progress soon!
Closing Words
While the market reception of "Tongue of Dog" was less than ideal, the experience of creating it together, the learning, the bonds formed, and the lessons learned have made it an incredibly rewarding journey for our team!
Sincere thanks to every player and tester who supported "Tongue of Dog"!
Deepest gratitude to everyone who participated in this project – without you, it would never have seen the light of day!
Let's take these lessons, hold onto the passion, and dive into making our next game!