Artur @ArturSmiarowski Twitter profile

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Artur

2 years

1) If you're wondering how successful was @SoulashGame and what it took to get here, I bring some data, some advice, a little about me and how I got here, and what it took to make it. Thread below! #indiedev #gamedev #solodev #indiegamedev

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 days

Today, I'm 36 years old. I have a roof over my head, a healthy family, an independent gamedev job, and a dream to pursue. I have all I wished for, so instead, I wish you to accomplish whatever your heart desires. 🎂 And now you have to get it done!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 month

My game passed the pee test. People write to me that their lives are ruined, they forgot to pee, or they played 50 hours in 5 days before they got bored... but picked it up 2 days later because they keep thinking about what to do next. I did it, folks. I created a good game. 😂

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

11 months

When I look for indie games, I expect a game with a piece of someone's soul. I want to connect with the authors through their work. I want to see why an idea made someone spend years of their life instead of playing existing games. What do you look for in indie games?

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

2 years

I began gamedev without programming experience, made a text-based MMORPG with: - no framework - no library - no engine Just raw HTML, PHP, MySQL. Tons of spaghetti code. Released in 6 months and made a living from it for over 2 years. Don't overthink it, just get things done!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

"Just make a game you can finish instead of your dream game" Where's this obsession with finishing games coming from? Make a game someone wants, or you want, or a prototype for learning purposes, or do whatever makes you happy. It's pointless to finish something nobody wants!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 months

Please don't blackmail developers through the Steam review system. Thank you.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

11 months

@LukePlunkett I'm not that old, but when I was a kid, you could fit Diablo 2 or The Sims on your hard drive, but you couldn't fit both. And you had to juggle CDs during playtime. Many things improved since then, and we're spoiled with many great gaming options now.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

@richtaur I would put game ideas under "F" - easy. 😉

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

8 months

First month since Soulash 2 EA began. 4,000 copies sold, 4,000 Steam followers, 30,000 outstanding wishlists, Very Positive review score. Everything is moving in the right direction. Very grateful for all fans who allow me to dedicate my full time to my passion! 🍻

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 months

My game is in Popular Upcoming! 😁

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

11 months

Many indiedevs try to ship their first commercial game directly to Steam. But if you can afford to develop in public and your genre is a good fit, start on Itch and build a fanbase first. Steam is great at multiplying, but only if you come with a rolling snowball.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Since everyone agrees about marketing to devs, let's try to have some fun today. I want you to pitch me your game. But: - No image, video, gif, or link. Text only. - One tweet. If I like it, I'll retweet it. If I don't like it, I'll tell you why. Only for 24 hours, go!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

@TylerGlaiel The game looks great, but its fate was sealed when they decided to release it with 100 wishlists. It doesn't matter how small or big the game is if nobody wants it and the Steam algorithm determines that no money can be made from it.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

By today's standards of what artificial intelligence is, Is procedurally generated content in games also "generated by AI"?

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

In indiedev there is nothing as scary to me as a bad publishing deal. I got over 20 publishers knocking for Soulash, and the best deal I got would leave me with 0$, even if the publisher doubled my sales. I feel safer betting on me figuring out everything on my own.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

"Don't market games to game developers" Listen, if you did something unique with procedural generation, that's all I need to know to buy your game. You can market your game directly to developers, but you should highlight different things. I buy games for fun and inspiration.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

2 years

"Don't build your own engine" I had a working 2d engine in 6 months, with ECS implemented years before Unity had it. I built only the features I needed. Considering it took me 5 years to finish my first game, it wasn't a big overhead over learning Unity ⤵️ #indiedev #gamedev

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

11 months

@unity @IndieGameDAV Nobody reads the ToS, so let's make the rules as we go. 😂

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 months

@thegameawards Independent of what?

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Clicking randomize makes me so happy. 😁 #indiedev

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

"Procedurally generated open world sandbox strategy roguelike" Boring! "You're an evil god that destroys the world" Fun! That's indiedev marketing tip for you. Grab attention with your core idea that makes your game interesting, and let people want to know more.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

"Everyone is 10x more productive with AI!" Ok, it's been 6 months. Any tangible results yet? Where are the games made with AI that previously took 5 years to make?

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

8 months

What game ignited your passion for gaming? Gif only

Jesse Cox

@JesseCox

8 months

What game ignited your passion for gaming? Gif only 💪🚂💥

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

4 months

My games don't make a good first impression. I don't want to change my game design to fit marketing needs. So the way I plan to overcome this is to be around long enough to make more impressions I call it the non-viral cockroach strategy. No luck needed. 6 years and counting!

Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

6 years

A new world in the making! 20 years ago I could only do this on a piece of paper in a pen & paper RPG system, now I can be a child again and do it in ASCII. #gamedev #indiedev #roguelike

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

2 years

This button scares me. Will it work when it's time to click it? 😱 #gamedev #indiedev

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 months

My turn to host #TurnBasedThursday ! If you're an indiedev, show us your turnbased game! If you're a turnbased fan, like, retweet, and comment to show your support! Remember to include the hashtag! Let's go!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 month

Soulash 2 has just reached 20,000 copies sold on Steam in less than 8 months of Early Access. The first Soulash took a whole year of full release to achieve this milestone. It's great to see that my dream game has become a dream of many!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

11 months

My wife sent this to me today. It's our 15th anniversary. I think she still likes me. 😁

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

2 years

I wasn't confident in my #indiegame - Year 1 I told myself to just keep at it as a hobby but work hard - 2nd year I released a demo and alpha, few players see potential - 4th year Kickstarter fails at 10k EUR goal - 5th year we sell on Steam matching all stretch goals #indiedev

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

4 months

These "indie game I'm making and three inspirations..." posts are the best thing on this platform since #screenshotsaturday was about indie games instead of "show me what you got" bros.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Sometimes I feel like modern AAA games are for younger players that haven't yet had 10+ years of enjoyment with similar games. While indies are where it's at for the older crowd bored with the exact same solutions they enjoyed since at least a decade ago.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

5 months

Soulash 2 has sold 10,000 copies since EA began 4 months ago. I'm happy that my hard work is paying off by attracting new players and bringing joy to the veterans. And very grateful to my fans, who fuel my burning passion with kind words like these. The best is yet ahead! ❤️‍🔥

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

2 months

Who's pursuing a bold gamedev dream?

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

6 months

My feed is filled with corporate layoffs, doomsayers talking about the gaming industry collapse, and rage baiting. It's exhausting. I want to improve it with more positive gaming or indiedev content. Who do you recommend I should follow?

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

I see many indiedev confused about the "give gamedev advice" marketing strategy to "promote the game". Since I had no clue what to expect when I started with 600 followers, I want to offer my thoughts after 7 months and hopefully provide some answers. Short thread below: 🧵⤵️

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

I don't like #indiedev advice to start with a small game. With so many games already available, how much harder would it be to make a small game and find interested players? I would say much harder than making a bigger game you would want to play. Follow your passion!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

7 months

A game with simulated fantasy worlds that continue to evolve during playthrough and react to our actions. This is my dream.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

32% (29) of negative Soulash Steam reviews are under 2 hours. I hoped the free demo would help with the basics, but it didn't. 19 of these reviews are the difference between Mostly Positive and Very Positive ratings. #indiedev always feels like an uphill battle on every front.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

5 months

Indie games don't have microtransactions.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

5 months

Sure, gamedev is hard. But... How awesome is it to be able to create a game of your dreams and use it to bring joy to thousands of people around the world? The bigger the challenge, the sweeter the accomplishment.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 months

The YouTuber key request scams are now so sophisticated. The emails are very personal, and feel like a human wrote them. Then you go to the YouTube link, and it's a decent channel with 20 to 100k subs, about 90 videos, and decent views. Only once you click a few videos will

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

I would love to hear more inspirational stories of the little guys still succeeding in creating their dream games in recent years. I don't find medium-sized studios backed by multi-million dollar publishers competing for Indie of the Year inspiring or relatable.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

5 years

I just sold the first copy of my game! #gamedev #indiedev

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

ASCII graphics will forever hold a special place in my heart. Maybe one day I'll do something cool with it again.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

This is what I do all day, every day. Need to reproduce a minor bug? Let's make a new world. Need to test a location? Let's make a new world. Need to test new abilities or balance enemies? Let's make a new world. Procedural generation is the most fascinating tech in gamedev!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Can anyone recommend an artist with experience in game logo design? Looking to commission a new logo for Soulash 2.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Making a complex procedural world is a fascinating challenge for a programmer. It takes thousands of hours to add it for replayability, but there's no point to replayability if a single playthrough is not fun. Start from the bottom when building a mountain!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Games are smoke and mirrors. I have to remind myself of this whenever I want to simulate some complex realistic system. It's not about the underlying complexity, but about what the players will experience.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Indiedev is about doing what we believe in, not what a wealthy company is willing to pay for. Any publisher involvement means the game is not indie. You can't have creative freedom when a large part of your game is owned by another business.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 months

So happy to see I'm not the only one dreaming about my game. 😁

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

11 months

I've been grinding and grinding and grinding for ~3700 hours. And it just dawned on me today that I'm finally approaching a significant milestone. A demo! And now I'm excited and stressed! More excited, fortunately, as the reception of the closed alpha test was positive.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

4 months

Can a Roguelike not have a victory condition? What if it's designed for infinite playability instead of infinite replayability.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

8 months

A good game is a fun game. A successful game is a good game that also looks fun. However deep you think about game development, design, marketing, or sales, never lose sight of these basics.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

4 months

The indie game I'm making and three of the inspirations behind it.

Cyclopean - Old School CRPG

@MKSchmidt30

4 months

The indie game I'm making and three of the inspirations behind it.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

5 months

Players crave more passion projects. I wish there were more conversations in the indie space about how to deliver them.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

It takes years to make a game, hours to play it, and minutes to shit on it. All three are monetized by someone. And devs greed is what's wrong with gaming? Gamedevs crunch more hours and get paid much less than in webdev. That's the cost of pursuing their passion.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

4 months

When it comes to small-budget niche indie games, there are two valid options. You can have a shallow, beautiful game with minimum variety in content. Or a deep, ugly game with a lot of variety in content. I strive for the second one with Soulash 2.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

5 years

I'm proud to present the official alpha trailer for Soulash - a fantasy roguelike where you can take on the role of a forgotten god set on destroying the world. #indiedevhour #gamedev #indiedev #indiegame #fantasy #roguelike

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 month

Permadeath in long-form Roguelikes has a certain stigma of being for hardcore gamers. But in Soulash 2, it's an opportunity to explore something that's not often attempted in gaming. Continuing the legacy of our previous characters in a living world impacted by their presence.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

I've been pressuring myself hard to get things rolling in the coming months. And today, I realized I'm at a point where everything feels bleak. No joy from work, games, movies, family time, or taking a walk. So I'll unplug for a few days to recharge. Have a great week, folks!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Every released game is funded somehow. Some by day job, Some by publisher, Some by crowdfunding, Some by wealthy family, Some by revenue from other games. No matter how much we lie to ourselves, the game's scope is tied to its funding. Don't let the dream blind you to reality.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 month

Roguelikes have existed for decades and continue to thrive. Many developers still experiment with the traditional recipe. The design is so compelling it spawned and influenced other popular genres. It's a shame to see Roguelikes now reduced to "short runs with candy unlocks".

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

6 months

Soulash 2 surpassed the first game in wishlists, reaching 38.8k today! I'm very grateful for the opportunity to dedicate my time to building my dream game. Although it's been almost 2 years since I went full-time indiedev, I still find it hard to believe it's sustainable. 😂

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

7 months

When I made my first game, I didn't know how to code, market, or run a company. I knew what I did and didn't like about a game I played, and I saw others feel the same. I knew how to reach them. The one thing I needed to change my life was the determination to get things done.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

3 months

The Soulash Series has sold 40,000 copies in total! Whenever I halt the grind to appreciate the moment, I can never believe my little ASCII dream has reached this far. Thank you to all the @SoulashGame fans for allowing this incurable dreamer to continue building worlds. 🍻

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

7 days

People keep saying to finish a small-scope game and ship it. But why not ship an update to a bigger game every week/month? Promoting a game this way is incomparably better. You constantly talk about it, and it keeps becoming a better offer for new and existing players.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

I barely finished high school and did poorly in computer science. But over 14 years since, I found my way to Tech Lead and Systems Architect positions in webdev and finished 2 indie games enjoyed by thousands of people. Find your passion, dream big, and keep working hard!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

6 months

I offer my knowledge for free because everything I learned was from online free resources and my experiments. If the knowledge wasn't available, I would have a miserable life, so this is my way of giving back. Is there anything you would like to know about commercial indiedev?

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Do you enjoy playing your own games? I find a lot of joy in it, but at the same time, it's difficult to not end up with 30 tasks after a 1-hour playthrough. 😂

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

11 months

Indiedev $0 budget marketing from my perspective: Marketing a trailer is very hard. Marketing a Steam page is hard. Marketing a demo is not so bad. Marketing EA / live service game is the easiest. Marketing a fully released game is the hardest. What's your experience so far?

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

2 months

Soulash 2 continues to grow. For the past 4 weeks, every weekend has been a new concurrent players record.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

2 years

25) I hope some of this will be helpful to you if you're considering taking a similar path. I certainly wish this was available for games I was inspired by. There are some things I would like to share regarding publishers, but I'll leave it for another day. Thanks for reading!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

People like to focus on extremes in indiedev. Either building a business to chase money or doing something as a hobby to follow a passion. What I'm looking for is somewhere in the middle. I want to be a hobbyist with funds to follow my passion.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

11 months

@unity "We will work directly with you on cases where fraud or botnets are suspected of malicious intent" In corporate language, this means we can't do anything about it and it's on you to prove it. 🙂

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 months

Every day in Popular Upcoming brings over 1k wishlists. A game needs ~7k wishlists to be eligible. It appears there if fewer than 10 other eligible games are scheduled for release before it. It's a predictable system, and it's worth including in EA release date planning.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

5 months

@PirateSoftware Yeah, the last thing I want after paying $70 is to wonder how much it really costs to have fun in the game.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

4 months

The problem with permadeath in long-form Roguelikes is that it evokes a feeling of loss instead of accomplishment. Players feel they lost time and progress. I always keep that in mind and often wonder what would make permadeath become a fulfilling end to a character's story.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

The best part of programming is that feeling you have when you solve a difficult problem and think you can do anything. 14 years of coding, and that joy still fuels my passion.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 months

3 weeks till Soulash 2 EA release, the snowball is in motion. I'm getting excited!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

8 months

Let's begin with simple and flexible definition offering clear player expectations. Roguelikes are: - turn-based (cognitive challenge over reflexes-based) - top-down grid-based (tactical aspect) - single-character-focused (immersive aspect) - replayable (self-improvement aspect)

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

12 days

Make a game that you and many more people will love. Whether it's your first, last, or only game, that's the indie dream.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

8 months

New year, new fun! Who's releasing a game in 2024?

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Here's a secret technique for a first commercial game. Pick a low-budget game you enjoy. Define the parts you don't like. Read if other players feel the same. Make a similar game with your favorite theme - redesign the parts you don't like. Add new ideas that fit your theme.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

2 months

You haven't reached enough people if randos don't insult you out of the blue. You haven't succeeded yet if you don't have salty haters sticking around. There's way more to accomplish. Don't let anyone stop you!

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

It isn't easy to commit. Custom engine? But Unity is so good! C++? But Rust is safer! A roguelike about world destruction? But <insert one of 100's other ideas>! Chasing a perfect tool is like chasing an ideal game. Perfection doesn't exist. Pick good enough and stick with it.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

9 months

History simulation for Soulash 2 is the most complex thing I've ever designed and developed. Whenever changed, I have to look at graphs of population, occupations, aging, wealth, food, and consumption. All must be tuned just right to grow and sustain settlements over centuries.

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Artur

@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

The ultimate gaming difficulty is making your own game.

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@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Today is my 35th birthday! A great day to appreciate another milestone on the journey of life. I'm grateful for my caring wife, 2 incredible children, the opportunity to pursue my indiedev dream, and for all the fans of my work! Here's to at least 35 more! 🍻

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@ArturSmiarowski

5 months

Woohoo, I finally paid my 7-year-old tech debt and migrated my engine and game to x64. Can't wait to use all that RAM for more procgen!

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@ArturSmiarowski

5 months

A popular gamedev method is to make a prototype to confirm the fun or start over. But some games playable state takes years, so starting over is not an option. Then it becomes necessary to iterate until the core gameplay is fun before pumping content to avoid costly rebuilds.

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@ArturSmiarowski

6 months

One of the things that makes a massive difference in indiedev is courage. You know where to share your game, but you're afraid people will say it's garbage, crazy mods will ban you, you don't want to spam, that it will be disliked, ignored, or else. Gotta keep trying anyway!

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@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

One of the great things about indiedev is that even if you're solo, you're not alone. The amount of knowledge and support you can get from other insane dreamers struggling just like you cannot be overstated. So use it and contribute as well!

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@ArturSmiarowski

4 months

When was the last time you felt everything was in the right place and going in the direction you hoped for? That's how I'm feeling today. Gamedev may feel like a constant struggle, but when it's not, savor it. And with that thought, I'm off to a well-deserved break! 🍻

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@ArturSmiarowski

2 years

Just had an interesting experience on Reddit. Two paranoid people accused me of being an AI and writing ChatGPT generated content. And I got banned on /r/gamedev with no explanation. We're up for a wild ride on the internet very soon.

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@ArturSmiarowski

8 months

Roguelikes don't have to be combat-oriented. The tactical aspect of resolving challenges is a major part of the genre, but fighting is part of the theme choice. Consider how a stealth-themed Roguelike could forbid combat and fit the formula perfectly. What else could fit well?

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@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

I'm in that funny gamedev stage where it's overwhelming to think about everything still needed for release. And I could throw my hands up and say I overscoped. But that would be a lazy answer. So today I planned the next 4 months and I feel much more confident. I got this!

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@ArturSmiarowski

1 year

Believing in yourself and your idea for an extended period is difficult. Doubt always seems to find its way. Things get hopeless when we keep making progress, but the destination remains unknown. Releasing a demo helped me a lot to validate the game idea.

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@ArturSmiarowski

7 months

This was a difficult indiedev lesson. Winning arguments with players doesn't make the game better. Take it all with humility. If you disagree, can't afford it, it's not your vision, have plenty already - keep it to yourself. Focus on making the best game with your resources.

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@ArturSmiarowski

7 months

What's with the assumption that a dream game equals 10 years in a dark cellar hacking something for yourself. Plan to release an alpha in a year or two just like any other game. Just don't end there and continue iterating with player feedback. Share your dream with the world!

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