Building Sutton #3 - Art, Budget, and Marketing

Art was never a massive part of my plans for SiS. A lot of Twine games incorporate real porn, which is not only a big no-no on Patreon, but is something I feel is creatively restrictive. It also makes your game look like everyone else's real porn Twine game. AI art is another option that also doesn't interest me. It seems like it requires a lot of time and effort to get good results. Much like real porn, most AI games also look the same to me and I'm not a big fan of the anime style that seems typical of those games.

Despite this, I did still want something that was mine. A piece of art that I could use as a banner/promotion image. Sure, I could cobble something together, but it wouldn't be very professional looking. I eventually found an artist whom I was happy with. That artist being Kapchynski.

If I could go back, I would've commissioned a different piece. This isn't a slight at Kapchynskyi, who was incredibly helpful during the entire process. The issue I ran into was trying to incorporate the posing woman into every image. I feel if I had something like a woman holding a sign, it would've worked better. Then again, I did have fun coming up with the various images, so I guess it was worth it in a way.

Marketing is often overlooked by indie devs. You can make the greatest game in the world, but if you don't know how to get it out there, you're not going to make any money. I'd advise anyone serious about game dev to be prepared to set time aside to communicate, post on various websites, and prepare release notes. It can be daunting but my best piece of advice is to be consistent in communicating. Post regularly (I try to post once a week), even if it's a quick devlog. People like knowing what's going on, especially if they're giving you money every month.

As for websites, I found Reddit to be the most useful. It's easy to connect with relevant groups and if something pops off there, you will likely see a boost in traffic. itch.io is not bad so long you have relevant tags, but you'll only get an influx of new viewers if you post a 'Major Update' post along with an update worthy of a 'Major Update'. F95 Zone is also decent although there are definitely some rather toxic users. Newgrounds isn't a bad place to host a browser based game, but you'll only new eyes on your game if you keep posting updates as new games. Twitter/X/Elon Musk's Dumpster Fire is the only website I found absolutely not worth using.

Another thing I found helpful is coming up with something creative. My Reddit feed has dozens of naked or near naked women from various games and they all begin to blur. Memes stand out a lot more.

One of the big advantages Stuck in Sutton had was a very, very low budget. Excluding time spent, I easily made whatever money I invested back in a very quick period of time. I know that's not feasible for all projects, especially ones that rely heavily on a visual aspect, but I think it's something to consider when you're just getting started. The chances of you hitting a home run and making life changing money with your first project are incredibly slim. As I keep saying, treat your first game as learning experience more than anything else.