Apps Backpack Harry. Retro platformer with level editor. Launching Dec 20th.

[page3]

Well my son is VERY particular (eg he's refused games because the icon colour is wrong), so your game must have something for him to spend so many hours on it.

I've heard from a few developers how hard it can be to be promoted anywhere and to get noticed on the App Store. A real shame.

If you're planning on continuing development, he has a request. He asks if you'd consider implementing ? blocks, as in Mario. Apparently when you hit them you get a random element such as a diamond or mushroom which gives points etc.

Oh and if a Dad can make a request, can we have an optional 'calming' tune for the level editor, because after two hours of hearing the current one I want to punch something

Mario maker is only available for the Wii U and it was looking for alternatives that lead us to your game. It should have increased sales if there was any justice.

 

[TrueBlou]

Well my son is VERY particular (eg he's refused games because the icon colour is wrong), so your game must have something for him to spend so many hours on it.

I've heard from a few developers how hard it can be to be promoted anywhere and to get noticed on the App Store. A real shame.

If you're planning on continuing development, he has a request. He asks if you'd consider implementing ? blocks, as in Mario. Apparently when you hit them you get a random element such as a diamond or mushroom which gives points etc.

Oh and if a Dad can make a request, can we have an optional 'calming' tune for the level editor, because after two hours of hearing the current one I want to punch something

Mario maker is only available for the Wii U and it was looking for alternatives that lead us to your game. It should have increased sales if there was any justice.

Aw, that's really nice, how could I possibly refuse that request. Consider some form of ? Block added in the next update. I'm not abandoning the game just because it's a flop so far, I like it and there's more I want to do to it so there's definitely more to come.

I'm sure I could add in a more subdued tune or two for the level editor, I suppose it would get a bit grating after a while. I always just turned it off when I was making levels so I never really thought of it.

I love Mario Maker, I play it often. I think it was nothing more than a bad coincidence that the two games came out fairly close to each other. Not that I'd dare to compare my game to Mario. I genuinely started work on Harry at least 6 months before Nintendo even announced Mario Maker.

But despite that I've a feeling many folk might look at my effort as a bad attempt at cloning the Mario experience. Even though that couldn't be further from the truth. As hard as it might be to believe when you look at Backpack Harry, I worked on it for well over two years, although I did take the odd few weeks off for other projects here and there.

It might look like a very simple thing but there's actually an awful lot going on in the background. Especially for the level editor, that was very complicated.
Although I suppose that would vary depending on your ability and certainly if there were more than one person working on it it would have been much quicker.


Dear god I can't half waffle on

 

[jmantn]

Thank you very much, on both counts. Especially for being a paying customer, those are very rare. I'm barely managing to give it away for free
I'd have given you a promo code if you'd asked, I've got them and as the game isn't really selling I might as well use them. But you get the distinct honour of joining a, very small, elite club of about four people who've actually paid for the game Bloody hard work this developing thing. I love the programming but trying to get a game noticed, especially these days, is, well, I've more chance of meeting Elvis in the post office Still, I like the game, particularly the level creator and I think it's actually got potential, shame more folk won't get to see it.

Sorry for rambling on, my medication has just kicked in (really) so I waffle a bit I'll shut up now.... Nurse.. Where's my damn dinner..

I'm glad to have paid. If you enjoy this then keep at it. I've seen Indie Devs be recognized often in the App Store and sometimes it pays off. There of course are many that never are recognized but there are tons of articles and write ups about how Indie Devs got noticed.

Word of mouth always helps but if I may suggest offering free codes to those who write for sites like This and 9to5 and some gaming sites as that would certainly get word out.

Regardless I hope it turns around for you and I hope you keep enjoying the work you put into it.

 

[TrueBlou]

I'm glad to have paid. If you enjoy this then keep at it. I've seen Indie Devs be recognized often in the App Store and sometimes it pays off. There of course are many that never are recognized but there are tons of articles and write ups about how Indie Devs got noticed.

Word of mouth always helps but if I may suggest offering free codes to those who write for sites like This and 9to5 and some gaming sites as that would certainly get word out.

Regardless I hope it turns around for you and I hope you keep enjoying the work you put into it.

Thanks for the tips, I always throw promo codes to review sites, but even then 9 times out of 10 there's no response no matter how much you pester them
Not surprising really, they will be inundated every day with requests for reviews.

It doesn't always make a blind bit of difference either. A few years ago I put a game out, Perfection!, and without even trying it was covered by everyone right up to the big boys like IGN. Did it make a difference, nope. Only time it got lots of downloads was when it was free. Which in itself speaks volumes about the AppStore. It's a fickle business.

Fortunately for me my situation is different to most. I do what I do because I'm disabled and it keeps me occupied. So I just do what I like. I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to make some money at it, no one would complain about that but if I had to depend on the apps as a source of income I'd have stopped years ago. With every passing year it gets more and more difficult for one man developers to make a dent in the AppStore, which is only natural I suppose.