Hey There!
It’s already been a whole month since the last studio update and honestly I can’t believe how fast that time has gone by. Fortunately, we’ve been busy as well with many exciting things so there’s a lot to catch you up on—let’s get right into it!
Our Very First Interview
I had no choice but to start with the fact that we had our very first interview this week. Massive shoutout to Indie Game Origin who reached out to us and enabled us to geek out about ONEiRA in public. If you’re interested, go check it out!
Additionally, you can check out their article here! It covers everything from our game jam days, to development struggles, and the very essence of our studio. Christen really asked phenomenal questions and it was a blast to watch.
An Early Alpha Trailer
Secondly, we finally made a trailer!
I honestly wouldn’t say we were ready for this but Steam forced our hand on this one. Without a trailer, your Steam page loses credibility, plummets in the algorithm, and needs to have amazing screenshots that clarify gameplay instead.
It was quite a journey to get here, but it’s finally done. Do note, this is an early alpha trailer and is still a bit rough around the edges. We have a proper trailer planned later down the development pipeline but would love to get your feedback on this now.
(Feel free to spam and yell your thoughts at me on Discord)
I think that as creatives, we obsess over showing things to the public when we think they are “ready”—but whether or not we ever get to that point is to be debated. Perhaps I’m glad that our dearly beloved Steam pushed us out of our comfort zone for this one.
Regardless, I hope you enjoy what we made so far!
Redesigning the Hub
As we had the trailer knocking on our doorstep, we knew we had to make some drastic changes, and make them quickly. One of these being the hub of ONEiRA; the area where you spawn, travel to the dreamscapes, and receive your monthly evaluation.
AKA: The very important pillar that ties the entire game together.
Fortunately, with the power of friendship and Max’ amazing PCG tools, we were able to flip it on its head and create something entirely new within a week. Below are some super-highly-exclusive screenshots of what we made!
Here, the lady with the auburn hair is one that you’ll bump into frequently. Whether pleasant or unpleasant, you’ll encounter her whenever you return to the hub as she’ll be there to assess your performance; and instruct you on your next tasks.
The LinkedIn War
Amidst all the good and exciting things, I have also been having parasocial beef with LinkedIn. I have experimented, analyzed, and adapted in an effort to provide the most value to our followers there. But somehow, nothing seems to stick.
As a marketer, I recognize both the good and the bad of this craft. In my eyes, marketing serves to build community and bridge a product with its users, but so much of it becomes an insult to people’s time and intelligence—and I want to avoid that.
Unfortunately, the most recent LinkedIn algorithm changes seem to steer content in the latter direction. Organic pages like ours seemed to have lost 65% of their reach as short-form TikTok videos are prioritized and advertised content spreads.
It’s already difficult enough as an indie to cut through the noise, but with more and more restrictions, you really start to wonder what the point is if all content has to be shaped by the same mold.
For now, I’ll be trying my best to make it work still. After all, we really want to help people like ourselves with fulfilling their dream of entering the game industry and Linkedin has the potential to be a great place for this. The war is not lost !!!
If you have any critique or feedback on our current content, please let me know!
Exciting Things
In sum, that wraps up some of the most exciting things for now!
Many things are still on your way but they’ll have to wait juuuuusssttt a little longer. For now, in the spirit of sharing exciting things, I’ll be preparing for Summer Game Fest. Geoff Keighley if you are reading this (super likely), PLEASE keep hosting it every year.
Additionally, the Nintendo Switch 2 just got unleashed to the public so I will be delving into that. If there’s any games you’re hoping to see at Summer Game Fest, or are trying out Mario Kart World, come geek out with me on Discord!