First, congrats! -- 100 games is an achievement no matter what. I wouldn't beat yourself up about the community, either -- I think the fun of this newsletter is that it's a little snack bite, so it makes sense that people are hesitant to turn it into a whole meal. I personally like this newsletter because it's a fun way to think about th…
First, congrats! -- 100 games is an achievement no matter what. I wouldn't beat yourself up about the community, either -- I think the fun of this newsletter is that it's a little snack bite, so it makes sense that people are hesitant to turn it into a whole meal. I personally like this newsletter because it's a fun way to think about the fundamentals of game design through some silly examples -- how do you set up a scenario and provide engaging and memorable choices quickly, and where does this week's experience, silly as it might be, fly or fall based on that premise? But even then, I'm often too busy when I get these to log in and have a conversation, even if I want to.
Also, from my perspective, the only real way to build thousands of subscribers on Substack is to get people with thousands of subscribers to sing your praises regularly. Easier said than done, but maybe writing an adventure about a larger outlet and getting them to recommend it would help with the long-term growth.
You also mentioned that people are looking for deep immersion, but like I said, it's a snack. Maybe you could tie some adventures together -- offer a longer campaign across a few weeks, maybe even with some social comparisons and a chance to win something at the end? Could be fun, but of course there's a balance between effort required and output there. Good luck as always and keep up the good work!
The snack comment is great, nowadays because of the abundance of entertainment people would like to dip a toe in before really committing, like glancing the comic before buying it. I mention this because my brother has a couple of friends and everytime they gather they get out a boardgame. So I got them Gloomhaven as a gift an after several months they havent opened lol. And its exactly because they only need a snack game on the table so they can do their thing and enjoy with the time they have.
As someone who has tried and was quickly overwhelmed by Gloomhaven, I totally get what happened with your brother, lol. There are so many pieces and rules!
I love a small, easy-to-pick-up game, too, but I'm not convinced it's what most fantasy gamers are looking for on the whole. Gloomhaven is extremely popular because of its complexity, not in spite of it.
Thanks for the reminder that 100 is a real accomplishment! I do have a tendency to rush past my achievements and focus on what's not working.
I hear you about not having the time for a real conversation. Adventure Snack is designed to be a quick hit in a busy day and engaging in conversation takes time and energy. Without spoiling too much of what's ahead, I think what I'm working on in the future will be much more enlightening in terms of the fundamentals of game design than what I'm currently publishing, and I think the larger outlets your talking about will be more likely to share.
I've experimented with longer / serialized storytelling on Adventure Snack. It was one of my earliest setbacks on AS. I think interactive serial fiction can work via email, but Substack isn't built for it. It'd be a completely different game.
First, congrats! -- 100 games is an achievement no matter what. I wouldn't beat yourself up about the community, either -- I think the fun of this newsletter is that it's a little snack bite, so it makes sense that people are hesitant to turn it into a whole meal. I personally like this newsletter because it's a fun way to think about the fundamentals of game design through some silly examples -- how do you set up a scenario and provide engaging and memorable choices quickly, and where does this week's experience, silly as it might be, fly or fall based on that premise? But even then, I'm often too busy when I get these to log in and have a conversation, even if I want to.
Also, from my perspective, the only real way to build thousands of subscribers on Substack is to get people with thousands of subscribers to sing your praises regularly. Easier said than done, but maybe writing an adventure about a larger outlet and getting them to recommend it would help with the long-term growth.
You also mentioned that people are looking for deep immersion, but like I said, it's a snack. Maybe you could tie some adventures together -- offer a longer campaign across a few weeks, maybe even with some social comparisons and a chance to win something at the end? Could be fun, but of course there's a balance between effort required and output there. Good luck as always and keep up the good work!
The snack comment is great, nowadays because of the abundance of entertainment people would like to dip a toe in before really committing, like glancing the comic before buying it. I mention this because my brother has a couple of friends and everytime they gather they get out a boardgame. So I got them Gloomhaven as a gift an after several months they havent opened lol. And its exactly because they only need a snack game on the table so they can do their thing and enjoy with the time they have.
As someone who has tried and was quickly overwhelmed by Gloomhaven, I totally get what happened with your brother, lol. There are so many pieces and rules!
I love a small, easy-to-pick-up game, too, but I'm not convinced it's what most fantasy gamers are looking for on the whole. Gloomhaven is extremely popular because of its complexity, not in spite of it.
Thanks for the reminder that 100 is a real accomplishment! I do have a tendency to rush past my achievements and focus on what's not working.
I hear you about not having the time for a real conversation. Adventure Snack is designed to be a quick hit in a busy day and engaging in conversation takes time and energy. Without spoiling too much of what's ahead, I think what I'm working on in the future will be much more enlightening in terms of the fundamentals of game design than what I'm currently publishing, and I think the larger outlets your talking about will be more likely to share.
I've experimented with longer / serialized storytelling on Adventure Snack. It was one of my earliest setbacks on AS. I think interactive serial fiction can work via email, but Substack isn't built for it. It'd be a completely different game.