Startup Ideas Bank
An indie hit on Steam is impressive, but sustainability is questionable.
AI roast score: 65/100 (C)
The idea
Show HN: I got laid off from Meta and created a minor hit on Steam
Show HN: I got laid off from Meta and created a minor hit on Steam | Hacker News Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login
Show HN: I got laid off from Meta and created a minor hit on Steam
1581 points by newobj on Feb 26, 2025 | hide | past | favorite | 356 comments
I was at FB Meta from late 2013 to early 2023, mostly working in the compiler runtime spaces. I got hit in the spring 2023 layoff wave. I immediately started making games in my newfound free time (a lifelong interest, and I even worked in AA(A?) back ca. ~2000), and in October 2023 I stumbled upon the idea of a roguelike pachinko plinko game inspired by Luck Be A Landlord. Things snowballed quickly, I started talking to publishers, then worked like crazy through all of 2024, almost the hardest I ve ever worked in my career, and launched the game in December 2024. It s sold ~200,000 units in its first 10 weeks on Steam. So it s no Balatro, but I d still say it did very well :) AMA? (my game is Ballionaire: https: store.steampowered.com news app 2667120 view 5264614... )
randfish on Feb 27, 2025 | next [–]
Incredible work, Brian! I m in awe of what you ve done in such a short amount of time. I started an indie game company (still working on our first title) and had a few related questions if that s OK? 1) If you didn t need a salary or marketing help, would you still have signed a publishing deal? My sense is most of the publisher value lies in getting paid before the game launches, and with marketing around launch, but curious if those are wrong assumptions? 2) Early Access vs. Straight Launch - any insights about why you chose to do a full launch vs. an early access beforehand? Was it something you and the publisher discussed in detail? 3) Outside of Steam s ecosystem, how much marketing, promotion, social media, YouTube, Discord, etc. stuff did you (or the publisher) do? Do you think that pre-launch work had a sizable impact on the launch and post-launch success? Or would you say it s mostly the Steam algo making the game more visible to the right buyers as the positive reviews rolled in? Truly kind of you to share so openly here. Already sent some of your other replies to our game team
newobj on Feb 27, 2025 | parent | next [–]
Thanks Rand! 1) It obviously varies w each dev s situation, but I think your sense of the value prop is a fair default one w o context. In my case, there were four reasons: 1) having a partner to help with (to me) "the unknown unknowns" (i m only a dev and a novice designer, literally anything else would be my first time doing it, so i figured having an experienced partner there would be wise) 2) the advance was nice just from a "bird in the han
The roast
You struck gold with a niche, but your success sounds more like luck than a sustainable strategy. The gaming market is notoriously fickle, and a one-time hit doesn't guarantee a future revenue stream. You're a solo dev relying on the Steam algorithm and the occasional publisher boost, but without a clear long-term plan or funding, your future in the industry is shaky at best.
Your biggest red flags include the reliance on a single revenue stream (q7=one_time), no funding to cushion the unpredictability (q14=no_funding), and the fact that you are a solo operator in an industry that thrives on collaboration (q13=solo). Your current success is great, but without addressing these issues, you're setting yourself up for a potentially hard fall.
Red flags
- Reliance on a single game for revenue
- No external funding or safety net
- Solo operation in a collaborative industry
Verdict
You've got a good start, but need a sustainable long-term strategy and possibly a team to keep up the momentum.
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