prediction: Balatro shows Normal Gamers can enjoy nerdy synergy-building gameplay in the right context & aesthetic. cheap to reverse-engineer, good long tail.
of the many fast follows, some will be good and different enough to have similar success. but then... (thread)
of the many fast follows, some will be good and different enough to have similar success. but then... (thread)
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because most dev passions, I think, want to make narrative (non-horror) experiences.
the "it was made with passion so it succeeded" narrative is Not Good but i understand why so many people believe it. it's a very nice story to tell yourself haha
Video games - Balatro, Slay the Spire, Astrea: Six Sided Oracles, Inscryption, Dicey Dungeons, etc.
For board games - Dune: Imperium, Aquatica, Millenium Blades, Terraforming Mars, Arcana Rising, etc.
but I think more toyetic, expressive replayable games will outlast this trend.
but I know A LOT of devs (esp artists) that really want to make adventure/narrative games, and that's increasingly risky/unfeasible.
Everyone understands playing cards. most people understand poker hands.
The barrier to entry is very low.