Squidbit

Member
Jan 2, 2019
102
520
Like it or not, the paywalling appears to work lol. Dude makes tons of money a month doing this, more than I expected.
Nearly 5k
I'm making a renpy game with hand drawn art like this, and I've done a ton of research into the patreons of games like this, and 5k isn't anything special. Their patreon is 5 years old, although it doesn't seem like it started with this game.

Every single visual novel style game I can find that has custom art is making at minimum 2k a month after 1 year of being released. And that's games with subpar art, little content, or just aren't very good to play. For a game with art as good as this, which has been running for almost exactly a year (Going by when this thread was made, and assuming for the sake of argument that ALL of that $4700 is from this game, and the 4 years of other games didn't contribute at all), 5k is pretty standard, if not on the low side.

For reference:

What a legend has been around for 11 months, and is making 6.5k a month. That's 30% more money for a slightly newer game.

Inquisitor Trainer is 9 months old and is making the same money as this game

Summertime Saga, while obviously much older at at least 3 years (their patreon got suspended around 3 years ago so all posts before then are gone, not sure how long it was running before that), is making $75k a month.

Driven Affairs released a demo 9 days ago and they're already making $772 a month

Lust Campus is at 3.2k after 6 months

Love & Sex Second Base 3 and a half years, $14.3k

Four Elements Trainer 4 and a half years, roughly $20-25k (just an estimate, they don't show their actual numbers)



So, while the paywalling isn't exactly breaking them, they could certainly be doing better. If we're gonna account for the 2 games with good art (almost equally good, but the artist has clearly improved over time) and the FULL 5 years, I'd be expecting them to make at least 3 times what they are now.
 

Avaron1974

Resident Lesbian
Aug 22, 2018
25,175
86,220
I'm making a renpy game with hand drawn art like this, and I've done a ton of research into the patreons of games like this, and 5k isn't anything special. Their patreon is 5 years old, although it doesn't seem like it started with this game.

Every single visual novel style game I can find that has custom art is making at minimum 2k a month after 1 year of being released. And that's games with subpar art, little content, or just aren't very good to play. For a game with art as good as this, which has been running for almost exactly a year (Going by when this thread was made, and assuming for the sake of argument that ALL of that $4700 is from this game, and the 4 years of other games didn't contribute at all), 5k is pretty standard, if not on the low side.

For reference:

What a legend has been around for 11 months, and is making 6.5k a month. That's 30% more money for a slightly newer game.

Inquisitor Trainer is 9 months old and is making the same money as this game

Summertime Saga, while obviously much older at at least 3 years (their patreon got suspended around 3 years ago so all posts before then are gone, not sure how long it was running before that), is making $75k a month.

Driven Affairs released a demo 9 days ago and they're already making $772 a month

Lust Campus is at 3.2k after 6 months

Love & Sex Second Base 3 and a half years, $14.3k

Four Elements Trainer 4 and a half years, roughly $20-25k (just an estimate, they don't show their actual numbers)



So, while the paywalling isn't exactly breaking them, they could certainly be doing better. If we're gonna account for the 2 games with good art (almost equally good, but the artist has clearly improved over time) and the FULL 5 years, I'd be expecting them to make at least 3 times what they are now.
Nobody is denying that they could be doing better but considering how many people don't complain about shady practices this makes a decent sum doing what people complain about.

I will agree 100% that after this long and if they never had those paywalls they would probably be making a hell of a lot more than they are now but this is the way they chose so making money probably isn't their first thought.
 
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Heliwr

Newbie
Jul 9, 2020
82
41
In honesty I just hope that the new things I saw in gallery wont remain for patrons only
 

keepitcoming

Newbie
Jul 8, 2020
34
46
I'm kinda new here, but I don't get why is it bad if game developer wants you to pay money to play his game?

Haven't played it yet, just checked comments and see a lot of people not being happy about this
 
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flamie

Member
Game Developer
May 8, 2019
110
79
I'm making a renpy game with hand drawn art like this, and I've done a ton of research into the patreons of games like this, and 5k isn't anything special. Their patreon is 5 years old, although it doesn't seem like it started with this game.

Every single visual novel style game I can find that has custom art is making at minimum 2k a month after 1 year of being released. And that's games with subpar art, little content, or just aren't very good to play. For a game with art as good as this, which has been running for almost exactly a year (Going by when this thread was made, and assuming for the sake of argument that ALL of that $4700 is from this game, and the 4 years of other games didn't contribute at all), 5k is pretty standard, if not on the low side.

For reference:

What a legend has been around for 11 months, and is making 6.5k a month. That's 30% more money for a slightly newer game.

Inquisitor Trainer is 9 months old and is making the same money as this game

Summertime Saga, while obviously much older at at least 3 years (their patreon got suspended around 3 years ago so all posts before then are gone, not sure how long it was running before that), is making $75k a month.

Driven Affairs released a demo 9 days ago and they're already making $772 a month

Lust Campus is at 3.2k after 6 months

Love & Sex Second Base 3 and a half years, $14.3k

Four Elements Trainer 4 and a half years, roughly $20-25k (just an estimate, they don't show their actual numbers)



So, while the paywalling isn't exactly breaking them, they could certainly be doing better. If we're gonna account for the 2 games with good art (almost equally good, but the artist has clearly improved over time) and the FULL 5 years, I'd be expecting them to make at least 3 times what they are now.
 

AnubiSs2167

Member
Mar 1, 2018
171
598
(forgive my broken english)
Cuz the dev is reading the topic ill throw my 5 cents as a fellow creator who does patreon fulltime.
I symphatize with the struggle to protect an ip and maximize the profit, been there , am there.
What is anoying in my opnion is not gated content but the gated options chosen makes the game extremly frustrating to play.
Especially the lack of skip button. I wouldnt mind a demo version to show wat project is about and no free updates at all after that. I do feel like somone offering me a free car test drive but the only catch is that there is a little kid on back sit poking me with a stick thru the whole journey. Car itself is good but after few minutes my only thought is "FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOUR CAR!".Kinda feels like mobile game that throw anoyances at player to make him frustrated enough to pay. Thats where i think the most ill will directed at dev is coming from.
 
Aug 26, 2019
18
9
Is there a cracked version of 0.14 with unlocked patreon stuff? Someone on this thread posted their version but it was from a year ago. Would be greatly appreciated if someone had it.
 
1.70 star(s) 83 Votes