Hey
Aragorn22 ,
This is a solid start! I really like the concept you’re working on, and I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing it evolve over time. But before you get too far along, I want to offer a few pieces of advice—things I’ve learned the hard way myself, and hopefully they'll help you avoid some common pitfalls.
1. Change the Version Number
Right now, your game is labeled as
1.0, but it’s clearly more of a teaser or first prototype. While versioning is entirely up to you, it’s also a form of communication with your players. "1.0" is universally interpreted as a
finished or feature-complete release, and calling a very early version that can set the wrong expectations—or frustrate players, especially if you're uploading to public or pirate sites. I'd recommend changing it to something like
0.01,
0.1 Alpha, or anything that reflects it's an early stage. It helps manage expectations and builds trust.
2. Smart Use of Media Formats
You're already using
WebM for videos, which is a great choice—seriously well done on that. It keeps the file size down and ensures scalability as your game grows. That said, I noticed your images are in
PNG format. For your final builds, I suggest converting them to
WebP (lossless). You’ll reduce image file sizes by up to
70% without any visible quality loss. This becomes especially important if you’re planning to support mobile, as Ren’Py has strict build size limits.
3. Auto-Packing Assets with Build Config
I’ve attached a small build script you can paste into the
"Build Configuration" section of your options.rpy file. Once added, every time you build a distribution, Ren’Py will automatically pack all your images and videos into .rpa archives. It’s cleaner, helps with asset protection, and keeps your files organized.
4. Hide the Textbox During Menus
Python:
A small but important polish tip: whenever the player is in a menu, the textbox (dialogue box) should be hidden.
It can look unpolished or visually cluttered otherwise. This is super easy to fix—just use:
window hide
before your menu, and then at the label the player jumps to afterward, add:
window show
It’s a small tweak, but it makes the experience much more professional and clean.
5. On Content and First Impressions
I won’t nitpick any bugs—you’ll find and fix those naturally as you go. What I will say though is: your current build is mostly made up of menus and label jumps. That’s perfectly fine for a first step, but when releasing publicly, especially for the first time, it helps to include
at least one small piece of actual narrative or interactive content. Just something to let players connect to your idea and get hooked. Right now, it feels more like a skeleton than a teaser. A short scene, even a single choice with some meaningful consequence, would add a lot of value.
That said, for a
first release, you’re on the right track. The foundation is there, and the effort is visible. With time and a few improvements, I’m sure this will turn into something people will really enjoy.
Looking forward to seeing your game next to mine in the “Recently Updated” section. Keep learning, keep building, and most importantly—have fun with the process.
Good luck, buddy!
![]P_R_E_D_A_T_O_R[](/data/avatars/m/688/688764.jpg?1574487434){kind=avatar}
