First game made $1mil, second $0!

A game developer shares lessons from a common indie dev experience: a first game selling 140,000 units while the second sold only 1,200. Using real examples including their own career and two other developers, the key takeaway is that marketability is the primary driver of success. Genre timing matters enormously — social deduction games thrived during the Among Us era but are now oversaturated, while arcade games have never been a strong market on Steam. Additional lessons include: blending genres can dilute core experience, games need a strong hook to stand out, design requirements should be defined before production begins, and stepping outside your comfort zone has tradeoffs. Financial management between games is also emphasized as critical for surviving the inevitable flops.