Ross Burton
@rossburton.bsky.social
Data Scientist 🤖
Aspiring Indie Game Dev 🎮
Full-time nerd 🤓
One half of the Game Oracle team - check out more: bit.ly/3UTKAQd
Aspiring Indie Game Dev 🎮
Full-time nerd 🤓
One half of the Game Oracle team - check out more: bit.ly/3UTKAQd
Pinned
Ross Burton
@rossburton.bsky.social
· Oct 21
Just over a year ago today @jennie-burton.bsky.social and I started working on @game-oracle.bsky.social. Our ambition was to provide #gamedev folk with an alternative to imprecise tag-based market research & contribute a little towards alleviating the anxiety of #indiegamedev #sologamedev adventures
There is an epic #F1 title battle this weekend so I figured what a good time to share one of the most ridiculous things I've ever made: Super Maxy Tap (jammywasp.itch.io/super-maxy-tap)
#indiegames #MemeGames #indiedev #F1Games
#indiegames #MemeGames #indiedev #F1Games
Super Maxy Tap by Jammy Wasp
For the F1 meme fans - navigate super max to safety and collect sound-bite coins.
jammywasp.itch.io
December 6, 2025 at 4:00 PM
There is an epic #F1 title battle this weekend so I figured what a good time to share one of the most ridiculous things I've ever made: Super Maxy Tap (jammywasp.itch.io/super-maxy-tap)
#indiegames #MemeGames #indiedev #F1Games
#indiegames #MemeGames #indiedev #F1Games
Finally found some time to give data analysis and product development on Game Oracle a rest and dusted off Godot for some #gamedev fun. Made a tiny little game where you play as a "controversial" internet opinion and you have to dodge downvotes & collect upvotes. Will try and post it on itch soon.
December 5, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Finally found some time to give data analysis and product development on Game Oracle a rest and dusted off Godot for some #gamedev fun. Made a tiny little game where you play as a "controversial" internet opinion and you have to dodge downvotes & collect upvotes. Will try and post it on itch soon.
We have a new video up all about Christmas games 🎄 🎅 📽️ buff.ly/PcIfVyk #gamedev #sologamedev #indiegamedev
Should You Make a Christmas Game?
Thinking about making a Christmas game for Steam? In this video, we break down the real numbers behind Christmas game sales and wishlists, what players actually like (and hate) about holiday-themed…
youtu.be
December 4, 2025 at 6:30 PM
We have a new video up all about Christmas games 🎄 🎅 📽️ buff.ly/PcIfVyk #gamedev #sologamedev #indiegamedev
A little bit of festive #gamedev analysis for the holidays 🎄 🎅 most surprising findings: the amount of devs publishing xmas games in the middle of summer! 😱
www.game-oracle.com/blog/christm...
www.game-oracle.com/blog/christm...
Are Christmas Games Worth The Risk?
Should you make a Christmas game? Our analysis of 434 Steam titles reveals sales data, top genres, and whether the festive theme is worth the risk.
www.game-oracle.com
December 3, 2025 at 4:01 PM
A little bit of festive #gamedev analysis for the holidays 🎄 🎅 most surprising findings: the amount of devs publishing xmas games in the middle of summer! 😱
www.game-oracle.com/blog/christm...
www.game-oracle.com/blog/christm...
Reposted by Ross Burton
It's never too late to start market research in game development 💡 If you're right at the beginning then the world is your oyster and market research can help you with all sorts of things!
Find out how to do it in our newest YouTube video👉 buff.ly/aXxgAtB
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
Find out how to do it in our newest YouTube video👉 buff.ly/aXxgAtB
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
November 29, 2025 at 6:03 PM
It's never too late to start market research in game development 💡 If you're right at the beginning then the world is your oyster and market research can help you with all sorts of things!
Find out how to do it in our newest YouTube video👉 buff.ly/aXxgAtB
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
Find out how to do it in our newest YouTube video👉 buff.ly/aXxgAtB
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
Today I've been working on updates to Concept Compass. TLDR: I give it my #gamedev concept, it finds similar games using our map of Steam. This drives realistic targets & inspiration for my project. I can then gauge scope & take steps towards idea validation before falling down too many rabbit holes
November 30, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Today I've been working on updates to Concept Compass. TLDR: I give it my #gamedev concept, it finds similar games using our map of Steam. This drives realistic targets & inspiration for my project. I can then gauge scope & take steps towards idea validation before falling down too many rabbit holes
Reposted by Ross Burton
The 2D platformer space is notoriously saturated, but ANTONBLAST by @summitsphere.com is a perfect example of how you can break through the noise 📢
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
November 25, 2025 at 12:58 PM
The 2D platformer space is notoriously saturated, but ANTONBLAST by @summitsphere.com is a perfect example of how you can break through the noise 📢
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
Week 10/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday 🚀 Finishing strong with the game currently sitting at No.1 on our leaderboard: PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant (yes, really) by @bippinbits.bsky.social 🇩🇪🪐
store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/...
PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant on Steam
Operate your planetary defense cannon to fend off an interplanetary invasion from the comfort of your cozy bunker. You’re here to stay, so obey your superiors, press the right buttons, and sip your…
store.steampowered.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Week 10/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday 🚀 Finishing strong with the game currently sitting at No.1 on our leaderboard: PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant (yes, really) by @bippinbits.bsky.social 🇩🇪🪐
store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/...
Week 9/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday, and today’s pick is ENCHAIN, a brutal retro movement shooter from @mattlawr.dev
store.steampowered.com/app/1396870/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1396870/...
ENCHAIN on Steam
Grapple, throw, and break your fellow undead in this bone-smashing exploration movement shooter. Challenge the afterlife, collect secret artifacts, and uncover the deprived depths as you clamber out o...
store.steampowered.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Week 9/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday, and today’s pick is ENCHAIN, a brutal retro movement shooter from @mattlawr.dev
store.steampowered.com/app/1396870/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1396870/...
Week 8/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday 🙌 Let's talk about Dig Dig Boom by @steinmakesgames.bsky.social a cute, cartoony 2D roguelike mining game ⛏️⛰️
store.steampowered.com/app/2026040/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2026040/...
Dig Dig Boom on Steam
Dig Dig Boom is a roguelike mining game combining elements from grid-based puzzle games, turn-based strategy and classic dungeon crawlers. Take the role of a brave miner as you delve through procedura...
store.steampowered.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Week 8/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday 🙌 Let's talk about Dig Dig Boom by @steinmakesgames.bsky.social a cute, cartoony 2D roguelike mining game ⛏️⛰️
store.steampowered.com/app/2026040/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2026040/...
When I'm researching #gamedev ideas I find user-defined tags kind of suck. So I use description search. Just describe the idea, in plain English, and immediately get relevant games. Keeps things simple.
#indiegamedev #sologamedev
#indiegamedev #sologamedev
November 11, 2025 at 8:16 AM
When I'm researching #gamedev ideas I find user-defined tags kind of suck. So I use description search. Just describe the idea, in plain English, and immediately get relevant games. Keeps things simple.
#indiegamedev #sologamedev
#indiegamedev #sologamedev
A day of crushing 🐛's with Concept Compass 🧭 our #gamedev tool for idea validation. Our search algorithm was returning some irrelevant results but after a long day and a lot of coffee, I think I've fixed it!
November 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
A day of crushing 🐛's with Concept Compass 🧭 our #gamedev tool for idea validation. Our search algorithm was returning some irrelevant results but after a long day and a lot of coffee, I think I've fixed it!
Week 7/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday and today we're talking about Lumines Arise by @enhance-experience.com - this synesthetic, music-driven arcade puzzle game looks incredible! #puzzle #indiegame #gamedev store.steampowered.com/app/2370000/...
Lumines Arise on Steam
A mind-blowing, fiendishly addictive reinvention of the puzzle classic Lumines from the creators of Tetris® Effect: Connected, where sound pulses through your body, mind, and every block you place, tr...
store.steampowered.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Week 7/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday and today we're talking about Lumines Arise by @enhance-experience.com - this synesthetic, music-driven arcade puzzle game looks incredible! #puzzle #indiegame #gamedev store.steampowered.com/app/2370000/...
Week 6/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday where I highlight the most unique upcoming games on Steam. Today pick I'm shouting out The Cabbage Effect by @ninjagarage.bsky.social - a blend of cartoon-pop-surrealistic visuals & brawling combat. Love it! shorturl.at/3ZohN
The Cabbage Effect on Steam
A cartoon-pop-surrealistic twin-stick shooter on procedurally generated stages that takes place in an apocalyptic narrative.
shorturl.at
October 29, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Week 6/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday where I highlight the most unique upcoming games on Steam. Today pick I'm shouting out The Cabbage Effect by @ninjagarage.bsky.social - a blend of cartoon-pop-surrealistic visuals & brawling combat. Love it! shorturl.at/3ZohN
If I'm honest with myself, our search bar on
@game-oracle.bsky.social was a bit rubbish. It was ugly & hard to use. So I was excited to put an end to that today with our shiny new design 🙌 it is now easier than ever to find games for your #gamedev market research #indiedev #solodev
@game-oracle.bsky.social was a bit rubbish. It was ugly & hard to use. So I was excited to put an end to that today with our shiny new design 🙌 it is now easier than ever to find games for your #gamedev market research #indiedev #solodev
October 27, 2025 at 1:01 PM
If I'm honest with myself, our search bar on
@game-oracle.bsky.social was a bit rubbish. It was ugly & hard to use. So I was excited to put an end to that today with our shiny new design 🙌 it is now easier than ever to find games for your #gamedev market research #indiedev #solodev
@game-oracle.bsky.social was a bit rubbish. It was ugly & hard to use. So I was excited to put an end to that today with our shiny new design 🙌 it is now easier than ever to find games for your #gamedev market research #indiedev #solodev
It surprised me to find Deep Rock has a low saturation score 3.2/10 (not as many direct competitors). It seems like a bit of an underserved audience and perhaps an opportunity for #indiegamedev folk to innovate #gamedev #sologamedev
October 25, 2025 at 11:02 AM
It surprised me to find Deep Rock has a low saturation score 3.2/10 (not as many direct competitors). It seems like a bit of an underserved audience and perhaps an opportunity for #indiegamedev folk to innovate #gamedev #sologamedev
Today's #OutlierGames post was supposed to be about VILE: Exhumed by @dirtlord77.bsky.social but then I found out it had been banned from Steam 😢 suppressing art is not the answer. You can still support the project here: dreadxp.com/vile-is-bann...
Vile Is Banned
Developer Statement: VILE: Exhumed is a game about searching through an old computer, uncovering dark secrets, and experiencing the horrors […]
dreadxp.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Today's #OutlierGames post was supposed to be about VILE: Exhumed by @dirtlord77.bsky.social but then I found out it had been banned from Steam 😢 suppressing art is not the answer. You can still support the project here: dreadxp.com/vile-is-bann...
Week 5/10 & halfway through my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday where I highlight the most unique upcoming games on Steam. Todays pick is The Holdouts by @ruckus-games.com - a wacky cooperative third-person shooter where anything can become a weapon store.steampowered.com/app/1851810/...
The Holdouts on Steam
Smash, grab, and grow in this 3rd person, session-based shooter— solo or coop. Bash through small town locales and turn lawn tools, kitchen appliances, 8-track toys or French horns into the most unhin...
store.steampowered.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Week 5/10 & halfway through my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday where I highlight the most unique upcoming games on Steam. Todays pick is The Holdouts by @ruckus-games.com - a wacky cooperative third-person shooter where anything can become a weapon store.steampowered.com/app/1851810/...
Just over a year ago today @jennie-burton.bsky.social and I started working on @game-oracle.bsky.social. Our ambition was to provide #gamedev folk with an alternative to imprecise tag-based market research & contribute a little towards alleviating the anxiety of #indiegamedev #sologamedev adventures
October 21, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Just over a year ago today @jennie-burton.bsky.social and I started working on @game-oracle.bsky.social. Our ambition was to provide #gamedev folk with an alternative to imprecise tag-based market research & contribute a little towards alleviating the anxiety of #indiegamedev #sologamedev adventures
#indiegames like The Red Lantern seem to fit an underserved audience - survival & exploration in the wilderness but w/ deep narrative - studying 15 similar games players love emotional & engaging stories but don't want to feel like a spectator #gamedev #indiegamedev #sologamedev
October 20, 2025 at 11:03 AM
#indiegames like The Red Lantern seem to fit an underserved audience - survival & exploration in the wilderness but w/ deep narrative - studying 15 similar games players love emotional & engaging stories but don't want to feel like a spectator #gamedev #indiegamedev #sologamedev
We started Game Oracle with one central idea - how can we reduce anxiety around a game idea & give #indiegamedev a realistic view of the market b4 they commit to a project? On Monday we launch v3.4 w/ our new tool Concept Compass. This is a big milestone for us & I can't wait to share it.
October 18, 2025 at 3:50 PM
We started Game Oracle with one central idea - how can we reduce anxiety around a game idea & give #indiegamedev a realistic view of the market b4 they commit to a project? On Monday we launch v3.4 w/ our new tool Concept Compass. This is a big milestone for us & I can't wait to share it.
What excites me most about the Steam Map on Game Oracle are these dark regions between games. To me this represents potential. The frontiers of #gamedev creativity that have yet to be explored. #indiegames #indiegamedev #sologamedev
October 18, 2025 at 11:02 AM
What excites me most about the Steam Map on Game Oracle are these dark regions between games. To me this represents potential. The frontiers of #gamedev creativity that have yet to be explored. #indiegames #indiegamedev #sologamedev
Week 4/10 of my #outliergames series for #wishlistwednesday - let's talk about Rhyolite by @longloststudio.bsky.social grab your friends and go ghost hunting on a train in this action #indie #roguelite 👻🚂 store.steampowered.com/app/3195990/...
Rhyolite on Steam
Rhyolite throws your crew of up to 4 players into a pressure cooker of broken train mechanisms, complex enemy attacks, and an ever-shifting puzzle of resource and attention management as you capture g...
store.steampowered.com
October 15, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Week 4/10 of my #outliergames series for #wishlistwednesday - let's talk about Rhyolite by @longloststudio.bsky.social grab your friends and go ghost hunting on a train in this action #indie #roguelite 👻🚂 store.steampowered.com/app/3195990/...
Just finished our last two product ideas which makes us feature complete - v3.4 coming soon 🚀 w/ new toys:
- Concept Compass 🧭 all-in-one tool for evaluating a game concept using market data from our Steam map
- Bundle Builder 🧺 find similar games & collect socials to help organise bundles
#gamedev
- Concept Compass 🧭 all-in-one tool for evaluating a game concept using market data from our Steam map
- Bundle Builder 🧺 find similar games & collect socials to help organise bundles
#gamedev
October 13, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Just finished our last two product ideas which makes us feature complete - v3.4 coming soon 🚀 w/ new toys:
- Concept Compass 🧭 all-in-one tool for evaluating a game concept using market data from our Steam map
- Bundle Builder 🧺 find similar games & collect socials to help organise bundles
#gamedev
- Concept Compass 🧭 all-in-one tool for evaluating a game concept using market data from our Steam map
- Bundle Builder 🧺 find similar games & collect socials to help organise bundles
#gamedev
PEAK is being called "friendslop". I used Data Explorer to study 1000 most similar games & to no surprise, in terms of sales the market here performs incredibly well. But on average these games are poorly rated (we use medians btw). I dunno, seems like a gamble making games like this. #gamedev
October 13, 2025 at 11:02 AM
PEAK is being called "friendslop". I used Data Explorer to study 1000 most similar games & to no surprise, in terms of sales the market here performs incredibly well. But on average these games are poorly rated (we use medians btw). I dunno, seems like a gamble making games like this. #gamedev