Kyle Schmitz
@kyleschmitz.bsky.social
Game designer and developer of Little Rocket Lab! Available now on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2451100/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2451100/
If you haven't yet, I highly recommend reading over @mossmouth.bsky.social 's blog post on finishing games. I swear this was my guiding star throughout the entire development on Little Rocket Lab, and is the main reason it ever got to the finish line.
makegames.tumblr.com/post/1136623...
makegames.tumblr.com/post/1136623...
October 15, 2025 at 4:34 PM
If you haven't yet, I highly recommend reading over @mossmouth.bsky.social 's blog post on finishing games. I swear this was my guiding star throughout the entire development on Little Rocket Lab, and is the main reason it ever got to the finish line.
makegames.tumblr.com/post/1136623...
makegames.tumblr.com/post/1136623...
Nothing is a sure-fire way to get a hit. There's a lot that went in our favor (and a lot that didn't). But we can at least try to stack the odds a bit, and hope for a little luck along the way.
October 15, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Nothing is a sure-fire way to get a hit. There's a lot that went in our favor (and a lot that didn't). But we can at least try to stack the odds a bit, and hope for a little luck along the way.
6. Playtest playtest playtest
You simply have no way of knowing if what you're building is any good until you give it to someone else to play.
You can't big brain your way out of this. Do a playtest, get the uncomfortable feedback, fix it, and then playtest again.
You simply have no way of knowing if what you're building is any good until you give it to someone else to play.
You can't big brain your way out of this. Do a playtest, get the uncomfortable feedback, fix it, and then playtest again.
October 15, 2025 at 3:45 AM
6. Playtest playtest playtest
You simply have no way of knowing if what you're building is any good until you give it to someone else to play.
You can't big brain your way out of this. Do a playtest, get the uncomfortable feedback, fix it, and then playtest again.
You simply have no way of knowing if what you're building is any good until you give it to someone else to play.
You can't big brain your way out of this. Do a playtest, get the uncomfortable feedback, fix it, and then playtest again.
5. Set deadlines!
If you want to do this for a living, then run it like a business. Set a deadline, and hit it.
Don't tell yourself "It just needs this one last feature." That's your way of procrastinating. You'd be surprised how much stuff you think you need that can really be cut.
If you want to do this for a living, then run it like a business. Set a deadline, and hit it.
Don't tell yourself "It just needs this one last feature." That's your way of procrastinating. You'd be surprised how much stuff you think you need that can really be cut.
October 15, 2025 at 3:45 AM
5. Set deadlines!
If you want to do this for a living, then run it like a business. Set a deadline, and hit it.
Don't tell yourself "It just needs this one last feature." That's your way of procrastinating. You'd be surprised how much stuff you think you need that can really be cut.
If you want to do this for a living, then run it like a business. Set a deadline, and hit it.
Don't tell yourself "It just needs this one last feature." That's your way of procrastinating. You'd be surprised how much stuff you think you need that can really be cut.
4. Be weird!
You're indie! Why did you get into this field if you didn't want to do your own thing? Novelty is the superpower of indies. We get to do all the weird stuff that AAA won't touch, and there's no one to tell us no.
Being weird gives games character.
You're indie! Why did you get into this field if you didn't want to do your own thing? Novelty is the superpower of indies. We get to do all the weird stuff that AAA won't touch, and there's no one to tell us no.
Being weird gives games character.
October 15, 2025 at 3:45 AM
4. Be weird!
You're indie! Why did you get into this field if you didn't want to do your own thing? Novelty is the superpower of indies. We get to do all the weird stuff that AAA won't touch, and there's no one to tell us no.
Being weird gives games character.
You're indie! Why did you get into this field if you didn't want to do your own thing? Novelty is the superpower of indies. We get to do all the weird stuff that AAA won't touch, and there's no one to tell us no.
Being weird gives games character.
3. Be clear on your audience
LRL was always meant to be a an introduction to automation games for the cozy crowd.
By saying what the game is, we are also saying what it isn't: a hardcore automation game. If we catered to that audience, we would have lost what is actually unique about the game.
LRL was always meant to be a an introduction to automation games for the cozy crowd.
By saying what the game is, we are also saying what it isn't: a hardcore automation game. If we catered to that audience, we would have lost what is actually unique about the game.
October 15, 2025 at 3:45 AM
3. Be clear on your audience
LRL was always meant to be a an introduction to automation games for the cozy crowd.
By saying what the game is, we are also saying what it isn't: a hardcore automation game. If we catered to that audience, we would have lost what is actually unique about the game.
LRL was always meant to be a an introduction to automation games for the cozy crowd.
By saying what the game is, we are also saying what it isn't: a hardcore automation game. If we catered to that audience, we would have lost what is actually unique about the game.
2. Develop a hook
Ryan Clark's (@braceyourselfok.bsky.social) video series on video game hooks was the spark for this entire game. Stardew Valley but with Factorio-style automation? That's just not something that existed when I started working on this game.
Ryan Clark's (@braceyourselfok.bsky.social) video series on video game hooks was the spark for this entire game. Stardew Valley but with Factorio-style automation? That's just not something that existed when I started working on this game.
October 15, 2025 at 3:45 AM
2. Develop a hook
Ryan Clark's (@braceyourselfok.bsky.social) video series on video game hooks was the spark for this entire game. Stardew Valley but with Factorio-style automation? That's just not something that existed when I started working on this game.
Ryan Clark's (@braceyourselfok.bsky.social) video series on video game hooks was the spark for this entire game. Stardew Valley but with Factorio-style automation? That's just not something that existed when I started working on this game.
My first title, Little Rocket Lab, has now been out for a week, and it's been huge for myself and @nomorerobots.io. We're at over 80,000 players, and a 93% positive rating on steam.
I wanted to share some of what guided Little Rocket Lab's development, so that maybe it could be helpful to others 🧵:
I wanted to share some of what guided Little Rocket Lab's development, so that maybe it could be helpful to others 🧵:
October 15, 2025 at 3:45 AM
My first title, Little Rocket Lab, has now been out for a week, and it's been huge for myself and @nomorerobots.io. We're at over 80,000 players, and a 93% positive rating on steam.
I wanted to share some of what guided Little Rocket Lab's development, so that maybe it could be helpful to others 🧵:
I wanted to share some of what guided Little Rocket Lab's development, so that maybe it could be helpful to others 🧵: