u/AdvantageLittle6795

Hey everyone! I'm a web developer (React/TypeScript) and I just started learning Roblox development as a side project. I'm currently building my first game, DeepDive: you dive into the ocean with limited oxygen, bring treasures back to your museum (which earns money even while you're away), upgrade your gear, and rebirth to go deeper.

The plan is to publish small games quickly, see which ones get traction, and focus on the ones that work. Before I launch, I'm trying to understand how discovery works and whether ads are basically mandatory.

A few questions for people who have actually launched games:

1. **Is paying for ads necessary to get initial players?** Or can a new game with a good icon/thumbnail get picked up by the algorithm on its own? Did your first game get any organic traffic at all?

2. **How much did you spend, roughly?** What's a realistic minimum budget to get enough players to know whether the game is any good (retention, session time, etc.)? Is something like $20–50 enough to learn anything, or is that wasted money?

3. **Which type of ad works best right now?** Sponsored experiences (the ones in the Home/Discover feed), search ads, or something else? Any settings or targeting tips you wish you'd known earlier?

4. **When does it make sense to start paying?** Right at launch, or only after the game shows decent organic retention?

5. **Anything besides ads that helped you get your first players?** TikTok/Shorts, Discord communities, friends, update logs, etc.

I'm not expecting to get rich, I just want to learn the right way and not throw money at a game that isn't ready. Any real numbers or experiences would be super helpful. Thanks!

Hi again! I posted here a few days ago looking for testers for Pip, and I want

to start by saying thanks — to everyone who joined, seriously, thank you. We're

9 now and several people are playing every single day. I wasn't expecting that.

I still need more, so here I am again.

For anyone who missed the first post: Pip is a game for groups of friends. Every

day a different mini-game shows up, everyone in the group plays that same one, it

takes 30 seconds, and there's a winner at night.

What makes it different is that the streak isn't yours — it belongs to the group.

If everyone plays, the group's avocado tree grows. If someone conveniently

forgets, it withers… and everyone can see it.

Google requires 12 testers for 14 days straight before I can publish, so I'm

looking for people who want to join and actually try it. It's free, no ads

interrupting you (you only watch one if you want something in return), and

there's nothing to buy.

Three steps, in this order:

1. Send me your email in a DM so I can invite you to the closed test.

2. Opt in as a tester:

   https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.fertorron.pip

3. Install the app:

   https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fertorron.pip

If you skip straight to step 3 it'll tell you the app can't be found — the test

group comes first.

NEW — once you're in the app, join one of the two tester groups so you can play

from day one without having to set anything up. Under "Join a group", enter:

F1158D (Testers)

1AE39B (Testers 2)

And if you're bringing friends, even better: make your own group. The whole point

is competing with people you actually know.

One favour: please don't uninstall or leave the test group until I say so. If we

drop below 12, Google's counter resets and we start the 14 days over.

Thanks!

¡Hola de nuevo! Pasé por acá hace unos días buscando testers para Pip y quiero

arrancar agradeciendo: a todos los que se sumaron, gracias en serio. Ya somos 9

y varios están jugando todos los días. No esperaba tanto.

Sigo necesitando gente, así que vuelvo a la carga.

Para los que no me vieron la vez pasada: Pip es un juego para grupos de amigos.

Cada día aparece un mini-juego distinto, todos en el grupo juegan el mismo, te

toma 30 segundos y a la noche hay un ganador.

Lo que lo hace distinto es que la racha no es tuya, es del grupo. Si todos

juegan, el árbol de aguacate del grupo crece. Si alguien se hace el/la

distraído/a, se marchita… y todos lo ven.

Google pide 12 testers durante 14 días seguidos antes de dejarme publicarlo, así

que busco gente que quiera unirse y de verdad probarlo. Es gratis, no hay

anuncios que te interrumpan (solo ves uno si querés algo a cambio) y no hay nada

que comprar.

Son tres pasos, en este orden:

1. Mandame tu email por privado, así te invito a la prueba cerrada.

2. Activate como tester:

   https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.fertorron.pip

3. Instalá la app:

   https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fertorron.pip

Si te saltás directo al paso 3 te va a decir que no encuentra la app: primero el

grupo de prueba.

NUEVO — ya adentro de la app, sumate a uno de los dos grupos de testers así

podés jugar desde el día uno sin tener que armar nada. En "Unirme a un grupo"

poné el código:

F1158D (Testers)

1AE39B (Testers 2)

Y si venís con amigos, mejor todavía: creen su propio grupo. La gracia del juego

es competir con gente que conocés.

Un favor: no la desinstales ni te salgas del grupo hasta que yo avise. Si

bajamos de 12, el contador de Google se reinicia y volvemos a empezar los 14

días.

¡Gracias!

¡Hola! Construí Pip, un juego para grupos: cada día aparece un mini-juego diferente, todos juegan el mismo, toma 30 segundos y hay un ganador en la noche.

Lo que lo hace distinto es que la racha no es tuya, es del grupo. Si todos juegan, el árbol de aguacate del grupo crece. Si alguien se hace el/la distraído/a, se marchita… y todos lo ven.

Google pide 12 testers durante 14 días seguidos antes de que pueda publicarlo, así que ando buscando gente que quiera unirse y de verdad probarlo. Es gratis, no hay anuncios que te interrumpan (solo ves uno si quieres algo a cambio) y no hay nada que comprar.

Son tres pasos, en este orden:

1. Enviarme su email al privado asi los invito a la prueba cerrada
2. Actívate como tester:

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.fertorron.pip

3. Instala la app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fertorron.pip

Si te brincas directo al paso 3, te va a decir que no se encuentra la app… primero el grupo.

Un favor: porfa no la desinstales ni te salgas del grupo hasta que yo diga. Si bajamos de 12, el contador de Google se reinicia.

¡Gracias!

Hi! I built Pip, a game for groups: every day a different mini-game shows up, everyone plays the same one, it takes 30 seconds, and there's a winner at night.

What makes it different is that the streak isn't yours, it's the group's. If everyone plays, the group's avocado tree grows. If someone slacks off, it withers — and everyone sees it.

Google requires 12 testers for 14 straight days before I can publish, so I'm looking for people willing to join and actually try it. It's free, no ads that interrupt you (you only watch one if you want something in return), and there's nothing to buy.

Three steps, in this order:

1. Join the group (this is what grants you access):

https://groups.google.com/g/pip-testers

2. Opt in as a tester:

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.fertorron.pip

3. Install the app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fertorron.pip

If you jump straight to step 3 it'll say the app can't be found — group first.

One favor: please don't uninstall or leave the group until I say so. If we drop below 12, Google's counter resets.

Thanks!

Hola! Hice Pip, un juego para grupos: cada día aparece un mini-juego distinto, todos juegan el mismo, son 30 segundos, y a la noche hay un ganador.

Lo que lo hace distinto es que la racha no es tuya, es del grupo. Si juegan todos, el paltero del grupo crece. Si alguien afloja, se marchita — y todos lo ven.

Google me pide 12 testers durante 14 días seguidos para dejarme publicar, así que busco gente que se sume y lo pruebe de verdad. Es gratis, no hay anuncios que te interrumpan (mirás uno solo si querés algo a cambio) y no hay nada para comprar.

Son tres pasos, en este orden:

1. Enviarme su email al privado para darles acceso a la Prueba Cerrada

2. Aceptá ser tester:

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.fertorron.pip

3. Instalá la app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fertorron.pip

Si vas directo al paso 3 te va a decir que no encuentra la app: primero el grupo.

Y un favor: no la desinstales ni te salgas del grupo hasta que te avise, porque si bajamos de 12 el conteo de Google se reinicia.

¡Gracias!

Hi! I built Pip, a game for groups: every day a different mini-game shows up, everyone plays the same one, it takes 30 seconds, and there's a winner at night.

What makes it different is that the streak isn't yours, it's the group's. If everyone plays, the group's avocado tree grows. If someone slacks off, it withers — and everyone sees it.

Google requires 12 testers for 14 straight days before I can publish, so I'm looking for people willing to join and actually try it. It's free, no ads that interrupt you (you only watch one if you want something in return), and there's nothing to buy.

Three steps, in this order:

1. Join the group (this is what grants you access):

https://groups.google.com/g/pip-testers

2. Opt in as a tester:

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.fertorron.pip

3. Install the app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fertorron.pip

If you jump straight to step 3 it'll say the app can't be found — group first.

One favor: please don't uninstall or leave the group until I say so. If we drop below 12, Google's counter resets.

Thanks!

Hola! Soy Desarrollador Fullstack web y este ultimo tiempo estuve aprendiendo como hacer una app. Ya la tengo bastante armada y estaba viendo los requerimientos para publicarla. Por lo q vi tengo q crearme la cuenta en Play Console, e invitar a 12 personas a que usen la app diariamente durante 14 dias no?. Y recien ahi puedo publicarla, y en ios como es? la estuve haciendo con expo.

En si es una app social/juego en el que creas un grupo con tus amigos y tenes un juego diario para jugar, seguir una racha, chatear, conseguir monedas, comprar skins, mejorar su jardin, hay anuncios para desbloquear ciertas cosas, etc. Como podria conseguir tantas personas que la prueben, alguno está interesado?. Q pasa si en esas dos semanas no entra la cantidad necesaria de personas?.

Desde ya muchas gracias por leerlo