What are your biggest green flags and red flags in a PBBG?
Hi everyone,
I'm a web developer who started making games this year.
My first project was a very small offline browser game. Nothing ambitious, but I managed to finish it, release it, and. I reached the end of the project, the game was released, it's not exactly a commercial success, but at least I saw it through and I was able to contribute something and learn a lot. That experience taught me a lot about the importance of actually shipping a game instead of endlessly planning one.
Now I'm thinking about my next project, and what really excites me is the idea of building a persistent online game that players can return to over months or even years.
Before diving into development, I'm trying to learn as much as possible from people who already play PBBGs. I'd rather spend time understanding what players truly value than blindly invest hundreds of hours into a project that misses the mark.
So I'd love to hear your opinions:
Green flags
- What immediately makes you interested in trying a new PBBG?
- What features keep you playing long-term?
- What are some games that got it right, and why?
Red flags
- What makes you close a tab and never come back?
- What mechanics do you absolutely hate?
- What mistakes do you see new PBBG developers make over and over again?
And one extra question:
What is a feature you wish more PBBGs would have?
I'm interested in all perspectives, whether you enjoy idle games, economy-focused games, kingdom builders, RPGs, social games, or anything in between.
Thanks in advance for any feedback. I'm here to learn and do my homework before committing to a large project.