u/Flat-Horror-1919

As a solo hobby developer, my goal is simple: make a game that is just fun.

These days, a lot of games feel like they’re designed around monetization first — pay-to-win systems, chest purchases, and constant ad interruptions. I understand developers need to earn money, but as a player, that often makes the game less enjoyable.

So with my game, I wanted to try a different approach:

- no pay-to-win

- no forced ads during gameplay

- only optional ads at the end of a round (mainly cosmetic/reward-style), so players can choose whether they want to support the developer

The core gameplay is simple, but I believe simple games can still be fun — especially when you’re competing with friends and family for better scores.

I’m still learning and improving, but this is the kind of game experience I want to build.

Would love to hear your thoughts:

Do you think players still want simple, skill-based games with fair monetization?

If you want to check it out:

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6762731165

Google Play:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ultimatepourmaster.game

Thanks for reading this!

https://reddit.com/link/1taov8v/video/v9l6q3q5fm0h1/player

https://preview.redd.it/ks6hsr7cfm0h1.png?width=1320&format=png&auto=webp&s=fb74abe1496724f5b2040218d02d972abaf3d4d2

All my app created didn't show up now , could anyone tell me why?

Hi everyone,

I’m happy to share that my game app has officially been published on Google Play 🎉

I want to sincerely thank this community for the support during closed testing.

Your installs, feedback, and patience helped me complete the process successfully.

App name: Ultimate Pour Master

Google Play link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ultimatepourmaster.game

I truly appreciate everyone who helped — thank you so much! 🙏

If anyone needs advice about the testing/publishing process, I’m happy to share what worked for me.

https://preview.redd.it/c52rsj9x3a0h1.png?width=848&format=png&auto=webp&s=fb49e38c94992047e7803b4dfe17d937e65015ed

"Switched Roles: Mom as My Little Girl!" by Marco Chan - Children's Picture Book / Family / Empathy / Social-Emotional Learning

Free on Kindle from May 10–14.

A heartwarming picture book about a magical role reversal between a child and his mom. When young Chris becomes the grown-up for one night, he begins to understand empathy, responsibility, and what it truly means to listen.

Ideal for ages 4–8. Great for bedtime reading.

Hi guys, will you guys willing to press an optional ads in a game just to support the developer and gain a cosmetic rewards? My game is no pay to win and many people in mobile gaming suggest that they are willing to do so, I want to get more people's comment on it, thanks

Hi guys, will you guys willing to press an optional ads in a game just to support the developer and gain a cosmetic rewards? My game is no pay to win and many people in mobile gaming suggest that they are willing to do so, I want to get more people's comment on it, thanks

Hi guys, I have applied the gamedev flair , can I promote my game here? Not sure the rules , thanks in advance.

Hi Guys, I just received the phone call from Apple staff, and the staff said my game is too simple, only three rounds and then stop, so I told her that my game's classic mode is three rounds, but you can keep playing because I have a leaderboard system, and your three rounds' score is used to compete with other players all over the world, and you can play it again if you want a higher ranking, and I also add two more game mode which make the game more fun, and then, the Apple staff agree with me and said maybe it is a misunderstanding. so she said she will give me a pass!

I hope my story could help some of you facing the same situation, phone call is the best option to discuss the issues and get the best picture and solutions!

After two years of being published on Amazon, I finally sold my first paperback copy of my children’s book, Switched Roles: Mom as My Little Girl!

It may sound small to some people — just one copy — but to me, it means everything.

Three years ago, as an educator, I often noticed misunderstandings between parents and children. I would encourage parents to try seeing situations from their child’s perspective. That idea stayed with me.

One day, I thought:
What if I could turn this into a story?

That’s how my book was born — a children’s story about empathy, perspective-taking, and strengthening the parent-child relationship.

I spent months writing it. I’ll be honest — I used AI for the illustrations. At that time, AI image tools weren’t as advanced as they are now. I spent countless hours trying to create consistent characters and improve the visual quality.

After publishing… nothing happened.
Zero sales. No visibility.

I sent my manuscript to publishers and I even entered book competitions.

In 2025, I received an Honorable Mention in the Purple Dragonfly Book Award (New Author: Fiction) by Story Monsters LLC. I thought that would help to get my first sale!

Even after adding the award badge and running small Amazon ads, I still had zero sales.

So at the beginning of this year,I completely removed all the illustrations and redesigned everything — new characters, new art style, new typography, new layouts. It felt like starting over.

Then one day, I received email from Amazon KDP, I got my first paperback sale record!

I know I’m not a famous author. I know building trust and visibility takes time. But that one sale reminded me that someone out there chose my story — and that matters.

Thank you to the reader who bought my book. And I hope my story can give other self-published authors a little hope and encouragement.