Hey all!

I'm posting because I need help figuring out if I should make the imbuing minigame in my cozy game have a failure state.

Right now it just flashes red and lets you try again with no real punishment. The reason I designed it like this is because it's a light memory game and I didn't want it to feel hard or frustrating for people trying to play a relaxing game.

But I did get a piece of feedback that questioned the design choice. So now I'm second-guessing myself, and I'm hoping somebody would be willing to play my demo and try out the imbuing minigame and give me their honest feedback on if I should change it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4545470

I wish I had more to say about this, or that I did something specific but I didn't. I just kept sharing my game in all of the same places and yesterday it just... worked?

The one thing I truly learned from this is that you should never quit. When I posted yesterday I thought "I'm going to stop posting about this game and just work on the next one".

I am SO glad I posted again instead.

I hope this inspires some other dev out there to hang in there.

If anyone is interested, this is the game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4545470/The_Totemist/

His name is Tully, he's sitting on a toadstool inspired plushie cushion.

I'm still learning every day but I kind of like the hat collection, thoughts?

Hey there everyone!

I've been working on a story driven occult/witchy shop sim indie game that for the time being, is exclusively on Steam. I've had it compared to Strange Antiquities but with actual crafting and selling, and pixel art style graphics.

I am really hoping to get some people who are fans of cozy gaming to take a look at my game's page or even play the demo if you have the time, give me some genuine feedback on the game.

If anything feels like its missing that would make the game better, I would really love to know!

You can play and/or wishlist the game here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4545470/The_Totemist

Hey there everyone!

I posted in here before so I hope this doesn't come off as spam, but I've been working super hard on this project, new artwork, new trailer, updated gameplay and so on.

For those of you who aren't familiar, I've been working on a witchy aesthetic game inspired by my wife's love for all things witchy and macabre. All of the character cast have the core character strengths that I admire most about my wife. Where all the problems they have are metaphors to things I've been struggling with over the years.

It's a story driven occult/witchy shop sim indie game that for the time being, is exclusively on Steam.

The reason I'm posting today is that I was really hoping to get some people who are already fans of the aesthetic to take a look at my game's page or even play the demo if you have the time to give me some genuine feedback on the game.

I have been able to debug it and add polish pretty thoroughly, but I just don't know if the interest is there for the folks I had in mind.

If you want to give it a play or a wishlist you can check it out here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4545470/The_Totemist

First picture is the commissioned (new) capsule, the second one was the capsule I tried making myself.

Took me a while to find a legit capsule artist, I had dozens of scammers initially hit me up or even just post up fake portfolios. Clockwork Tony is the name of the artist who did the new capsule, amazing person to work with and got the work done in a matter of days.

Couldn't be happier myself, but what do you all think, worth it or no?

Hey all!

I know this isn't the typical thing shared here, but I spent a while trying to piece this little game together. I've always wanted to release a game on Steam, and my wife wanted me to make something she likes to play.

So, I started going through her bookshelves and researching the properties of crystals, metals, herbs, and bones. It took me months to put together an understanding of how all of these things connected and how I could apply it to a game that decreases stress rather than compacts it.

Then I started writing, and I had to build the world, the characters, and the story. I tied each of the characters' core personality traits to what I admire most about my wife. I defined their struggles by drawing metaphors to issues we both have had individually. My goal was to make them feel entirely relateable inside of this strange little world.

The demo is free, and it's available for playing. I'll be updating it based on player feedback.

I've had a few people compare it to Strange Antiquities or Potion Craft. You run a cozy occult shop, craft totems and talismans, and help people with their issues. All while uncovering a dark mystery under the quiet town of Carroway.

Play it here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4545470

Sharing this because it feels incredibly validating to have someone else believe your game is worth showing off. Solo dev life gets quiet sometimes. Not the peaceful kind, but the “is anyone out there?” kind. I love making games, but the critique, debugging, and endless refactors can wear you down.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with whatever you’re building.

If you’re curious, the feature is a short by NextLevel:

https://youtube.com/shorts/SPLerg3QExI?si=dbZRCI0WXQphZV2g

Public Playtest Now Open

The Totemist’s public playtest is officially live, and anyone can jump in through the Steam page.

No keys, no sign‑ups. Just click the Playtest button and you’re in.

This round focuses on early‑game flow, tutorial clarity, and how the shop loop feels once you’re on your own. If you’ve been curious about the game or want to help shape its direction, this is the perfect time to take a peek behind the curtain.

What’s in this build

• The full early‑game loop; Gather, Craft, Sell, Upgrade.
• Updated tutorial pacing and clarity.
• New frog hint (and hat) system.
• General polish and onboarding tweaks.

It’s still a work in progress, but everything here represents the foundation the rest of the game will grow from. For those of you who don't know, The Totemist is a cozy-occult shop sim game that is narrative driven. The perspective is visual novel adjacent, 2d pixel art graphics.

Join the playtest

You can join just by checking out the itch page: https://shutinstudio.itch.io/the-totemist-playtest-demo

If you are having issues with the web version, just check out the top of the description for a link to the steam page for the downloadable.

Hey everyone!

Game Build v0.5.2 of The Totemist is stable and I'm gearing up for the final pre‑demo playtest of The Totemist (occult‑leaning, narrative shop sim), and this round is a big one. I’ve added several new systems, revamped older ones, and made a ton of clarity/pacing improvements based on earlier feedback.

Because so much has changed, both new and previous testers are welcome to participate this time.

What I’m looking for
- Feedback on clarity, pacing, and overall vibe
- Light QA testing, if you hit anything game‑breaking or game‑interrupting, I’d love to know.
- Players who can spend ~30+ minutes with the build.

What to expect
- A mostly stable build with some missing audio and minor bugs
- Several new or reworked systems that need fresh eyes
- A short Google survey at the end (sent to selected testers)

Incentive
- Selected testers receive a Steam playtest key.
- Completing the survey makes you eligible for a full release key (target: late 2026)
- Alternatively, if you are a dev who needs their build playtested, I'll gladly do feedback for feedback.

About the game
- Atmospheric, 2D Pixel Art, Gothic‑Cozy aesthetic with touches of whimsy (dark academia / dark cozy).
- No combat, no leveling, no action- this is a slow, narrative shop sim.
- This is a small game world and character cast that is being solo-developed.
- Please only volunteer if that sounds like your thing.

How to sign up
- Comment below or DM me.
- Please only volunteer if you have time to play and give feedback this weekend.

I’ll reply to selected testers with a survey link and a playtest key.

If you want a faster peak into the expected current gameplay experience, you can find the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8nkzxn-WXY

Thanks in advance, feedback is shaping this project in a huge way. -- Shutin