Why is my game not getting players?

Help and Feedback Creations Feedback
#1

Hi everyone,

I’ve been developing a game called Michael for the past few years and have put a lot of effort into creating something I believe is fun and unique. It’s a horror escape game inspired by Piggy, where players must escape an evil mailman named Michael who follows them everywhere they go. The game features multiple chapters and is intended to offer both spooky vibes and engaging gameplay.

Here’s a brief overview of the game:

Chapter 1: Players begin at a post office, where they need to retrieve their package, but Michael is there.

Chapter 2: They escape into the forest, but Michael finds them again.

Chapter 3: The next escape takes them to an abandoned police station, where Michael is still lurking.

Chapter 4: Finally, players think they’ve escaped, but Michael breaks into their home.

Despite all the time and effort I’ve put into the game, I’ve only managed to get around 3k visits over the course of 3 years, and the game gets close to zero players a day.

What I’ve tried:

I’ve spent time optimizing the game’s visuals and gameplay to ensure it’s engaging and fun.

Added new content and updates to keep the game fresh.

Created a Discord server and group to try and build a community around the game.

Tried to make the game accessible on different devices (mobile, PC, etc.).

Made sure the game description and thumbnails are eye-catching and relevant.

I don’t currently have Robux for advertising, so I’ve relied on organic growth.

My questions:

  1. What do you think could be causing the lack of players? Is it the genre, the gameplay mechanics, or something else that’s turning people off?

  2. What are some key things I can improve to attract more players to the game? Any tips on making the game stand out more in such a competitive space?

  3. Are there any strategies to grow a game without spending Robux on ads? How do you effectively promote a game when you have limited resources?

I’m really passionate about this game, and I’m determined to get more players to experience it. Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Game link: Michael - Roblox

Thanks in advance!

7 Likes
#2

why play michael when i could play piggy or the 9 gazillion other piggy clones there are?

its not supposed to come off as mean, but you as a developer are competing against all of the other games out there, not to mention the trend of the piggy subgenre of games kinda died like 2 years ago

also heres a couple of criticisms of the game;
the sound design is SUPER bare bones, everything that can be interacted with should have some audio play
also the pathfinding of michael is pretty buggy, along with the fact that 6 year olds arent really good at roblox, and michael, from what i can tell, is still relatively difficult

think; what kind of player would play my game? what that kind of player like to see?

6 Likes
#3

hey, your game sounds like it has a solid concept! the horror escape genre is tough to stand out in, especially without ads, (I’ve tried 4 times and only succeeded on the 4th try, its painful) but there are some things you could try. posting short, engaging gameplay clips on tiktok or youtube shorts can help bring in new players. also, collaborating with smaller roblox youtubers who focus on horror games could help get some visibility for michael, thats what I did for mine.

you could also think about adding unique gamepasses or cosmetic items to keep players engaged while funding future ads. hosting events or challenges in your discord could also help build hype and bring players back. keep asking for feedback from your players to improve, and don’t give up sometimes it just takes the right exposure, Good luck!

#4

Because it’s unique and it’s a realistic game, this could happen in real life.

Also, wdym everything that can be interacted with should have some audio play? Like what?

I’ll fix the pathfinding, thanks

2 Likes
#5

There is like nobody in our server lol

1 Like
#6

ah, that makes sense, it’s tough to host events or build hype if there’s no one in the server yet. i’d focus on posting clips or teasers of michael on tiktok, youtube shorts, or even twitter to start pulling people in. you don’t need a huge following for it to work just make the clips really engaging or mysterious so people want to check it out. once you get a few active players, you can encourage them to join the discord and build from there. it’ll take time, but consistency with promoting your game will help. good luck! so many people completely ignore of insanely underestimate how amazing social media can be, for example youtube videos of updates and behind the scenes. if one of those alone gain traction youll have 100 people before long!

#7

He literally told you. In his post.

  1. Find an interacable object
  2. Add sound
  3. make ur script play the sound

Drawers would have drawer sound, etc.

2 Likes
#8

just add 1k game pass , 1k developer products and 1k subscriptions to make the algorism notice your game

1 Like
#9

he must have had sounds off because there is sounds for picking up items

#10

The game is just not that good bro, so many problems that will destroy your playtime stat even if you would’ve spent 200k robux in ads the game would’ve died, i see too many game design mistakes that i don’t think the game is salvageable + bugs, broken pathfinding and models that are not anchored.

#11

Played 4 times.

1 - Was told to find keys to escape. Turned camera, then died.
2 - Was Micheal, but since there were no other players there was no one to kill.
3 - Was Micheal, but since there were no other players there was no one to kill.
4 - Played AI mode. Micheal moved at my same speed so I could not “Interact” with anything. Died.

The Chapter selection is fine and makes sense. The Game Mode makes no sense to me. I would just ditch that idea altogether and instead use AI for the Micheal character if there are less than 4 players.

Since I kept dying there was no real way for me to play the game.

2 Likes
#12

Thank you for your feedback. Every response in this post will be added to the game in the big update im working on.

#13

Could you please explain more?

#14

Hi, so I tried out your game and it was decent. I thought the camera animations were pretty smooth and there aren’t aren’t any blatant bugs. However you can improve by making it skip the voting page once everybody votes. Also as mentioned by someone else, you have to make this game more appealing to people playing by themselves. I think the party and player options are kind of confusing. Lastly, as soon as I entered the map, I died to the AI bot because they spawn in front of the player with no cooldown. As you said before, this game is really similar to Piggy which is why you need to make it unique or add a twist. Everything I’ve seen so far is a direct reference to Piggy so remember to ask yourself “why would someone play my game over a far more notable game?”. Hope this helps to improve your game!

Edit: Actually, I take it back the AI is impossible to escape from

#15

Thanks for your feedback. This is the update log currently for the next big update which’ll help make the game more easier and better.

-- New improved shop!
-- Weekly section inside shop, 3 unique skins every week that you can't find ANYWHERE else ingame
-- New normal skins
-- Improved chapter 1, 3 & 4 cutscenes
-- Made michael slower, previously he was as fast as you making it almost impossible to play.
-- No mode voting if there is less than 2 players ingame
-- Improved chapter 4 building
-- New Player + AI Mode
-- Bug Fixes

I set michaels new speed to 13 instead of 16. If there is anything else you’d like to suggest, feel free to say.

1 Like
#16

real, you just hvae to keep trying although there comes a point sometimes where you might need to try something else.

i belive ur game has potential though it may just need polishing in some areas and maybe advertising on social media/discord servers?

good luck!!

1 Like
#17

to success on this platform , make some brainrot games
– krant19worlddv.

1 Like