I really enjoyed the setting, I think the niche approach can work wonders, but the marketing factor is an important thing to consider. I am definitely getting this when I have a long weekend ahead, as I enjoy loosing myself on this murder mystery games.
Viewing post in Murder Otaku post mortem comments
My hot take is that game devs aren't as bad at marketing as they think they are. Most indie games have reasonable descriptions and professional-looking graphic designs. There's just a lot more competition in 2025 than there was in 1995. If your product is a pill that cures cancer, then it's easy to get a lot of attention. If your product is an indie video game, then there's an abundance of content and not enough spots anywhere near the top. I agree with you that Steam / social media impressions are gamed.