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Thank you for such a detailed answer, I really enjoyed reading it. The Last Sigh changing the customers themselves is a clever idea. Having your usual clientele replaced by questionable undead visitors is exactly the kind of surprise players love sharing, and heat management on the Red Cauldron sounds like pushing your luck in the best way.

Since you’ve put so much personality into this game, I’m curious how potential players have been finding your updates. Are people discovering The Cozy Alchemist mostly through itch, or are you also sharing it elsewhere, like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, X, or Bluesky?

I ask because a game like this is perfect for short clips. A plant invasion taking over the workshop, a cauldron getting increasingly concerned, or a cozy upgrade followed by a drop into Hell are all moments people want to share. Social media can greatly increase the number of potential players who see the game, because most people don’t browse itch for new projects. They find games through clips and posts, and the ones who follow early often become the ones who wishlist and spread the word.

If you haven’t started on that yet, I’d be glad to help. I’m a professional video editor and social media manager, and I work with indie devs who would rather spend their time building. I can share my YouTube channel and Upwork account if you’d like to see past work first. Would you be open to a business proposal around that?

YouTube Shorts and Bluesky are a solid start, and I’d keep both. I’d also suggest adding TikTok and X, because they do different jobs for a game like Before We Fall.

TikTok is where short gameplay clips reach people who have never heard of your game. Deckbuilder and roguelike clips do well there, and a good run, a clever party combo, or a close boss fight can travel far from a brand new account. X is where a lot of indie devs, press, and content creators talk about upcoming games, so it’s useful for getting noticed by the people who can amplify you, especially with the Auto Battler fest and Next Fest coming up.

You don’t have to be a TikTok user yourself for this to work. That’s the part I can take off your plate. I’m a professional video editor and social media manager, so I could cut your gameplay into clips and handle the posting and replies on TikTok and X, while you stay focused on development and keep Shorts and Bluesky your own way.

Would you be open to a short business proposal covering those two platforms before the fest? We could start small and see how it performs.

That’s a really smart structure, honestly. Using predefined parties like Slay the Spire’s classes as an extended tutorial, then handing over the keys with a build your own party unlock tied to its own leaderboard, gives players a reason to master the basics before the real freedom opens up. The leaderboard angle also gives the best runs something to compete over, which tends to keep people coming back.

Decisions like cutting warbands and contracts to give the party a clearer identity are exactly the kind of story players love hearing about. Have you thought about sharing updates like this on social media too? Short posts or clips showing a party in action, or explaining why you rebuilt progression around individual skills, could let potential players see the thinking behind the game while it’s still being built. Deckbuilder and roguelike fans really follow development closely, and the ones who find a game early often become the people who spread it later.

Do you think that kind of ongoing visibility would help Before We Fall find its audience before launch, or have you already got a plan for that?

Hey! I was reading your latest Lost Drifter patch notes, and I thought the switch from 3D models to 2D was an interesting decision. I like that you chose to change the approach instead of forcing the original rigs to work, especially since combat animations are such a big part of an action game.

With the camera now closer to the action and the enemy attack system reworked too, I'm curious, has the move to 2D given you more freedom to make fights feel faster and more readable?

Hey! I was reading your latest updates for The Cozy Alchemist, and I really like the contrast between upgrading a cozy little tower and then discovering seven increasingly absurd circles of Hell underneath it. The sarcastic cauldron is a great touch too, especially with the way the different schools have their own problems to deal with.

I'm curious, of the three schools, which one has been the most fun or challenging to design so far? The Green Hand's plants invading the workshop sounds like it could lead to some pretty funny situations.

Hey! I was checking out the V8.0 Halloween update, and I like that you experimented with a completely new flat icon style instead of just adding more icons in the existing style. Having both black and white versions also gives developers more flexibility when fitting them into different game interfaces.

I'm curious, do you see the flat style becoming a regular option for future icons, or are you testing it first to see how people respond to it?

Hey, I was reading your latest Before We Fall devlog, and I really like the decision to remove warbands and contracts when they weren't giving the party a clear identity. Rebuilding progression around individual skills and shared equipment sounds much more interesting, especially when you have to decide which hero actually needs an upgrade.

The Last City is another cool addition because it gives players something to work towards beyond surviving the next dungeon run. I'm curious, do you see building different party combinations becoming one of the main reasons players return for another run?

Wow you have built something cool here, how long have yo been working on it?