Post-Mortem of Post-Mortem of Hirocato - The Delivery Hero

Game Overview

• Name: Hirocato - The Delivery Hero
• Release Date: July 28, 2024
• Platform: Steam
• Core Concept: Jump, dash, rewind, and deliver food on time. Play as Cato, a crazy cute cat on a food delivery mission. Parkour through tricky levels, avoid obstacles, and rewind time to fix mistakes. Enjoy hand-made pixel art and great music. Can you complete every delivery?
• Steam link

Development Timeline & TeamThe game was developed over a period of 1.5 years by myself. I had contributions from two friends: one helped with the music (which received a lot of love from players) and another assisted with shaping the game’s story, chronology, and dialogue.

What Went Well

• Gameplay Feel & Mechanics:I’m most proud of how the game feels while playing. The pace, controls, and mechanics all interact in a way that flows very smoothly. 
• Music:While I didn't produce the music, I was incredibly happy with how it turned out. It perfectly complements the game's tone, and the response from players about it has been overwhelmingly positive.
• Marketing Success:One of the major highlights of the development journey was being featured in the Wholesome Games Direct 2024, it was literally less than 10 seconds but the spike on wishlists was quite noticeable, which was a huge marketing win (or at least that’s what I thought). It boosted the wishlist count to about 4900 before the release.
• Feedback & Player Engagement:During development, the feedback I gathered from my followers, particularly on Twitter, was incredibly helpful. The game was difficult, but the community that engaged with the game early on loved that challenge. I made sure to keep the feedback loop active and was able to turn negative Steam reviews into positive ones by acting quickly.

What Went Wrong

• Visibility & Sales:One of the biggest challenges was gaining visibility. Despite being featured in the Wholesome Games Direct and having a decent number of wishlists, sales on release were lower than expected (around 70-80 copies). I learned that while having a lot of wishlists is great, converting those into actual sales is a much harder challenge. Additionally, I would have liked to be more consistent in posting on social media, especially on TikTok and Twitter.
• Genre Challenges:The genre I chose (a challenging 2D platformer) proved to be both a blessing and a curse. While I loved the idea, I realized that it was a crowded market, and the difficulty level made it a tough sell to casual players. I would advise anyone thinking of making a game to carefully consider their genre, especially if they want to see financial returns.
• Being Strict on Deadlines:I set very strict deadlines for myself, which, while pushing me to complete the game, also caused a lot of personal stress. In retrospect, I wish I had been kinder to myself and allowed for a bit more time without such pressure. The outcome likely wouldn't have changed much if the game had come out a couple of months later.

Major Successes

• Player Connection:A truly heartwarming moment was when a player from Japan found the game during the Steam Next Fest 2024 demo and fell in love with it. He became an incredible tester and even helped improve the game with detailed feedback. This connection from across the world (I’m from Venezuela) was surreal, and it helped shape the final version of the game.
• Marketing & Buzz:Despite some challenges, the marketing efforts did result in a few viral tweets and small streamers on Twitch picking up the game. I also saw some YouTube videos pop up, which gave the game more exposure. However, visibility remained a constant challenge.

Key Lessons Learned

1. Pick Your Battles:I spent a lot of time on features and systems that, in hindsight, didn’t add much value to the game. When designing your game, it’s crucial to assess whether a feature is worth the time investment, especially in terms of how much it will engage the players.
2. Be Careful About Your Genre:If you plan on making money from your game, be cautious when choosing the genre. It's easy to fall in love with the idea of making a game you personally enjoy, but if that genre is oversaturated, it might be a tough road. Also, keep in mind that you'll be living with this game for a long time, and if it doesn’t connect with the market, it can become frustrating.
3. Be Kind to Yourself:I was very strict with deadlines, and it affected me personally. When the game launched, I realized that releasing it a few months later wouldn’t have changed much, and I would have avoided unnecessary stress. It's important to be realistic and kind to yourself during the process.

The Future of the Game

After the release, I spent about 3 months working on updates and improvements, mainly focusing on balancing the difficulty based on player feedback. I’ll continue to improve the game, but for now, my focus is on other projects.

Technology & Tools Used

• Engine: Unity
• Art: Aseprite
• Music: FMOD
• Video Editing: CapCut
• Hardware: MacBook Pro M1

Budget Breakdown

• Music: $600
• Assets: $2000
• Marketing: $3000 (hired a marketing company)
• Steam Capsules: $500Total Spent: $5100

Unfortunately, I’m not close to recouping this amount yet, but the learning experience has been invaluable.

Final Thoughts

Hirocato - The Delivery Hero may not have been a huge commercial success, but the journey of creating it has been an amazing experience. I’ve learned so much about game development, marketing, and personal growth. Even if the sales didn’t meet expectations, the joy of connecting with players and the pride I feel in the game itself makes it all worthwhile. The lessons learned from this project will guide me in the future, and I’m excited for what comes next.