I wonder if I'm alone with this. I have developed a game for 7 years, I make a video, it gets almost no views, I am very disappointed and can't get anything done for days or weeks.

I heard about influencers who fail and get depressed, but since game development has become so accessible I wonder if this is happening to developers, too.

It's clear to me what I need to do to promote my game (new trailer, contact the press, social media posts etc.), but it takes forever to get myself to do it because I'm afraid it won't be good enough or it would fail for whatever reason.

I suppose a certain current situation is also taking its toll on me but I have had these problems to some degree before 2020 as well. When I released the Alpha of my game I was really happy when people bought it. Until I realized it wasn't nearly enough, then I cried almost literal waterfalls.

Have you had similar experiences? Any advice?

Probably you've put too much expectation on your game, 7 years are a considerable amount of time. May i see your game ? have you thought of contacting some investor to give you enough money to enhance some compartment like sound, ai or graphics ? Graphics take the majority of human perception, try to better that aspect of the game and put it on some crowdfunding paltform, without expecting anything from anyone.

I am developing too a game since 2.5 years i've put into many forum and it didn't get much attention, i somehow expect this to happen, but i won't back away from finishing it

@programmer71 The game is Cube Universe. What's missing in the game is more content, most of the programming is done. I also need a new trailer.

But that's not the point of this topic. I (mostly) know what to do, I'm just too depressed and afraid to do it.

Stop for a while and then listen to your inner voice , give attention to what is saying about your game

@beosar depressions can occur for a variety of reasons. It's often good to have someone to talk to about it.

I've been depressed at times, often it's been due to how work or hobby projects were going. I've noticed this, and now it doesn't get quite as bad.

Something else that probably goes for influencers is, that in these times we're constantly getting how well people are doing stuffed down our throats.

It's general, but it also happens when viewing articles on game development online. Lots of successful people to compare yourself with. I bet there are many more unsuccessful ones.

What has worked for me is to not compare myself to others as much. I understand that the stuff that's broadcast, photographed or or written about are the “ups” of other people's lives. You don't get all the everyday stuff from your greatest idols, let alone their “downs”.

I've paid attention to the parts of my life that I think already work really well, and I recognise that a compromise on those would also suck.

I've accepted that I need breaks and that doing other stuff makes me happy also. I can't work if I'm not happy - at least not as well or for as long.

But your mileage may vary. I think that if it's serious, you should see a therapist about it: depressions are to be taken seriously, even if the can sometimes be solved without help from outside.

Not sure why you are unhappy?

I did a google search, found the game on steam, read the reviews, players love the game, but it's not finished!

You are on the right track, and have the right game and are doing everything right.

You just need to finish the game. Don't choke at the last 100 meters to finish line!

@Beosar when stuck, unproductive or bored I find it useful to take a break and if this goes on for days I would have considered a talk with someone about it.

I believe some solo developers including me use too much time coding and not considering a plan to build a community for their game.

For myself I just completed “first playable” of my game, and will now focus my time on finding a strategy to build a community, so it's no more serious coding before I have found my audience.

Medication and perseverance are your friends.

Have you watched others reactions? Seems to be a lot of confusion on what to do or how to accomplish certain things (like viewing the current task, disable chat, etc.). I think with some polish, an in-game tutorial (or a basic help guide), etc. would go a long way. Here is someone playing as an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myp98Fn32eM

With that being said, don't give up or feel depressed. You put a lot of work into it and you're almost there!