Chapter 202: Hugely Popular
At Nebula Games, Alex was also keeping an eye on the performance of Don't Starve. Compared to his previous games, the performance of Don't Starve was not particularly impressive.
The sales of 230,000 units on the first day did not seem impressive. After all, Don't Starve was not expensive and had some marketing support. In addition, Alex was no longer the unknown of before, so these sales figures were far from impressive.
However, Alex himself was not too disappointed, since, unlike previous releases, Don't Starve was not available on other platforms. Nebula Games also described its game as a sandbox game, a genre unknown to many players.
This has led many players to stay on the sidelines.
In addition, another crucial point is that Don't Starve currently has a rating of 9.6, which is already quite impressive.
This is probably because most of the current purchases are from Nebula Games fans. As more players join, the rating inevitably drops.
However, thanks to word of mouth among the first players, more and more players are curious about Don't Starve and buy it.
When these players bought and entered the game, and after a brief game to understand the gameplay of Don't Starve, they were instantly captivated by its wonderful world.
"This is exactly the survival game I was looking for! It's a classic!", he exclaims.
"Yes, I think this is the most complete minigame Alex has created in the last two years, right?".
"Totally agree!".
"At least this game is a real surprise! I never thought it could be so much fun!".
Don't Starve fans were delighted with the game.
The different configurations of Don't Starve are really effective at retaining players.
The first is a clear goal upon entering the game. Before players fully understand the essence and mechanics of the game, it is essential to have a clear goal. For example, in a PvP game, the clear goal is to eliminate the opponent and win the game. In a PvE game, the goal is to defeat the final boss and complete the level.
As a sandbox game, Don't Starve offers players a clear goal: survive for as long as possible, even if they don't understand what a sandbox game is.
With this clear goal, the game offers a wider range of gameplay options. In Don't Starve, the gameplay is based on various physiological needs, centered on the main goal of survival. The idea that if you are killed, you die—a seemingly tacit principle—is taken to the extreme in Don't Starve.
Without food, you will starve.
With too much cold, you will die of cold.
A low state of mind can cause mental disorders, such as hallucinations and persecution by ghosts.
To avoid starving, players must look for food; to avoid freezing, they must build shelters and thermal blocks.
In addition, the game is full of dangerous monsters, and even monstrous attacks at specific times.
This requires crafting weapons to protect yourself.
All of these are staged objectives focused on survival.
Once players become familiar with these elements, ensuring that they can survive in this isolated and treacherous world, this is the beginning of the game.
Because once players can simply survive without doing anything, exploring the vast expanse becomes their true passion.
Experiencing this living world.
This world works according to its own rules, from the large scale of the seasons to the minute details of day and night, and each season has its own unique characteristics.
For example, spring brings frequent rains and crops grow faster than in other seasons. In summer, flammable materials spontaneously combust, causing a rapid increase in the character's body temperature, which can lead to heat stroke. In winter, crops grow slowly, the character's body temperature drops rapidly, and they enter a state of freezing.
Combined with certain random map generation settings, each player's survival adventure is unique.
And, of course, the most important thing is that, as in most sandbox games, there will be no officially released DLC. The mods created by the players alone bring a lot of fun to the game.
The Creative Workshop function has become a hallmark of the Nebula game platform.
Don't Starve is no exception, including some unique mods, such as those for numerical visualization and building geometry, that do not affect the balance. Alex plans to release them first in an official mode, as a starting point to encourage more players to create new ones.
After all, that is the nature of sandbox games. Only with the player's participation can a sandbox game maintain its vitality and generate varied and interesting gameplay.
However, compared to common players, the designers in the industry, immersed in the rich gameplay of Don't Starve, have received a much greater response than the players themselves.
Clearly, no designer would underestimate Alex. After all, Alex has achieved notable success to date.
Not to mention other things, the Dark Souls series from last year and this year is enough to impress many.
Nevertheless, the unique characteristics of Dark Souls make it a difficult game to imitate. The global popularity of Dark Souls is due to its overall quality, not just a standout feature.
For example, the game's level design is truly exquisite.
But level design alone is not enough. The game's difficulty curve is well designed, allowing players to gradually defeat powerful enemies through continuous struggle.
But if that difficulty curve were the only factor, would Dark Souls be successful?.
The answer is no.
Maybe it would achieve certain achievements, but it would definitely not be as popular as it is now.
The map design, the difficulty curve, the magnificent plot, and the world setting...
All these elements combine to achieve the current results of Dark Souls.
As for the so-called soul games, many players associated them with high difficulty, a completely erroneous perception.
Because the so-called soul games do not refer to a specific point, but to a complete overall performance.
So, to this day, although many game designers envy Dark Souls and try it, none have achieved great success, much less reached the top.
But Don't Starve is completely different.
Its appearance made many game designers in the industry feel as if they had returned to when Alex, who had just finished creating a game for adults, brought Undertale.
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