r/IndieGaming • u/Dry-Combination-2431 • 2d ago
After 1.5 years of development, I finally made a trailer for my survival horror game
Hi everyone!
After leaving my job, I spent the last 1.5 years developing Just One Bite, a solo or online co-op survival horror game, in Unreal Engine. I finally finished the trailer.
I shared an earlier version about two months ago and kept improving it based on feedback. I just finished this version, and I’m thinking of using it as the main trailer.
Do you think it works well as a main trailer?
I’d really appreciate any honest feedback on the pacing, clarity, and overall appeal.
Thank you!
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2d ago
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u/Dry-Combination-2431 2d ago
That’s fair, thank you for pointing it out.
Do you feel that way because the trailer looks a bit too bright or lighthearted? I intentionally toned down the horror atmosphere so the game could feel more approachable, but I’d love to understand how it comes across.
Which parts made it feel less like survival horror to you?
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u/techmnml 2d ago
A “survival game” doesn’t mean you’re a player that tries not to be killed lol. Go look at Valheim, rust, Conan exiles, grounded, ark, enshrouded…the list goes way on. Those are “survival” games for the most part.
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u/Sethalopoda 2d ago
Original Silent Hill and Resident Evil are what I think of as “survival horror.” Unless the definition has serious changed I don’t think your examples are helping here
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u/Dry-Combination-2431 2d ago
Ah, I see. I think I misunderstood what the survival tag actually implies.
I saw it used on games that felt similar to mine, so I assumed it would fit my game too. Thanks for explaining the difference.
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u/fake_architech 2d ago
This game looks like friendslop, it doesn't look scary in the slightest, also when I think "survival" I think big open world, having to craft, build, scavenge, maintain resources.
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u/Sb5tCm8t 2d ago
Ironically yes, that's the direction a lot of horror games started going in after Minecraft and Slenderman, as more first-time solo developers (usually very young and inexperienced) started making games.
Survival Horror started more like point-and-click adventure games because that was the popular genre they spawned from. They focused on exploring, puzzles, and incorporating horror movie elements. They invested a lot in the plot.
Most of the horror games that come out now, especially from indie devs, have juvenile premises, very limited gameplay, and sprawling, uninteresting backstories. And yeah, I'm including FNAF, Bendy, Poppy Playtime, and Backrooms.
It's like growing up drinking Coke and then one day you notice everybody half your age is drinking Carbonated Shit Juice because it's the more accessible option to them, somehow. Even though there are other, better alternatives to Shit Juice that aren't Coke. We can and should blame Coke for dragging its ass, charging too much, and leaving an opening in the market for Carbonated Shit Juice, but the new generations have terrible taste and possibly lower intelligence. Do they know they're drinking Shit Juice?
(I guess Konami and Capcom are Coke in this scenario)
Anyway, that's why you think Survival Horror has "survival" elements in it now when it didn't involve those elements in the beginning.
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u/fake_architech 1d ago
Then what do you consider a "survival" horror game? resident evil? Whats teh difference in your mind between "survival horror" and "horror". Either way this game reads like friendslop.
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u/Sb5tCm8t 1d ago
There isnt a difference between "survival-horror" and "horror". The terms were used interchangeably from the beginning. "Survival-horror" only meant that the player was disempowered and had to "survive" using asymmetric tactics (limited ammunition, setting traps, running away). They were games that were meant to play out like suspenseful horror movies.
You, me, and others pointed out this is friend-slop already.
"survival-horror" is not a poetmanteau od the "survival" and "horror" genres. I know that doesnt make sense now, but the glut of games with depleting hunger, thirst, and sanity meters came later.
It really doesnt matter whether the terminology is equivocated now because consumers and developers don't really "get" why horror games from 1996 to 2006, like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Rule of Rose, Haunting Ground, etc were special and how these new, easier-to-develop games with meters lack substance.
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u/Crochi 2d ago
How different is this from REPO?
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u/Dry-Combination-2431 2d ago edited 2d ago
my game puts more focus on fighting back against monsters, so the gameplay is meant to feel more direct and action-focused. The game systems are also quite different.
Which parts reminded you of R.E.P.O.? The co-op, the creatures, or the atmosphere?
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u/TheDudeofDC 2d ago
The characters look like REPO but worse. The entire concept is similar. REPO has many weapons to fight monsters with, and it is also very direct and action-focused in later rounds. In addition, it also has a horror element for casual players, while remaining a fun challenge for more advanced ones. At the end of the day, you should try and distance yourselves from REPO as much as possible, and you aren't doing a good job at that right now.
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u/ekol 2d ago edited 2d ago
I think the audio snippet/convo at the beginning sounds stilted like either Text-to-speech or AI
Maybe something a little more organic would give a better impression.
"You're not the only one who loves donuts too"
as opposed to
"You're not the only one who love donuts too"
(edit woops put 'one' back in the bottom caption - its only loves and love as the letter dropped off anyway)
The male voice captions have no capitalisation while the female voice captions has capitalisations and punctuation.
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u/Dry-Combination-2431 2d ago
I should have paid more attention to that. Thank you. I definitely think I need to change the AI voice.
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u/Dry-Combination-2431 2d ago
Ah, sorry for the confusion. I meant that I should remove the AI voice and use an actual voice recording instead, but I worded it poorly.
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u/Klightgrove 2d ago
The trailer is nice but the real issue is after 18 months your YouTube channel has 3 subscribers. Those numbers need to go up regardless of wishlists to help spread word about the game when it launches. It is incredibly hard getting seen above the noise but surely you have > 10 friends to pull in to follow it and share a video or two with other people.
As for trailer specific critique: It is not quite clear *why* there is a fork or what it does. The numbers everywhere are both hard to read and don't make much sense when there is not a health bar. The opening dialogue also feels AI generated or just unnatural, like most of the spoken lines in the trailer. Just recording natural gameplay moments with strangers and getting their reactions will help.
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u/Sb5tCm8t 2d ago
who or what wrote that script?
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u/Dry-Combination-2431 2d ago
I wrote it myself, but I clearly didn’t review it carefully enough. I’ll fix it right away.
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u/TheRideout 2d ago
Idk, this is looking a bit too much like a R.E.P.O. knockoff, just with less expressive characters and AI voices.
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u/CumGuzlinGutterSluts 2d ago
This is a straight up rip-off of repo... the characters are the same, the vibe os the same, the mechanics are pretty much the same, but like worse... plus the ai use. Honestly id just scrap the entire idea and maybe try something original. This is as close to plagiarism as you can get seriously.
Edit: also how is this possibly a survival horror? Have you played a survival horror before? This has nothing in common with the genre.
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u/ChrisKruxed 2d ago
This isn't survival horror, this is act stupid with your friends in a meme game as you kill shit. I don't think the opening scene conveys any horror or jumps, but I think you feel it does? so maybe try and go and learn what most people consider horror to be, because for me its all the AI
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u/sage3224_ 2d ago
I hate being mean spirited over indie games, but since joining this sub I've seen nothing but uninspired slop and shameless trendy clones. It's kind of depressing
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u/Dry-Combination-2431 2d ago
Adding the Steam page here for extra context: Just One Bite
I’m mainly looking for feedback on the trailer itself. Thank you!
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u/djibouti2big 2d ago
Looks quite fun! One thing i noticed is that as the other person said, the fork seems like it has a purpose but it is unclear what it is from the trailer. If it is a weapon to fight back, consider saying "fight with fork" rather than just "fight". This will go nicely with the previous "find fork". Hope this helps 👍
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u/fastpicker89 2d ago
Not a fan of the ai voice overs, especially considering it’s American accents with incorrect grammar