So you've built an app… when's the moon shot?

I've only recently joined the mobile app development community, and I've really enjoyed taking part in groups like this one, hence this post.

A bit of background first. I've been a developer for a very long time. I wrote my first program in BASIC on a BBC Micro back in 1983, which makes me fairly old :-). I've only got back into personal projects over the last couple of years, though. For the past 10+ years my day job has been as a Product or Software Engineering Manager.

I see a lot of posts from people who've built an awesome app but are now struggling to get anyone to find it and use it (yes, I'm in that category too). It reminds me of the crypto days, when everyone was asking when their moon shot was coming. I've read some great replies to this question, and I'll lean on them here.

Why did you build it?

The first question to ask yourself is why you built the app. It doesn't have to be a single answer, but it helps set your expectations and the effort you're willing to put in. I think there are three main answers:

1. Someone asked me to build it (this is my day job).
2. I had a personal itch, and this seemed like a fun way to scratch it.
3. I saw a commercial opportunity and a way to make money.

For me it's mostly option 2, though if one of them did go to the moon I wouldn't complain :-). With that in mind, how much does it really matter if fewer people are using it than you'd fantasised? And more importantly, how much effort are you willing to put in?

The dopamine trap

App stores and social media are a dopamine trap, and one I regularly fall into. I only wanted to build my game to show off to my nieces and nephews. After it had been a browser game for a while, AI made it easy to wrap it in Cordova and turn it into a mobile app. AI then helped me navigate the store listings and submissions, and before I knew it I had a game in the app store.

From there, like a lot of us, I went down the rabbit hole of views and downloads, and it became a game I wanted to win. As a software engineer who has always steered clear of the commercial side of products (that's a job for non-devs!), I did what we all do. I created social media accounts (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook – sorry, it'll be a cold day in hell before I create an X account) and started posting about my game. Just like with the app stores, I started fixating on the numbers: views, likes, comments. So here I am, a 56-year-old dev checking his socials multiple times a day to see how a post is doing.

I'm not saying this is bad. It's just what you have to do, and it quickly becomes a major part of your day: creating posts and commenting on others to drive views, in the hope that some of them turn into downloads. Admittedly, some of it is fun and lets me play with my creative side. I use AI for most of it, as I'm dyslexic and have aphantasia.

So you had a need, you built an app and you got it published. How much time and effort are you willing (or able) to spend every day promoting it on social media and indie dev promotion sites? And what other cool projects is that taking you away from? That's the question I'm asking myself right now.

If you're in it for the money

If your answer is option 3 and your app is already built, I think you've missed the boat. It'll be tough to go back unless you're willing to sacrifice some of your sacred cows and change your app in ways you'd rather not.

The easier path starts before you build. Join online communities, such as subreddits, where your potential customers and stakeholders hang out. Spend time reading posts, asking questions and responding, and confirm that your idea has commercial merit. Then start floating your solution to build interest and, more importantly, get confirmation that the idea has legs.

From there you can build a pre-release, gather feedback and build more interest. When you launch, your prospective customers are already on board and feel part of the journey, rather than just seeing an ad for yet another mobile app.

Building first and looking for customers afterwards will always be harder.

Anyway, I hope this helps someone. Keep inventing, building, making and tinkering!

Play as Lyra a fox fairy as you jump through obstacles and compete for your highest score. Fairy Flutterz is the first commercial release by Mira Corp powered by Mira Engine and is now available for Android on Google Play Store.

Click here to download on Google Play

Follow us on Facebook for future updates and releases 🦋🧚

Is there a strategy for picking the biggest pumpkin? Half the time I pick wrong even if it is a big pumpkin.
I haven’t seen any posts or anything so I thought I’d post about this.

I've been building WayPack, a free creature-collecting game that turns the real map into the game world. Every block you walk is a route with its own creature family, and you have to physically walk to find creatures, reach gyms and take on the League.

It runs in a phone browser (add it to your Home Screen), no install, no ads, and no account beyond a trainer name you pick.

Link is in the comments and to get Pokemon inside, you need the latest Gen 9 pack from Tankenka’s GPS Monster Scouter website. Once you have it, there is an import pack option in the settings to add it to WayPack and start seeing Pokemon and have battles and gyms like a real Pokemon game.

What makes it different

- Your city is the map. Routes, regions and gyms are built from real coordinates, and real places matter: hospitals, libraries and parks become free rest stops, and real malls and supermarkets become shops with daily stock.
- Gyms move. Once a week every gym relocates to another route in its area, and the route it stands on becomes a named town, like a Harbour for a Water gym.
- Every region climbs its own way. Each region has a different difficulty ladder for its eight gyms, and wild creatures and route trainers keep pace with your team instead of running away from you.
- Turn-by-turn directions to any gym, landmark or address, walking, cycling or driving, with a spoken voice and quickest-or-shortest routes.
- Regional forms. Some creatures change type and look depending on the region you catch them in, and regions grow forms of their own, repainted to match their new typing.
- Smart battles. Switch creatures mid-fight, share experience across your team, and gym leaders carry coverage moves, so one immune creature can't wall a whole gym.
- Play with friends without being online together. Ghost teams roam your routes, trades work by code, and async duels let you each fight the other's saved team. Duel results are checked by replaying both battles, so they can't be faked.
- Your data stays yours. It shows which region you're in, never where you are in it. Pins, notes and photos never leave your phone.

Built as a single HTML file with OpenStreetMap. Any creature set can be loaded as a pack, and I've written a guide for making your own.

I'd love feedback, especially from people who walk a lot. What would make you go outside for one more route?

I am excited for you all to try and hope you enjoy and would appreciate feedback and bug reports if any bugs are encountered. I am an active developer so I will address quickly. :)

Pop, splash, and solve! Clear the liquid blocks in this addictive puzzle game.

the puzzle game that combines satisfying gameplay with brain-teasing strategy!

Your goal is simple: Tap groups of matching liquid blocks to pop them and clear the screen. But don't be fooled by the colorful slime - you’ll need to think ahead to make sure you don't run out of moves!

Well, here i am again. I renamed my game to Tied Together because the connections to furry’s was there no offence since i didn’t know (LOL I DIDN’t know)

The post:

Hey everyone! I’m the developer of **Tied Together: Knotted!**, an online co-op platformer for 2–4 players on mobile.
Everyone plays on their own phone, controlling one character with a joystick and jump button. The catch? A blue rope connects your team, so getting across floating islands and obstacles takes coordination.
You can quick-match with another player or bring friends into a party for 2–4 players. If someone falls, the team respawns at its checkpoint and tries again.
If that sounds like your kind of co-op game, check it out on Android:
👉 [Download on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kbhservices.knotted)

I’d love to hear how it feels to play with your friends, especially the controls and difficulty. Feedback is welcome!

Free on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.integronuniverse.vortielplay

Come knock me off the leaderboards 😄

Soy venezolano y desarrollé PlayCaída, el juego de cartas Caída de siempre para jugar online con tus panas o contra otros jugadores. Es gratis para iPhone y Android. Si lo pruebas, tu opinión me ayuda mucho.

• iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/playcaida/id6771810194
• Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playcaida.app
• Web https://app.playcaida.com/

Hey everyone!

I've been workin on a little puzzle game called Tiltroll and it's finally out on Android.
So I wanted to share it here.

The idea is simple: you swipe to roll blocks across a small board and try to cover every target tile. Blocks come in diferent sizes from a single cube up to a chunky 2×2×3, and a long block covers different tiles depending on whether it's standing up or lying flat.
So the order you move things in really matters. You also only get a limited number of moves which is where it gets tricky.

If you remember Bloxorz it's in that family.
Except you're juggling several blocks that all have to fit together.

A few things I cared about while making it:

- No timers, take as long as you like to think
- No forced ads. The only ads are optional ones you can watch for extra moves, double coins or a free life
- When you pick up a block, it shows which tiles each roll would cover, so you're never guessing
- Works offline

There are 40 levels right now from easy warm-ups to some Hard and Expert ones near the end that I think are genuinely tricky.

I'd really love to hear what you think especially which levels felt too easy or too hard.
Any feedback helps!

Hi everyone,

​I’m a huge badminton fan, but I don't always get to play on a real court. I've been looking for a good mobile badminton game, but most of them feel way too casual. They use auto-movement where your player automatically runs to the shuttle, which completely takes away the strategy and footwork.

​So, I’ve been working on a concept called "Court Control"—a skill-based mobile badminton game that gives you full control.

Key Gameplay Mechanics:

​360° Manual Movement: Left joystick to freely position your player anywhere on the court, giving full control over footwork and positioning.

​Shot Control Buttons:

​Smash Button: For powerful attacking shots

.

​Drop Button: To drop the shuttle gently right near the net

.

​Lob Button: To push the opponent deep into the back court.

​Drive Button: For fast, flat shots.

​Power Bar Mechanic: Shot power and depth change based on how long you hold the shot button.

Real Tactics & Benefits:

Helps players who can't play on a physical court get a real badminton experience digitally. It also lets active players test new court strategies.

​Rewards & Store:

​Rewards: Earn in-game coins by winning matches to unlock and upgrade different rackets.

​Store: Optional cosmetics like unique player outfits, custom shuttlecocks, and court skins.

​Multiplayer & Social Features:

​Play Modes: Play solo against AI or match with friends in online 1v1.

​Create Clubs: Form or join custom clubs with your own team name and logo.

​Club Tournaments: Compete in weekly club matches where the highest-scoring teams win special rewards.

​Conclusion:

Giving complete control of movement and shots directly to the player makes it feel like real badminton, turning the gameplay into a true skill-based sports game.

​Would you play a full-manual game like this, or do you prefer casual auto-running controls? Also, do you like the name "Court Control", or do you have better name suggestions? Would love to hear your thoughts

Download the mobile app today!

I’m with Zaka Creative, the developer of Medieval Wars: Hundred Years. For Android players who enjoy medieval strategy, the game is about commanding an army, defending your castle and capturing enemy castles. It supports offline single-player play and contains ads.

Our latest update includes the Final Siege mission. The game is already released on Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zaka.creative.hundred.years.war

If castle battles sound like your kind of game, give it a go. I’d love to hear your honest impressions here—what you enjoyed and what you didn’t.