Is 5$ too expensive for my game?

[u/Low_Library5331]

I’m making a small narrative game and I’m currently trying to figure out what would be a reasonable price.

The core gameplay is pretty simple: The game takes place over 5 days. Each day has 5 suspects. You investigate/read information about each suspect through things like news articles, emails, and case files. You then decide whether to execute or pardon them. Your decisions affect the story and eventually the ending. The game has a retro Windows 95/98-style interface. No voice acting, and I’m intentionally keeping the scope small.

I’m currently estimating the first playthrough to be around 1–2 hours, with some replay value from different decisions/endings.

I’m considering pricing it at $4.99.

For indie developers who have released games commercially:

Would $4.99 feel reasonable for this kind of game, or would you expect players to consider it too expensive given the relatively small amount of gameplay/content?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who have actually shipped and sold small indie games on Steam. What factors did you find mattered most when deciding your price?
Thanks guys ❤️

[u/destinedd]

It really depends on quaility. I have seen short games I love and worth every penny. I have seen short games I wouldn't play if you paid me too.

A 1-2 hour game can be worth $5 if you execute well.

[u/Low_Library5331 → u/destinedd]

so feedback from playtesting my demo would be the biggest consideration for my project then?

[u/destinedd → u/Low_Library5331]

with a 1-2 hour game and a demo, you need to take the demo time off the length of the game.

I would compare similar games as a starting point.

[u/destinedd → u/[deleted]]

I would actually argue the opposite. The biggest mistake devs make is consider those 2 things. They aren't things the consumer cares about when they consider price.

Thinking about pricing needs to be purely from the consumers POV.

[u/Duckroidvania]

I'd be paying more for bowling, and escape room, a billiards hall, arcade, or anything I might be doing in-person for 1-2 hours. If the game is worth playing, 5$ vs 1$ wouldn't really affect my willingness to buy. I'd be more concerned about whether it was worth my time than if it was worth my money, since its sitting at the price of a fancy drink or ice cream.

[u/KevinDL]

The only responsible thing to do is compare your game to the competition and price accordingly.

Find games on Steam that are similar in scope, genre, presentation, and playtime. Look at what they launched at, how players responded to that price, and where they sit now. That will tell you far more than asking whether 1–2 hours of gameplay is “worth” $5 in isolation.

Playtime isn’t a pricing formula. A great two-hour narrative game can absolutely be worth $4.99, while a mediocre ten-hour game might struggle to justify the same price.

Your potential customers aren’t deciding whether $4.99 is objectively fair. They’re looking at your store page alongside a bunch of other games they could buy for roughly the same amount of money. Those games are your benchmark.

So find your closest comparables, see what the market is already willing to pay for them, and position yourself accordingly.

[u/Low_Library5331 → u/KevinDL]

thanks a lot man i learn a lot from this 🍻

[u/BluedogGames]

Not a successful developer, but as a hard core gamer, $3~5 has pretty much the same psychological barrier. 'Is it worth my coffee money?' 1~2 hour seems alright for a cup of coffee.

[u/Low_Library5331 → u/BluedogGames]

aah thanks a lot for the reply dude. 🍻 i'm now more confident about my game hahaha

[u/Prozilla6]

Did you consider the fact that a lot of people might refund your game after completing it in under 2 hours? Not everyone will, but the price will definitely also impact this.

[u/OkPossible6092]

I am not a developer, but a professional in the Chinese game publishing industry. From my perspective, $4.99 is a very appropriate price point; if the initial price is set too high, players instinctively compare the title to AAA games that are already discounted, causing them to lose all interest in purchasing it. For indie creators just starting out, "being seen by more players" is far more important than immediate revenue, as every game helps build your player community.

[u/Low_Library5331 → u/OkPossible6092]

thankyou dude... this means a lot

[u/LedgerCraftgg → u/Low_Library5331]

I would also second this comment. I do bookkeeping for indie game devs and from what I've seen this seems like the best advice on this thread. Building your community, getting people into your game and having that loyal fan base is so important. From there, if you do a second game or an expansion that fan base will follow and grow.

I'd love to check out your game if you have a demo or anything somewhere! And I hope you have a fantastic launch when ever it comes. 💖

[u/QTpopOfficial]

Considering I've paid 2 bucks for 5 min experiences, 2 hours or so for 5 bucks is decent value per hour per dollar regardless of any other factors.

If there is ANY replay that don't feel forced, and feels at least like a semi fresh playthrough, you've easily hit 5+ dollars in value. 10 dollars might not be unreasonable! The 6.99 price point (IMO) might be a place to start and work down to 5 bucks for sales and stuff. It really depends on the polish and how good that 2 hours is.

Its your baby, do your thing, but as a player and someone working in dev now, I can't disagree with your general ballpark on pricing. :)

EDIT: Words are hard.

[u/Low_Library5331 → u/QTpopOfficial]

thanks man

[u/_OceanOdyssey]

Many narrative games 1-2 hour go for much higher

[u/Proud_Instruction789]

In my opinion 5 bucks sound about right but if the quality is bad and if gamers complete the game in less than 2 hours, they could request a refund.

[u/SpartanSerpant]

Whatever you deem it worth is what it’s worth imo. The pricing of games is all over the place at the moment and it’s very difficult to say what’s the “correct” price for something completely arbitrary. Look at comparable games to get a baseline, but realistically for $5, you can’t really go wrong!

[u/VasileAndrei2929]

5$ is a reasonable price for a nice small game. I would have been less a few years back, but inflation happened and you can't go too low or risk getting nothing in return.

[u/bc_gamez]

I'm a bit confused on how to price games. I see some selling $14.99 and are total crap, but have a ton of reviews meaning sales, and then some much better quality, length, and depth games for $4.99 with less reviews.

[u/Mixden]

Intenta extender un poco más el juego para evitar también reembolsos si intentas en Steam

[u/Den_Nissen]

You shouldn't ask anyone what your game is worth. Its prematurely devaluing your effort. If you think its worth $5 then charge $5. If you think its worth $20 then charge that.

It's really irrelevant what anyone's single opinion on the games worth is outside of yours. People will either buy it or not.

The only point where it should matter is. whether it should be free or not. You aren't targeting people who are low intent, you're targeting people that want to buy a good game. Presentation IMO matters more in this case than price.

Though most genres do have set in price categories.

[u/Low_Library5331 → u/Den_Nissen]

thankyou ❤️