Hey folks, I just pushed a new update for my little chaotic project A Survival Game (a survival card game with clueless stickmen). This time I focused on pacing and new systems:
Shorter Map → players were walking too long before hitting events. Now chaos kicks in faster.
Expedition Boat 🚤 → new system to send stickmen away for loot (high risk, sometimes no return).
Radio 📡 → call for resources (or just static). Simple mechanic but adds a nice “desperate communication” flavor.
+4 Stickmen → bringing the total of new recruits to 8 since last updates.
Shop Upgrade 🛒 → cards finally have descriptions, because apparently stickmen can read.
Visual polish ✨ → more effects, outlined texts, flashy cards.
Better Save System 💾 → now more reliable across HTML5, mobile, and desktop builds.
On top of that, I experimented with monetization:
PRO Mode DLC ($2.50) → lets players customize runs (extra cash, days, stick levels). Basically legal cheating.
Mercy DLC ($1) → adds 4 cards including one that lets you roll back to your last save after a bad decision.
Dev thoughts
The biggest design call was shortening the map. Initially I wanted long runs for tension, but players got stuck in “walking simulator” mode. Compressing it made the game more chaotic and fun — curious to see if players miss the old pacing.
Also, adding the radio was fun because it’s a very simple UI change, but thematically it feels huge (players love pressing buttons that might do something).
Questions for you
Have you ever shortened a game/map for pacing reasons? Did it improve retention or just upset players?
Any tips on balancing optional DLC in a small indie project without making the base game feel lacking?
👉 If you want to check out the game: A Survival Game on Itch.io
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