Creating My First Zombie Shooter Game And Releasing on Steam

Hey guys,

Developer here! I am going to share my experience, my whole journey of making games. I thought blogging about my game development progress with some screenshots will be really good for those who follows and reads development blogs.
From today onward, I will share what I am working on, my game development progress alongside posting about making money online and various other stuff as frequently as possible on my blog.  

Don't forget to wishlist the game on Steam.

So, I have been in this industry for more than 9 years and 8 years as a professional indie developer. I will turn 24 this year(2020) so it is kind of heartbreaking for me because I have not been able to create a viral game. Well, that was a joke. I did not manage to make a successful game. But I thought there are some games which got lots of positive reviews than negative ones. I have other games which did get more negative reviews. The result, that is, whether the audience will like it is upto them and this is something which is out of my control. However, the fact that I have not given up after 23 failures in a row should give someone going through an acute depression a little hope to come out of it and see the world from a unique angle. There is nothing to be ashamed of in failing. You know, I love to fail countless times because I think that I am learning new stuff. Failure actually teaches you more than your successes can.

  Another thing is, I am playing a long game here. I have never thought of making a hit game but I thought about sustaining my game company. It is a one-man dev studio located in Kolkata, India. Yes, game development is not a short-term game but a long term game. Those who play longer will win eventually. I hope someday I will have a successful game which will be accepted by the people globally. 

So, this would be my 24th attempt at making a PC game. I create short and simple casual games. I love sharing my creations with people over the internet and the best platform for that is Steam, as everyone knows. Steam is one of the best platforms even now for indie game developers. I have got used to their back-end system for publishing games and I am really glad to be able to get my games there.

The first and foremost thing I focus on is the Graphics, Gameplay and Testing. I never release something which is broken especially at the launch day. So, I keep testing my builds before I send my games for approval by Steam. 

Currently, there is a pandemic going on around the globe and I thought it would be a perfect timing for creating a zombie shooter game. Yes, I wanted to create a game like that for a long time. It is a Sci-Fi themed zombie shooter game and is called Axizon Labs: Zombies.

Check out the Official Trailer of Axizon Labs: Zombies:

Development Time:

It took me around a month and a half to finish the game. Yes, I am fast game developer. I have created all of the graphical assets, animation, character design, programming, except for the music. I am quite proud of what I have done. 

I will share sales data for my games too in the following articles only after a month or two of release. Since, Steam allows developers to share their sales data it has become easier for me to publish sales data in my personal blog. 

You can subscribe to my newsletter too if you wish. I will send awesome goodies, game discounts, launch discounts and stuff like that.

Release Date:
Axizon Labs: Zombies will be released on 8th May, 2020. I have never missed my launch date whatsoever. This is because I am punctual and serious about what I do. I make sure I finish the game before I put it out there and within the given time frame. Be assured, I have never missed a launch date. 

Pricing:
As always, it will be available at a low price, that is, $0.99. There is no special reason for pricing lower. From my personal experience, more people buy my games when I price it lower. So, my target has always been to get my games in the hands of as many people as possible. I currently have more than 100,000 customer base on Steam. Although most of them came from doing bundles but still the numbers are pretty large. The lower the price, the more people would try. It is simple. This is right if I am not spending any marketing budget or if I have little marketing budget. 

Verdict:
It was hard, and rough road. But every developer goes through it and it is inevitable. However, the only thing that we, the developers, want is to create a great product. Axizon Labs Zombies is a game with various mission objectives, lots of zombies to kill, and collecting antidotes and stuff. It is a simple game based on a story. I hope a few people would like it.

I really have no expectation from my game. I don't think it will sell millions or even thousands of copies on Steam but whatever it sells is more than enough for me. The fact I was able to get it on Steam is considered success at least for me. I want to keep doing what I love. You know, I went full time after I graduated from college and since then I have been doing what I love and at the same time, supporting my family as far as possible. It is hard to be a game developer and it always will. 

I hope you have enjoyed reading the article. And if you have not wishlisted the game yet I request you to check it out and wishlist it. I really hope you will enjoy the game.

Thank you!