I care about my game, I care  about the community around this game. 
So why do  I put a price point on it?

Why do  I care about  sales?

Sales are more than money. While direct monetary value is one aspect, they bring so much more value.
Believe it or not, sales are one of the best tools for building a community around a game. But they also help tell a story of value, and of course fund the game.

Sales Build A Community That Cares

For me, this is the single most important aspect of pre-sales and  sales of a game.  This alone will do far more for the game than the money itself.  Why? Because it helps build a community of people who care. I  want people buying this game because they : 

• Love the vision of the game, 
• Trust me as a developer, 
• Care about the game.  

Anyone who matches these three things is someone who I want to hear from. I want them in our discord, giving me feedback and input on the game itself, and that is the most important thing.   Someone willing to pay  for a game, knowing it  is unfinished, its one of the best ways to find someone who matches the above. 

Sales tell a story of value

When it comes to the monetary value of sales, this is the most important. Early funds represent more value than their actual value.

The story of finding people described above, and both  the value they see in the project and value they bring to the project can get me more funding through things like partnerships. The better the story, the more seriously people take this project.

Building this community through sales, attracts the right attention to help make this game the success the community wants it to be.

It funds the game

Finally, the funding it is providing I am ultimately using to build the game. It helps pay for my time,   It is allowing me to do things like buy  assets for the game, hire the best people I find in my community and support platforms supporting the game like SideQuest.

Using Sales To Build A Community

I believe using sales to build a community must  be done carefully,  intentionally and personally. 

I think my community discord guidelines do an excellent job at summarizing how I have been able to achieve what I have.

"I generally don't like telling people what they can and can't do, instead I like to set an example on how I think we should all be.

I prioritize being

• Compassionate
• Welcoming & Supportive
• Honest & Transparent
• Open Minded. - An active listener.
• Someone who says "Yes"

and would appreciate if you do to :)."

These values have been key in helping me shape my community and attitude towards building the community. Let's explore what that means, and how it looks.

Compassionate

Understand what your players care about, and hold value in it.

Welcoming & Supportive

Be present, be available, be accessible. 

Open your arms to those who want to contribute.

Let the people who care the most be involved.

Honest & Transparent

Its relationship building.

Communication is key.

Invest in trust, and be prepared to be vulnerable.

In my store description I sell the game for what it is. I tell people:

• What the game is, in its current state.
• Where I want the game to go.
• What stage the game is at.
•  Who I am and why you should trust me
• Who  I want to support the game. 

Be genuine.   Value integrity.

Open Minded

Keep a firm but flexible vision. 

In the words of our values at Equal Reality,   "strong opinions, weakly held". Meaning, be passionate about what you believe in, but be prepared to change your mind in the face of good reasoning.

What I  original saw in this game was  not what it is today. That is because I let other people bring in new ideas, that have turned it into something even better.

Someone who says "Yes"

Staying open to new ideas is not easy. Often I have had my gamers bring an idea to me that didn't make sense to me or seemed unreasonable, but upon further investigation was actually genius.

Saying "Yes" isn't a commitment, it's exploring an  opportunity. Yes can hold so much value in creating a culture of open mindedness.

Some great lines I love to use.

• "Yes! I have been thinking the same thing"
• "Yes! Everyone keeps saying that"
• "Yes! tell me more"
• "Yes, you're right, but I am also considering X"

While this started with a vision I had , passion I followed, skills I developed and my own love for an idea.   I don't want to be a single person making a game for myself. I want to build a game that is loved by a community with a community, and  I believe together we can make something far greater than I ever could alone.

And with a blog post talking about community, what a better time to announce the community leader boards for the last two weeks.

Special shout out to top 20
#11 - @Coldii, #12 -   @samb0t, #13 - @Homeless, #14 - @toofatnuts, #15 - @SolarEarth37, #16 - @Lexyus guard 69420, #17 - @whoelsebutbino, #18 - @46godehtyrneh, #19 - @jc1122, #20 - @Homeless2070 

You input and support for the game has been incredible, thank you all! Huge shout out to @Lonewolfy for really going above and beyond.

Leaderboards have been reset for nextime, and can be found here

Cheers, Brennan, 

Don't forget to Join the Discord, to be more involved in feedback and updates! And reviews on SideQuest are always appreciated.