Show HN: I got laid off from Meta and created a minor hit on Steam

Burnout, Risk, and Career Choices

• Several commenters relate to burnout in big tech: they enjoy coding but not corporate management or meaningless-feeling work.
• Some consider sabbaticals, lower-stress jobs (teaching, cleaning, gardening), or employer changes instead of full career switches.
• There’s concern about resume gaps and financial anxiety; others note that long FAANG stints plus severance/savings can de‑risk a year-long gamble like an indie game.

Prototype First, Art Later

• The developer strongly advises ignoring art early: initial prototypes used emojis and stock icons.
• Recommendation: focus on “feel” and fun in near-text-mode UIs; if the game gains traction, invest in real art later, possibly via a publisher.
• A moodboard and clear aesthetic vision helped the artist land the final style quickly.

Engines, Tech, and Platform Choices

• Game was built in Godot 4.2 with C#. The dev praises Godot’s fast iteration and fit for 2D/indie over Unity/Unreal.
• Linux builds exist via Steam Deck/export, but only Windows is “officially supported” due to small non‑Windows markets vs potential support burden. Mac is repeatedly requested.

Design Philosophy: “Embrace the Jank”

• A key lesson: don’t over-balance single-player score-attack games. Overpowered, “broken” combos are fun and memorable.
• Players experience discoveries individually; leaving some degenerately strong builds is seen as a feature, unlike in PvP.

Publishers, Marketing, and Money

• Publisher provided funding, art connections, marketing, streamer outreach, and business guidance.
• Indicative breakdown discussed: ~30% Steam fee, refunds/VAT overhead, then ~50% of net to publisher; the developer ends with a minority share of gross revenue.
• Influencers and streamability were seen as crucial; a strong, instantly understandable hook is framed as the core of marketing.