Dev Guy

About

With your final build missing, and only till the end of the night to publish his game, Warren must take up the difficult adventure to make a new build before the end of the night through whatever means necessary. Join Warren's quest to publish his title before the end of the night and become an indie dev.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,307 reviews

humor246 positive mentions

replayability5 negative mentions

The game is a humorous satire of the indie game development scene, providing laughs and clever references.
It's a short and simple game that can be completed in about 30-60 minutes, making it a good time-waster.
The mini-games are varied and entertaining, with some players enjoying the quirky and absurd nature of the gameplay.

The game lacks depth and replayability, with many players finding it too short and simplistic.
There are numerous spelling and grammar errors in the dialogue, which detracts from the overall experience.
Some mini-games, particularly the 'upload' segment, are frustrating and poorly designed, leading to a negative gameplay experience.

humor
253 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is highly polarizing, with some players finding it genuinely funny and entertaining, particularly appreciating its quirky references and self-deprecating commentary on indie game development. However, many others criticize the humor as crude, shallow, or poorly executed, often describing it as unfunny or annoying. Overall, while the game has moments of humor that resonate with some players, it largely fails to deliver a consistent comedic experience.
- “Funny game, jiggle achievement on top!”
- “The story and conversations here are hilarious.”
- “It's a cute little game with some good humor.”
- “The dialogue was horribly unfunny, the walking had this annoying sound, and the world just felt so bland.”
- “Unfunny and boring, but most of all just bitter.”
- “Kinda boring, the dialogue was dry and unfunny, and I just really felt like it was trying too hard to not try hard, resulting in a dull game that doesn't properly portray the ironic humor that other games so effortlessly master.”
story
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
The game's story is a lighthearted and humorous exploration of the life of an indie game developer, featuring a series of mini-games that serve as a backdrop for the narrative. While some players appreciate its comedic elements and relatable themes, others criticize it for being simplistic and lacking depth. Overall, the story is generally seen as short and entertaining, with a mix of charm and satire aimed at indie game culture.
- “A very fun short story game that has you experiencing the life of a game dev who has some struggles in his life, eventually causing you to have to take other people's code and transform it into your own game (while you get to play some mini-games along the way); at the end, you are able to play your finished product and a similar game for the credits.”
- “The story was short yet entertaining, filled with mostly subtle yet humorous pop culture references.”
- “While this game lacks in gameplay, at least the humor and story of the game makes up for it by comically poking jabs at modern indie-game developers and the trends we always see with them.”
- “It's just a bunch of mini-games connected to a terrible story.”
- “Just plain bad, boring story, trying to be funny but didn't make me laugh one bit.”
- “The plot is basically just an excuse to take you through a series of stereotypical indie game project mini-games, complete with not-so-subtle references to real games/developers.”
gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
59%
20%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users noting a lack of depth and enjoyment, often describing it as simplistic, repetitive, or even boring. While some players found it fun and appreciated the variety of minigames, others criticized it for being shallow and unresponsive, leading to an overall perception of the gameplay as forgettable or poorly executed. Despite its free availability and occasional humorous elements, many reviewers felt that the gameplay did not meet their expectations.
- “Short and funny indie game with a decent story and gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is simple, with puzzles that are easy to solve, and despite having a short story, this game is very fun to play.”
- “The game even gave me a few good laughs; the gameplay itself is fun and kept me entertained.”
- “It lacks gameplay depth, which makes it a bit forgettable, although it does have some enjoyable parts.”
- “Filled with boring gameplay, contrived and misspelled 'jokes' and dialogue, and ... nothing good is in this.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly boring, and the style seems to be intended to be off-beat and humorous, but really just comes across as a combination of laziness and snark.”
graphics
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting their simplistic and basic quality typical of indie titles. While some appreciate the charm and artistic style, others criticize the graphics as underwhelming and unpolished, often stating that they do not significantly impact the overall enjoyment of the game. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics may not be impressive, they are functional and contribute to the game's unique appeal.
- “I love the art style, the references, and the overall charm of the graphics.”
- “10/10 very emotional story, good gameplay, and awesome graphics.”
- “Finally, the graphics are absolutely stunning with a powerful physics engine that shows its true power in the new game+ mode.”
- “The graphics of the characters and locations are basic, which are exactly how you'd expect to see in any indie video game.”
- “Graphically the game isn't that great, but it does the job well, nothing spectacular.”
- “The graphics are, as I said before, simplistic.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
42%
23%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable and well-placed, while others describe it as annoying or barely noticeable. Many noted that the soundtrack, often composed of royalty-free tracks, contributed positively to the game's atmosphere, although technical issues led to instances of missing or cut-out music. Overall, while some appreciated the music's charm and fit within the game, others found it lacking or distracting.
- “The aesthetic is great, the music is nice (and royalty-free mostly so record to your heart's content!), and the humor is effective and amusing.”
- “I liked it, it had a lot of charisma for an indie game, plus a pretty good soundtrack.”
- “The music itself is listenable, relaxing, and loops seamlessly, and I believe some of it is Kevin MacLeod's work.”
- “I found the music and sound effects so annoying that I played it on mute.”
- “I have now played the game for an hour and unfortunately found that I have no music in the background.”
- “The droning music is based on really bad indie design.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
27%
45%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with most players noting that it can be completed in a short time (20-45 minutes) and offers little incentive to play again beyond a few achievements. While some found enjoyment in specific modes or humor, the consensus is that the game is best suited for a one-time playthrough rather than repeated sessions.
- “Good bit of replay value.”
- “Playing it on jiggly mode is horrifying (in a good way). This is a good hour to burn type game.”
- “Not much in the way of replayability, but it is a fun play.”
- “The game took me 40 minutes to finish; after that, there's no replay value whatsoever.”
- “Takes about 20-45 minutes to complete and has no replay value besides the few achievements it has.”
- “Other than that, zero replayability.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
22%
67%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and frustrating, with many players expressing dissatisfaction with the repetitive nature of tasks and minigames. While some appreciate the lack of backtracking and occasional surprises, the overall sentiment leans towards the gameplay being dull and unnecessarily drawn out, leading to a negative experience for many.
- “No tedious backtracking, some surprises along the way, straightforward minigames.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Otherwise, the gameplay was dull and tedious.”
- “The game has a basic design that isn't very interesting to look at, and the minigames that are required to beat the game range from tedious to mediocre at best.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The emotional aspect of the game received mixed reviews, with some players finding it deeply impactful and relatable, particularly in moments of frustration and sadness, while others criticized the story as boring and unfunny. Positive feedback highlighted a heartfelt narrative and engaging gameplay, while negative comments pointed to a lack of emotional depth and poor execution across various elements. Overall, the emotional experience varied significantly among players, with some feeling a strong connection and others feeling disconnected.
- “10/10 very emotional story, good gameplay, and awesome graphics.”
- “After reading so many positive reviews for this game, I thought I'd love it as I gained an entertaining and heartfelt insight into the struggle of creating something in such a difficult and heavily scrutinized medium.”
- “This game was very emotional because when he noticed that his car got towed, he got mad and I got sad.”
- “Just plain bad, boring story, trying to be funny but didn't make me laugh one bit.”
- “Poor boring jokes, poor boring visuals, poor boring animations, poor boring sounds, poor boring atmosphere, poor boring music, poor boring story, poor boring the whole universe in this game.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Many users express frustration with the monetization strategies of modern games, particularly freemium models that rely heavily on microtransactions. However, some players appreciate the rarity of free-to-play games that do not include any microtransactions, highlighting a positive experience with such titles despite concerns about replayability.
- “Games today (especially freemium Clash of Clans ripoffs) try to overexaggerate, both in ads and in the game.”
- “Very little replayability, but what can I say when the game is completely free with no microtransactions.”
- “This is the first free-to-play game without microtransactions I have ever played.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The stability of the game received mixed reviews, with some users reporting significant issues such as poor controls, glitches, and bugs, particularly in the final minigame. However, others praised it for being well-made and largely bug-free compared to other indie titles, highlighting a generally fun experience despite some control-related complaints.
- “It was free and fun, well made, and bug-free unlike many other indie games.”
- “Poor controls, spelling and grammar errors galore, glitches, bugs, sparse story, and a very negative tone throughout.”
- “My only complaint was the buggy controls in the final minigame and the walking, as the controls were ghosting.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its engaging music and compelling story, while others criticize it for being dull and lacking in visual and auditory appeal. Overall, the atmosphere is described as either amazing or poor, reflecting a divide in player experiences.
- “Fun little indie game, good atmosphere, music, and a good story.”
- “No seriously, it has a good story, amazing atmosphere, amazing music, and pretty good challenge.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The visuals and sounds contribute to a dull ambiance that fails to immerse players.”
- “Overall, the game lacks any compelling atmosphere, leaving it feeling flat and uninviting.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game's optimization is generally well-received, with users reporting smooth performance on mid-range hardware configurations, such as a GTX 970 and an i7-4790K, alongside 16GB of RAM and an SSD. Overall, players experience satisfactory graphics and performance, indicating effective optimization for a variety of setups.
- “The optimization is impressive; I can run the game smoothly on my setup with a GTX 970, i7 4790k, 16GB of RAM, and an SSD.”
- “I've experienced minimal lag and excellent frame rates thanks to the game's outstanding optimization.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job optimizing the game, making it accessible even for mid-range hardware.”
- “The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate even on high-end hardware like my GTX 970 and i7 4790k with 16GB of RAM and an SSD.”
- “Despite having a powerful setup, the graphics optimization is poor, leading to frequent stuttering and long load times.”
- “I expected better performance optimization; the game often dips below 30 FPS, making it nearly unplayable on my system.”