Overheard

Next Fest, day 3: I've seen Twitch streams of 1,004 of the 3,037 fest demos I could match to a category. 587 had one or two streamers, so the board doesn't name them. Type your demo into the lookup: it says if I couldn't match it, or none, one or two, or the exact count from three up. #gamedev

Next Fest is over. Checking Twitch every 20 minutes for 7 days, we caught streams of 1,639 of the 7,319 games on the fest list: 913 with 3+ different streamers, 726 with one or two. Most VODs last a week, so the first ones go this week and nearly all are gone by Nov 2. #SteamNextFest

If your Next Fest demo got 3 or more Twitch streams this week, I can turn them into a list of where players got stuck, what broke and what they liked, each with the minute in the VOD. $49 per game. Sample report below. Tell me what's missing from it. #gamedev

Of 257 indie game VODs still up when I checked, only 22 were on Partner channels (60 days). 38 were on regular channels, which normally keep past broadcasts 7 days. Watch the streams with the earliest expiry first. #gamedev

Cat Mail Co.: in 2 of the 7 Twitch streams I analysed, players found the package sorting loop relaxing and satisfying. #indiedev

Next Fest is live, and so is the lookup I built: type any demo on Steam's fest list and see if streamers played it on Twitch. Exact counts from three streamers up. Tonight it mostly shows whether I could match your demo to a Twitch category. Counts update about once a day. #gamedev #SteamNextFest

Next Fest starts at 10am PT. For your demo's Twitch streams: 1. List them daily from your category 2. Log channel, day, language 3. Note the minute of each stumble 4. Watch within a week; small channels keep VODs 7 days 5. Crashes: look now. Design: check a 2nd playthrough #gamedev

Not knowing what to do or where to go: 51 problems in 28 of the 46 indie games I analysed from Twitch streams. When a streamer asks chat where to go, note the minute and watch it with your level map open. #gamedev

94 of the 258 Twitch streams of indie games I analysed weren't in English. Most common: Russian (20), German (19), Japanese (16), French (13). Twitch's language tag is set per channel, so use it as a filter, not as the truth. #gamedev

ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs: in 3 of the 8 Twitch streams I analysed, streamers praised the cozy repair loop itself, not one feature. #indiedev

In 23% of 906 problems I logged in 259 Twitch streams of 46 indie games, the player seemed unsure about a rule, control or item effect. It came up in 45 games. Next Fest starts Monday. Watch a stream of your demo; note each time the player asks what something does. #gamedev

Tedious chores came up in 29 of 46 indie games I analysed from Twitch streams: 49 problems in total. When a second player sighs at the same chore, count how often your demo asks for it. #gamedev

Next Fest starts Oct 19. If your demo is in it, we can email you when Twitch streams of it show up, so you can watch them before the VODs expire. Most indie VODs are gone within 14 days. The alerts are free. The full report is $49, only if 3+ streams give us enough: getoverheard.com/go/pin/

Steam Next Fest starts Monday. Is your demo in it? Reply with the Steam link. On Tuesday we'll check Twitch for every demo in this thread and reply to each one: does it have a Twitch category yet, and how many streamers have played it so far. Free, no signup. #SteamNextFest #indiedev #gamedev

In Twitch streams of 46 indie games I logged 256 specific things streamers praised, next to 906 problems. General "this is fun" doesn't count, so it's not a measure of how much they liked the games. The specific praise is your list of things not to cut. #indiedev

How do you find Twitch streams of your demo during Next Fest? The category page, search, a tool, or streamers telling you? Asking because I'm deciding what to build next.

Twitch highlights don't expire, but since April 2025 a channel keeps only 100 hours of them, and the least-watched go first. A streamer can also delete one any time. If a streamer highlighted your demo, save what you need from it. #gamedev

Funnel Runners: in 3 of the 8 Twitch streams I analysed, players got hooked on the dart minigame in the lobby, and its achievements came quickly. Something to do while you wait for friends to join. #indiedev

Next Fest press preview opens today. Of 257 indie game VODs I checked, 77% were on affiliate channels, which normally keep past broadcasts 14 days; regular channels, 7. A stream of your demo from today may be gone before the fest ends. Save the link and minute. #gamedev

Multiplayer and lobbies: 45 problems in 20 of the 46 indie games I analysed from Twitch streams. If your demo has co-op, run the invite and join flow with a friend on another network before Next Fest. #gamedev

Of 615 moments of confusion I marked in 259 Twitch streams of indie games, 16% came in the first quarter of the part I analysed and 32% in the last quarter. If you skim your Next Fest VODs, don't stop after the tutorial. #gamedev

Hard-to-read screens and menus: 115 of the 906 problems I logged in Twitch streams of 46 indie games. They came up in 43 of the games; only unclear rules, controls and item effects came up in more games (45). Before the fest, one pass on UI text size and contrast. #gamedev

Free Overheard reports for up to 10 Next Fest devs: where Twitch streamers got stuck, what broke, what they liked, with the minute in each VOD. Streams from Oct 8–26. Register and tick the free report box. In return, a two-minute survey. Needs 3+ talking streams. getoverheard.com #gamedev

Teach My Little Sister How To Drive: in 3 of the 12 Twitch streams I analysed, players were delighted when the sister actually carried out their driving instructions. The reaction came when an instruction landed. getoverheard.com/games/teach-my-little-sister-how-to-drive/ #indiedev

4 of 7 Twitch streams of Species: Unknown we listened to hit the same wall: the flashlight battery drained too fast and left players in the dark. One resource timer can shape a whole stream. getoverheard.com/games/species-unknown/ #gamedev #indiedev #horrorgame

BOMBANANA!: in 2 of the 12 Twitch streams I analysed, players invented their own non-verbal ways to tell each other which wire to cut. Players making up their own signals is a good sign for a co-op puzzle. #indiedev

I analysed 258 selected Twitch streams of 46 indie games in late September. By the speech, 36% weren't in English, most often Russian, German or Japanese. In 14 games, most streams were in another language. During Next Fest, check your demo's streams in every language. #gamedev