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u/-niyr-

Is a 0.03% CTR on Itch.io Good? What CTR are you getting?
▲ 5 r/itchio+1 crossposts

Is a 0.03% CTR on Itch.io Good? What CTR are you getting?

I launched a new prototype (Thornhold) up on itch.io a week ago and the early analytics are a bit confusing, so I figured I'd share the numbers and see how they line up with other devs.

The numbers after 7 days:

  • ~48K impressions
  • 3,776 views
  • 2,346 plays
  • 0.03% CTR

https://preview.redd.it/iz657fd46l0h1.png?width=990&format=png&auto=webp&s=5916540fa07dfbb3589cfe8a5acaafba7d7aafe9

The impressions sound great, play:view ratio sounds great, but that CTR is the part that's bugging me. The only solid benchmark I've been able to find is from an itch.io admin reply on the forums saying games on the top of the browse pages tend to land between 0.6% and 1.3%. We're a long way away from that.

A few things I'd really appreciate some other devs input on:

  1. What CTR are you seeing on your itch games? Is 0.03% good? Bad? Especially in the first 1-2 weeks post-launch, when impressions are usually higher.

  2. What moved the needle for you? Did you make changes, and did those changes improve your CTR?

  3. Any good resources? I’ve had a read of these articles recently, and I'm going to try an animated cover image next.

 

 

I'd love to know if there are other data sources you've found for itch specifically.

I will share learnings and changes from the new thumbnail, and any other suggestions that are worth trying out.

reddit.com
u/-niyr- — 3 days ago
▲ 1 r/gamedevscreens

The river makes bonuses flow downstream - feedback on readability would be amazing

This is from Thornhold - a forest-defense autobattler we just put up on itch.io for free. The river extends one cell at a time and causes bonuses to flow downstream and stack.

We've been trying to make the 'cascade' of bonuses clear - would love some feedback on whether it reads okay, or if we need to dial things up/down.

The prototype can be played for free here: https://chaostheorygames.itch.io/thornhold

u/-niyr- — 5 days ago
▲ 2 r/StrategyGames

Thornhold - we’re testing a system where buffs flow down a river and stack... curious if it actually holds up

I just released a free micro strategy game prototype on itch, Thornhold (playable in browser).

https://chaostheorygames.itch.io/thornhold

It started as: “Let’s make a calm nature strategy game”

Somewhere along the way it turned into: “Stack as many buffs as possible and break everything”

You basically grow a tree army and fight off orcs.

The main strategy is:

  • Buffs flow down a river (so stuff at the end gets ridiculous)
  • Seasons change what’s strong, so builds shift over time

We've only spent ~3 weeks on it, so it’s still rough, but it's getting that “one more run” feel. It’s free and playable in your browser, and each run takes about ~15-20 min.

If you try it, tell me how you broke it because there are definitely ways…

u/-niyr- — 6 days ago
▲ 1 r/roguelites

I've been messing around with a roguelike deckbuilder prototype and landed on a system that’s been pretty fun so far.

I've got a free browser version here:
https://chaostheorygames.itch.io/thornhold

Buffs don’t just apply to units - they flow downstream. So if you set things up right, anything at the end of the river gets stacked like crazy.

On top of that:

  • Seasons change which terrain gives bonuses
  • Some runs only really work if you lean into a specific season

It’s inspired by games like 9 Kings and The King Is Watching, but we’ve shifted to focus on some deeper nature systems.

This prototype is the result of a 2-week game jam. Mostly trying to figure out the balance right now.

Big question for me: did you find a “solved” strategy, or does it change run to run?

u/-niyr- — 7 days ago
▲ 3 r/incremental_games

I've been playing a lot of incremental / number-go-up stuff and wanted to try making something in that space.

This is what I ended up with: Thornhold
https://chaostheorygames.itch.io/thornhold

https://reddit.com/link/1t4veka/video/8etk87d1gezg1/player

The core idea is pretty simple:
Stack bonuses > numbers get silly > try to push further each run

A few twists:

  • Buffs flow down a river, so you can funnel everything into units at the end
  • Seasons change what’s strong, so some builds pop off at different times

Honestly the best part so far is finding ways to break it. Not 100% sure if the balance is fully there, but we think it’s getting close.

Runs are ~10-30 mins, and you can play for free in your browser.

Curious what you think: did you find a build that just dominates, or did you need to change your approach mid-run?

https://preview.redd.it/dxf830vshezg1.png?width=630&format=png&auto=webp&s=82a0a6a6184dc0f2a65d53ca54abc287652eea56

reddit.com
u/-niyr- — 9 days ago
▲ 2 r/WebGames

I've been working on a prototype called Thornhold. It's a roguelike autobattler where the core mechanic is routing a river through a forest grid. You get stacking bonuses every wave which flow downstream through your troops and structures.

Each run is 20 waves, with seasonal terrain bonuses that rotate every 2 waves (Mountains in Spring, Fields in Summer, Swamps in Autumn, Lakes in Winter). Cards include structures, troops, mutations, and terrain manipulation. There's also a shop, blessings between seasons, and an endless mode if you survive the run.

You can play it for free in your browser. It's still rough - this is a prototype that I’ve been working on for the last ~2 weeks, and I'm curious to hear what you think of it.

https://chaostheorygames.itch.io/thornhold

Let me know your highest wave, and what you think of how it plays!

u/-niyr- — 10 days ago