strategizing_22_02_2026.md

here’s some “LunyScript” scripts and the Script class => user-facing API it’s a block-based C# scripting DSL, currently designed as cross-engine (Unity+Godot), there’s a total of ~3 months of work in there already but since my FOSS funding fell through I need to make changes to generate revenue by month 12 from now, FOSS or not (or partially FOSS), likely focusing on Unity since Godot revenue prospects seem unsustainable and my expertise is with Unity (10+ years, 25 years game dev, top 10 Unity Discussions contributor, my signature alone generates 140 visits per week / 50-60% of total visits)

we already discussed some options but I want to try again from a clean slate using a goal-oriented approach here’s my situation: i am solo, live in germany, can spend 40 hrs/week, do everything by myself (currently), have savings that last for 12-18 months (depends on how “dry” I’m willing to run) my sustainable net income is a minimum of 1.700€/month, with 1.200€ being the minimum that would make it sustainable provided I get state support (rent subsidy ~500€/m) In USD at current 0.85 exchange rate that would be a yearly revenue target range of at least 2,000 USD/month, better 2,500 USD (after platform fees)

what are my prospects of reaching the $2k-2.5k goal in 12 months, 18 at the latest? how realistic is it to achieve this target? what could my road to getting there look like? what am I selling? (exclude contract work, that’s a fallback by necessity or opportunistically) what would boost my chances to get this far, or reach it early? especially when it comes to marketing I think many such developer products fall flat

I’ll analyze your LunyScript project and provide a realistic revenue assessment.## Revenue Assessment: $2k-2.5k/month in 12-18 months

Realistic probability: 30-40% - Achievable but requires focused execution and some luck with distribution/timing.

What You’re Selling

Primary Product: Unity Asset Store Package - “LunyScript”

Problem: Unity Asset Store is oversaturated. Top 1-2% of assets make sustainable income. Your unique angle (cross-engine DSL) is actually a weakness for monetization - Unity devs want Unity-specific solutions, Godot devs expect free/FOSS.

More Realistic Path to $2k-2.5k

Hybrid Model - Unity Focus:

  1. Core Asset ($30-40) - Basic LunyScript APIs
  2. Extension Packs ($15-25 each) - Specialized APIs (Physics, AI, UI, Networking)
  3. Premium Support Tier ($15-25/month subscription) - Discord access, priority bug fixes, custom blocks
  4. Template Packs ($10-20) - Ready-made game templates using LunyScript

Target Mix:

Total: $1,315-2,245 (still short of goal)

Critical Success Factors

Must-haves:

  1. Video Content Marketing (most important)
    • YouTube tutorials showing LunyScript vs traditional Unity code
    • 2-3 videos/week minimum during launch phase
    • “This 10-line script replaces 80 lines of boilerplate”
    • Target Unity dev channels for collaborations
  2. Compelling Use Cases
    • Show it solving real pain points (input handling, coroutines, state machines)
    • Your InputTransformMove example (11 lines) is good marketing material
    • Need 5-10 more impressive before/after comparisons
  3. Unity Asset Store Optimization
    • Professional trailer video (first 30 seconds critical)
    • 10+ high-quality screenshots
    • Stellar initial reviews (get beta testers committed to reviewing)
    • Launch with 80%+ feature completeness
  4. Distribution Strategy
    • Unity forums (your 10-year presence is valuable)
    • Reddit r/Unity3D (careful with self-promotion rules)
    • Twitter/X Unity dev community
    • Consider Itch.io for secondary distribution

Major Risk: You need 3+ months for marketing BEFORE launch. Most asset store failures = poor marketing, not poor product.

Timeline to $2k-2.5k

Optimistic (12 months):

Realistic (18 months):

What Would Boost Chances

  1. Get 1-2 Unity YouTubers to cover it (20k+ subs) - can 3-5x initial sales
  2. Launch timing - Avoid summer slump, target Sept-Oct or Jan-Feb
  3. Unity Forum signature leverage - Your 140 weekly visits = built-in marketing
  4. Free “Lite” version - Limited API access, drives upgrades (controversial but effective)
  5. Solve one painful problem exceptionally well - Be the “best coroutine tool” rather than “general scripting framework”

Honest Assessment

Your technical execution is solid (3 months of work shows). But:

Higher probability path (60-70% to $2k):

Your Unity Discussions presence is your biggest asset - leverage it aggressively but authentically.

  1. Videos: can do - how many videos? how long?
  2. Most compelling would be a working game archetype I suppose? Does minimalistic (in features) but polished looks work best? Or features over polish? Also: I plan on adding live (runtime, on-screen) debugging features such as inspecting variables and block execution trace and profiling stats.
  3. 80%+ feature complete => you mean I should not do an “early access” but create a full-featured solution before release?
  4. How much would itch.io likely contribute to total revenue? Is is worth the effort of setting up a page there? what about epic store, gumroad, patreon, and my own store (provided i use a full-featured solution that handles invoicing and taxation)? risk: I understand that generating buzz is vital. The project already gained 107 github stars in 3 months. I will do devlogs to generate interest ahead of time.

what is a “video blitz”? what would it look like for me?

Launch timing: it’s Feb 22nd - so no release and no revenue until September? Painful problem: it’s code complexity, boilerplate (simple things take a lot of setup), debugging, and an alternative to visual scripting - approachable code, easy to extend even with little coding practice.

Your product model: core + extensions + templates Alternatives? What about: Core = FOSS, free (minimal functional blocks ie timers, input, motion, create/destroy) Pro = all blocks + game template (Brotato clone in 3D using Kenney assets) Premium = Pro + additional 1-3 game templates (variations ie dungeon slasher ARPG with minimal additional blocks) + onscreen debugging tools what do you think of that?

is 3d a good choice? should it be 2d instead? or feature both?

i might get some asset integration & polishing help from a friend, perhaps 1-2 months worth of work

1. Videos: Quantity & Length

Pre-launch (Months 1-6):

Launch “Video Blitz”:

Post-launch:

2. Compelling Demo Game

Polish over features - decisively.

Minimalistic but polished works best because:

Best demo: Vampire Survivors-like (Brotato clone)

Live debugging features = HUGE differentiator. This could be your killer feature. Emphasize this heavily - visual scripting users come for this, but your solution keeps them in code.

3. Feature Completeness: 80%+ vs Early Access

Do NOT do Early Access on Unity Asset Store.

Reasons:

However: 80% means “all core APIs functional + 2-3 extension APIs complete”

Launch when someone can build a complete simple game with it.

4. Distribution Channels: Revenue Contribution

Realistic revenue split:

Recommendation: Asset Store (primary) + Itch.io (2hrs setup) + Gumroad (for extensions). That’s it for Year 1.

5. Pricing Model: FOSS Core vs Tiered

Your proposed model analysis:

Core = FOSS (GitHub)
Pro = $40 (all APIs + Brotato template)
Premium = $80 (Pro + 2-3 templates + debug tools)

Problems:

  1. FOSS core means you’re training users NOT to pay
  2. GitHub stars ≠ revenue (107 stars = maybe 5-10 paying customers)
  3. Debug tools should be in Pro, not Premium (that’s the killer feature)
  4. Premium at $80 is too high for Unity Asset Store (top 5% pricing)

Better model:

Lite (FOSS) = Timers, basic input, debug logging only
Standard ($35) = All APIs + debug tools + 1 template
Pro ($60) = Standard + 3 templates + priority support + asset source code

OR (simpler, more proven):

LunyScript ($40) = Everything except templates
Template Pack Vol 1 ($20) = 3 game templates
Template Pack Vol 2 ($20) = 3 more templates (later)
Premium Support ($15/mo optional) = Discord access, custom blocks

I prefer the second. Simpler message, clear value, easier upsells.

6. Publishing Game to Steam

Your idea: Brotato clone on Steam for $2 → promotes LunyScript

Analysis: High risk, low reward.

Reasons against:

If you do it anyway:

Better alternative:

7. 2D vs 3D?

3D is the right choice for Unity.

Reasons:

Support both via engine abstraction, but:

8. Friend’s Help (1-2 months)

Best use of their time:

  1. Polish demo game visuals (particles, UI, juice)
  2. Create professional trailer video
  3. Marketing asset creation (thumbnails, GIFs, screenshots)

Do NOT use them for:

Revised Timeline Recommendation

Your 12-month critical path:

Months 1-2 (Now - April):

Months 3-4 (May-June):

Month 5 (July):

Month 6 (August):

Month 7 (September):

Months 8-12 (Oct-Feb):

Expected Revenue by Month 12:

By Month 18: Target $2,000-2,500 is realistic.

Final Recommendations

Do:

  1. Launch in September (7 months from now)
  2. Make debug tools your marketing centerpiece
  3. Keep Brotato demo as Asset Store template (not Steam game)
  4. 3D focus, 2D supported
  5. Simple pricing: $40 all-in OR $35 + template packs
  6. Video marketing starting NOW (2/month until launch)

Don’t:

  1. Steam publishing diversion (4 months you can’t afford)
  2. FOSS core (trains wrong behavior)
  3. Own store/complex distribution (Year 2 problem)
  4. Feature creep - launch with “enough,” iterate after

Your biggest advantages:

September launch is aggressive but doable. If you hit 40% of target by Month 12 ($800-1,000/month), you’re on track for Month 18 success. The German rent subsidy safety net gives you the runway to try this properly.

  1. So you say no to FOSS? And make the Core pack just have demo/sample scenes showcasing usage patterns. While templates are separate UAS products with the “core” as requirement? I suppose that improves visibility. What about a Free/Lite tier? Recommended? What should it have respectively “miss”? What would scale best for templates? One product for each individual template (even if they are quite similar) plus one “bundle” asset containing all templates + priority support?

note: asset source is included in all versions since the assets are CC0 - but there could be the option to have premium assets already integrated provided the user owns a specific pack. I’m thinking Synty Studio assets. I already did some experiments where I can make a prefab switch between a default and an optional paid asset, and if the latter is not in the project then that link will be “unavailable” though in prefabs it appears like a “missing” item)

  1. Any chance to follow the “sell on UAS while making a game” model? It would probably require too much time spent on the actual game. However, what if my friend were to create a game with my LunyScript scripting on his own accord in his free time? He might not finish or publish but he’d have generated a marketable use-case.

Expected revenue: I find your numbers odd, unless they are accumulative, not “per month”. Usually the launch with 2 weeks of “50% off” generate the most initial revenue. My expectation is just the opposite of yours: month 7-8 => 600-1,000 (50% off launch) 9-10 => 200-400 11 => 1,500-3,000 (assuming participation in Xmas sale)

in any case, my angle shall be:

5. FOSS vs Free/Lite - Strategic Analysis

No to FOSS core - correct call. Here’s why:

FOSS creates “why should I pay?” mindset. GitHub stars are vanity metrics for revenue. Your 107 stars might convert to 3-8 paid customers maximum.

Free/Lite tier: YES, but strategic.

Recommended Free tier (Unity Asset Store):

LunyScript Lite (FREE)
- Timer/Counter/Coroutine basics
- OnUpdate, OnReady events only
- Basic Input (Button/Axis, no rebinding)
- Transform.Move, Transform.Rotate
- Debug.Log only
- ONE demo scene (character movement)
- NO templates
- NO debug tools
- NO support

Purpose of Free tier:

  1. Discoverability (UAS algorithm favors free assets)
  2. User gets hooked on clean API
  3. Hits limitations fast (timers without loops = limited, no prefab spawning = can’t make real game)
  4. Clear upgrade path

Paid Standard ($40):

Template Scaling Strategy:

Option A (Best for visibility):

LunyScript Core - $40 (includes 1 template)
Dungeon Crawler Template - $15 (requires Core)
Tower Defense Template - $15 (requires Core)
Racing Template - $15 (requires Core)
Complete Bundle - $65 (Core + all 3 templates = $20 savings)

Option B (Simpler, less visibility):

LunyScript Core - $40
Template Pack Vol 1 - $25 (3 templates, requires Core)
Template Pack Vol 2 - $25 (3 templates, requires Core)

I recommend Option A because:

Re: CC0 assets + premium asset integration:

Brilliant idea. Implementation:

Standard version: Kenney/CC0 assets included
Premium prefab variants: Auto-detect Synty packs, swap if present
Marketing: "Works great out of box, looks amazing with Synty"

This is a value-add without licensing complications. Mention compatible asset packs in description. Synty has huge UAS presence - you could even reach out for cross-promotion.

6. “Sell Tool While Making Game” Model

Your question: Too time-consuming?

Yes - but your friend angle changes everything.

If your friend builds a game in his free time using LunyScript:

  1. You get a real-world stress test (API gaps surface naturally)
  2. Marketing gold: “Indie dev built X game using LunyScript” testimonial
  3. Second template with minimal extra work from you
  4. Video content: Interview format, dev diary collabs
  5. Zero opportunity cost - you stay focused on core/marketing

Requirements for this to work:

If he finishes/publishes: Premium marketing asset. If he doesn’t finish: You still got the use-case testing + content.

Low risk, high upside. Do it.

Revenue Expectations - You’re Right, I Was Wrong

Your model makes more sense:

Month 7 (Sept launch, 50% off): $600-1,000
Month 8 (post-launch): $300-500
Month 9-10 (normal): $200-400/mo
Month 11 (Black Friday): $800-1,200
Month 12 (Xmas sale): $1,500-2,500

I underestimated launch spike + holiday sales.

Unity Asset Store patterns:

Critical insight: Your revenue curve will be spiky, not linear.

Months 7-12 realistic range: $3,500-5,500 total

This means Month 18 target ($2k-2.5k) requires:

More realistic now? Yes, but requires:

  1. Strong launch (marketing execution)
  2. Template pipeline (steady content)
  3. Holiday sale participation (mandatory)
  4. Some luck with algorithm/featuring

Your Angle - Refinement

Your core message is excellent. Let me sharpen it:

Primary messaging:

  1. “MonoBehaviour without the boilerplate” (comparison videos)
  2. “See your code run in real-time” (debug tools showcase)
  3. “From prototype to polished in hours, not days” (speed claim)

Video concepts:

Polished Synty remake of popular tutorial = GENIUS.

Revised Strategy Summary

Your plan + my refinements:

PRODUCT LINEUP:
├─ LunyScript Lite (FREE) - limited APIs, 1 demo
├─ LunyScript Standard ($40) - full APIs + debug tools + 1 template
└─ Templates ($15 each, requires Standard)
   ├─ Dungeon Crawler
   ├─ Tower Defense  
   ├─ Racing/Vehicle
   └─ Bundle ($65 = Standard + all templates)

DEVELOPMENT (7 months to launch):
├─ Months 1-2: Core APIs + Brotato template + debug tools
├─ Months 3-4: Docs, beta testing, 6-8 videos
├─ Month 5: Lite version on UAS (free, build audience)
├─ Month 6: Trailer production, launch prep
└─ Month 7: Standard launch (Sept, 50% off)

FRIEND PARALLEL TRACK:
└─ His game dev (months 1-9) = stress test + testimonial + content

POST-LAUNCH (Months 8-12):
├─ Month 8: First add-on template
├─ Month 9: Second add-on template  
├─ Month 11: Black Friday push (bundle discount)
└─ Month 12: Winter sale + third template

MARKETING CADENCE:
├─ Pre-launch: 2 videos/month (tutorials, comparisons)
├─ Launch week: 4-5 videos (blitz)
└─ Post-launch: 1-2 videos/month (templates, user showcases)

Key Success Metrics

Month 7 launch (measure these):

If you hit these, Month 18 target is very achievable.

If you miss these:

Final Thought on Risk Mitigation

You have 12-18 months runway. This plan gets you to market in 7 months. That’s 5-11 months of buffer for:

Your German context: If by Month 12 you’re at €800-1,000/month, you can combine with rent subsidy (€500) and bridge to Month 18. If by Month 15 you’re still under €1,200, then pivot to contract work while maintaining the asset as passive income.

This is a solid plan with realistic downside protection.

Your debugging tools + clean API + Unity forum reputation + video marketing = you have the ingredients. Execution and timing will determine if you hit 12 months vs 18 months to target.

September launch is correct. Don’t delay for perfection.