Ross Burton
@rossburton.bsky.social
Data Scientist 🤖
Aspiring Indie Game Dev 🎮
Full-time nerd 🤓
One half of the Game Oracle team - check out more: bit.ly/3UTKAQd
Aspiring Indie Game Dev 🎮
Full-time nerd 🤓
One half of the Game Oracle team - check out more: bit.ly/3UTKAQd
Pinned
Ross Burton
@rossburton.bsky.social
· Oct 21
Just over a year ago today @jennie-burton.bsky.social and I started working on @game-oracle.bsky.social. Our ambition was to provide #gamedev folk with an alternative to imprecise tag-based market research & contribute a little towards alleviating the anxiety of #indiegamedev #sologamedev adventures
Week 10/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday 🚀 Finishing strong with the game currently sitting at No.1 on our leaderboard: PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant (yes, really) by @bippinbits.bsky.social 🇩🇪🪐
store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/...
PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant on Steam
Operate your planetary defense cannon to fend off an interplanetary invasion from the comfort of your cozy bunker. You’re here to stay, so obey your superiors, press the right buttons, and sip your…
store.steampowered.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Week 10/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday 🚀 Finishing strong with the game currently sitting at No.1 on our leaderboard: PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant (yes, really) by @bippinbits.bsky.social 🇩🇪🪐
store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/...
Week 9/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday, and today’s pick is ENCHAIN, a brutal retro movement shooter from @mattlawr.dev
store.steampowered.com/app/1396870/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1396870/...
ENCHAIN on Steam
Grapple, throw, and break your fellow undead in this bone-smashing exploration movement shooter. Challenge the afterlife, collect secret artifacts, and uncover the deprived depths as you clamber out o...
store.steampowered.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Week 9/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday, and today’s pick is ENCHAIN, a brutal retro movement shooter from @mattlawr.dev
store.steampowered.com/app/1396870/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1396870/...
Week 8/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday 🙌 Let's talk about Dig Dig Boom by @steinmakesgames.bsky.social a cute, cartoony 2D roguelike mining game ⛏️⛰️
store.steampowered.com/app/2026040/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2026040/...
Dig Dig Boom on Steam
Dig Dig Boom is a roguelike mining game combining elements from grid-based puzzle games, turn-based strategy and classic dungeon crawlers. Take the role of a brave miner as you delve through procedura...
store.steampowered.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Week 8/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday 🙌 Let's talk about Dig Dig Boom by @steinmakesgames.bsky.social a cute, cartoony 2D roguelike mining game ⛏️⛰️
store.steampowered.com/app/2026040/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2026040/...
When I'm researching #gamedev ideas I find user-defined tags kind of suck. So I use description search. Just describe the idea, in plain English, and immediately get relevant games. Keeps things simple.
#indiegamedev #sologamedev
#indiegamedev #sologamedev
November 11, 2025 at 8:16 AM
When I'm researching #gamedev ideas I find user-defined tags kind of suck. So I use description search. Just describe the idea, in plain English, and immediately get relevant games. Keeps things simple.
#indiegamedev #sologamedev
#indiegamedev #sologamedev
A day of crushing 🐛's with Concept Compass 🧭 our #gamedev tool for idea validation. Our search algorithm was returning some irrelevant results but after a long day and a lot of coffee, I think I've fixed it!
November 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
A day of crushing 🐛's with Concept Compass 🧭 our #gamedev tool for idea validation. Our search algorithm was returning some irrelevant results but after a long day and a lot of coffee, I think I've fixed it!
Week 7/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday and today we're talking about Lumines Arise by @enhance-experience.com - this synesthetic, music-driven arcade puzzle game looks incredible! #puzzle #indiegame #gamedev store.steampowered.com/app/2370000/...
Lumines Arise on Steam
A mind-blowing, fiendishly addictive reinvention of the puzzle classic Lumines from the creators of Tetris® Effect: Connected, where sound pulses through your body, mind, and every block you place, tr...
store.steampowered.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Week 7/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday and today we're talking about Lumines Arise by @enhance-experience.com - this synesthetic, music-driven arcade puzzle game looks incredible! #puzzle #indiegame #gamedev store.steampowered.com/app/2370000/...
Week 6/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday where I highlight the most unique upcoming games on Steam. Today pick I'm shouting out The Cabbage Effect by @ninjagarage.bsky.social - a blend of cartoon-pop-surrealistic visuals & brawling combat. Love it! shorturl.at/3ZohN
The Cabbage Effect on Steam
A cartoon-pop-surrealistic twin-stick shooter on procedurally generated stages that takes place in an apocalyptic narrative.
shorturl.at
October 29, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Week 6/10 of my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday where I highlight the most unique upcoming games on Steam. Today pick I'm shouting out The Cabbage Effect by @ninjagarage.bsky.social - a blend of cartoon-pop-surrealistic visuals & brawling combat. Love it! shorturl.at/3ZohN
If I'm honest with myself, our search bar on
@game-oracle.bsky.social was a bit rubbish. It was ugly & hard to use. So I was excited to put an end to that today with our shiny new design 🙌 it is now easier than ever to find games for your #gamedev market research #indiedev #solodev
@game-oracle.bsky.social was a bit rubbish. It was ugly & hard to use. So I was excited to put an end to that today with our shiny new design 🙌 it is now easier than ever to find games for your #gamedev market research #indiedev #solodev
October 27, 2025 at 1:01 PM
If I'm honest with myself, our search bar on
@game-oracle.bsky.social was a bit rubbish. It was ugly & hard to use. So I was excited to put an end to that today with our shiny new design 🙌 it is now easier than ever to find games for your #gamedev market research #indiedev #solodev
@game-oracle.bsky.social was a bit rubbish. It was ugly & hard to use. So I was excited to put an end to that today with our shiny new design 🙌 it is now easier than ever to find games for your #gamedev market research #indiedev #solodev
It surprised me to find Deep Rock has a low saturation score 3.2/10 (not as many direct competitors). It seems like a bit of an underserved audience and perhaps an opportunity for #indiegamedev folk to innovate #gamedev #sologamedev
October 25, 2025 at 11:02 AM
It surprised me to find Deep Rock has a low saturation score 3.2/10 (not as many direct competitors). It seems like a bit of an underserved audience and perhaps an opportunity for #indiegamedev folk to innovate #gamedev #sologamedev
Today's #OutlierGames post was supposed to be about VILE: Exhumed by @dirtlord77.bsky.social but then I found out it had been banned from Steam 😢 suppressing art is not the answer. You can still support the project here: dreadxp.com/vile-is-bann...
Vile Is Banned
Developer Statement: VILE: Exhumed is a game about searching through an old computer, uncovering dark secrets, and experiencing the horrors […]
dreadxp.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Today's #OutlierGames post was supposed to be about VILE: Exhumed by @dirtlord77.bsky.social but then I found out it had been banned from Steam 😢 suppressing art is not the answer. You can still support the project here: dreadxp.com/vile-is-bann...
Week 5/10 & halfway through my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday where I highlight the most unique upcoming games on Steam. Todays pick is The Holdouts by @ruckus-games.com - a wacky cooperative third-person shooter where anything can become a weapon store.steampowered.com/app/1851810/...
The Holdouts on Steam
Smash, grab, and grow in this 3rd person, session-based shooter— solo or coop. Bash through small town locales and turn lawn tools, kitchen appliances, 8-track toys or French horns into the most unhin...
store.steampowered.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Week 5/10 & halfway through my #OutlierGames series for #WishlistWednesday where I highlight the most unique upcoming games on Steam. Todays pick is The Holdouts by @ruckus-games.com - a wacky cooperative third-person shooter where anything can become a weapon store.steampowered.com/app/1851810/...
Just over a year ago today @jennie-burton.bsky.social and I started working on @game-oracle.bsky.social. Our ambition was to provide #gamedev folk with an alternative to imprecise tag-based market research & contribute a little towards alleviating the anxiety of #indiegamedev #sologamedev adventures
October 21, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Just over a year ago today @jennie-burton.bsky.social and I started working on @game-oracle.bsky.social. Our ambition was to provide #gamedev folk with an alternative to imprecise tag-based market research & contribute a little towards alleviating the anxiety of #indiegamedev #sologamedev adventures
#indiegames like The Red Lantern seem to fit an underserved audience - survival & exploration in the wilderness but w/ deep narrative - studying 15 similar games players love emotional & engaging stories but don't want to feel like a spectator #gamedev #indiegamedev #sologamedev
October 20, 2025 at 11:03 AM
#indiegames like The Red Lantern seem to fit an underserved audience - survival & exploration in the wilderness but w/ deep narrative - studying 15 similar games players love emotional & engaging stories but don't want to feel like a spectator #gamedev #indiegamedev #sologamedev
We started Game Oracle with one central idea - how can we reduce anxiety around a game idea & give #indiegamedev a realistic view of the market b4 they commit to a project? On Monday we launch v3.4 w/ our new tool Concept Compass. This is a big milestone for us & I can't wait to share it.
October 18, 2025 at 3:50 PM
We started Game Oracle with one central idea - how can we reduce anxiety around a game idea & give #indiegamedev a realistic view of the market b4 they commit to a project? On Monday we launch v3.4 w/ our new tool Concept Compass. This is a big milestone for us & I can't wait to share it.
What excites me most about the Steam Map on Game Oracle are these dark regions between games. To me this represents potential. The frontiers of #gamedev creativity that have yet to be explored. #indiegames #indiegamedev #sologamedev
October 18, 2025 at 11:02 AM
What excites me most about the Steam Map on Game Oracle are these dark regions between games. To me this represents potential. The frontiers of #gamedev creativity that have yet to be explored. #indiegames #indiegamedev #sologamedev
Week 4/10 of my #outliergames series for #wishlistwednesday - let's talk about Rhyolite by @longloststudio.bsky.social grab your friends and go ghost hunting on a train in this action #indie #roguelite 👻🚂 store.steampowered.com/app/3195990/...
Rhyolite on Steam
Rhyolite throws your crew of up to 4 players into a pressure cooker of broken train mechanisms, complex enemy attacks, and an ever-shifting puzzle of resource and attention management as you capture g...
store.steampowered.com
October 15, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Week 4/10 of my #outliergames series for #wishlistwednesday - let's talk about Rhyolite by @longloststudio.bsky.social grab your friends and go ghost hunting on a train in this action #indie #roguelite 👻🚂 store.steampowered.com/app/3195990/...
Just finished our last two product ideas which makes us feature complete - v3.4 coming soon 🚀 w/ new toys:
- Concept Compass 🧭 all-in-one tool for evaluating a game concept using market data from our Steam map
- Bundle Builder 🧺 find similar games & collect socials to help organise bundles
#gamedev
- Concept Compass 🧭 all-in-one tool for evaluating a game concept using market data from our Steam map
- Bundle Builder 🧺 find similar games & collect socials to help organise bundles
#gamedev
October 13, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Just finished our last two product ideas which makes us feature complete - v3.4 coming soon 🚀 w/ new toys:
- Concept Compass 🧭 all-in-one tool for evaluating a game concept using market data from our Steam map
- Bundle Builder 🧺 find similar games & collect socials to help organise bundles
#gamedev
- Concept Compass 🧭 all-in-one tool for evaluating a game concept using market data from our Steam map
- Bundle Builder 🧺 find similar games & collect socials to help organise bundles
#gamedev
PEAK is being called "friendslop". I used Data Explorer to study 1000 most similar games & to no surprise, in terms of sales the market here performs incredibly well. But on average these games are poorly rated (we use medians btw). I dunno, seems like a gamble making games like this. #gamedev
October 13, 2025 at 11:02 AM
PEAK is being called "friendslop". I used Data Explorer to study 1000 most similar games & to no surprise, in terms of sales the market here performs incredibly well. But on average these games are poorly rated (we use medians btw). I dunno, seems like a gamble making games like this. #gamedev
There is a big red blob on our Saturation Map which is #horror games but I was curious about this cluster to the left of it (red circle) - turns out its psychological horrors revolving around anomaly detection & looping reality. Example game being I'm on Observation Duty #gamedev #indiegames
October 10, 2025 at 11:03 AM
There is a big red blob on our Saturation Map which is #horror games but I was curious about this cluster to the left of it (red circle) - turns out its psychological horrors revolving around anomaly detection & looping reality. Example game being I'm on Observation Duty #gamedev #indiegames
Godot has Abstract Classes now!! (here's how to use them)
YouTube video by Queble
youtu.be
October 10, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Week 3/10 of my #outliergames series for #wishlistwednesday - let's talk about Age of the Deep by @willdavis.bsky.social & co. A looter RPG where you play as a mermaid 🧜♀️what more is there to say! store.steampowered.com/app/2997030/...
Age of the Deep on Steam
Age of the Deep is a mermaid fashion looter rpg. Explore the beautiful, and terrifying, mysteries of the ocean surrounding the islands, fight off pirates that threaten the inhabitants, dive deep to un...
store.steampowered.com
October 8, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Week 3/10 of my #outliergames series for #wishlistwednesday - let's talk about Age of the Deep by @willdavis.bsky.social & co. A looter RPG where you play as a mermaid 🧜♀️what more is there to say! store.steampowered.com/app/2997030/...
We made a Game Engine leaderboard (www.game-oracle.com/leaderboards...) - thanks @igdb.com for the data ❤️ - and ranking by SteamDB score is fascinating. Top 5: Telltale Tool, SCUMM, Visionaire, KiriKiri, KEX (caveat: not all games disclose their engine, so bare that in mind) #gamedev
Game Engine Leaderboard | Game Oracle
Compare the best and most popular game engines with our leaderboards to find the right game engine for your project.
www.game-oracle.com
October 7, 2025 at 11:03 AM
We made a Game Engine leaderboard (www.game-oracle.com/leaderboards...) - thanks @igdb.com for the data ❤️ - and ranking by SteamDB score is fascinating. Top 5: Telltale Tool, SCUMM, Visionaire, KiriKiri, KEX (caveat: not all games disclose their engine, so bare that in mind) #gamedev
Have you heard of the DreadOut series? 3rd person #horror game set in an Asian - Indonesian setting. Thing is, none of its direct competitors have managed to hit the same mark. Missed opportunity? 👀 #gamedev #sologamedev #indiegamedev
October 3, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Have you heard of the DreadOut series? 3rd person #horror game set in an Asian - Indonesian setting. Thing is, none of its direct competitors have managed to hit the same mark. Missed opportunity? 👀 #gamedev #sologamedev #indiegamedev
It's #wishlistwednesday & week 2 of my #outliergames series. Today we're talking about Trading Card Inspector by @daydreamgallerydev.bsky.social - in this unique twist on trading card games, you play as a quality control inspector, blending office sim, mystery, & dark humour
October 1, 2025 at 5:31 PM
It's #wishlistwednesday & week 2 of my #outliergames series. Today we're talking about Trading Card Inspector by @daydreamgallerydev.bsky.social - in this unique twist on trading card games, you play as a quality control inspector, blending office sim, mystery, & dark humour
Interesting #gamedev market gap: shipping logistics simulator. Best performing game in this segment is probably TransOcean – The Shipping Company but there are not many other highlight rated titles despite reasonably player demand. #indiegamedev #sologamedev
September 30, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Interesting #gamedev market gap: shipping logistics simulator. Best performing game in this segment is probably TransOcean – The Shipping Company but there are not many other highlight rated titles despite reasonably player demand. #indiegamedev #sologamedev