WePlay is the largest indie game expo in China, and I was incredibly fortunate to bring my first game, Multi Turret Academy, to participate in this event.
I’m a bit of a social phobic and often feel like my game isn’t good enough, so I originally didn’t plan to attend any expos. However, earlier this year, on a whim, I submitted my game to the IndiePlay Awards. To my surprise, it was nominated for the Nova Prize, and I was offered a small booth. I’m truly grateful to the organizers and judges for their support. And so, I went.
The event was held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Center. For the two weeks leading up to it, I was busy with preparations—designing gifts for players, making posters, renting computer—for the first time ever. It was a lot of work but also incredibly enjoyable. I believe next time, I’ll handle it all with more ease.
The day before the expo was the China Indie Game Developer Conference, featuring several speakers sharing their experiences in game development. This is remarkable in an industry where everyone fears their ideas being copied.
That day, I also met Simon, the curator of WePlay, founder of CIGA(China indie game alliance), and a man with many other impressive titles. He turned out to be a gentle and approachable person, spending a lot of time chatting with me, even though I’m just a new developer.
Many people might assume that organizing the largest indie game expo in China requires an unapproachable, massive team. But in reality, their team is smaller than many indie studios, and it seems all of this was driven solely by Simon’s passion for the gaming industry.
He simply decided to take it on himself since no one else does.
Then came the first day of the expo. We arrived early to set up and prepare for players. Watching the entire expo come together and being part of the process felt amazing—almost like creating a game alongside everyone else.
I also took the opportunity to chat with many developers behind games I admire. To me, this is the real value of an expo: a chance to meet and connect with people who once felt unreachable online.
More people played my game than I expected, though compared to others, the numbers were still small. As I anticipated, most of the players were military game enthusiasts, while casual attendees showed little interest. But that’s okay—my ability is limited, and I can’t create something that appeals to everyone. Instead, I’ll focus on making something that a select few will truly love.
The second day was much the same, except I spent more time wandering around the venue, often leaving my booth unattended. I sincerely apologize to those who came to try my game.
But there was just so much fun stuff to explore! It felt like how making games doesn’t compare to the joy of playing them.
Finally, about my game. If I thought Multi Turret Academy was 80% complete before the expo, now I feel like it’s only 50%. The game has high barriers to entry for new players, lacks proper guidance, and offers limited replayability for veterans. Additionally, the UI design is... well, let’s just say it’s what happens when you let a programmer design UI.
Moving forward, I plan to spend another six months to a year redesigning every aspect of the game. My goal is to address all the shortcomings while retaining its unique features, keeping the support of current players while attracting new ones. It won’t be easy, but it’s a challenge that I'm willing to accept.
After completing these improvements, the game will transition into its full release. Even then, new content will continue to be added. As long as there are people playing, this game will keep updating. I hope we can witness it together.
To close, I’d like to quote Winston Churchill:
“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
