· Build log
A new look for Maevyra, smarter PlayScout lists, and a ComposerScout tune-up
Big day across all three.
This site got a makeover. I wanted it to feel less like a template and more like me. I added some fun stuff. The moon in the logo shows tonight's actual moon phase, and the sky at the top follows your local time: sun and clouds in the day, stars and the real moon at night. The little pixel icons are collectible now, so find all 16 and you get an achievement 👀. There's an XP bar that levels up as I ship, and on the Studios page you have to knock on the door to get in. Sound is off by default, but flip it on in the footer if you want the knocks and the coin.
Three new pages too. Numbers shows my real traffic and signups, Now shows what I'm working on and what I'm not doing right now, and Studios is the new home for my games. And if you join the email list, you get a welcome email from me now. Feel free to reply, it comes straight to me.
PlayScout got pickier, in a good way. One tester got 1,359 results on a search and told me that's way too many to be useful. Fair. So now PlayScout checks what each creator has posted recently and ranks them by how often they actually play games like yours, not one video from ages ago. You'll see a line like "6 of their last 25 uploads are games like yours" on each card. Creators who only played something similar once are hidden by default, the list stops at the best 250, and it points you to the best 25 to start with. Cards also lead with a personal first line you can use in your message, a DM button for Discord, Bluesky or X, and an Easy to reach badge for smaller channels that are active and easy to contact. Filters stack now too.
ComposerScout had a busy one. I got an outside review of the whole site and fixed what it found: voice actors with only a reel weren't showing up in studio searches, the budget filter only worked in dollars, and a few labels were confusing. Protected previews now show a clear "Protected, reduced quality" chip. New members agree to the rules before they start, you can follow creators and studios, creators get an email when a new studio joins, and the Roundtable got some animation. ComposerScout is up to 10 accounts in 2 days!!
Next up: Steam Next Fest starts Monday, so I'm reaching out to as many devs as I can before then. Let's go.