6 DEVS Compete to Make the BEST GAME for $10,000

[@Blackthornprod]

Thanks to Milanote for sponsoring this video! Sign up for free and start your next creative project: milanote.com/blackthornprod0424 If we reach 50K likes we'll start another competition and raise the stakes even further!

[@maksydab]

make some more videos of you working on game like with your artstyle please

[@reedepley1835]

i think you should acutly make one were the viewers vote on who wins but so there is no bias dont tell them who made who untill the winner is decided

[@reedepley1835]

would also love one were the main theme is sacrifice's must be made

[@michaelhooper1717]

There needs to be some deep reevaluation in the voting system and how to create anonymity and fairness so that these contests don't turn into popularity contests. Game developing should be on the merit of the game not a 1 million + creator winning a popularity contest with a worse game

[@Blackthornprod]

The voting was anonymous

[@Cable1498]

Actually insane how talented Dryden is. Props to all the devs but the amount of content he managed to get done is crazy.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you 🙏 21 18+ hour days on pure adrenaline nearly was the end of me but it was worth it!! More content to come :)

[@Cable1498]

@@LighthoofDryden Can't wait to see where it goes. :)

[@Sin-us4nb]

@@LighthoofDrydeninsane game! I was convinced you were the winner since the first week lol

[@Bootinyourbutt19199]

@@LighthoofDrydenyour work is incredible and I could definitely see the game blowing up! I will be following to hear more about it. Should’ve been your win!

[@DL_LSR]

@@LighthoofDryden i wishlisted your game, i think it's very promising so can't wait for release

[@1BP6]

Dryden was the only one who made the theme feel so real in his game, made the most polished and actually playworthy game.

[@Stalkie]

Insane Dryden did not win, the game was so polished and thought out, all the mechanics together made perfect sense, the implementation of the curveballs he was thrown fit it like they were originally planned, the artstyle was absolutely gorgeous and polished, and he composed multiple pieces of music.

[@AutisticJesusGaming]

It was the community thing exclusively. He won both because he’s more popular

[@proximacentauri1172]

It was so thought-out and planned because it was literally a copy of Spelunky. All the thinking was done earlier.

[@Weirdo_Studios206]

The guy who won, won because his game was 3D. Not discounting what he did at all, his game is awesome, but people see a 3D game and automatically think it's more impressive than a 2D game.

[@SomeOtherTroper]

@@Weirdo_Studios206 As soon as I saw a throwback to the early Resident Evil games and their clones/ripoffs with that old-school lower polygon artstyle and pixelated 'crunch' in a competition starting with "Memento Mori" as a theme, I knew it was going to win. The combination of that style with creepy mysterious biolabs crawling with zombies is an absolute killer mix for anyone who played those games back in the day. I will say, it was a very good execution on the concept, unlike a lot of shovelware stuff that tries to capture that nostalgia. I'm interested to see where the dev takes the project from there.

[@soundcloudgoblin3445]

@@proximacentauri1172 A more boring version of Spelunky, that combat and movement looked dreadful

[@Isaac-qo4bp]

I don’t see how Dryden didn’t win this. - Better Music - Better Visual - Better implementation of the themes - Better gameplay loop - Better Lore

[@GabeyShark7]

Yes but I think what most people find appealing in indie games these days, especially in more of a horror kinda genre, are 3D games with PSX graphics.

[@dembi2770]

@@GabeyShark7 the issue was that there are tons of games similar to Dryden's. Obviously there are games like Lixian's but i feel like they are less over-saturated.

[@Shoulderpads-mcgee]

@@GabeyShark7I wouldn’t say one genre is significantly more popular than the other. Certainly not a 70/30 split at any rate.

[@nwonknu-]

​@@dembi2770 Wdym? I feel like it's the other way around; I can only think of two games that are similar to Dryden's (Don't Starve Together, Spelunky) whereas I feel like there are a *lot* of games similar to Lixian's.

[@BxPanda7]

It's simple, Dryden's game is like a gourmet dish, very refined, neatly presented, and tasted delicious. But Lixian's game is like a big fat double cheeseburger with a side of fries and a large coke, and when people are hungry, most will go for the fast food over the gourmet dish. It's one of the reasons why serious competitions don't ask for the public to vote.

[@nickeno]

Honestly, Dryden's game should've won by a mile. It had such polish, depth, and a great gameplay loop, which is interesting and has real variety and playstyles. Try changing your playstyle with a pistol or a shotgun.

[@LighthoofDryden]

PHEW, this was definitely the most intense few weeks I’ve ever done! Thanks for having me on, what an honor to compete alongside these devs 😄

[@jamestheepic2510]

Your game looked PHENOMENAL and had my vote from the start - so glad to hear it’s being released!

[@BboyofRandomness]

You had my vote! Will look forward to steam release

[@snowown]

You had my vote, excellent idea! Looking forward to buying the game when it releases.

[@APolygons2]

No matter what, I personally think you 100% deserved the win. The only other game that looked like it would compete lost to not carrying the theme well enough, which was fair. But I was so sure you had in the bag after that. I am shocked you didn't win. It was one of, if not the best and most interesting game I have seen in any of these competitions or challenges period. It genuinely seemed like a game that I would buy and play.

[@KaiserTheDemon]

Did a damn good job, especially incoorporating the themes given to you. I feel yours was the best with theme use and am looking forward to its steam release!

[@Quackleb]

Dryden absolutely dominated, the visuals, music, gameplay and lore were all up to par with a fully released game

[@code-cans]

true, yet i think it was a bit basic (2d platforming, being chased, parrying, rng + bosses) except for the well implemented themes and objectively good quality overall!

[@0-M72-0]

Yeah, I really don't understand how he lost. All the way through I've felt like they aren't showing us a lot of Immune Heart, because for me it would have definitely gone on the semi-finals.

[@thomasgraham8035]

@@0-M72-0 I was really suprised too. Just imo Lixian's game didn't really have much depth, he mentioned 'lore' and then there was nothing, just seemed to be walking around. While Dryden's game looked really awesome. Come off as unfair too with the community vote felt unfair too with how well known/liked Lixian is.

[@kinghurghada9538]

Lixian won because he's popular (he does video montage for Markiplier)

[@dannybee9068]

Yeah, Lyxian managed to create good horror experience. But I feel like Dryden created something more and death chasing after you is really cool mechanic, I would love for him to expand the game into this idea and develop it further.

[@valeryfoyniak4934]

Lixian: has 1.3 million subs Dryden: has 2k subs Lixian: wins the community voting Judges: **surprised pikachu face**

[@puppythingcolonthree]

Yeah idk what they were thinking tbh

[@NicoPhysics]

It pisses me off so much how Dryden was robbed

[@dude51_]

And Lixian works for markiplier , so even more of a community

[@firegame10]

scam

[@zcartre83]

In the end it was a popularity contest

[@beep5798]

It's a pity that people preferred a first-person shooter with horror elements, instead of a roguelike platformer with honed gameplay, unique style and music. Dammit, he even made unique bosses and perfectly implemented all the themes that were offered to him. Dryden bro you deserve more than this measly $10,000

[@zrayx7214]

That type of game does have more depth but most people are more casual and unimpressed by 2d games and miss out on gems like hollow knight etc

[@abrokeprogrammer]

Airidas losing in first part is criminal, he was the most one sticking with the subject

[@drago939393]

Yeah for me Week 1 was Airidas, Dryden and Codeer on a level above Brewky and Lixian.

[@chapteronefrog]

Yeah, it really feels like they only had Lixian moving forward BC of his following

[@lordcaprisunthe2nd]

@@chapteronefrogthat’s exactly why he didn’t get eliminated in the 1st week

[@Vsmbixx]

Codeer shouldve been gone first round he barely fit the memento more theme

[@Tyomak-ov]

@@lordcaprisunthe2nd and its why he won the community vote, his name was in the files for the game and even in the credits, so anonymity wasnt able to be kept

[@tinytigertamer]

Don’t get me wrong, Lixian’s game was cool, but Dryden was absolutely robbed of this win. The man literally composed his own music for this game. He made such an original and unique game and I am dying to see him expand upon it. I think it was a mistake including the community in the vote. Most average community members are not experienced with the time and effort that goes into creating these games, or what makes a good game. Plus, Lixian has a much larger audience than Dryden, so of course he is going to win the community vote. It turned into a popularity contest for people not games and that’s honestly so disappointing.

[@michaelhooper1717]

adding a community vote in this competition has to be the biggest braindead move ive ever seen. It would've been leagues more fair if they did what they did in the past with a past competitor vote

[@super_sentai9998]

voting was anonymous. wasnt a popularity contest. I agree that Drydens was much more polished though.

[@pheartehgrimace]

@@super_sentai9998 apparently Lixian has his name in the file for the game...

[@Hietakissa]

"he made his own music" doesn't make the game any better. The lore was decent, it's a pretty cool concept and the bosses were cool along with the good-looking visuals, but the gameplay otherwise looked generic and the combat very bare-bones

[@pheartehgrimace]

@@Hietakissa Lixian had original combat? He didn't even have an inventory system and Dryden put in a whole skill and trading scheme

[@kryptobash9728]

WTFFF, I feel so bad for dryden. He was obviously robbed. Both games were good, but Dryden seems more complete, more lore, and had a better plot and fighting system. Lixian game was good for a one time play thru, but Dryden's had way more replayability and seemed overall more fun with the different builds and ways you could defeat enemies, not to mention the lore for each boss. I am shocked Dryden lost.

[@kryptobash9728]

And I didn't even mention the music, wow, I feel so bad for him. He is a great game dev!!! Your work was def noticed bro, keep up the great work. It felt like he really put the time into incorporating the themes to and is overall a very creative game dev!

[@Tyomak-ov]

@@kryptobash9728 yeah Lixian makes games but to me most of his games are a one playthrough and youve basically seen everything it has to offer, so linear and in this competition it has a loose connection to momento mori. Very loose, comparable to the space one, and it was only because you could die, compared to one that literally had death and the whole roguelike death loop you must go through to actually get the full experience

[@VanillaSpooks]

Please don’t let the community vote for the finale again, it was definitely biased. But both games were cool to see!

[@sirsapphire3499]

It could have been a community vote if it was blind and the names weren't associated. In fact, I even think it would be better than just judges, but having their names known instead of purely based on the games turned it into a popularity contest that stole all credibility from it.

[@VanillaSpooks]

@@sirsapphire3499 I agree

[@VanillaSpooks]

I also wasn’t a fan of how the interpretations were judged. Felt a little too direct and biased towards horror games some of the votes imo

[@bvamosD]

The community voting was anonymus so there was no bias at all.

[@Gunnin_yadown]

​@@bvamosD apparently lixian's game had his name on the files.. Apparently.

[@Pirouyy]

Let's be honnest, Lixian's game was good, but you would play it after downloading it for free on halloween night with pals, whereas Dryden's game, I would actually buy it.

[@lunaticz0r]

I would much rather play Lix's, stop thinking your opinion is somehow universal lmao. Peole have different tastes. I for example hate the square top/side view, much rather play in a 3D space, like Lix's did. I also like horror wayyyy more than these 'boring'puzzle kinda games with RNG maps that apparantly sometimes not even work.

[@Pirouyy]

@@lunaticz0r good for you pal.

[@niersu]

​@@lunaticz0rlixian just made the same generic copy paste psx horror game. Drydens game actually looked cool and interesting.

[@GrayMan-l2c]

@@lunaticz0r yeah, people have different tastes, some are good, some are shit. yours obviously is the second one.

[@vl5164]

Ngl the surprise twist winner got me to Dryden's steam page and had me wishlist his two games partially out of spite/outrage, and I know I'm not the only one. So even though he didnt win I hope his efforts will be rewarded down the line. I like the creativity he used with the theme and with implementing each twist. Both his games look great! I love seeing the different ways everyone implements the theme, great series, I look forward to all the videos on this channel

[@DissentingPotato]

I just found this video and literally did the same. I'm convinced the only reason lixian even made it out of the first round is the number of subs he has.

[@ACatWithACrown]

It is genuinely offensive that Dryden didn't win... Stuck to theme, showed immense resolve in adapting to the modifiers, completely original art and music, boss fights!?!? If it wasn't for the +2 from a community vote of 1.2 million, it'd be obvious. Also crazy that that was a +2 in the first place.

[@codyjorgensen8170]

right? like maybe if there was an even number of judges and they needed a tiebreaker...but to give the community vote the power to flip the result? shady af.

[@michaelhooper1717]

@@codyjorgensen8170 Even if there is an even number of judges to incorporate the community as a +2 is disingenuous at best. They should have incorporate previous competitors to cast a vote as well which I believe would have resulted in Dryden winning the competition.

[@OhSoUnicornly]

@@michaelhooper1717 I disagree about the last part, but yes they should've kept it in mind that Lixian had a much bigger community (which I didn't know). I like that they are including community votes because I think it's important to have more opinions, but maybe they should only do that if both the creators have similar sized followings, and/or they should keep the game creators anonymous and ban any kind of advertising or giving away the fact they are taking part.

[@Feltezz]

Apparently the identities of the devs were anonymous, though

[@cornyboi932]

@@michaelhooper1717 The voting is anonymous bro, the community for the project they liked the most not the dev, so no its not a "popularity contest", people on the indie dev scene simply really like Survival Horror games and Lixian made a really awesome survival horror game.

[@ushift]

Dryden was robbed so hard. Wth even is that. The guy wrote his own music, had 3 bosses, a whole item system, and upgrade system. Dryden basically had a whole game. And Lixians suprise was what? An upgrade system? Won by jump scares and popularity. Note to all competitors to go far in future, just make a horror game. What a disappointment.

[@zalox12]

Details about liaixan game- two jumpscare total~ 1. Zombie(just run and scream😑) 2.shark( comes out of no where?how shark learnt to fly?) And shotgun without ammo rounds. And character using is like having experience in wars and he is doctor or scientist. That's it. Nothing creative. Nothing unique.no inventory. Nothing interesting bosses like deyden. But still won. Wow what a unfair challenge.

[@kamay7021]

@@zalox12 It was more than fair, dude. It was a vote and the guy won the vote. We can agree Dryden should have won but that doesn't mean the challenge was unfair. :P

[@Dylan-uv3bi]

@@kamay7021rigged = unfair

[@kamay7021]

@@Dylan-uv3bi it wasn’t rigged though

[@ThatDwag69]

So apparently the zip file had lixians name so yeah it was unfair​@@kamay7021

[@AddingAUsername]

Next time keep the names of the developers hidden in the community poll to make it less of a popularity contest. Just show the games and let people decide based on that.

[@DanielRamirez-gu5xq]

THIS

[@rjgraylight]

This for sure!

[@tiacool7978]

I still would have voted for the horror game. The visual style of Dryden's game isn't my thing. Generally the style he leans towards in these videos aren't my thing. So I doubt removing their names will change anything.

[@krish20006]

THIS

[@j-bone9472]

It may not be "your thing" but it's a better game. ​@@tiacool7978

[@Kobtron1000]

Dryden really made that game. It's really impressive how good he put computer and piracy in his game

[@Litchbane117]

Dryden in the semifinals blew me away. With a game that has no technological computer elements, I thought it would be hard to implement computers or technology as a new theme. Not only does his fix for the problem prove me wrong, but the technological section he added adds such a cool and unique twist to an already great looking game!

[@dinoeebastian]

nah, Dryden's game was just better, Lixian's great, but Dryden's just fit best with everything

[@realElectroZap]

yup, unfair judging

[@aryanmoody]

I find it awesome that THE Markiplier’s editor is just casually here 😂 (I am aware he’s done some serious projects as well, I just have memories of him as the editor)

[@draconic6352]

Yeah the community vote idea was dumb and having it worth 2 was dumber bc it literally just ended up as a popularity contest, and bc lixian has over 1 mil subs, he won even tho his game was nowhere near as good

[@jerrebrasfield4231]

Lixians was too much like doom the original, except doom had a better story and more quality gameplay.

[@lightswitch2622]

@@jerrebrasfield4231 obviously doom is going to be better. They had a team of people and worked on it far longer

[@Svenburchard]

Dryden what an achievement, I will buy this game. Don't let the second place disway you. You deserved the win, no doubt about it. But I guess some of the judges really like jump-scares. The world feeling you built is top tier.

[@LighthoofDryden]

Thank you, that means a whole lot! I’m feeling more motivated than ever to finish and make the final game as cool as it is in my head 😎

[@krish20006]

@@LighthoofDryden fr watching the entire video i was thinking that its settled dryden would win it was perfect your game was perfect the music and all even in last challenge i loved your music and gonna sub and watch u now XD

[@DreadHalfling9]

​​@@LighthoofDryden your game was awesome has tons of replayability and is overall a game I could see spending a significant amount of money on. The other kinda just felt like an asset flip so not sure how you got second 😅

[@pheartehgrimace]

@@LighthoofDryden Yeah I'm hands down buying this game.

[@travv88]

@@LighthoofDryden It genuinely seemed like it was the winner. In my mind I just "knew" you had won, but was shocked to see you didn't. The comments here reflect that.

[@rjgraylight]

I'm surprised the judges let Lixian through to the end honestly. I feel like there was popularity bias and the community voted for their favorite person rather than their favorite game for sure. Not to mention, Lixian's bias with Markiplier and Momento Mori just felt unfair in his favor too. I mean, Lixian's game has no replayability, was unfinished, unpolished, and there were multiple complaints about it... Whereas everyone seemed to genuinely enjoy DisInherited and everyone, especially the dev, seemed stoked about that game whereas Lixian wasn't even excited or even sure if he'd finish the game...

[@eisen161]

I tend to agree, but I will say that the theme doesn't really benefit Lixian at all. Was it a nod toward Markiplier...who knows. But even if it was, it was an objectively very cool theme with unlimited interpretations that I think all the developers enjoyed working with. Maybe that wasn't the point you were trying to make with that piece.

[@LucolanYT]

Idk, I didn't know who Lixian was before the comments and I figured his game deserved its spot in the finals. The way he won over Dryden was highway robbery and unfair, though.

[@OhSoUnicornly]

I thought Lixian's should've gone out first round for sure. It was generic and didn't even fit the theme that well.

[@seccuenta50ydos]

I disagree I think that Lixian did a really good job with the atmosphere and story of the game, but DisInherited good probably be a type of game I would easily get bored of playing. Replayability isn't always better since games that are meant to be played once can be more interesting if done right at least for me.

[@kittycatcrunchie]

I totally agree, I genuinely thought he was going out in round one with DW 😭

[@BakedPotatoYT1]

Nah, Dryden won this competition. He stuck to the theme and added upon it with more mechanics, boss fights, music, and items. He absolutely got robbed of a win just because of the community vote where Lixian has more of (1m+ subs vs 2k+ subs). There's already 5 judges so the voting wouldn't be a tie either way, it's like they're begging for Lixian to win in this one with the community 2+ vote.

[@kim_rhean9179]

I know people are talking about Dryden being robbed off of the finals (he was), but how the hell did Airidas not make it through the first round??? If I hear the word 'Memento Mori' and look at these games and I have to choose which one has the closest resemblance to that concept, his would be my first pick. 'Memento Mori' translates to "remember (that you have) to die" which the main concept of his game literally does, 'remember that you have to die' to get the weapons. Not to mention that he had such a unique idea with the deaths. Everytime the player's character dies, they switch to another character and continue their journey through their perspective, but has more of an advantage than the last one(s) because they have more weapons. (Also the side effects that the character will get when getting the weapon was cool and he could expand on the lore behind that if he hadn't been eliminated) All in all, his game had SO much potential and I think it would've truly shined if he got past the FIRST ROUND. (Did Airidas continue making the game?)

[@Tyomak-ov]

It also annoyed me that the guy whos game was basically a rip off human fall flat somehow got passed the first round, same with the guy and the animal algomations, literally the judges said "this doesnt feel like momento mori, anyways, time to vote out the game that literally fits the theme perfectly"

[@rayofsins1202]

THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING

[@ugandanbasement5020]

Spoiler blocker❌❌❌

[@saidahmad4073]

Ty!

[@DibzzehM8]

You are the man

[@stinkystinkystinker]

ily so much

[@crak-_-4U]

Since spoilers have been blocked, here's my take. Amongst the first 4 games chosen, one was definitely not in theme and thus disqualified in my opinion.

[@vaelxn]

pin this

[@MichaelScott-zr1sy]

Glad to know im not the only person who felt dryden had this in the bag

[@mitchellbaker6528]

I like how the major themes introduced to the games were part of the final result. Computer- computer problems. Chaos- let the internet decide. Pirates- winner was robbed.

[@SytanOfficial]

This TOO GOOD Justice for Dryden, even as a Lixian fan lmao

[@Shoulderpads-mcgee]

I wish somehow there were birds tho

[@DissentingPotato]

@@Shoulderpads-mcgee Read the comments The entire community is giving this channel the bird for it's bullshit lol.

[@Lu.9]

I love the guy who does hand drawn characters - such good jdeas + doesnt feel like a stereotypical game

[@Tush__]

Dryden should have won. His game was better in every way, plus Lixian haven't made that much progress, he doesnt even have normal lore or combat system with good animation. His subscribers carried

[@RyanRex]

Reading the comments, I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt unsatisfied by the judges decisions.

[@fallenking2719]

Especially putting Bewky over Airidas ( The most generic ragdoll game chosen over an unique fighting game with a twist )

[@Catwomen4512]

Amazing job Dryden. Also as a mathematician, I especially appreciated the inclusion of Ada Lovelace ❤

[@LighthoofDryden]

That makes me so excited to read 😄 as the world’s okayest math user, I salute the work you real ones do 🫡

[@belzedk]

How did Dryden not win??? his game blew all the others out of the water. Also Airidas should definitely have moved on from the first round.

[@xyzabc198]

Because it was a popularity contest, people know Lixen they don't know Dryden...

[@einfangirl2351]

lixeon is the editor of markiplier so ofc he wins the popularity contest

[@dodobird5]

what the hell guys, dryden CLEARLY deserved the win here wth, get this man $10k

[@p0p]

Cant support this challenge with the blatant robbery of Dryden's vote at the end, cant believe a mediocre indie retro horror title won over his concept???

[@etmason]

every other dev was losing as soon as Dryden made that character model bro, they literally never stood a frickin chance against Drydens masterpiece of a game.

[@nuggetnugget1878]

And yet he lost, so rigged

[@etmason]

@@nuggetnugget1878 yeah i’ve lost a lot of respect for BTP recently they keep making garbage decisions

[@epicperson137]

@@etmason They both voted for Dryden, did you even watch the video?

[@etmason]

@@epicperson137 yeah i watched it all the way through and was pissed off when he lost

[@etmason]

wasn’t it due to a stupid popularity contest

[@rainbowselectric]

lmao everyone knows Dryden won. The amount of detail and complexity behind his game was incredible. I would have liked to see more of Lixian's game though if it actually was better

[@Hietakissa]

I feel Lixian's 1st person horror adventure appeals to a wider audience than a metroidvania-ish 2D platformer

[@rainbowselectric]

@@Hietakissa I agree. I would more likely see myself playing Lixian's game if I found them both on Steam for free. I don't think the initial appeal should have much weight in this competition though. I would imagine it's hard to judge the games fairly when they are all so different

[@Hietakissa]

@@rainbowselectric so why do you think Dryden should've won if you'd rather play Lixian's game? Shouldn't that make it the better game in your opinion, and thus more worthy of winning? I do agree comparing such different games is very difficult, especially when trying to be unbiased.

[@rainbowselectric]

@@Hietakissa Dryden's game seems like a more fulfilling and complete experience if you were to play the whole thing. Also Lixian's game just seems like a walking simulator after seeing all the gameplay

[@Shoulderpads-mcgee]

@@Hietakissaliking something and wanting to experience it again isn’t the same as recognizing quality. I recognize The Godfather is a masterpiece and that the live action Cat in the Hat movie is hot garbage but I have certainly watched Cat in the Hat for fun way more than I’ve ever rewatched The Godfather lol. Not saying these games are comparable to either of those films, just that you can feel something is of higher quality but still decide to engage and enjoy with the other option more.

[@user-gy9ih6ym9o]

To be honest I was surprised that zombie game survived the first round but outvoting Dryden seems a little too much.

[@kryptobash9728]

Bro thats what I was saying lmaoo, wanted the Airidas dude cause i wanted to see more of his game

[@Raderade1-pt3om]

Yeah it felt generic but awesome

[@bottleofcat]

How are you surprised? Like half the devs went completely off topic and just did what they wanted to do

[@Bruno.GCF05]

​@@bottleofcatAnd Dryden was the only one to FULLY stick to the theme, even the one given to him by others. When he got "piracy" he not simply added a pirate, but a full SECTION of the game dedicated to pirates. He even considered the other meaning of "piracy" when being able to steal from the shops.

[@MKUltraed]

tbf the zombie game was still awesome but yeah drydens was next level

[@what3verfloatsurgoat391]

I really wanted to see more of the game with prisoners that have to die in order to advance. There could be some really interesting puzzles to solve with that concept, and open up a sort of contest element with it in the vein of “who can complete this game with the fewest deaths” like the fewest portals used in portal runs

[@BoristheBlade]

No shade on Lixian here but Dryden was absolutely robbed. He handled it really well too. I wish him all the best, and i bet his game will make WAY more than $10k

[@InfinityBladeRecollection]

Community vote is not a good idea. Drydens game was just better. Community just saw the cool visuals of the horror game and voted. Not to say the horror game was bad but disinherited has so much more depth

[@sirsapphire3499]

That's not even the main problem with the community thing. Because they showed the names of the devs instead of just the games, Lixian was swinging with the power of millions of fans and working for Markiplier, Dryden has a few thousand subs. It legitimately stole the credibility of the vote and handed the win to the clearly not as finished or quality game.

[@Codeer]

Thanks for having me! this competition was super fun and the video turned out great

[@dier7144]

I miss you bro, your my fav game dev KZbinr

[@dibondudu9221]

The aesthetic of your game was awesome !

[@ragerungames]

I miss your devlogs. Good to see you here! ❤

[@Beany224]

Make more devlogs please 🥺❤️

[@aarondefriez3505]

Seeing you in the game competition was defenetly a pleasant surprise. I always love seeing what you come up with, looking forward to what you'll make in the future!

[@LethalDamageGaming]

dryden has been a real fresh of breath air, also that chess game as well, he got real talent and polish when most of the other people had games that looked janky af. lixians game also looked polished enough, world and animations of the shark was cool, combat kinda jank. nice vid, more of these

[@spriggs999]

I'll for sure be buying disinherited when it comes out. Lixians game looked great and the jumpscares were perfect but Dryden made the absolute perfect game for this contest. Genuinely can't believe he didn't win this.

[@williammiketon5413]

the little addition of the momentos was soo sic, lowkey very excited to play this game

[@mcfree3303]

Everybody knows Dryden is the real winner 🏆 can’t believe he didn’t get first place

[@michaelhooper1717]

Shameful they added a popularity contest with a popular creator in the mix. Really well thought out guys...

[@Gunnin_yadown]

Judges should be the judges.. Not the community.

[@gogglesnakdev-nt3yw]

honestly i hated the 2d style

[@mcfree3303]

@@gogglesnakdev-nt3yw I can see that also wasn't my cup of tea, but his game, despite the art style, was still waaaayyyy better than the rest.

[@mandlamtsweni8166]

Codeer was way too talented to mess up like that 😭😭😭

[@allgreatfictions]

His first week's progress made him instantly my favourite, even though I understood the lack of theme. The minute that he changed it to Sci fi, it was nowhere near as charming and I knew it had no chance because there wasn't a theme at all really anymore.

[@OhSoUnicornly]

Yeah he just didn't fit the theme though, silly way to mess up.

[@alexandrerdnaxela]

@@OhSoUnicornly But to me he's one of them that fit the theme the most ? Like, almost no game used "remembering the death" as a mechanic, and in his game you had to use the parts of dead animals to make new animals

[@OhSoUnicornly]

@@alexandrerdnaxela I believe the specific translation though is "remember YOU must die", not "remember death". That would be memento mortis. Depends on the exact brief they were given but I think remembering you, the player, are mortal is pretty important.

[@alexandrerdnaxela]

@@OhSoUnicornly then nobody fit the theme at all

[@JuincyAI]

There is no shot Dryden did not win

[@JuincyAI]

I don't know if I believe it wasn't planned or backstage stuff happening. Also I don't think Bewky's game did what the challenged asked for at all.

[@Algreion]

Yeah it's kinda weird, the other game was good but Dryden's was a fully finished roguelike which looked a lot more charming

[@APolygons2]

I would call rigged, but 70% votes from the community? just why and... how?

[@neilcognito]

Whilst I agree that he had the more appealing game, I think you also forgot that Lixen also has a very polished, awesome game as well. Add that tot he fact that Horror games tend to be more attractive to KZbin audiences and Lixen is very popular - it's not surprising. and both people need to be celebrated for their hard ass work. Cause I know you nor I couldn't have done it.

[@xyzabc198]

I don't think it was planned or "backstage stuff" that happened, I think there is one very obvious reason why Lixen won this. The judges were in favor of Dryden winning, so it all came up to the people's vote, who is Lixen to "the people"? He is Markipliers editor and is very well known, who is Dryden to "the people"? Nobody really knows him like they do Lixen. This just became a popularity contest when it went to the public...

[@Kephazard]

I love Lixian and while his game appeals more to me and my tastes, Dryden absolutely nailed the theme. He adapted the twists seemlessly into the game in ways that enrichened the story and influenced gameplay mechanics. That really should have been a landslide victory. While I'm more interested in playing Lixian's game, it is ultimately a Resident Evil clone with a unique infection system. I'd advise decreasing the weight of your voters, or tallying them separately. As it stands, they have a hefty 29% weight that ends up putting too much stock into favoritism over academic judging. I feel like Lixian's popularity carried him to victory.

[@Stratocaster42]

Dryden should've won! That was incredible and he probably needed the money a lot more

[@shinsha_]

Damn i really thought other one would win...

[@ohurspecial5404]

I knew as soon as they put it to the community he was fucked. Lixian is good but he has also got clout

[@finn6492]

The game that won seems much more visually appealing off first glance. Dryden's game seems like it needs to be experienced to see its value. definitely seemed like the better game after a 20 minute video, don't know what the community got to vote off though.

[@shadowhunter2]

]​@@ohurspecial5404 how do you even know that their name is even on it. So clout shouldn't matter

[@RubenBunskoeke]

@@finn6492 Appealing? I found the other game waaaaay more appealing. The winner looked like a Nintendo 64 james bond game.

[@ohurspecial5404]

@@shadowhunter2 did they say that?

[@KhroMcKrakken]

You guys should really consider making voting anonymous for the devs especially if you're going to include the community, and I think the rest the comments explain why. Lixian has been seen by TENS OF MILLIONS of people through Markiplier. He is a recognizable creator just through that alone. So if you're allowing to put the community to put in not one, but two votes, there is a HUGE chance of community bias. It would also be more fair for Lixian because then he would be judged for his dev chops alone. That said, I absolutely ADORE Lixian as a person, as an editor, and as a developer. I would love to see more of him on here. I cheered seeing him. He's hilarious and he did hold his own. But I don't think the voting was entirely fair.

[@KhroMcKrakken]

I came back to see if there was a response to this. Looking into the comments, it seems the community poll was anonymous although one commenter claims Lixian's name was in the zip file. Going forward, I think it needs to be stated in the video that community votes are anonymous, and make sure that the creators names are nowhere to be found in the file or in the game.

[@mahdialom2346]

​@@KhroMcKrakkenLixian had his name in the credits of the game, so all testers knew it was his game

[@Schoritzobandit]

Dryden's was so obviously the better, more interesting, better themed, more fleshed out game. No disrespect to anyone else, honestly this was the most compelling set of games in any of these videos, Dryden was just insane. Sucks that it sounds like the community vote came down to the creator with the bigger youtube community.

[@michaelhooper1717]

This turned me off from this channel. I don't think I can look at these videos the same after that atrocity in the voting.

[@MallowMaranta]

@@michaelhooper1717 bro i was annoyed at there first pass the game videos, they some how always find a way to mess it up every time. not to mention the mrbeast style clickbait and constant promotion. doesnt stop me from watching these tho lol

[@jaysolo8256]

I love the cuphead style boss fights. Dryden was robbed 😔

[@Gunnin_yadown]

His creativity is through the roof, he was robbed man.

[@NemOrca]

I honestly think Dryden should of won, they shouldn't have left it to the community to vote since ofc the person with the most subs will have the upper hand, since people will just vote since they know them more then the other, Dryden should of won idc what anyone else says❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@pheartehgrimace]

That is wild - the fps was literally every generic horror game. Disinherited put so much work into the theme and built lore to support it. Y'all just voted for asset shark jumpscares... I do not mean to be rude or hateful but I think the infection game wasn't worth a 10k prize....

[@bivouac__]

I AM SORRY but Dryden deserved to win, Lixian made generic ps1 aesthetic horror game with 3 (?) enemies, I am surprised judges chose this

[@richardcheung3232]

Solid theme, solid horror, not boring, not confusing, well polished. It wasn't the most creative, but it was the most solid

[@donniewhat]

@@richardcheung3232what do you feel dryden’s lacked in comparison?

[@richardcheung3232]

@@donniewhat Drydens game was really good but it was unfinished so it felt unsatisfying to complete, lixians game was simple and fully complete

[@sirrah2458]

@@richardcheung3232 it didn't even have a map, can you explain how it was fully complete? I liked it a lot, but that claim seems egregious to me.

[@richardcheung3232]

@@sirrah2458 As in it had an ending, drydens game didn't

[@Deeslav]

Having a community vote turns to a popularity contest, instead of picking the best game. Dryden definitely robbed imo.

[@sirsapphire3499]

The only thing needed to fix it was make it a blind vote. It definitely could have worked if they didn't say who developed each one but since they did I 100% agree with you.

[@michaelhooper1717]

This really turned me off from the video like how was there no oversight on that not being a biased and ultimately tarnished vote that just turned into a popularity contest and not a game dev competition.

[@toddclark419]

I still think a community vote is a bad idea. People aren’t likely to play through an entire game and rate objectively.

[@albertb4460]

@@michaelhooper1717 Dude, we get it, stop spamming. You're on every single reply. People make mistakes, it happens, move on

[@Kurejy]

@@michaelhooper1717 oh but it was an anonymous comunity vote

[@xyzabc198]

Having a 16 year old compete with all these dev's that have years of experience is a bit rough. I think it would be nice if you maybe did a "Young dev" competition, where you stick a bunch of under 21 or under 18 year olds together

[@meepswag35]

Yeah, the dude is def skilled, and he has fun edits, but yeah having school is rough

[@No_Nipz]

I agree with the idea, but thers also alot of devs who start later in life. Maybe a comp where people with 1 to 2 years of game dev and hten one where its people with 3+ years of game dev

[@xyzabc198]

@@No_Nipz That would be very difficult to actually vet though...

[@rebelmage6929]

@@meepswag35 I mean, adults have jobs and a household to take care of, so I don't think adults have more free time. I think it's more a matter of hobbyist vs full time independent game dev.

[@MDG-mykys]

Having anything to do with under 16 or even under 18 years olds is risky

[@BeefnEthan]

Lixian Game Pros: Good theme, good jump scares, decent lore/backstory, shark area was goated Lixian Cons: No replayability, little enemy variety, very straightforward, little weapon variety, no inventory system/ poor UI Dryden Pros: Original music that fits game, huge replayability, boss fights, good lore/backstory, good shop and item system, fits the theme the best BY FAR, Dryden Cons: random map gen sometimes made areas inaccessible, pretend I wrote something else here because I can only think of one con... it baffles me that Dryden lost this (Edit: spelling and formatting fix)

[@dunbarconnor]

He later added the ability to climb walls so you didn’t get stuck anymore so that’s the con fixed 🤣

[@giannifantelli6797]

Lixian may have won the competition. But Dryden definitely won all of our hearts. What an amazing work! I want to play his game so bad right now

[@darndevilYt]

Dryden 100% should have won that...

[@Vexceed]

Fr Like god damn rigged

[@theswamps6589]

i think lixian deserved it too. he did so well. I want to play drydens game though, and I think this video already did him better than the 10k wouldve, since his steam release will have a bunch of people wanting to buy it.

[@zzzzAava]

Dryden's game fit with the theme very well and seemed much more charming and replayable, but lixian definitely did a decent job with his game. I think dryden's game was better though.

[@xamoel3884]

Lixian stuck to the theme better but Dryden made a better game that feels finished

[@CobraClub04]

Dryden’s game is literally Fire and Water knockoff

[@TheRealKwisty]

Honestly, this series is the main reason I subbed to this channel, the amount of wonderful games that are being made while shouting out these amazing devs and their own projects, I've found so many games from different devs through this channel, hoping to see more of this content! :D

[@jpretorius5155]

I want to buy Dryden's game and play it on my switch for a couple of hours or days!

[@thegamingcuber6262]

I heard, “A Serious Of Unfortunate Events” and immediately wanted Dryden to win

[@shuyuyummy3924]

Ngl, as soon as I saw the prompt I was thinking about lobsters. Like a game with a lobster bargining to be immortal (aka, why lobsters cannot die from old age)

[@orangeblanket7181]

it was literally just a popularity contest then? Lixian's game seemed like something i would play once then be lost in my library. not much depth , while Dryden 's game seems like something i could sink hundreds of hours into while looking for lore (lore that i feel like is better than Lixian's game lore) but because of the community of game devs which know Lixian as the cool Markiplier editor (which he is, but that should NOT decide who wins) voted for him, his, simple horror game won? #JusticeForDryden

[@akin4484]

"a story based game with scripted elements is something id play through once, while a roguelike explicitly made for replayability is something id play multiple times" isnt really a defense for Drydens being better

[@TheLTak3r]

​@@akin4484 i mean...

[@yourlocaldisappointment9362]

@@akin4484 thats the point no? if op thinks roguelite games are better than story-based ones, itd be *their* defense that dryden is better for them

[@akin4484]

@@yourlocaldisappointment9362 he didnt say "i personally think this is better for me" he said "this game is better because it has more replayability so it shouldve won and the only possible reason it didnt is because the guy is less popular"

[@Tyomak-ov]

@@akin4484 lets see, when someone makes an obvious opinionated statement, do you think that oh idk, its his opinion? and its true that he lost to lixian because lixian had more fans, idk about you but a handful of enemies and then idk 15 minutes of gameplay and its over, which his game didnt fit the theme at all, isn't going to give the same quality as a game you can play hours and have actual story and lore

[@Basjuh1984]

How is this even possible?! Why I really appreciate the hard work and creativity of everyone, how is it possible that a very generic, unfinished, half-random, “horror” FPS with a very minimal relation to the contests objective can win from a game that looks almost finished and quite unique? While everyone can have their opinion and favorite of course, I find this very difficult to understand.

[@sirsapphire3499]

The community vote destroyed the fairness by making it a popularity contest. Lixian is known by millions and Dryden has only a few thousand fans. He was robbed by the vote because it wasn't anonymous.

[@ln0ccent]

Hell nah drydan ate this competition up idk how yall didnt see that but bro had a whole releasable game

[@NeflewitzInc]

Thought you would've split the community vote into two +1s considering you got it from 2 different communities. Dryden smashed this with theme, even though I don't particularly enjoy platformers and love retro resident evil style games.

[@JACK-yy3xm]

The fact that Dryden didn’t win is insane they both were great but it wasn’t even close Drydens was insanely good

[@alejorag]

Lixian's game leans way more towards what I usually like in videogames but in their current state it was an absolute joke that Dryden didn't win, thing was more polished than other games I've actually paid money for, what a beast

[@uBreeze]

Awgh, I’m so annoyed Disinherited didn’t win! The amount of polish and mechanical consistency was insane. It looked so much fun.

[@SJ95111]

The submissions should have been anonymous the public. Theres no way Dryden lost

[@GBA22]

Glad to see all the comments confirming that Dryden should have won. Genuinely no idea why the community voted the other way. Also feels like the judges intentionally set it up to be 3/2

[@amyroche5376]

Absolutely love the content you guys make. I’d love to see more female devs in these vids, as a female game developer myself. I think it would make for even more diversity in the ideas and designs generated, and add some differing perspectives. 😊

[@steampunkWizardStudios]

NGL im kinda fed up with blackthornprod's implementation of these contests, especially after the community upset.

[@hanspeter731]

For real tho... idk how they do it but they manage to fumble the bag with every video somehow.

[@aBennu]

The fact that another generic ragdoll game made it out of round one blows my mind

[@Siggy]

@@aBennu seriously. it was so insanely bland. once you do every task... whats next? nothing.

[@DefaultFlame]

@@hanspeter731 Not every one I'd say, but it's something like half.

[@APolygons2]

THERE IS NO WAY. I was so sure Disinherited was the clear winner, I thought the finale would be too boring cause everyone would vote for it. I am absolutely baffled, it was such a unique concept with a an extremely clear vision. Sure the other one was great as a one time experience horror, but Disinherited was so much more than that. Their story wasn't even comparable, the use of the themes was better, SPECIALLY the computer one. It had a really cool aesthetics and a variety of different settings. Like am I crazy? The horror game was good, but Disinherited feels like something that could become a roguelike classic in the right hands. Edit: Alright this has nothing to do with the post, so you don't have to read it, and I know this sucks and I hate to be doing this. But I am only human, this comment has gotten a little bit of traction, and I have to be shameless and say I actually make videos on this account, mostly about anime and stuff. I would appreciate if you looked to see if any of them may interest you. Sorry for this shameless addition, I know I am lesser for it lol

[@SultanAbdussalam]

The horror probably made a greater impact at that moment, I agree that it probably won't again , it was a one time thing, I was actually shocked too, I wanna play drydens game , it looked fun

[@valeryfoyniak4934]

Lixian has 1.3 mil subs Dryden has 2k subs Draw a conclusion

[@BlakeGoGameDev]

I felt the same

[@jackalgames0]

Absolutely agree. I wishlisted Disinherited before I even finished the video. The handdrawn, 2D aesthetic of the game was beautiful. The addition of his own music was incredible. The thought process between the bosses. Like someone above me mentioned.. having the community vote when it’s 1.4m versus 2,000 just simply isn’t fair. If you take the community out of it, Dryden was the right choice, which the judges made.

[@nicholaswhitt1886]

Yeah I'm casting my vote with my wallet I'm buying drydens game when it releases the other one I'm not even gonna try I feel like it just doesn't have enough at all.

[@MerlinSpace]

i dont - what? that doesnt seem right. and why did lemon vote for the horror game? im so confused

[@MicroMidas]

Disinherited looks _so_ clean! Good job on that one, Dryden!

[@ShioriWhitefeather]

Lixian made a good zombie horror game. But a memento mori can also be a small gift to remind you of someone who has passed on. Dryden should have won.

[@bigmistqke]

Did not expect that ending. Thought dryden was obvious winner.

[@AutisticJesusGaming]

Yo wth Dryden better get compensated for this.

[@peachtime]

Ok guys! Lets do a community vote: our contestants are... -markipliers editoe -over a milion subs And.. -a dude -2k subs Very thought out

[@sirsapphire3499]

All they had to do was not associate a name to each game and the community would 100% have voted for the other one. That's all they had to do but sadly they didn't

[@Daniel2374]

​@@sirsapphire3499doesnt matter, the guy can ask for votes on his platforms. The way to go is no democracy.

[@michaelhooper1717]

This was the dumbest twist I could have seen. No oversight and a really underdeveloped concept. Before throwing big amounts of money that would genuinely be life changing for a small developer there needs to be more serious steps taking to create a fair environment for competition based on game development and not a popularity contest

[@BroskiPlays]

Dryden done dirty, he shouldve won! Thank god that he still is going to release the game to the public! Can't wait to play this, i love roguelikes

[@xoabdul]

Dryden your flow state is insane, I can literally see it in this video

[@lucasjbond]

I hope Dryden puts out devlogs or something for his game! Lixian's game looked great, but I wonder what would've happened if it was anonymous. Dryden's game seemed to fit way more with the theme! Keep up these videos though. They're super fun to watch!

[@SHXDES0115]

Dryden is incredibly talented and it shows every single time. Big fan

[@Nyghtking]

Personally it feels like Dryden should have won, while I was curious to see where Lixian was going to take his game Dryden had the more complete experience and his game felt like it stuck to the theme better. Both are good, but Dryden's felt better.

[@samreid297]

Drydens game was on par with a fully released game with amazing art music and gameplay, he should have won. Everyone else did well but nobody else was on the same level

[@Mark-wu5ku]

Dryden's game is the type of game someone will replay for hundreds of hours Lixian's game is the type of game you play once or twice to feel scared Honestly both are great, but I prefer roguelikes and replayability so Dryden wins for me

[@Troglobitten]

Community votes are ALWAYS a populatiry contest, what a disgrace. Dryden straight up made a fully fleshed out game that tied in very well with the theme.

[@michaelhooper1717]

Left the worst taste in my mouth. Dryden deserved a win and when a smaller game dev receives this amount of money it is genuinely life changing. I hope blackthorn prod does better in the future because this was disgraceful. Vote based off game developing > vote based off popularity

[@meepswag35]

I thought Drydens was way better, in all honesty lixians was my least favorite concept of the last 4

[@RaikiDas]

Completely robbed. I usually love watching these videos but lixians game wasn’t even close to Dryden. Dryden has everything you want in a game, a story, actual working game play, cool item mechanics, and more. There was also some other questionable eliminations that made no sense, where you have some better games and the other still incomplete games made it through complete bs

[@michaelhooper1717]

I was baffled by the vote ultimately coming down to a popularity contest. Really shameful behavior

[@Babynboii99]

Lixian's game was amazing but ultimately Dryden's Game was much more polished and felt like a fully released game. Props to everyone as its clear that all the devs put in a lot of time into their games!

[@egorthehawk4824]

Drydens game was really unique! I love the style and the idea, it developed into something awesome. Really hope it goes far!

[@sirsapphire3499]

No disrespect to Lixian, but he got a gimme +2 for having more than a million fans compared to a few thousand. Dryden got completely robbed and if the community vote hadn't been a popularity contest that +2 would not have saved Lixian's frankly unpolished and unfinished game compared to a basically 90% complete roguelite with *way* more passion, effort, and replayability. That was a complete steal for someone with millions of fans, especually being associated with Markiplier, and as others have mentioned the theme stacked in his favor because memento mori was the theme behing Markiplier's now deleted channel Unus Annus.

[@quez900_4]

I agree with you so much!!!

[@mrwrong3940]

**Spoilers in this comment** I think lixian had a great game and I'll be upfront about my bias toward Dreyden's game, because the fact that community vote decided the winner rubs me the wrong way a little. Lixian is an established presence on the internet and it makes me wonder if clout had a lot to do with the community vote, over the actual games. Either way all devs in this competition did an amazing job and I'm no professional critic so maybe lixian's really did have more appeal to the masses I am unaware of. Still if community votes happen in the future I feel that the devs behind each should remain anonymous until after the voting period so clout doesn't have any sort of effect on the results.

[@evanhoodini5808]

Amazing work Dryden !!! Your work really stands out to me amongst the other projects. I love the hand drawn animations it feels very polished. I also really like the cup head esque bosses where each one has different mechanics to overcome. So much love for your project keep working on it please!

[@ThaCosmonaut]

Adding my comment in support of Dryden. The real winner.