May 3rd, 9:00 AM. Chris's bedroom, still bearing the scars of their launch party, was transforming once again. This time, into a multimedia empire (in their highly optimistic imaginations).
"Right, team," Chris declared, standing before a whiteboard covered in a chaotic web of ideas. "Operation: Monetization and Community Building is a go! We may be broke, but we're resourceful. And we have a game that people (apparently) enjoy. Time to capitalize on that…responsibly, of course."
Max, ever the pragmatist, was already researching Patreon. "Okay, tiered subscriptions. Exclusive content. Behind-the-scenes access… We can offer early access to updates, concept art, maybe even…design polls?"
Tyrone, sketching furiously in his notebook (a logo for their newly christened "NebulaNauts" YouTube channel, perhaps?), chimed in, "And Discord! We need a place for our fans to…congregate. Share high scores, feedback, fan art… Maybe even host some…contests?"
Chris, who had appointed himself the "voice" of NebulaNauts, was already outlining a script for their first YouTube devlog. "We'll document our journey, showcase our game, and…beg for subscribers. Subtly, of course."
They spent the morning setting up their digital infrastructure:
Patreon: They created a NebulaNauts Patreon page with three tiers: "Cadet"
1/month,accesstoaprivateDiscordchannel),"Commander"(
5/month, early access to updates and concept art), and "Admiral" ($10/month, all previous benefits plus the ability to vote on design decisions).
Discord: They created a NebulaNauts Discord server, with channels for general chat, announcements, feedback, bug reports, and fan art. They appointed Max as the "Discord Moderator Supreme."
YouTube: They created a NebulaNauts YouTube channel, uploaded a hastily recorded intro video (featuring Chris's awkward attempts at humor), and started planning their first devlog.
The initial response was…modest. By the end of the day:
Patreon: 3 Patrons (Chris's mom, Max's sister, and Tyrone's surprisingly supportive uncle), generating a grand total of $17/month.
Discord: 15 members (mostly friends and family, plus a few curious players from itch.io).
YouTube: 22 subscribers (mostly the same people on Discord), and their intro video had garnered a whopping 35 views (most of which were probably them, refreshing the page).
"Rome wasn't built in a day," Chris said, trying to sound optimistic despite the underwhelming numbers.
Max, ever the realist, nodded. "It's a start. We need to build momentum. Consistent content, community engagement…"
Tyrone, ever the artist, was already designing thumbnails for their upcoming YouTube videos. "Needs more…explosions!"
They spent the afternoon brainstorming content ideas and outlining a plan for the next 21 days:
Project Nebula - Sustained Momentum (May 3rd - May 23rd, 2025)
May 3rd (Today): Patreon, Discord, & YouTube Setup (Complete!).
May 4th: Start to make first update.
Plan and design new update feature.
May 5th - May 9th: Develop Update v1.1.
New level ("Asteroid Field Ambush").
New enemy type ("Bomber" – explodes on death).
New power-up ("Triple Shot").
May 10th: Release Update v1.1 (Itch.io & PC).
Announce on Discord, Patreon, and YouTube.
May 11th: Release Update V1.1 Mobile.
Announce on Discord,Patreon and YoutTube.
May 12th - May 16th: Develop Update v1.2.
New level ("Nebula Nexus").
New enemy type ("Shield Drone" – protects other enemies).
Balance tweaks and bug fixes.
May 17th: Release Update v1.2 (Itch.io & PC).
May 18th: Release Update v1.2 (Mobile).
Announce on Discord, Patreon, and YouTube.
May 19th - May 21st: Start to design new update.
New contents and features for update.
May 22nd - 23rd: Community Engagement & Planning.
Respond to feedback, run polls, plan future updates.
Brainstorm new game ideas.
Ongoing:
Patreon: Weekly behind-the-scenes posts, concept art, early access to updates.
Discord: Daily interaction, community management, contests (maybe).
YouTube: Weekly devlogs (Chris's attempts at being a YouTuber), gameplay videos, update announcements.
"It's ambitious," Chris said, surveying the plan. "But we're NebulaNauts. We don't back down from a challenge."
Max, ever the coder, was already outlining the new level design. "Asteroid Field Ambush…sounds exciting."
Tyrone, ever the artist, was sketching the new "Bomber" enemy. "This thing is going to look awesome when it explodes."
By 9:00 PM, they were exhausted, but their spirits were high. They had a plan, a (small) community, and a growing sense of momentum. The future of NebulaNauts, while still uncertain, looked bright. They were ready to work, to create, and to (hopefully) make a living doing what they loved.