From 2f392edafd2724432cdcce74fb44f48068e3d50f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "github-actions[bot]" <41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:02:30 +0900 Subject: [PATCH] Add market benchmark evidence --- docs/MARKET_BENCHMARK_2026-06-29.md | 68 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 68 insertions(+) create mode 100644 docs/MARKET_BENCHMARK_2026-06-29.md diff --git a/docs/MARKET_BENCHMARK_2026-06-29.md b/docs/MARKET_BENCHMARK_2026-06-29.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2f05020 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/MARKET_BENCHMARK_2026-06-29.md @@ -0,0 +1,68 @@ +# Market Benchmark 2026-06-29 + +This document records what Cinder Ward should learn from current Steam-facing games. It is intentionally focused on what appears on screen and in trailers: silhouette, color, visible pressure, action clarity, and replay hooks. No screenshots, video frames, music, or third-party assets are copied into the repo. + +## Official Media Pull + +The first visual pass used Steam's official `appdetails` media data, then downloaded representative Steam-hosted screenshots locally for inspection. These files are local research references only and are not committed. + +| App | Official media checked | Local observation | +| --- | --- | --- | +| [Dead Cells](https://store.steampowered.com/app/588650/Dead_Cells/) | 13 official screenshots, 1 movie entry. Representative screenshot: [Steam CDN](https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/588650/ss_ac28000ade40cc2fe5c128f32ac98ba33c008a7a.1920x1080.jpg) | The red attack arc, white weapon hit, fire at ground contact, and enemy silhouette sell the frame more than facial detail. | +| [Hades II](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145350/Hades_II/) | 8 official screenshots, 6 movie entries. Steam listed a `Hades II - v1.0 Launch Trailer` movie entry in the API response. Representative screenshot: [Steam CDN](https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1145350/ss_ef0f63061d0a0a9a7e46f3b84f125d25330e8f19.1920x1080.jpg) | Small characters remain readable through white body marks, oversized blue attack arcs, and bright red/pink impact centers. | +| [V Rising](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1604030/V_Rising/) | 54 official screenshots, 8 movie entries. Representative screenshot: [Steam CDN](https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1604030/ss_19d6b903fd65c410af902a8c5f62c820cfe09292.1920x1080.jpg) | Scale comes from environment: black foreground framing, deep paths, and a small readable figure in the middle of heavy scenery. | +| [DREDGE](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1562430/DREDGE/) | 13 official screenshots, 5 movie entries. Representative screenshot: [Steam CDN](https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1562430/ss_70f88014423ed93eaa111c0d0daca2c500f76908.1920x1080.jpg) | The safe light/distant return point is as important as danger. Cinder Ward needs a warm place to return to inside the dark frame. | + +Full Steam API media count pulled for the 10 benchmark apps: + +| App | Screenshots | Movie entries | +| --- | ---: | ---: | +| Dead Cells | 13 | 1 | +| Hades II | 8 | 6 | +| V Rising | 54 | 8 | +| DREDGE | 13 | 5 | +| Against the Storm | 10 | 2 | +| Balatro | 12 | 1 | +| Loop Hero | 10 | 2 | +| Unrailed | 6 | 2 | +| Overcooked 2 | 29 | 4 | +| Darkest Dungeon II | 20 | 6 | + +## Benchmarks + +| ゲーム | Steam / 公式リンク | 画面で売っているもの（暗さ/色/主人公/密度） | 動画・実況で映える瞬間 | 中毒性構造 | Cinder Wardへの示唆 | +|---|---|---|---|---|---| +| Dead Cells | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/588650/Dead_Cells/) / [official](https://deadcells.com/) | Dark stone spaces plus saturated effects. The protagonist is small, but weapons, motion arcs, and enemies read instantly. | Near-death boss fights, fast recoveries, clean hits, and short retries. | Kill, die, learn, unlock, retry. The run speed stays high. | The first character must feel responsive before the full game exists. Action marks should be larger than the body. | +| Hades II | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145350/Hades_II/) / [official](https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades-ii/) | Strong top-down silhouettes, polished character identity, high contrast effects, dense but readable rooms. | Weapon/boon changes, boss phase shifts, and reward selection moments. | Room rewards and build variation make repeated runs feel authored. | Cinder Ward needs room-end choices that visibly change the next room. | +| V Rising | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1604030/V_Rising/) / [official](https://www.vrising.com/) | Gothic castles, purple/red magic, moonlit exteriors, and player fantasy that reads from architecture. | Castle expansion, boss hunting, raids, and night/day pressure. | Combat, crafting, and place-making reinforce each other. | The cathedral-city should be a progression object, not only a background. | +| DREDGE | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1562430/DREDGE/) / [official](https://www.dredge.game/) | Fog, sea color, tiny player vessel, and readable safety/danger contrast. | Night danger, monster reveals, and limping back to safety with cargo. | Go out, collect, risk more, return, upgrade. | Pressure without a clock works when safety and danger are visible in the world. | +| Against the Storm | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1336490/Against_the_Storm/) / [publisher](https://hoodedhorse.com/games/against-the-storm/) | Rain, forest, warm settlement light, and many state indicators without losing the fantasy. | Storm escalation, settlement recovery, and crisis tradeoffs. | Repeated settlements with persistent meta progress. | Use stacked world states, not a visible timer, as the pressure system. | +| Balatro | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/Balatro/) / [official](https://www.playbalatro.com/) | Bright readable cards, limited visual vocabulary, high clarity of cause/effect. | Score explosions and combo reveals that viewers understand quickly. | Short rounds, multipliers, and "one more run" escalation. | Even dark fantasy needs clear combinational payoffs. Forge/tool results should pop immediately. | +| Loop Hero | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1282730/Loop_Hero/) / [official](https://loophero.com/) | Dark 2D board, symbolic hero, and clear placed tiles. | A built loop turning dangerous, boss meters filling, and retreat decisions. | Placing changes future risk; resources feed camp growth. | "Place" should be a strategic verb with visible future consequences. | +| Unrailed | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1016920/Unrailed/) / [official](https://unrailed-game.com/) | Colorful pixel co-op, moving objective, and instantly legible jobs. | Route panic, resource shortages, and last-second fixes. | Clear success/failure for each segment; roles emerge naturally. | Keep carrying/building pressure, but replace the train with district gates and ward engines. | +| Overcooked 2 | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/728880/Overcooked_2/) / [official](https://www.team17.com/games/overcooked-2/) | High color, low ambiguity, small avatars, dense shared workspace. | Miscommunication, blocked paths, synchronized saves, and chain failures. | Simple verbs combine into chaotic team strategy. | "Sort" must be visible: viewers should know why the team chose the wrong priority. | +| Darkest Dungeon II | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1940340/Darkest_Dungeon_II/) / [official](https://www.darkestdungeon.com/darkest-dungeon-ii/) | Heavy gothic silhouettes, candlelight, stress, and travel through hostile space. | Near-collapse recoveries, bad tradeoffs, and grim victories. | Party state, risk, and rewards compound across travel. | Cinder Ward should make damaged states dramatic and readable, not just numeric. | + +## Shared Sellable Traits + +1. One frame communicates fantasy, objective, and danger. +2. Strong effects are more important than facial detail at gameplay scale. +3. Failure teaches the next attempt instead of feeling like erased time. +4. Viewers can describe what went wrong after a chaotic moment. +5. Progress is visible through tools, room states, route changes, or build choices. + +## First Character Requirements + +1. Adult, sharp, dangerous silhouette. +2. One readable pale face/mask/helmet mark at small size. +3. One red or gold accent that survives dark rooms. +4. A tool/weapon shape that explains verbs: strike, carry, place, forge. +5. Idle, walk, carry, hit, and interact animations must read before polish. + +## Avoid + +1. Generic "chosen hero" costume language. +2. Chibi proportions as the first production target. +3. A main countdown timer as the only pressure. +4. A train, wagon, or kitchen surface swap. +5. Beautiful lore that does not produce a clear playable screenshot.