There’s definitely an issue of consumer mindshare that can be daunting to an unpublished designer. I know that I wasn’t thrilled to hear that a ‘successful’ (read: delivered a successful kickstarter) designer was working on a game with much of the same setting and theme as mine, and even some similar mechanics.

I think the games are sufficiently distinct and the market sufficiently broad that both of us can succeed separately, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t at least 30 seconds of “well why am I even bothering”.