In episode 554 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers celebrate the launch of the How Many Dudes demo and the surprise explosion past 50,000 wishlists. They break down what worked, from shipping the demo during the Steam winter sale to leaning hard into YouTube Shorts, influencers, and community momentum. he episode wraps with reflections on resilience, creative momentum, and why 2026 just might be the Year of the Dude.

Support How Many Dudes!
Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/how-many-dudes
Trailer Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgQM1SceEpI
Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3934270/How_Many_Dudes

00:00 Cold Open
00:33 Introduction and Welcome
01:52 The Launch Strategy for 'How Many Dudes'
05:44 Initial Reception and Growth of the Demo
11:38 Influencer Impact and Community Engagement
17:34 Viral Success and Peak Player Engagement
23:50 The Power of Community Influence
26:49 Tracking Player Engagement and Growth
30:32 Comparing Demo Performance and Market Trends
31:50 Understanding Wishlist Dynamics
35:37 Designing an Engaging Demo Experience
40:05 Exploring Game Mechanics and Combinatorial Play
45:38 Seasonal Models and Game Dynamics
47:00 Naming the Year: 2026
47:43 Creative Year Themes and Predictions
54:18 Reflections on Resilience and Moving Forward

To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk) or wherever you get your audio goodness.

If you want to get more involved in the Butterscotch community, hop into our DISCORD server at discord.gg/bscotch and say hello!

Submit questions at https://www.bscotch.net/podcast, disclose all of your secrets to podcast@bscotch.net, and send letters, gifts, and tasty treats to https://bit.ly/bscotchmailbox.

Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to https://moneygrab.bscotch.net.

In episode 553 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers take stock of a wild year at Butterscotch Shenanigans, starting with the launch of Crashlands 2 and everything that came after it. They talk about testing woes, localization headaches, and the emotional rollercoaster of reading reviews. From there, the conversation turns forward-looking, unpacking why the team is shifting toward smaller, faster projects, what they learned from early experiments with How Many Dudes, and how tools like Ludokit fit into their next chapter.

Support How Many Dudes!
Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/how-many-dudes
Trailer Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgQM1SceEpI
Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3934270/How_Many_Dudes

00:00 Cold Open
00:42 Introduction and Welcome
02:44 Crashlands 2 Development Challenges
05:41 Launch Day Success and Initial Reception
08:45 Content Updates and Player Feedback
11:46 Navigating Reviews and Player Expectations
14:46 Post-Launch Reflections and Future Directions
17:49 Introducing Ludokid: A New Tool for Game Development
25:06 Casual Conversations and Game Development Insights
25:42 Achievements and Game Mechanics
26:38 Ludo Kit and Development Planning
28:33 Pivoting to 'How Many Dudes'
30:05 Shifting Game Development Strategies
31:35 Changing Perceptions of Indie Games
34:36 Market Trends and Player Expectations
37:54 The Evolution of Game Design
40:40 Game Jams and Rapid Prototyping
44:49 Demo Development and Market Testing
47:54 Future Plans and Community Engagement

To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk) or wherever you get your audio goodness.

If you want to get more involved in the Butterscotch community, hop into our DISCORD server at discord.gg/bscotch and say hello!

Submit questions at https://www.bscotch.net/podcast, disclose all of your secrets to podcast@bscotch.net, and send letters, gifts, and tasty treats to https://bit.ly/bscotchmailbox.

Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to https://moneygrab.bscotch.net.

In episode 552 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers celebrate a big personal milestone before diving into why demos matter more than ever for indie games. They break down how demos drive visibility on Steam, why they work best as hype-builders rather than pure conversion tools, and how thoughtful demo timing can spark organic player engagement. The conversation looks at demos as living marketing tools that fuel wishlists, feedback, and long-term momentum.

Support How Many Dudes!
Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/how-many-dudes
Trailer Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgQM1SceEpI
Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3934270/How_Many_Dudes

00:00 Cold Open
00:29 Introduction and Welcome
03:02 Celebrating Milestones: 10 Years Cancer-Free
09:49 The Importance of Demos in Game Development
14:01 Navigating Game Releases During Holidays
14:51 The Purpose of Demos in Game Marketing
18:36 Understanding Player Engagement Metrics
20:24 The Role of Demos in Driving Wishlists
22:37 Optimizing Demos for Next Fest Success
24:27 Using Demos Beyond Next Fest
26:03 Case Study: The Success of Bellatro
36:27 Strategizing Demo Releases for Market Impact
37:01 The Power of Demos in Game Marketing
39:25 Leveraging Community Feedback for Game Development
41:10 Creating Organic Buzz Through Accessibility
44:08 The Risks and Rewards of Demo Releases
49:32 Incremental Development and Localization Strategies
51:34 The Purpose of Demos: Marketing vs. Conversion

To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk) or wherever you get your audio goodness.

If you want to get more involved in the Butterscotch community, hop into our DISCORD server at discord.gg/bscotch and say hello!

Submit questions at https://www.bscotch.net/podcast, disclose all of your secrets to podcast@bscotch.net, and send letters, gifts, and tasty treats to https://bit.ly/bscotchmailbox.

Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to https://moneygrab.bscotch.net.