Potions: A Curious Tale almost got buried — until its creator pushed back

02.04.2024 - 16:53 / polygon.com

Renee Gittins started mixing the ingredients together for Potions: A Curious Tale nearly 10 years ago, documenting the highs and lows of game development in vlogs on her YouTube channel, which she produced throughout the making of Potions. She did this as a means to inspire other girls interested in game development, which she also did through her former work as an executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). She told Polygon in a recent interview that she “wanted to share the experience with others so they could see what the journey would be like if they pursued it themselves.”

She ultimately decided to release it on International Women’s Day — March 8, 2024 — to celebrate girls everywhere and remind them that anything is possible despite the discrimination and obstacles we all face. Her thought was also that the first quarter of the year was generally a safer time for releases, with fewer games typically coming out from larger publishers. It was the perfect day to release her first solo game — until it wasn’t.

Electronic Arts happened to randomly choose International Women’s Day to rerelease Command & Conquer, SimCity 3000, and half a dozen other classic games on Steam, burying Potions: A Curious Tale on the New Releases page and lowering the chances of most people discovering it. Discoverability can make or break a game, especially indies, so Gittins was crushed when she spoke about it on social media.

Thanks, EA. In one fell swoop, you managed to bury all of my hard work on marketing Potions: A Curious Tale. #gamedev #indiedev #ea #internationalwomansday

The response she received — and continues to receive — has been mixed. Her reaction went viral on TikTok, later being picked up by news stations because of how touched people were to learn about Gittins’ journey. Some people discovered the game as a result of the coverage, but she’s certainly received her share of hate in comment sections and in Steam reviews for her game.

“Honestly, putting myself out there with those videos was very intimidating,” Gittins said. “I did not want to be seen as weak or incompetent, but I also knew that sharing that vulnerability was exactly what others needed to see to encourage themselves and understand they weren’t alone in their self-doubt and worry, nor in feeling triumph over their small successes.”

At the time, I was actually scrolling through Steam’s new releases, and I remember thinking, Oh, this witch girl potions game looks cute and different. I hope people still find it under all these classics EA just rereleased. I was so happy when the game went viral — and when Gittins agreed to speak with me about her journey in developing Potions: A Curious Tale.

Gittins said Potion