Sektori, a Geometry Wars-inspired roguelike developed by Kimmo Lahtinen, has received overwhelming positive feedback despite not achieving financial success. The game scored highly with more than 100 Steam reviews at 97% positive ratings and a Metacritic score of about 90.
Sales and Development Challenges
Despite the game's critical acclaim, sales figures have not met expectations. Lahtinen has reported earning zero salary over the 4.5 years of development. While Sektori nearly covers its indirect costs, it hasn't resulted in commercial profit. Lahtinen believes this is due to the mismatch between lengthy development cycles and the fast-paced nature of internet trends, prompting smaller teams to seek shorter, cheaper projects for viral potential.
Target Audience and Design Intentions
The audience for Sektori tends to be older, with fewer players under 25. Some players have criticized the game for not explaining its systems, but Lahtinen stated this was intentional to encourage players to discover mechanics independently. Despite some criticisms, he acknowledged the powerful combat elements and the need for smoothing out the game's difficulty curve.
Ongoing Updates and Community Feedback
Lahtinen is committed to addressing community feedback and is working on a patch to resolve minor issues, including a difficulty spike at the first boss. His approach balances maintaining players' engagement while introducing necessary improvements.
