If you are an indie dev that feels deflated about how your game is performing in comparison to others, know that I often compare #thelongdark to other games that perform better and feel shitty about it, even though we've sold about 5M copies. "Comparison is the thief of joy."

There's always a game out there that has done better than yours. There's always a leader out there who seems to do a better job than you. There's always a team out there that seems to do things better than yours does. You have to make peace with it, and appreciate what you have.

And as a good friend often points out to me, when I'm in a "low" place: when comparing to other games, other leaders, other studios -- you have no idea how they are really doing. All you know is what you see from the outside. They have their own struggles to contend with.

Look at what you have, appreciate the good, do what you can to improve the bad, and try not to get distracted or siphon your energy into worrying about what others are doing, saying, thinking, or -- and this is particularly bad -- sharing on social media.

What people post on social media is inevitably a curated version of reality. Also, some people are very good at presenting themselves online but that does not translate -- like at all -- to success in the craft or business of making games. It's a distraction.

Making beautiful gifs and speaking at conferences etc. is a good way to promote yourself or your game, but it's not the same as shipping things. In the end, what matters is what you ship to your players, how much they like it (or don't), and what you do with that info. Hold fast.