Shipnote

Communicate Game Updates for Indie Game Developers

Indie game developers constantly iterate and release updates. Keeping players informed about new features, bug fixes, and balance changes is vital for community engagement and retention.

The problem

Indie game developers often manage their projects with limited resources, making manual changelog creation a time-consuming chore. After fixing bugs, adding new levels, or tweaking game mechanics, developers frequently spend hours drafting release notes for Steam, itch.io, or their Discord server. This effort distracts from actual game development and often results in delayed or inconsistent communication, leading to player confusion, missed opportunities to highlight progress, and a less engaged community.

Players crave transparency and regular updates from indie studios. Without a clear, up-to-date changelog, they might miss crucial patches, balance changes, or exciting new content, leading to frustration or even abandonment of the game. Manually tracking every commit and translating it into player-facing language for different platforms (e.g., Discord announcements, Steam news feeds) is a repetitive and error-prone process that pulls developers away from their passion: making games.

How Shipnote solves it

1
Automatically generate player-friendly changelogs from your game's source code commits on GitHub.
2
Translate technical updates into engaging announcements about new features, fixes, and improvements.
3
Provide a hosted, always-current changelog page ready for sharing on Steam, Discord, or your website.

Concrete example

Galactic Saga - Patch Notes v1.5.0

  • New Feature: Faction Loyalty System

    Introduced a dynamic faction loyalty system where player choices now influence relationships with various in-game factions, unlocking unique quests and rewards. Explore new diplomatic paths!

    Released on 2024-07-26
  • Bug Fix: Inventory Duplication Glitch

    Addressed a critical bug that allowed players to duplicate inventory items under specific conditions, ensuring fair play and economic stability across all servers. Thank you for reporting!

    Released on 2024-07-24
View All Patch Notes

Ready to try Shipnote?

Your commits become a published changelog in 60 seconds — no writing required.

Frequently asked questions

Can I integrate Shipnote changelogs directly into my Steam news feed?
While Shipnote hosts the changelog, you can easily link to it from your Steam news posts or use its RSS feed to automatically populate other platforms that support it.
How does Shipnote handle platform-specific game updates (e.g., PC vs. Console)?
If you manage separate codebases or branches for different platforms, you can configure Shipnote to generate distinct changelogs for each, reflecting platform-specific updates.
Can I manually add flavor text or specific game lore to entries?
Yes, Shipnote allows for manual editing and enrichment of AI-generated entries before publishing, enabling you to add specific game context or narrative elements.

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