Indie dev reflects on building Table Slayer and Counter Slayer, niche gaming tools, as deliberate craft projects despite tiny addressable audiences.
Key Takeaways
Table Slayer serves people who embed TVs in furniture for D&D; Counter Slayer generates 3D-printable board game inserts for obscure war games.
Software economics make niche tools viable where hardware is not: hosting scales cheaply, open source never sunsets, and skills stay sharp through use.
Charging for the hosted Table Slayer tier is intentional: paying customers create accountability and drive feature direction the free tier alone would not.
The hardware analog, MtnKBD’s Let’s Tango keyboard (brass baseplate, single-piece aluminum, swappable PCBs), is closing because Australian shipping economics killed the margin.
Niche craft products, whether software tools or handmade Stiver mandolins, sustain tight communities that trade depth of engagement for breadth of audience.
