What should i do after releasing my demo?

[rigid cloud]

I have an question for some developers here, who have released a game before and have been successful or somewhat successful. I just recently released a demo for my game on Itch.io, and it did alright with 50 downloads and 3 positive reviews. I'm currently lost at what to do, I'm thinking about just working on the full game, and hoping i don't waste my time, but i could also work on my marketing strategies, and revise my demo a little to get more exposure. What should i do?

[crude hatch]

Demos almost never get the same exposure twice. I think the better question, knowing 50 downloads is a good accomplishment but not enough to recoup costs - is what do you want to learn and what do you want to do next? If you want to figure out how to increase a userbase, it's a great time to learn that. If you want to learn stats on demo to full version conversion, punch it out, and start learning that. Your first games are perfect for building up knowledge

[rigid cloud]

Well i actually wasn't expecting any money, since i haven't put any money into it YET. I'm thinking about just shooting for the final game, or a alpha. Would that be smart?

[wind grotto]

It really depends on where you are (expertise wise), what you are aiming for (Money, Fun, Achievements, etc.) and what are your available resources (Time, Money, Motivation).

[rigid cloud]

I'm aiming to Achieve a successful game, whether i make money or not. I don't really care about the money. I definitely have the time and motivation.

[wind grotto]

Then, I believe that going trough your first game should be your focus. Even if the game is terrible, does not sell well, etc. it is going to provide you with experience, enlighten you on what it is requires to do to publish a game, and provides a benchmark for your future games. What is important is to understand that you will most likely not be able to have success on your first game. (If we define success by a game being played by a sizeable audience)