Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I totally get what you mean—there’s something really motivating about building alongside an audience and feeling that anticipation grow. For me, I’ve found that releasing a completed project has its own kind of reward, but I agree that the journey of development blogs and community interaction can be just as fulfilling. Finding fans on itch.io can definitely be tricky, but I think your approach of keeping people engaged during development is a strong way to build lasting support.
Have a blessed day! :)