This wasn't my first game, although it's the first one with RPG Maker and on itch.io
Caliross is my 4th game, the 3 previous ones were adventure games made with a text(+images)-adventure engine (called RAGS). My last game was an adventure/RPG hybrid, but I wanted to have real-time exploration for my next game, which is why I moved to RPG Maker (I also thought it would be better at attracting an audience compared to RAGS). Getting people to like your game isn't easy, and it's ALSO a matter of luck, not just talent (of course with no talent, it's going to be harder).
If you want my humble advice, here is a list of things to focus on, to make your own first game:
1) Make sure to start small: your first game should be as short as you can while still making it fun. This is for a number of reasons. If you are new, you'll need experience with how to think about making games, and you need to familiarize yourself with the engine and tools you are going to use through practice. You can't do that if you are busy researching, prototyping and testing new things all the time, plus you'll have a harder time making these things efficiently, which will further slow you down. The larger a game is, the more complicated it will get.
2) I'd recommend starting this as a hobby: Asking for money if your game doesn't offer enough can be counter-productive, and make it hard to gain a following. If you can't make money with it, you also can't devote too much time and budget into it, so you must learn to accept the limitations that come with that, rather than try force your way through.
3) Try to find as many forums/websites which could fit the bill for the type of game you want to make, and post at least semi-regularly about updates. This is useful for feedback, to find more players, "grow an audience" and it's also an easier time for you when you'll need to find testers which leads me to...
4) Even if you might be unable to right away, desperately try to find people who can test your games and give you feedback. The general public is nice if you can gain a following, but you still want someone to help with the brunt of the bugs and with the starting feedback. Try to get people with similar interests (if you use your demo to attract them, this should be a natural consequence, but if you notice too much friction it's also fine to politely point it out, and look for someone who isn't trying to transform your game into something else).
5) Be shameless about your inspirations (and do mention them if you think they shaped the game considerably). Getting stuck on trying to do something "unique" "new" or "original" is one of the most damaging things you can do, while basing your game on games you like gives you a template you can use to still make something different, if not entirely unique. There will always be the next game to get an innovative idea done, and you'll be more confident with the tools afterward, so it's less of a daring proposition.
6) Never aim for perfect. If something works as intended, you can mull over it while you work on something else. In a small game, there is less need for re-using code and the like, so jury-rigging some stuff is perfectly fine. Also, don't sweat deadlines too much, but try to work consistently on the project, instead. Be willing to switch to other aspects of the game, if you are stuck in the short term (and don't be afraid to cut things out if you hate how they turned out or they are taking way too much time to get done).
7) Make sure the first demo is well-polished (for the users, it's fine if the code is messy, if it works with no bugs). First impressions are important, and this is doubly true for niche games. There is a LOT of stuff out there, it's easy to get lost. You can have a bad release every now and then, but fixing bugs is important, and having as little as you can of them when a release is out is even better.
There is more, but this is what I'd think off the top of my head.
Glad it was helpful. If you need some tips don't be afraid to ask around and of course don't be afraid to try things out on your own as well.
I wasn't sure if you wanted to make it a job or not, since you asked about how to attract an audience. Having no desire to turn this into a job should make things easier, as there isn't as much pressure, and as long as you don't make something super niche, you should be able to get people to play your game, if it's nice. Take your time to figure out what you like the most about working on the game as well, and plan accordingly (if you like both writing and coding/scripting, that's great, but you might want to focus more or less on writing or mechanics depending on your preferences).
If you need testers or help in general (like a writer or a coder), make sure to have the demo ready first, as it's the only way to show your vision and that you are committed to it. It's hard for people to jump in when they can't get a good idea about the game, although a vague pitch probably makes it easier to make money by selling everyone their dream game before it's even started (which is why a lot of crowdfunded projects crash and burn, or sometimes even scam people).
Anyway, enough of my blabbering. Good luck with your game! ^_^
