How To Make A Game Alone

Thomas Brush
16 Nov 202208:11
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video details one developer's arduous journey creating his indie game Pinstripe solo, facing constant frustrations from unnecessary changes, workload burnout, and no outside creative oversight. After finally submitting a patchwork build to festivals and receiving harsh criticism, he realizes crucial mistakes: over-personalizing the game as his identity rather than setting concrete milestones, and refusing any artistic help or assets from online stores to lighten his immense workload across every game discipline. Upon utilizing indie funding, building marketing hype, and partnering with publishers and influencers, his game significantly improved and launched successfully as a full-time solo developer.

Takeaways
  • 😢 Working solo on an indie game can be an emotionally difficult experience
  • 💡 Having a plan and milestone checklist can help solo developers stay focused
  • 🤝 Don't try to do everything yourself as a solo developer
  • 🚀 Using assets from asset stores can significantly speed up development
  • 🎉 Getting accepted and attending festivals can provide motivation and connections
  • 💰 Crowdfunding campaigns can provide funding to work full time on the game
  • 🤝 Partnering with a publisher can help with marketing, funding and finishing the game
  • 🏆 It is possible to have success as a solo game developer
  • 🔨 Having a strong demo and pitch deck can secure funding from various sources
  • 💡 Videos, courses and templates can help new developers avoid common pitfalls
Q & A

  • What was the initial story idea for the game Pinstripe?

    -The initial story for Pinstripe was about some guy in a snowy hotel with his wife.

  • Why did the developer feel like he was trapped in a prison while working on Pinstripe?

    -The developer felt trapped because he was trying to do everything himself for the game - the coding, art, music, story, etc. This huge workload led to burnout and constant changes that delayed the project.

  • What feedback did the developer get when he first submitted Pinstripe to a festival?

    -When first submitted to the IGF festival, Pinstripe was rejected and the developer was told the gameplay was frustrating.

  • How did the developer fund the further development of Pinstripe?

    -The developer launched a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $100,000 to fund further development of Pinstripe and allow him to work on it full-time.

  • What publishers helped the developer eventually release and market Pinstripe?

    -The developer partnered with publishers Armor Games and Serenity Forge to help release and market Pinstripe.

  • What advice does the developer give for avoiding burnout as a solo game developer?

    -The developer advises sticking to a schedule/milestones, not trying to do everything yourself, and utilizing available assets rather than reinventing the wheel.

  • How can a solo developer secure funding even before finishing their game?

    -A developer can create a strong game demo and pitch deck to secure funding from publishers, investors, or crowdfunding before finishing the full game.

  • What resources does the developer provide to help others make games?

    -The developer provides a free 2D game kit, 3D game course, and webinar on securing funding to help others make games.

  • What was the developer's ultimate goal in sharing his experiences making Pinstripe?

    -The developer aimed to show that it's possible to successfully develop games independently, if you avoid common pitfalls like overwork and scope creep.

  • What is the developer working on currently?

    -The developer is currently managing a team to develop his third game, which is a first person shooter.

Outlines
00:00
👨‍💻 The solo game developer struggle

The first paragraph describes the author's difficult personal journey and struggles as a solo game developer working on his game 'Pinstripe' over 3 years. He felt lost, lacked direction and constantly changed core aspects of the game like story and art style. This led to slow progress, missed deadlines, and burnout.

05:02
😥 Finding motivation after rejection and failure

The second paragraph continues with the author submitting Pinstripe to festivals but facing rejection. This was disheartening and made him reconsider his approaches. He then found some success showcasing at a small festival, got funding via Kickstarter, found a publisher, and eventually went full-time as a developer.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Solo development
Solo development refers to independently creating a video game without a development team. The narrator initially tried to make the game Pinstripe completely by himself, doing all the coding, art, music, design, etc. This led to constantly changing ideas and scope creep that delayed the project. Solo development can be extremely challenging due to wearing so many hats and no accountability.
💡Burnout
Burnout is extreme exhaustion from overwork. The narrator experienced burnout from working full-time while also developing Pinstripe solo during nights and weekends. This workload caused immense stress and likely contributed to haphazard decision making that delayed the game.
💡Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding raises money for projects by getting small financial contributions from a large number of people, often via the internet. After networking at an indie game festival, the narrator launched a successful Kickstarter campaign that provided crucial funding to develop Pinstripe full-time.
💡Publishers
Game publishers help fund, market, and distribute indie games. After the Kickstarter campaign, publishers like Armor Games and Serenity Forge partnered with the narrator. This allowed focusing on development while publishers handled business, marketing etc.
💡Unity Asset Store
The Unity Asset Store provides 3D models, environments, visual effects, scripts, etc that can be purchased and used in Unity games. Instead of trying to build everything from scratch, the narrator advises using asset store content to accelerate development.
💡Wish lists
Wish listing a game involves signaling interest to purchase it upon release. The narrator recommends indie devs try to secure thousands of wish lists prior to launch via demos and publisher partnerships, to help ensure enough sales.
💡Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is a game subscription service across Apple devices. After gaining success with Pinstripe and a second game, the narrator signed a deal to develop a game for this service.
💡PewDiePie
PewDiePie is an extremely popular YouTube gaming influencer. The narrator developed a custom 2D game for PewDiePie, helping further establish his indie credentials.
💡Milestone checklist
A milestone checklist outlines development goals and deadlines. The narrator created one and placed it on his refrigerator to keep himself accountable and avoid scope creep.
💡Accountability partner
An accountability partner helps ensure someone sticks to their goals. The narrator asked his wife to co-sign his milestone checklist and call out any failures to follow the plan.
Highlights

I cried in my cubicle because making indie games solo felt impossible

As a solo dev, you make careless decisions that push back the game's deadline

I changed the story and art style multiple times, scrapping months of work

Nobody was there to stop me from sabotaging my own project

Being a solo dev means wearing 20 different hats - coder, artist, musician, etc.

Finding time for game dev as a solo dev with other responsibilities feels impossible

After 3 painful years, my game was rejected and criticized by indie game festivals

Don't do everything yourself - use asset stores and hire contractors if needed

I met other indie devs who taught me about funding and Kickstarter campaigns

My first Kickstarter raised $100k allowing me to go full time as a solo developer

Partnering with publishers helped with marketing burden and building hype

Stick to a schedule and milestone checklist to avoid unnecessary changes

Use a publisher or crowdfunding to secure 6 figures and finish your game strong

It's possible to make profitable indie games solo with the right strategy

Utilize other developers, assets, publishers to avoid trying to do everything

Transcripts

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