Thanks for watching guys! What about you? What would you do differently if you started over? ► Get 50% off Full Time Game Dev during the Black Friday sale: www.fulltimegamedev.com/full-time-game-black-friday ► Learn how to become a full time game dev, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-how-to-make-six-figures ► Enroll in my 3D workshop, free!: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-15-minute-3D-game ► Make your game instantly beautiful with my free workbook: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-instant-beauty-color-workbook ► Get my 2D game kit, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-2D-game-kit ► Join my 2D character workshop, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-2d-character-art-workshop ► Wishlist Twisted Tower: store.steampowered.com/app/1575990/Twisted_Tower/ ► Learn how to make money as a RUclipsr: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-indie-game-income-workshop
1:04 define the game hook 2:06 define the game loop 3:23 play similar games 4:56 create a prototype 5:35 define the sizes of all mechanics 7:24 create a visual bible 9:02 make a 10 minute demo 11:16 create a team 13:03 use a project management tool 14:37 start a youtube channel
Developer of the game seen at 2:00 (Pushing It! With Sisyphus) here, haha I didn't expect to see my own game in a Thomas Brush video! Guess I've finally made it as a game developer
A beginner isn't going to lock in anything especially in writing. That's something they have to figure out as they go, not sure how Thomas didn't mention that
@@johnsysays When im saying locking in your measurements I mean the actual scaling of your assets and world compared to the size of your character. As for locking in writing I dont think people really do that. A lot of the time a story will change and evolve from the original idea
Noob question, but I'm curious about this point. Does that mean there are people who use disproportionately sized assets and try to fix later rather than immediately making sure they're the right size relative to everything else? Or is it more a "this looks correct visually" but numerically is 50% larger than what it would be in real life relative to everything else which could cause..I dunno.. physics or translation issues? I thought some games have to cheat the sizes of certain things so that they appear "correctly."
@@ChrisCypher I would say both. Its just not being aware of the units compared to the player and the world. And you are right games will for sure make things certain sizes to give an illusion of how it should look. More of what im saying for example would be you make a sword thats 300 units tall when the character is 100 units
True! But... Devs that can't stop playing games never finish and release a game. I've heard multiple developers in interviews say they had to shun new games for two years in order to finish their own. There's always a balance there.
@@FunbobbyJyeah but sometimes seeing some new way of making a game can open great new avenues for you to make your game, instead of being stuck in the past for years. Like a new inventory management system or xp progression system that is far more intuitive and popular
I'm trying to get into game design, and your channel is literally the best one I've found. I feel like the topics you make videos about are all the things I didn't, and wouldn't have ever thought about starting this journey. Thank you for what you do Thomas!
I just found your channel a few days ago I start game development next month at full sail so I’m going to use your channel and content to educate myself as best as possible
I'm trying to get into game design, and your channel is literally the best one I've found. I feel like the topics you make videos about are all the things I didn't, and wouldn't have ever thought about starting this journey. Thank you for what you do Thomas!
I'd take that publisher offer. It feels like in that given scenario you have (1) the core mechanics sorted/tuned, (2) the art style established, (3) your workflows established, and (4) really just need to put in the legwork to add the content to finish. A year to do that would be amazing, because you can determine how big your game can be be the amount of time it takes to complete the workflow to add new content (not mechanics).
I think thats the way to do it for sure. This is exactly what im trying to and what I messed up building my first two games which I never completed. I finally know enough and took the time to build out this type of polished loop of the game and its almost ready to just be filled with content which is predictable for me as an artist. It was neat to see it written out exactly lol
I think I'm in a very similar situation. It feels amazing to design a core foundation and polish it with modular items. Building the bulk of the levels is then very easy by comparison!
About the publishers: It might be worth it for US developers, but outside of US it's really bad. If a publisher takes 40%, so I'm left with 60% gross revenue. Then steam comes in and takes 30% and I assume this cut would be split with the publisher. So I'm left with 45% gross revenue. But then comes in the US withholding tax that cuts away 30%. Some countries have a tax treaty with US to mitigate this, but those who don't are screwed. After all of that I'm left with only 15% net revenue. 40% - publisher 15% - half of steam cut 30% or less - US withholding tax
I'm not sure why this is upvoted. This changes absolutely nothing. You take a deal with a publisher because you think you'll earn more money with a publisher than without one. Or because you want to take less risk. US tax withholding is not a factor in this equation. Also if anyone knows what to do with regards to US tax withholding it's probably the publisher.
I was very blessed to start in game modding when it was becoming popular. You learn a lot of about these pitfalls early on, and in manageable chunks. I also ended up paying for and using Click-up. I tried them all, and Gantt charting dependencies of assets is a must for me. You spend extra time flushing that out, it will pay big.
Your insights align with using the design process: - Empathize: Research user needs - Define: State user needs and problems - Ideate: Challenge assumptions and create ideas - Prototype: Start to create solutions - Test: Try out solutions
I play SOME games but I'm one of those people that's been playing mostly the same games for ten years. I's pretty rare I get something new. I like the creative outlet of making more than the entertainment of playing.
I almost never play games. With 3 kids and a full time job it is feels nearly impossible to prioritize it over other game dev stuff like - development, socials, market research, etc. However, I know the playing games and studying their design is just as important as these other things. I gotta make this happen!
I’ve been watching game play more than playing it myself. 1. I don’t have to buy every game I see. 2. I can get the highlights. Maybe it’s not the same. But I’m like you, I don’t have time😅
I'm making a 2d metroidvania. I lost 2 months of dev time when Prince of Persia released. I was hooked but I got a good idea on what I needed playing this game. I am satisfied. But I will only watch gamelay on other similar games.
I think you missed the point, but that's the catch: playing games is actually the most valuable form of market research. Make this switch, you're loosing a lot of time (my two cents, for what it's worth)
I hope these call in’s becomes a regular thing on your channel. Could you discuss the topic of game piracy and what can be done to help stop or at least slow down your game from being ripped off. Great stream and thanks for your hard work
It's nice to demonstrate how helpful RUclips can be to a indie game dev, but it's also useful to point out that success at something like RUclips also in part requires a large amount of luck
I want to honestly thank you for your videos. I've been disappointed with games lately but I had an epiphany over the last year or so. I come from the film industry one of the first things I learned is: "Don't get attached to anything you work on, its NOT your film." Then I realized its the same with games. These aren't my IP's and I don't fund these projects. If I want to see what I want in games, I have to do it myself. Your videos have been an inspiration to me as well as informing me as to what may lay ahead on this journey. 🙏
I've heard pretty much all of these recommendations and I think they're great, but I think the one I liked the most that I haven't heard all that often is the 10 minute demo
Cool to see it divided like that: Loop, Hook, Genre, Measurements and Gameplay prototype. It'd be great if you put markers in the video to be able to revisit each one without having to guess around haha.
Something good that will help you with the visual side is mock up screenshots, put together scenes in-game, photoshop whatever, just to put everything on the screen and see how it all meshes together
1. I have 10 years experience living with my own startups and I also wouldn't give up such stake for 100k, but you can get funded in many ways so the point is strong 2. This channel is getting better and better 3. Subscribed.
3. Play similar games: that's what I'm doing. I'm in the making of my own 3D platformer game and I'm playing/trying a lot of platformer games lately to see how others have done it, and to get the feeling of the controls and mechanics and see what is working and what is not (at least for me). I'd like to put out a game that is fun to play.
I would take the offer if it meant you could keep whatever’s left of the 100k investment when the game is done. Steam already takes 30% of the revenue so you really “only” get 60% of the remaining 70%. Unless the game is doing super well it wouldn’t be enough to keep you going full time for long otherwise.
I think that making a game is a lot about taking the best from games you liked playing...then you need a lot of fantasy to merge them all in your unique mechanics!
Its so hard playing games the deeper you get into developing your game. Makes me so jealous and feel like im wasting my time playing others' games while im supposed to be shipping my game and have others play my games instead
Scale is so important and underestimated. I imagine many gamers think a game looks weird, yet cannot explain why.. and a good chunk of those would have off scaling.
Thomas look i am not gonna lie i formed a bad opinion about your channel before because i felt like you were milking other people success but this video was amazing i loved it, Thank you
I think that the 10 minutes polished demo tip doesnt work for all kind of games. It may work with adventures/platformers where you will spend 98% of your time on polish, graphics and level design.
How talk a lot about marketing, creating a brand, youtube and social medias. Could you make a video similar to that with tips and recommendations but about youtube, or something like twitter, instagram etc. If you know, you know how little many of indie devs know about marketing. And thank you for this video, great as always!
0:10 What a coincidence. Yesterday I was watching his (bite me game channel) Same video and other 2 3 recent videos. And today I searched for your video 😮 you both are amazing 😊❤ thank you
I'm still working on the plot along with my hook. I have the idea but those two are very hard especially if I don't know what will be fun for me to play. I'm not thinking of everyone else at first. I have some skills already, but I'm not completely confident that my stuff will take off as even a demo this year. Still trying to hone the skills so that I don't get anyone thinking I'm not working on it.
Nah! 1) you have a ideia 2) prototype 3) get feedback front early adopter 4) Discovery you Hook!! You Hook alway change from what you put as First Hook
Pure gold! I encourage people to listen only to indie developers who know what they’re talking about, like you (have published games) . But how does this demo correlate with another great developer, Jonas Tyroller? If I recall correctly, he didn’t have a demo but focused more on short-term development so what is the best way ?
hello this video helps me! im Game Developer and i say what you say is true when you start making games think about the hook and about the loop and so on! im working also on severerel games! now im working on a heros shade because im a sonic fan i make a 2d jump and rund and because im a fan of 2d jump and runs and unerstand the topic of games i alredy have a loop and a hook! this video is great for learning to do something better and learn to make better games as a beginner
"With a team of 3 you can compress 3 years of work down to 1 year" This really isn't true in practice. You might shave it down to 2 years, or maybe you can tackle incrementally more scope or higher quality, but 3x the people almost never nets out to 3x less time
I have a million dollar idea, I have a fan base, I have a hook, loop, little bit of money and time. Never even thought about a GDD... i was more thinking NDA talk but yea a GDD and a team would be amazing.
I have started my own channel. But it feels like another full time job. It is hard to balance my normal job, game dev, and youtube. I usually have to decrease 1 in order to handle another. Thomas, do you have any advice?
decreasing one to handle the other is the way to go, don't stress over it is the biggest tip. you can't do all 3 at once, expect to neglect one, just don't neglect it for too long
@nanopunkgames same struggle here.. I would suggest for the YT focus on shorts.. shorts bring in a lot of views and potentially build an audience for when you have the time to put together a full dev log vid.. 🤷♂️ that's what I'm going to start focusing on with my game dev channel
It’s a good video for what it is, but this feels like how to start game development…for your next project. Is there an iteration of this you could do that’s focused on how you would begin game development if you had to learn it from scratch?
Funny thing you say that I used to play games heaps without guilt but now that I make them and have my ideal game in mind I feel like I'm wasting time when I try play other games (except valhiem with my boyfriend atm) but making my game is still at the back of my mind hha
I'm not sure I understand the measurements point. I think I'm already doing this, which is by making a mockup scene where I design all of my assets, instead of designing them each in isolation. I've done this mistake in the past and it's caused assets to look much larger than the other assets I've designed. That's how I'm interpreting this point but I could be wrong.
I actually have a really great idea for a game. I got the world figured out, i got the setting, the hooks, the loop. I just dont have money for actually making it, and im not great at design.
About the part at 3:35 .... what if I don't like games that are in my "similar scope" ? Also, what if similar small games don't really exists ? About the part at 9:01 ... what if it doesn't matter if the demo is just 10 minutes long or few hours because of the work and details it takes to make them would be almost the same ? Btw, I think it would be also not bad to create an own website on which the demo or the final game can be downloaded. No one can tell if Steam will allow the demo or final game on their website, because of many reasons like the monetarisation or the content.
Hi there! so after watching your video i have got to say in terms of Hooks i have that all figured out after all i am using a game formula that i know works because it was Popular for a game that WAS in development but then dropped by the Publisher for unknown reasons. The community LOVED the game and it was vary polished and has all of us going threw withdrawal 7 years later! and i am even going to expand on that formula improving said Hooks. I am struggling to find the means to MAKE the game... the style of game does not have much in terms of tutorials for its basic style on the engine i wish to use. I could use a mentor or some sort of lessons or tutorials that are more hands on... taking classes are so expensive and at times redundant and fake... i have been ripped off before -_-
Isn’t starting a RUclips channel a full time commitment in of itself? A commitment that requires investment in cameras, lighting, suit of software tools, an artists eye, a writer, a good personality etc. 😅
I love your videos, they're incredibly insightful and answer many questions that I find myself asking about the other aspects of game development especially since I'm starting up on my own at the moment. I find that a lot of your videos help to break away from that negative mindset that is so easy to fall into that kills motivation and as cheesy as it's gonna sound your videos (and ones like it) can really help spark that energy again to keep going. BUT... I disagree with only one thing you said in your video.... mutha f**** you are not old lol, you look like your maybe in your late 20's early 30's (I'm sorry if I'm way off >
Hey Thomas ,I love your first Idea of your game Father I hope you make it when you finish this, the one think i didn't like about father is the enemy I hope if you make it make the enemy look like wrong turn type enemy. I love the Story of Father so much I just remember it and force to type this comment cheers.
I have ADHD Type-C and my problem is motivation even though I done all the work ( paperwork and planning as well everything Thomas Brush said to do) to put it together, but haven't for many years, like 6+ years. Doing it alone is not motivating me to do it. I need to be pushed to do it or encouraged from another.
I get the ten minute demo idea, but I think it's more appropriate to go for a sized demo that fully demonstrates your core gameplay loop(s) (not necessarily all of them). How much effort this will take is one of the things you should consider when figuring out what scope you can handle. +100 on scaling up a team AFTER your polished demo is completed. Game studios struggle with this as it can leave so many people sitting idle burning cash, and that's a tough pill to swallow.
Thanks for the helpful information! Can you give me advice on how to promote indie games on social media? For example, on Twitter, my posts get few views, and I don't understand why this is so?
Hi Thomas , I want to make game but have zero knowledge of C# or visual scripting , should i invest in tools like Playmaker ? Does playmaker have ability to make 2d RPG games ??
Bro...what about HARDWARE? What PC build,especially a Budget one would you have recommended for a 3d game development? I'm asking bc. I'd have loved to try making a Cod-like story driven game,because I have a story I'd LOVE to tell,especially in 3d and also one that involves war,so that's what i meant with COD-like...ty in advance❤ Edit: I have a 2012 pc and want to upgrade,not only to play newer,but make my own games,bc. my current PC was a beast but now it's a shadow of it's former self that can't pull much and has to play on low settings and almost always crashes...so PLEASE could you make a video on what budget friemdly hardware,one could get that would also allow one to play and especially make games on...tky in advance again✌️
Me - Mom I don't know what to tell ya. Thomas told me to play games for the betterment of my future. Mom - You haven't work on your game in a year -_- lol
Thanks for watching guys! What about you? What would you do differently if you started over?
► Get 50% off Full Time Game Dev during the Black Friday sale: www.fulltimegamedev.com/full-time-game-black-friday
► Learn how to become a full time game dev, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-how-to-make-six-figures
► Enroll in my 3D workshop, free!: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-15-minute-3D-game
► Make your game instantly beautiful with my free workbook: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-instant-beauty-color-workbook
► Get my 2D game kit, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-2D-game-kit
► Join my 2D character workshop, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-2d-character-art-workshop
► Wishlist Twisted Tower: store.steampowered.com/app/1575990/Twisted_Tower/
► Learn how to make money as a RUclipsr: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-indie-game-income-workshop
1:04 define the game hook
2:06 define the game loop
3:23 play similar games
4:56 create a prototype
5:35 define the sizes of all mechanics
7:24 create a visual bible
9:02 make a 10 minute demo
11:16 create a team
13:03 use a project management tool
14:37 start a youtube channel
Thanks!
thx bro
Thank you sir
lol it's already there on a video's tracker
Developer of the game seen at 2:00 (Pushing It! With Sisyphus) here, haha I didn't expect to see my own game in a Thomas Brush video! Guess I've finally made it as a game developer
Hahahah that must feel good man
Love how the binary converts to "Wishlist Twisted Tower" 🤣
Locking in your measurements is such an important and understated thing. Its ridiculously important
A beginner isn't going to lock in anything especially in writing. That's something they have to figure out as they go, not sure how Thomas didn't mention that
@@johnsysays When im saying locking in your measurements I mean the actual scaling of your assets and world compared to the size of your character. As for locking in writing I dont think people really do that. A lot of the time a story will change and evolve from the original idea
Noob question, but I'm curious about this point. Does that mean there are people who use disproportionately sized assets and try to fix later rather than immediately making sure they're the right size relative to everything else? Or is it more a "this looks correct visually" but numerically is 50% larger than what it would be in real life relative to everything else which could cause..I dunno.. physics or translation issues? I thought some games have to cheat the sizes of certain things so that they appear "correctly."
@@ChrisCypher I would say both. Its just not being aware of the units compared to the player and the world. And you are right games will for sure make things certain sizes to give an illusion of how it should look. More of what im saying for example would be you make a sword thats 300 units tall when the character is 100 units
@@MikeGemi I see. thanks for the explanation!
Devs that don't play games, make worse games.
True! But... Devs that can't stop playing games never finish and release a game. I've heard multiple developers in interviews say they had to shun new games for two years in order to finish their own. There's always a balance there.
@@FunbobbyJ True i have played more than 20 games but only have made 7 projects
@@FunbobbyJyeah but sometimes seeing some new way of making a game can open great new avenues for you to make your game, instead of being stuck in the past for years. Like a new inventory management system or xp progression system that is far more intuitive and popular
@@FunbobbyJsometimes you just get lost in your own thought process, and seeing a new thing might make you go "damn I didn't think of it that way"
unless they are gay or black or female
I'm trying to get into game design, and your channel is literally the best one I've found. I feel like the topics you make videos about are all the things I didn't, and wouldn't have ever thought about starting this journey. Thank you for what you do Thomas!
God speed and good luck!
@@jakethecake3657 Thank you, I appreciate it!
I just found your channel a few days ago I start game development next month at full sail so I’m going to use your channel and content to educate myself as best as possible
Thomas how many effects do you want in the video?
Thomas: Yes
Your videos are awesome now, I used to get a little bored from straight and linear paced videos before, glad to have you back as interesting again 🤩
I'm trying to get into game design, and your channel is literally the best one I've found. I feel like the topics you make videos about are all the things I didn't, and wouldn't have ever thought about starting this journey. Thank you for what you do Thomas!
This is one of the Top 10 videos on RUclips.
The man is telling you how to do it.
You literally just have to do it now.
I'd take that publisher offer. It feels like in that given scenario you have (1) the core mechanics sorted/tuned, (2) the art style established, (3) your workflows established, and (4) really just need to put in the legwork to add the content to finish. A year to do that would be amazing, because you can determine how big your game can be be the amount of time it takes to complete the workflow to add new content (not mechanics).
I think thats the way to do it for sure. This is exactly what im trying to and what I messed up building my first two games which I never completed. I finally know enough and took the time to build out this type of polished loop of the game and its almost ready to just be filled with content which is predictable for me as an artist. It was neat to see it written out exactly lol
I think I'm in a very similar situation. It feels amazing to design a core foundation and polish it with modular items. Building the bulk of the levels is then very easy by comparison!
About the publishers: It might be worth it for US developers, but outside of US it's really bad.
If a publisher takes 40%, so I'm left with 60% gross revenue.
Then steam comes in and takes 30% and I assume this cut would be split with the publisher. So I'm left with 45% gross revenue.
But then comes in the US withholding tax that cuts away 30%. Some countries have a tax treaty with US to mitigate this, but those who don't are screwed.
After all of that I'm left with only 15% net revenue.
40% - publisher
15% - half of steam cut
30% or less - US withholding tax
the publisher is meant to take 40% of your revenue after expenses from steam and possibly the tax fee, this is a recommended style for a lot of devs
I'm not sure why this is upvoted. This changes absolutely nothing.
You take a deal with a publisher because you think you'll earn more money with a publisher than without one. Or because you want to take less risk. US tax withholding is not a factor in this equation.
Also if anyone knows what to do with regards to US tax withholding it's probably the publisher.
Your revenue is what you get from Steam in your account and it's already -30%.
I really like the comedy spin you are adding to the videos. Great work!
Best Advice I have heard yet to become a Successful Game Developer
I was very blessed to start in game modding when it was becoming popular. You learn a lot of about these pitfalls early on, and in manageable chunks. I also ended up paying for and using Click-up. I tried them all, and Gantt charting dependencies of assets is a must for me. You spend extra time flushing that out, it will pay big.
Your insights align with using the design process:
- Empathize: Research user needs
- Define: State user needs and problems
- Ideate: Challenge assumptions and create ideas
- Prototype: Start to create solutions
- Test: Try out solutions
I play SOME games but I'm one of those people that's been playing mostly the same games for ten years. I's pretty rare I get something new. I like the creative outlet of making more than the entertainment of playing.
I'm a simple man, I see a Thomas Brush video, I click
Hm. I must concur my good man. Quite a cultured ol chap you are.
Same here 😂❤
Good job, simple.
You are my Biggest Motivation Sir.
I almost never play games. With 3 kids and a full time job it is feels nearly impossible to prioritize it over other game dev stuff like - development, socials, market research, etc. However, I know the playing games and studying their design is just as important as these other things. I gotta make this happen!
I’ve been watching game play more than playing it myself. 1. I don’t have to buy every game I see. 2. I can get the highlights. Maybe it’s not the same. But I’m like you, I don’t have time😅
I'm making a 2d metroidvania. I lost 2 months of dev time when Prince of Persia released. I was hooked but I got a good idea on what I needed playing this game. I am satisfied. But I will only watch gamelay on other similar games.
I think you missed the point, but that's the catch: playing games is actually the most valuable form of market research.
Make this switch, you're loosing a lot of time (my two cents, for what it's worth)
The Bite Me Games shoutout was quite the surprise! BMG x TB crossover soon?
I hope these call in’s becomes a regular thing on your channel. Could you discuss the topic of game piracy and what can be done to help stop or at least slow down your game from being ripped off. Great stream and thanks for your hard work
Thanks for being consistent for so long! Always love hearing your thoughts on game stuff, keeping us smaller or solo devs inspired!
It's nice to demonstrate how helpful RUclips can be to a indie game dev, but it's also useful to point out that success at something like RUclips also in part requires a large amount of luck
I want to honestly thank you for your videos. I've been disappointed with games lately but I had an epiphany over the last year or so.
I come from the film industry one of the first things I learned is: "Don't get attached to anything you work on, its NOT your film."
Then I realized its the same with games. These aren't my IP's and I don't fund these projects. If I want to see what I want in games, I have to do it myself. Your videos have been an inspiration to me as well as informing me as to what may lay ahead on this journey. 🙏
you shouldn't get too attached to anything you work on that *is* your IP, either.
I've heard pretty much all of these recommendations and I think they're great, but I think the one I liked the most that I haven't heard all that often is the 10 minute demo
The first rule of making indie mmos being "dont" makes me wanna devote my life to making one just to prove everyone wrong aint gonna lie 😂.
Cool to see it divided like that: Loop, Hook, Genre, Measurements and Gameplay prototype. It'd be great if you put markers in the video to be able to revisit each one without having to guess around haha.
Great fun video Thomas, and very helpful... good to see you getting back in your stride with this format
.
youre not allowed to do this topic again until 2026
😂
This is the exact type of video I’ve been looking for because it finally made the starting steps click into place for me
Something good that will help you with the visual side is mock up screenshots, put together scenes in-game, photoshop whatever, just to put everything on the screen and see how it all meshes together
3:19 For those who wondering what it says - "Wishlist Twisted Tower"
1. I have 10 years experience living with my own startups and I also wouldn't give up such stake for 100k, but you can get funded in many ways so the point is strong
2. This channel is getting better and better
3. Subscribed.
this video is GOLD!!!!!
crazy you doing this for free. thank you for sharing knowledge like this you the man
not free at all, he gets plenty of money from youtube haha :D
@@DrDemolitionnot plenty, few cents / view ( and he has to pay others as well :D
trust me, i know - these aren't yt shorts we're talking about, it racks up very fast for videos above 8 minutes @@arnesso92
@@DrDemolition if it's free for the viewer, it doesn't matter how much money he gets from youtube, it's free :D
3. Play similar games: that's what I'm doing. I'm in the making of my own 3D platformer game and I'm playing/trying a lot of platformer games lately to see how others have done it, and to get the feeling of the controls and mechanics and see what is working and what is not (at least for me). I'd like to put out a game that is fun to play.
good job putting all those information together. I feel like now I know where to go or at least where to see. Thank you.
I would take the offer if it meant you could keep whatever’s left of the 100k investment when the game is done. Steam already takes 30% of the revenue so you really “only” get 60% of the remaining 70%. Unless the game is doing super well it wouldn’t be enough to keep you going full time for long otherwise.
I struggle with playing games myself. Making the game IS my, "GAME"🎮😭
Lol I can't game as much as I used to. Need to use that Time and focus for making art and studying.
I think that making a game is a lot about taking the best from games you liked playing...then you need a lot of fantasy to merge them all in your unique mechanics!
Thanks a lot for your valuable suggestions
Props to your video editor. This is at least a couple days worth of work (if not more. ) just to edit in all of the fx and vid cuts,
Its so hard playing games the deeper you get into developing your game. Makes me so jealous and feel like im wasting my time playing others' games while im supposed to be shipping my game and have others play my games instead
Scale is so important and underestimated. I imagine many gamers think a game looks weird, yet cannot explain why.. and a good chunk of those would have off scaling.
This is such a great video. I intend to refer people to it for advice when starting out in game dev.
I love how he has the same face on his last 5 thumbnails 😂
Ok i every new indie should this, amazing description of how to go from hobbyist to full time
I felt that when you couldn't do 10,000*10 at 10:35. As I get older, I can't seem do the simplest math in my head
This is an amazing video! Nice and simple is exactly what my overthinking brain needs. Thank you Thomas!
Thomas look i am not gonna lie i formed a bad opinion about your channel before because i felt like you were milking other people success but this video was amazing i loved it, Thank you
I think that the 10 minutes polished demo tip doesnt work for all kind of games. It may work with adventures/platformers where you will spend 98% of your time on polish, graphics and level design.
How talk a lot about marketing, creating a brand, youtube and social medias. Could you make a video similar to that with tips and recommendations but about youtube, or something like twitter, instagram etc. If you know, you know how little many of indie devs know about marketing. And thank you for this video, great as always!
Since you asked for recommendations ... If you're into game dev and not on the Pirate Software Discord, you're missing out.
Ayo, video editing goes hard!
0:10 What a coincidence. Yesterday I was watching his (bite me game channel) Same video and other 2 3 recent videos. And today I searched for your video 😮 you both are amazing 😊❤ thank you
I'm still working on the plot along with my hook. I have the idea but those two are very hard especially if I don't know what will be fun for me to play. I'm not thinking of everyone else at first. I have some skills already, but I'm not completely confident that my stuff will take off as even a demo this year. Still trying to hone the skills so that I don't get anyone thinking I'm not working on it.
Hook and Loop is basically drug addiction. The reason why someone starts and why someone continues
Nah!
1) you have a ideia
2) prototype
3) get feedback front early adopter
4) Discovery you Hook!! You Hook alway change from what you put as First Hook
Morning coffee and a notepad for this one, thanks a lot Thomas!
This is very helpful, thank you!
Pure gold! I encourage people to listen only to indie developers who know what they’re talking about, like you (have published games) . But how does this demo correlate with another great developer, Jonas Tyroller? If I recall correctly, he didn’t have a demo but focused more on short-term development
so what is the best way ?
This was really insightful, thank you.
Sir, that's 11 cents... or 6 I can't tell, BUT ITS MORE THAN 2!
Some powerful advise here, thanks!
hello this video helps me! im Game Developer and i say what you say is true when you start making games think about the hook and about the loop and so on! im working also on severerel games! now im working on a heros shade because im a sonic fan i make a 2d jump and rund and because im a fan of 2d jump and runs and unerstand the topic of games i alredy have a loop and a hook! this video is great for learning to do something better and learn to make better games as a beginner
"With a team of 3 you can compress 3 years of work down to 1 year"
This really isn't true in practice. You might shave it down to 2 years, or maybe you can tackle incrementally more scope or higher quality, but 3x the people almost never nets out to 3x less time
Cheeky lil "Wishlist Twisted Tower" plug, I see you 😉😂
I just got use to pillars and now your giving me hooks.
I have a million dollar idea, I have a fan base, I have a hook, loop, little bit of money and time. Never even thought about a GDD... i was more thinking NDA talk but yea a GDD and a team would be amazing.
Amazing video!
I have started my own channel. But it feels like another full time job. It is hard to balance my normal job, game dev, and youtube. I usually have to decrease 1 in order to handle another. Thomas, do you have any advice?
decreasing one to handle the other is the way to go, don't stress over it is the biggest tip. you can't do all 3 at once, expect to neglect one, just don't neglect it for too long
I'm struggling too lol! 😅
@nanopunkgames same struggle here.. I would suggest for the YT focus on shorts.. shorts bring in a lot of views and potentially build an audience for when you have the time to put together a full dev log vid.. 🤷♂️ that's what I'm going to start focusing on with my game dev channel
Haha, "Old man". Dude, you're what...30? Great information, and thank you as always!
It’s a good video for what it is, but this feels like how to start game development…for your next project. Is there an iteration of this you could do that’s focused on how you would begin game development if you had to learn it from scratch?
I love it how the final point basically took a crap on all the previous 9.
Wanna be a gamedev? Become a youtuber!
Funny thing you say that I used to play games heaps without guilt but now that I make them and have my ideal game in mind I feel like I'm wasting time when I try play other games (except valhiem with my boyfriend atm) but making my game is still at the back of my mind hha
I'm not sure I understand the measurements point. I think I'm already doing this, which is by making a mockup scene where I design all of my assets, instead of designing them each in isolation. I've done this mistake in the past and it's caused assets to look much larger than the other assets I've designed. That's how I'm interpreting this point but I could be wrong.
I actually have a really great idea for a game. I got the world figured out, i got the setting, the hooks, the loop. I just dont have money for actually making it, and im not great at design.
3rd one seems life saving to me
Some damn good editing
About the part at 3:35 .... what if I don't like games that are in my "similar scope" ? Also, what if similar small games don't really exists ?
About the part at 9:01 ... what if it doesn't matter if the demo is just 10 minutes long or few hours because of the work and details it takes to make them would be almost the same ?
Btw, I think it would be also not bad to create an own website on which the demo or the final game can be downloaded. No one can tell if Steam will allow the demo or final game on their website, because of many reasons like the monetarisation or the content.
Hi there! so after watching your video i have got to say in terms of Hooks i have that all figured out after all i am using a game formula that i know works because it was Popular for a game that WAS in development but then dropped by the Publisher for unknown reasons. The community LOVED the game and it was vary polished and has all of us going threw withdrawal 7 years later! and i am even going to expand on that formula improving said Hooks.
I am struggling to find the means to MAKE the game... the style of game does not have much in terms of tutorials for its basic style on the engine i wish to use.
I could use a mentor or some sort of lessons or tutorials that are more hands on... taking classes are so expensive and at times redundant and fake... i have been ripped off before -_-
Isn’t starting a RUclips channel a full time commitment in of itself? A commitment that requires investment in cameras, lighting, suit of software tools, an artists eye, a writer, a good personality etc. 😅
I love your videos, they're incredibly insightful and answer many questions that I find myself asking about the other aspects of game development especially since I'm starting up on my own at the moment. I find that a lot of your videos help to break away from that negative mindset that is so easy to fall into that kills motivation and as cheesy as it's gonna sound your videos (and ones like it) can really help spark that energy again to keep going. BUT... I disagree with only one thing you said in your video.... mutha f**** you are not old lol, you look like your maybe in your late 20's early 30's (I'm sorry if I'm way off >
Hey Thomas ,I love your first Idea of your game Father I hope you make it when you finish this, the one think i didn't like about father is the enemy I hope if you make it make the enemy look like wrong turn type enemy. I love the Story of Father so much I just remember it and force to type this comment cheers.
Dear Thomas, I would like inquire about the potential consequences of losing focus .
I have ADHD Type-C and my problem is motivation even though I done all the work ( paperwork and planning as well everything Thomas Brush said to do) to put it together, but haven't for many years, like 6+ years. Doing it alone is not motivating me to do it. I need to be pushed to do it or encouraged from another.
I get the ten minute demo idea, but I think it's more appropriate to go for a sized demo that fully demonstrates your core gameplay loop(s) (not necessarily all of them). How much effort this will take is one of the things you should consider when figuring out what scope you can handle. +100 on scaling up a team AFTER your polished demo is completed. Game studios struggle with this as it can leave so many people sitting idle burning cash, and that's a tough pill to swallow.
Feels like I've seen this video a dozen times, just with different titles each time LMAO
Umm, a hook and loop is a fastening system (i.e. Velcro...)... hehe I digress, thanks for the video! 🤭
So how does one make a game and now what’s engaging and fun to play if one does not play them?
Does your team work pro bono? If yes, what incentives do you offer them?
Thanks for the helpful information! Can you give me advice on how to promote indie games on social media? For example, on Twitter, my posts get few views, and I don't understand why this is so?
100K USD does not covers my development costs...
Then make a smaller game
If you as a solo dev plan on spending over 100k for a game. Start smaller
OMG BiteMe is featured here
Hi Thomas ,
I want to make game but have zero knowledge of C# or visual scripting , should i invest in tools like Playmaker ?
Does playmaker have ability to make 2d RPG games ??
It should, many complex and polished 2d games (like Hollow Knight) were made using Playmaker.
Bro...what about HARDWARE?
What PC build,especially a Budget one would you have recommended for a 3d game development?
I'm asking bc. I'd have loved to try making a Cod-like story driven game,because I have a story I'd LOVE to tell,especially in 3d and also one that involves war,so that's what i meant with COD-like...ty in advance❤
Edit: I have a 2012 pc and want to upgrade,not only to play newer,but make my own games,bc. my current PC was a beast but now it's a shadow of it's former self that can't pull much and has to play on low settings and almost always crashes...so PLEASE could you make a video on what budget friemdly hardware,one could get that would also allow one to play and especially make games on...tky in advance again✌️
2:16 classic meatspin reference
Me - Mom I don't know what to tell ya. Thomas told me to play games for the betterment of my future.
Mom - You haven't work on your game in a year -_-
lol