The MOST IMPORTANT skill for Indie Game Devs
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- Let's talk about what I think the #1 skill for indie game dev is...
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► What I believe: • What I Believe 
Игры
What do you guys think? Is this the #1 trait?
► Watch my buddy Daniel's video about the #1 trait: ruclips.net/video/7oyxmGck9dU/видео.html
► Learn how to become a full time game dev, free: www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-how-to-make-six-figures
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► 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
Absolutely agree. Btw the 2D kit is great, I recommend it. Cheers
For sure I agree. None of the other skills you learn matter if nothing ever gets finished. I am curious if you still have any of your starter games out there in the ether? I like looking back at people's roots and see where it all started for them :)
I cannot make games as of yet, someday...
This hit me at the perfect time. I finished my first game in ~2006 using GameMaker since then I've been too scared to really do much of anything, stuck in tutorial hell, never finished anything. This year I made a goal to finish at least one crappy project by Jan 31st no matter the state and treat the rest of the year as month long game jams to learn and grow and lose this dream-stopping fear. Right now as of this morning I at least have a super simple, but at least functional game loop, here's to a good 2022. Thanks Thomas, this definitely reinforced the plans I have created over the last few days.
Although it's definitely good to get your first game out and next to that even dealing with failure and that anxiety of failure, I do think it can also have its downsides. Often when people are browsing for games to buy and they find something that looks interesting to them, they look up the developer and the other products/games they've made. If you've only released basically crappy unfinished stuff, how are they going to know that it isn't the case for this game? I definitely do agree that it's good to get your first game out and don't make it an incredibly long project, even just a game jam game, but I wouldn't advice releasing an unfinished game (unless it's for a game jam which you should definitely note in the game). Rather release a very short 5 minute game that's beautiful and pretty well polished. I personally think that's the best way to go about it.
My mindset is: Keep making better projects and once I have 5, the first one will be replaced by the 6th. That way, my portfolio is always improving.
I think the point is that your first game will always be crap, because you have no idea what your games look like to the outside world yet. You don't know if your game mechanics are fun, your art sucks, or your writing sucks. So you should put out small games to the best of your ability, knowing that they are probably flawed, and that's okay. You can improve on your future games using information from those crappy reviews.
@@Zodiacman16 I agree
I think the point is to release the game if you think its good enough, which if you’re inexperienced usually wouldn’t be, but how would you know if you’ve not gone through the process of releasing anything? Most of what’s in our minds isn’t accurately the truth.
@@Zodiacman16 lmao
These are the types of videos I seriously value. It feels like a genuine one on one conversation and it really helps me to feel more motivated and better about myself. :)
Im thinking about start making games and came gente for tips about It, but instead i found myself being helped about my music producing struggle that IS not being able to finish and release a song because of the huge amount of pressure i put myself in. So thanks for opening my mind about How simple It is to Just get over with and let It Go. That helped a Lot.
After spending years in corporate dev, I decided to make the push towards full-time game dev after I got the chance to make a game from scratch for a client. As I sit here questioning whether I can make it on my own, this video was exactly the motivation I needed. Thank you, Thomas!
This is the embodiment of "You are the worst pirate I've ever heard of."
"But you have heard of me."
100%. I made a game for GMTK game jam this last year and just uploaded it. Used RPG Maker, it was so basic (just a couple dungeons), my intro screen stopped working halfway through so I just have words scrolling, didn't have time to reprogram numbers so combat drags, all default assets, forgot the credits, and on and on.
And it was by far exactly what I needed. I stopped being an aspiring game dev and can say I am one. Told people I am one. And now every project looks different, more possible and less needing to be perfect.
Great video, the “separating your identity” advice was the best part for me. I feel that I have put game development on a pedestal, even though I’ve made some game jam stuff and small unreleased things for practice. Still don’t feel like a dev yet (it’s a hobby for now).
I think the numerous small, crappy game thing works, but I do think each game should have a mechanic, or trait that you enjoy or want to get better at. However that’s also a double edged sword: choosing something you like/want as a premise can lead you to trying to make it perfect. Which is what I’ve been doing lol.
Part of me thinks aiming for simplicity instead of crap works better but after I release my first simple project soon I’ll give making small, crappy ones a shot. Maybe I’ll put a disclaimer in the game’s description that it’s for a game jam, short learning project, etc lol.
Though I 100% agree on needing to rip that “fear of failure” bandage off by just becoming numb to people’s reception of the end result. Thanks for the advice.
"It starts with a crappy pixel" game development is trial and error with the passion to share your work with others. Money is bonus
2022 - The Year of Follow Through.
I started my RUclips channel on Monday, and one of the reasons I started is to help me with my consistency and follow through!
Thomas I have no idea how you manage to upload videos on topics when I need them the most to hear but you've been on point with it lately. I started to make a idea for a fun simple strategy game partaking in my very first gamejam last summer but never finished. I truly needed to hear this and I got courage now to comeup with its concept and finish it to release it. Thanks for the motivation. :)
Thank u thomas....admire the simplicity of how u brought out the main picture..........concerning the making of game...those who fail to complete i suggest game jams👍
This is advice is so real. I know because it's true for all kinds of small and not-so-small projects that I tried to finish. The good part is that game development is ideally suited for the approach of starting small. Other commercial software can come with overwhelming liability once your clients use it. A small game, in contrast, just sits there, generating sales maybe. And if you don't do false advertising, small games can receive love and attention from players just like big ones do. Demand for indie games is on the rise as far as I can tell and it's not about size.
Can't express enough how true and important finishing and publishing your first game is. I finally released my first game on mobile end of last year. I hated it and wanted to stop and work on something else several months beforehand but I insisted that I wasn't allowed to start a new project until this one was done because I new I would get stuck in that trap of multiple unfinished projects and not a single release. Decided to just scale it down, complete it and publish it. I did practically no marketing so only a handful of downloads so far but the difference to my confidence in moving forward has been indescribable. Only a few days into my next project and I already have those feelings of "I can't do this, there's too much" "or it's too hard". But now I counter it and say "No it's not, I've already done this. It's just bigger/more". And that is making all the difference. Finish a game, even if it's shit. You won't regret it.
When I published my first game jam game, a puzzle platformer where I was the coder working with a talented artist, a lot of reviewers complained about the basic platforming and especially the jumping feeling like crap. I had been a programmer for a long time at that point working in web and mobile. It really hurt my pride to be basically told my code wasn’t very good. Here’s what I learned from that experience, and after:
1. Game dev is hard. It’s its own market and craft. Learn the ropes. Be humble. Be patient. Enjoy it one day at a time.
2. Know your strengths. I’m now working on a turn based game that I can use a lot of my web/mobile programming experience to make.
3. Work with others. I’ve worked with awesome artists, sound designers, and just human beings who have inspired me to keep learning and growing. It’s one of the coolest things about making games.
4. Again, be humble, and take care of yourself mentally and physically. Game dev is a marathon not a sprint.
5. You’re a creative in the art and entertainment industry. Have fun for God’s sake 😅
Amazing, as always! I really love these videos where you talk about releasing crappy games and not worrying about people's opinions. They are super helpful. Thank you Thomas! Keep up the great work!
The ultimate skill a game dev earns through his journey should be implementing the game idea inside his head which he feels will be accepted by a major audience. If he feels that this game will get good reviews and actually if it did then that developer has passed a major portion of his journey to success.
Hey! Thomas,
The struggle is real! I spent my fall break reading/studying the textbooks for next semester so that I could hit the floor running... Thanks for the pickMeUp!
Great video! Follow thru is also an important animation principle
Great video i think commitment and mental health are the base for the pyramid aka the game we want to build. Knowing yourself also is needed and i mean real knowledge what makes You move things what can get You down and also how You can get back after a disapointment. At the top of the pyramid is the passion and love You put into the game.
I needed this video, today in fact. Thank you @Thomas
Here are my most important tips to increase productivity and to get things done without getting exhausted, tired or bored:
1 - Stop eating sugar (entirely!) and lower your carbohydrates intake by at least 75%. Meanwhile, increase your intake of vegetables, proteins and fats and don't take any snacks or treats between meals. Also, make sure you don't replace sugar with fructose, it may disturb your bloodsugar balance even more. Coffee (with or without cream) is OK, as long as you don't add sugar to it.
2 - Go for a one hour walk at least once a day.
3 - Stick to fixed working hours and keep a log book and write down exactly what you did during every single hour of the day. Make sure you don't work more than a fixed number of hours every week, only then will you be able to (occasionally) work more hours than usual to meet certain deadlines without feeling stressed and exhausted.
4 - In the final stages of your project, speed up your workflow, and try to work harder & more efficient. For me, this is very important, because I used to slow down in the final stages of a project due to two things: fatigue and lack of awareness that finishing a project requires doing countless tedious, monotonous and repetitive little tasks that could easily fill your entire working day, unless you can do them quickly with routine, one after another.
For me personally, getting rid of sugar has been the most important decision in my search for effective ways to increase my productivity. After I completely banned sugar from my 'diet' (which was quite tough the first week due to bad habits, 'sugar-addiction', and the fact that most food products contain a lot of sugar for no reason whatsoever), I started to feel much more healthy, energized and motivated, and I felt much less tired. I started to lose weight as well after only two weeks.
Anyway, this is just what helped me an awful lot, but feel free to ignore my tips. Good luck everyone with your projects!
Love the advice! Love watching the vids!
Thank you Thomas, great advice!
This is really nice that you speak in such a manner that it really helps & motivates the beginners like us from your videos. THANK YOU. ❤LOL❤
thanks for the videos that always help me
Just start first and then make it better. Just like Leonardo da Vinci when he first held a brush and used a canvas, he certainly wouldn't immediately become a Monalisa. The first work must be bad and that's okay, because if we continue to pursue it and like the field we are studying, it will slowly become a better work.
Never kill your dreams because as hard as you hit and as deep as you bury your dreams, they will only faint and rise when you are old in the form of regret.
*he* wouldnt become mona lisa
maybe that was his dream all along, to be mona lisa xD
@@klusimo4543 Zehahaha.... XD
Honestly, very good advice, I'm sharing this video with my community, thanks 👍
Wonderful, I been waiting for you. My dear Thomas
Great video Thomas, thanks for sharing
Thanks Thomas! I'm going to finish that my prototypes and release them. No matter what people will say.. just to have finished projects ))
Fantastic advice. My wife has on countless occasions reminded me that I am NOT my music, or my game, or anything I create. I am me and that pursuit for creativity is separate. Great points!
Love it! Great advice.
Ly man, your videos always help me
Thank you for these tips!
"Your game is not your identity"
Me, having spent the past 16 years of my life in my room, developing my skills at the expense of all leisure, personal relationships and my health for the sake of eventually validating my existence with a game:
16 years for one game?
@@klusimo4543 16 years of studying art and coding with an eye towards developing The Dream Project. I haven't even started yet!
@@Prinsdam Good luck with your dream project!
Mate you dont need to sacrifice your life for work, have a life, and work as well. 16 years is a long time in the short life we are given on earth.
@@mmmmmmmmmmm10 Pleasure is too fleeting to motivate me. I just want to create a monument to satisfy my ego before I die.
I love the idea of fortifying the idea that we're game developers, also what haunts us and even studios the most is the feeling of incompetence in the market; the ideal to fortify the belief that our game will bring more than enough of stability and success. With that, I'd like to add, it is important to be undoubtably certain with our game's Art direction and Design personally and market-wise for an extended period of time before launch or complex development.
By ultimately making a simple indie game or making familiar art/design, it becomes much more prone to being over-looked, that's where it heavily relies on advertisement to atleast make the development cost back.
Thank you for encouraging me to work toward my dreams.
Hi Man, thanks for all the emails offering the free 2D kit game as well keep throwing high value advices and inputs on gamedev.
However, I do really have interest on your game dev course but somehow the price isn't fit to my condition right now.
To tell you the truth I'm having a high interest on the course materials that related to non technical things such as marketing, funding and all of that.
I wonder if you ever release a course that focusing on that kind matters only and probably reduce slightly on the price 🙂
Since I can get resources on technical game development like coding and game design stuff from any other course that suit my project specs.
Hope you can consider this suggestion, thanks.
I wanted to make games to make other people feel how I felt playing games as a kid. It was the only friend I really ever had; and the only real escape I found in my life as it was burning all around me.
I spent my first 5 years, which 4 of were in college, which 2 of were not even making games but dreaming of it but thinking I couldn't program or do art. Last year I crashed super hard, I tried over and over to put out these top tier, masterpiece, emotional; and in general top tier games that entire professional studios struggle to put out.
Two months ago I saw an opportunity and went to just create a game in a week and see where it went. No story, no message, not even a really original idea or anything; but making it has been so much more fun and rewarding than my other projects prior. Plus, I've made it far in development and been consistent with it even on the hardest of days. And a little bit before that I was just doing game jam games and putting them online to play. My number one regret was making a pretty big 3D platforming game for a jam then not uploading it because I knew it could be better. I intended to fix it up and release it in a week; but then I lost the files for it and now it's just existing in screenshots and quick videos with no tangible gameplay demo.
Accepting that more often than not you're just making fun little games is the best thing you can do. Even a lot of the serious games we love you can tell that the devs had moments where they put in little amounts of silliness just to keep it fun.
3:58 LET IT GOOO LET IT GOOOOO
I do agree with most of what you are saying, especially around the subject of mental health. You are sharing a cautionary tale and that's very noble on the part of someone that already made a name for himself in the industry and has put in the work. But at the same time, if you do consider video games as an art form, you have to realise that greatness comes at a price. Constantly learning, improving, challenging yourself and staying true to your vision is what will ultimately separate you from the masses. I believe in going all-in, mentally and financially, if you care so much about your project that it keeps you awake at night. If so, it means you have something that is personal, and matters deeply to you, which is probably what will make it resonate with others. If you really want it, and you believe in both yourself and your project, just go ahead and do it. You know the hardships that are coming your way, you've seen enough devlogs and devs interviews. But if you feel ready, don't listen to anyone. Nobody can make your game but you. ✊🐶
I am at my fourth attempt at making a game. I have tried three engines, started with RPG Maker, tried two others and now I’m back at RPG Maker because it really is a pretty good fit for the game. Now that I’ve been making this version of the game for almost two years I kinda regret that choice because I fear the tool will show and turn away people before they even tried the game.
This video was good encouragement to finish and release it! It is pretty soon ready I think (2022) and really not that bad adventure game.
There are a lot of great RPG maker games, good luck with the release!
I had butterflies in my tummy jus listening this.... thomas...thank u❤️
Thanks for the email man. This is definitely what I need right now. :D
This video was a real wake-up call
i am just going to quit my game today and starting a new one like always but now i will finish it thank you thomas
Lol the roku tv in the background
Tom, you are so down to earth! And yes Matrix Revolutions....Resurrections, was a dull movie! Keep inspiring people and being real!
just what I needed thanks..
great video 👍
Im going to try this right now, i will definitely finsih my game, i wont let anything stop that from happening
Love You Bro🤜💙
Real Talk. After putting out our game on Steam in 2017 (when greenlight was removed) our game got lost in the flood of games and the whole team suffered depression and guilt after no amount of marketing saved the release and our numbers remained low. Eventually we arrived at the decision to chill out and just make little games, but we still have not released anything. Perhaps the answer is crappy games uploaded to Itch, as you recommend.
I Wanna purchase your Gamedev Course, can i get a qiuck review?
I think the best trait is obsession
I think Thomas Brush is saying I'm on the right track. I'm 1 for 1 on projects and I'm off the races on my 2nd project!
Do you plan to play your viewers game someday? I have one finished and released with unreal engine and would like your thoughts on it.
I don't know mehn. It's hard for me to do something unprofessional. I'm almost done with my first demo and it's a pixel art horror . I've always learnt that your first impression is your everlasting. But, I guess that's just how I've trained myself to do things. However, I totally understand what you mean by getting something done and getting it out there.
Wow, good vid,
You inspired me to release the game I started making when I was 13... I'm 14 now, but still, thanks
Random note - 2D Game kit looks great. I have heard you say the phrase "You can make a million bucks off this game kit, I really don't care". This seems incongruent from how you actually feel. You do care about peoples success, and you actively encourage people with your channel, and courses. I would consider rephrasing it something like "You can make a million bucks off this game kit, and you get to keep it all, its your money, its your game!". :) Anyways, keep up the great work!
What I mean is you can legally do it and I won't sue you lol. A lot of game tools have licenses and stuff
@@thomasbrush Oh for sure, I totally get that. Just my marketing brain going. :)
At 0:02....I use that same sound effect on some of my YT edits lol
I've released 18 times in 12 months (10 games on Steam and 8 on Android) and still don't feel like a successful game developer.
Smallish projects but a great achievement considering I only started learning during furlough.
Finishing is great and releasing is addictive.
jesus christ thats extreme
guess they were really small, can't wait to feel it as well once I release my first game
@@klusimo4543 my 1st game only had 250 Levels across 5 difficulty modes lol.
I was working on these games 12 to 15 hours a day because I was bored on furlough.
@@PaulConnor1978 thats extreme, wish I had that much free time lmao
Summary of the video : FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED even if it is garbage
thanks♥️♥️♥️♥️
ok i got the game kit, but now how do i use it?
Bruh, im absolutly gonna do my first gamedev video because of this video, ha thanks.
I respect the hustle -- truly. I challenge you to not push your 2D game kit so much -- it's off putting when you're watching a few videos in a row and you hear it over and over and over.
Now I'm getting motivated..
waw ,thank you , i was taking thinks so serios now i feel beter (i didnt use google translate so if there any Spelling errors just ignore it im from KSA )
What if you already have multiple completed games?
If motivation was a person 👏
Instalike 😆 You are awesome!
Be humble and have fun 🤩
I love your advice man. Coming up on the full launch date on my first ever game. I feel like I’m putting way too much pressure on it 😂. I’m gonna follow your advice and finish up the work this month and then I’m just gonna drop it on steam and IO and call it done.
I want to start on the next game so bad lol. BUT IM GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH AND FINISH THIS ONE FIRST THOMAS. Wish me luck! Game will be called Abhorrent SCP363. It’s a spin off of SCP containment breach. It’ll be fully free 😃. Just doing it for fun and practice. I love ur videos man. Huge inspiration.
Love the seamless transition into plug for the game lmao
@@klusimo4543 if there’s one thing I’ve learned from Thomas in his videos, it’s to slide a plug in somewhere 😂.
I have same issue, but with music. I have roughly 50 nearly done tracks and another...2000 "sketches" of 1 or 2 mins. But theres only like 10 done tracks. And only one done during the last year. You can check it out on my channel.
As someone who has spent 4 years as an artist, which is quite similar to game dev, cause you may suck at it keep going upload ur work etc. I think that by a comparison game dev is a lot easier at least that's what I know after doing it for 3 months, so I had this for art thwt I shouldn't share it until its somewhat decent(not perfect) so for games I think it is ok to just put like 6 month of time into your first game and make it something better than a normal crappy game that there are already a ton of, just being creative and doing something different will make your game at least not crappy😅
what is HIO?
Hi im seth and im making a super smash bros like fighting game called xenomon the legacy trilogy but right now game development has been tuff besides the game maker 2 none of the development programs really stand out so im taking a break to find help.
Yep, perseverance is crucial guys -very important. Btw, if you are a beginner and are wondering about singletons, you know where you can find me
The hell is HIO? I released my first game on Steam. What did I miss?
What's HIO?
It's true, as somebody who has a whole bunch of unfinished projects... yeah this is an important one lol
well im screwed, im poor at follow through and have terrible mental health. XD
It’s follow-through
Thomas, can you post a workout routine? You lookin fine as a dime
Releasing something unfinished doesn't sound like follow-through to me. It doesn't have to be perfect, but I don't see why you'd put in the work to make a game and then not finish it.
I have released my crap games, but I am not getting terrible reviews, I am getting no download.
Well, I have a day job so it is ok...
That's how my first game was able to get 10k downloads in three months
Over 10 years ago I wanted to start a RUclips channel to make some money, all my family told me how stupid that was, I was stupid, because I listened to them, and didn't follow what I wanted to do. There are people out there making millions a month off of RUclips. I should of never given a fuck about their opinion. I should of followed my dreams, and if I had failed, I could of said, at least I tried.
Only 10 to 20?
Just release it guys, you will be lucky if you get downloads, let alone review 😂
9:55 I disagree. Time is the most valuable and limited resource that people have. When you release crappy game, you're wasting (basically stealing) peoples time. In some sense, it's even worse than stealing money.
how many hours does it take to play through a game compared to making one?
thanks for this information , my polar star
Jordan Peterson once said: You have to go somewhere to find out where you are. Then you might see that you followed the wrong path BUT now you know where you are and where you should be. Most people just do nothing and never find out where they are.
I only have 2 crappy mobile games.
Though I see your intentions Thomas with your advise. I don’t agree with it , It will do more harm than good in the long run. If you as a developer begin to release unfinished games, it will obviously result in bad reviews and just a negative stain in your name. You will be known as that type of developer and not everyone has that mental strength to handle negativity towards on self. So please avoid that, the truth is Game development is not an easy path and not all games projects are meant to be released. Majority of game projects are stepping stones for us to learn, to help us improve in the areas we lack. Use your “ failed projects “ as lessons for yourself to help you get to the level you need to be. Do not share your failures to the public intentionally to cause harm to yourself.
Some decent points there. I actually tend to agree with most of what you're saying on a base level.
Ever been prepping for a job interview? What's the first thing you do? Go through your resume and prune all the junk carefully, only elevator pitching your best work. Hell, you might even do the same with your online social media - actually you SHOULD, you know companies are gonna be scrutinising you from the get go.
Does the same apply for Game Dev? Yes, actually is DOES. But here's the point you're missing. It's all about the 'FOLLOW THROUGH.' You see most indies (actually the advice here is gold because it can be generalised for anything) fail in one area, and that's SELF BELIEF. The goal here isn't to publish crap. The goal here is to start you on an upwards trajectory to ACTUALLY completing projects and in the process getting better at it.
Ever been a part of a team prep talk before a game and thinking to yourself, 'God our team sucks we're gonna get thrashed as soon as we go out on the field.' But the manager draws you all close in a team huddle and tells everyone the only limitation is your beliefs and that glory is ours.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In psychology the hardest part is convincing others to believe in themselves, and when people start believing - the rest as they say is history :)
Yaay this finally made me block you
Improvise your crappy games if you have that much time.
nobody is going to laugh at you! sometimes people are impressed with what you can do!