My 10 YEAR Indie Game Development Journey
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- Опубликовано: 7 июл 2023
- A look-back through my entire 10 year gamedev journey, from the very first idea I had for a game, to my first commercial release and becoming a full-time indie game developer!
Play my previous game "Equilinox":
store.steampowered.com/app/85...
Support the channel on Patreon and get access to the code for Homegrown, the city-builder, and Equilinox:
/ thinmatrix
You can follow the progress of the games on my social media:
Twitter: / thinmatrix
Instagram: / thinmatrix
Trello: trello.com/b/W3zkIJTM/farm
Email: thinmatrix@gmail.com
Constantin Ross, who made the Equilinox website:
www.19webdesign.com/
Background music by Jamal Green:
open.spotify.com/artist/50jTM...
Also uses music by Kevin MacLeod - "Wallpaper"
#gamedev 
Игры
Thank you all so much for the incredibly lovely comments, I really appreciate it
Hello ThinMatrix! I've been watching most of your videos for over a year or two now, but I did watch a few older videos! I love what your doing and hope you continue. So far I love the new game your working on, I might get it when it comes out lol
Your LWJGL tutorials were very useful and your devlogs are very enjoyable.
Keep it up 👍
grate video pacing - very watchable
thanks for your 10years . the "light waigth game engien" tutarial whas soo Nice falowed iit to and i lenas som java and (ad tit som that worked my first java i made )it wha just waling around wit a bunny figher amung som dragons, ,, i did webdev normaly.
i whass worry when u have the tumer. i was so releved when u say u where ok .
You shuld make cooking tutarials too in-devlog or separet vido .. look soo yumy when u make in your weeekly dev.vlogs.
I think u need to take design class. i guess u knows how to put image and texture but your sense of beautiful things is bad.
ThinMatrix is the pioneer of including Meal Preps in his devlogs. I don't think he gets enough credit for such innovations. Prior to him, no was doing that before. Congrats, you are truly an inspiration.
Been following you for nearly that entire time. You're such an inspiration. Keep up the amazing work!
Not just an inspiration. He made tons of tutorials, he is a teacher!
same here
And he made me to also start making games (as a not full time hobby)
You were one of my main inspirations when I started making games/devlogs here on youtube. I now do gamedev/youtube fulltime and it's truly a dream come true. Thanks so much for making videos and cool projects over the years
It's really cool to hear that I was part of the inspiration in your gamedev journey! ^^
both of you guys are amazing and have inspired me a lot
Congrats on the Nintendo Switch release of your game!
@@creativedevrex2514 🥳 Thank you! :)
Been following you for many years. You were one of those people that made me want to become a programmer. Happy to report that I finished my apprenticeship as a software engineer about a week ago!
Congrats!
@@ThinMatrix Thanks!
What a story dude. I’m just starting my game dev journey
@@Lewz_R Good luck man!
@@Coyannn its not going too well tho haha. Ive barley done anyhting and its all too confusing
This is the official we need a Socuwan revival in the future Button!!!! It looks awesome! - But really congratulation, been watching you since the Socu days, and you can be proud of yourself!
Imagine Socuwan with the graphics from farming simulator, it improved so much!
Much learned since then. and an army of inspired game devs to back you up. keeping an mmo going takes a lot though
My thought when watching that part was, why not make it with the help of others? Like, how people submitted models and stuff. I think it would be really cool to be the first fan-crafted MMO.
@@Dondingo4if he doesn’t do it, I want to. That sounds beyond awesome and I’ve been toying with engines here recently to see if I even enjoy it.
And I was here for every bit of it. I was flipping out to my fiance. She didn't get why I was so nostalgic and hyped...but we've ("we" = the community, of course) been here for it my dude. Every clip you showed I *SPECIFICALLY* remember. I remember watching your tutorials a dozen times each. Good times. Wish you nothing but the best, and always have - especially during those rough moments. Thanks for being such a stalwart figure in the industry and to all of us who share your passion...and for being a beacon of inspiration and deciding to share this journey with us. I feel immensely honored to have borne witness to it. I've never met you, but you're awesome dude!
Ah thank you very much for the lovely comment. I appreciate it! :)
You’re such an inspiration in the way you live and the way you create. I hope you know you’re appreciated by us all! It is such a pleasure to have contributed in my own small way to something you made. x
Thank you for being a part of this, and no small part either! Equilinox and the devlogs wouldn't be the same without your fantastic music.
@@ThinMatrixThat’s really kind of you to say, thank you! You’ve been on such a massive journey and have learned so much. I never realised quite how high the stakes felt for the Socuwan Kickstarter at the time!!
Yoooooo! Great job on the Equilinox music! It’s part of my dev playlist that I listen to at work 😊
@@musicdevThank you so much for listening! That’s really great to hear :)
Happy 10 year anniversary! 🎉 fantastic video!!
This is such a wonderful story of passionate hard work being rewarded with very well-earned success. Thanks for being such an inspiration - without stumbling upon your Equilinox devlogs one day on my lunch break I would have never created my own channel and found so much fulfillment in my own passion project. Looking forward to many more years of content and wonderful games!
Thanks so much :) It makes me very happy to know that my videos played a part in inspiring you to make your own devlogs!
@@ThinMatrix So, in future will you start doing devoplment on your Socuwan game?
Ever since I started watching you during your development on Equillinox I always couldn't wait for a new video after the last one released, they are just so lovely and calming to watch. You were one of the first game development youtubers and I honestly think that without you the whole game dev youtube scene would not be what it is today. I wholeheartedly wish you another decade of fun and excitement for everything you do and can't wait wait to see how Homegrown will develop
Thank you very much!!
"And I honestly think that without you the whole game dev youtube scene would not be what it is today."
Could not have worded it better.
I honestly think that without ThinMatrix, the game dev scene as a whole wouldn't exist on youtube.
Happy Anniversary! What an achievement! 🎉
I cant believe it has been about 5 years since I found you and realized that that is what I want to do one day! On Monday I am going to pitch my indie game demo to a funding program (in Hamburg too, actually) and if I get in I want to use that as an opportunity to go game developing full time. You have been a huge motivation for me through this time, thank you so much!
Thank you, and good luck!!
I would really like to know how it is!
I think I should be one of your earliest viewers. I come from China and when you first started publishing the video, I was still in college. I remember sending you an email and you replied to me in great detail, which has been very helpful to me. Now I am also a game developer
Cherno taught me 2D rendering. You've taught me 3D rendering. Now who's gonna teach me 4D rendering?
no one, you'll figure it out and teach to others, as the did for you
I will tech you 1D rendering
I'm 15 years old, and I've had the goal of becoming a game developer for a few years now. I've never really finished a project of my own, but I just yesterday I came up with a concept I like, and I'm starting development. Stories like yours are very inspiring and encouraging. I'm also a first-time viewer of the channel, and I think I'll stick around a while :)
@@snipysnipe For reals.
Same but I'm 14. Game development just clicks with me. I just don't own a PC to make games with... );
@@snipysnipe They're 14. The problem is that you can't find a job at 14. Where will they get the money?
same, i suppose right now im looking for motivation more than anything since im not the best with staying motivated and i just decided i kinda wanna redo what ive already done in a different way, to give myself more control of how it all works. i just hope i dont hit a wall of something that i really dont know how to do but so far i think i have a plan of how itd work
It's awesome that you want to start game development! If you have even a bad laptop you can begin your adventure (although it'll be frustrating) with coding and designing! If you don't have a laptop then you could try making a board game, i know it sounds a bit crazy but you can get help from art teachers at school and use card and the printers there to make a gameboard/characters/cards! Although I know you probably want to make a video game, if you start with a board game you'll find whether your true passion is the design/art of how it looks, or the functions of how your game works and the way different things may interact with eachother. Finally if you do computing/IT at your school then they'll likely have computers that can run python which is a simple programming language (they may even teach it to you the begginings in later years) so you can start learning to code so you have some experience when you eventually come to starting game development when you're older. Basically what I'm saying is speak to computing teachers/art teachers and start trying to make a game, you might find they help you start a club where you can better use the resources available, and have other people join in and help you with it!
Good luck, and it can get difficult, just stick at it!
@@ChaosDragon3401
i ended up going into security engineering but your lwjgl series had a huge part in getting me interested in Java as a language when i started following it at 15! was also super helpful for Minecraft modding, but i pretty much stick to backend passion projects now
Haha it’s crazy how nostalgic those Socuwan videos are! Takes me back. That’s when I started following your channel.
I still haven’t made my first full game yet but I will one day. Thanks for the continued inspiration and entertainment through your dev logs :)
I remember being a kid before I even had a RUclips account, I was so excited hearing you were going full time and enjoying all the videos you were making at the time and was sad when the kickstarter didn’t work out. Been around the whole journey and grew up along the way. You have helped fuel my interest in games and development and I’m happy to still have you around
Congrats for this 10 years! I've been watching your videos since 2014, and the way in what you make your videos is unique. Thanks!
epic journey! I have a similar video with almost the same title on my channel lol. Glad you shared yours too!
I have been watching for a very long time you may have forgotten me I used to bug you a lot 😂😂😂 It's so awesome to see how far you have come not a single video missed and every video that comes out is so exciting!
Totally agree! I don’t think I have missed a single video either :)
I definitely remember! You've been around since the very early Socuwan days!
I've followed you through my uni days, and now as a full time worker in the game dev industry. I work at an AAA studio as an engine programmer, and I still go back to your original opengl videos to this day!
I love how casually you were saying 'Unfortunatly there was some delays, I had oral cancer and had to go to hospital. Had to push back the release date, sorry guys :/'
I used to watch your videos about making an engine in Java. I was so interested in game making but didn't know where to start so I accidentally stumbled on your videos. Haven't stopped watching ever since!
You are the first game dev RUclips I ever watched. You got me into the genre - and eventually into game development. Thank you for the years of content and how much of yourself and your time you give to your projects and audience.
I don't know you or your work. Your story was very interesting and somehow moved me. But when reading the comments...
dude, you achieved more I could ever hope for. Beyond klicks, numbers and success. These people down the comments and what they tell about you and your work and how grateful they are ...just WOW! This is huge
This was awesome to watch. Congrats on your 10 year anniversary! I'm so glad you made it!
Videos like these show all of the committment one has to dedicate to making games. What you've achieved is so inspiring and a reminder of how daunting the journey to any kind of creative endeavour, and games in particular, can be.
Congrats and lets hope for another 10! 🎉
Happy 10 year anniversary TM! You are what got me into graphics programming with your lwjgl tutorials and equilinox devlogs, which I found I really really enjoy, so a big thanks from the bottom of my heart. Also hoping for another decade+ of banger videos!
This video was so well produced! Been watching you for a while and it was cool to see your whole dev journey summed up in such an entertaining video. Well done!
Its been such an amazing and epic journey you've gone through, excited to see where the next 10 years takes you!!
Just finished the video and didnt realize its been so long since you started equilinox, you were a huge inspiration when i was younger that got me into coding/game dev and my current career. Keep on the journey and excited to see whats next!
been watching your videos since the Equilinox devlogs. this morning, I woke up way too early (2am) and I was feeling really, really nervous. trying to relax, I tried watching different videos from different creators, but the fast-paced style just freaked me out more and more. then I decided to watch your video. the relaxing style, it just simply helps. your videos are a breath of fresh air and I will forever be in debt to you
Happy anniversary. I’ve loved watching your videos over the years - excited to watch when a new one shows in my feed. Hope you can continue to do what makes you happy for many years to come.
Super glad I ran across this. Happy continued devving!
I am proud of all you have accomplished!
Man that's absolutely insane ! I had the same aspiration (a darned mmo) on the same timeframe (2012) and ended up following the exact same java tutorial (at the time I had some experience in modding Minecraft and I was finishing highschool)! You're the incarnation of that branch of me where I'd stick to game dev instead of going industrial, and it is amazing to see how far you've come ! Congratulations :)
Congrats on 10 years! Always love your videos!
I've been lurking for a good few years - keep up the great work :)
I'm following you for quite some time now. I remember watching your LWJGL tutorial series and following along back when I was like 13 or 14 years old. And now I'm studying computer science. You've definitely been a huge inspiration. Actually you still are. Thanks for all your videos over the years. I don't remember a single video that I didn't enjoy.
Thanks for making these videos for us to enjoy for so many years! Your hard work and dedication to each project has inspired so many of us, I know it has inspired me. I'm so excited every time I get a notification from this channel and I hope you keep making them a long time!
Amazing stuff :) I have been following for years and I'm so happy you are still at it.
thats some awesome journey! congrats and good luck in the future endevours! :)
As a developer (web) who’s also more interested in engine development im still hoping for the day that you’ll make a video covering the process you personally follow for engine development. (What comes first ? Level editor ? What’s the underlying concept. Editing serializad data from the component properties? )
Until that day ever comes (if) I will continue to live vicariously through the little nuggets like this one.
What a great video in general to cover the last decade.
I really hope Homegrown will do well!
All of that is inspiring, I'm on the same situation right now as your early dev period with a project that I feel is ambitious but possible and I'm happy with what I can achieve even though I learn on the spot (I don't use my own engine and I have a Game Design Bachelor but It was awful).
I really hope I can be as succesful as you with this project.
I've been following you since a little while now and I've always liked the way you make your videos.
Happy 10 years! 🎉
Thank you, and good luck with your project!
@@ThinMatrix Thank you!
Why was it awful? 🤨
@@adaa96 It was a shitty private school. I would never recommend these schools to anyone
It is wild to think this that I've been following along for over 5 years at this point. More than once has your dedication inspired me to stick to things and see them through. Thank you!
10 years is an amazing feat! I've been watching you for 6 years give or take and started by following your tutorial series for lwjgl, wish you great success as you deserve it! Can't wait for more :)
Huge Crongrats!
I loved Equilinox, and love the progress on Homegrown so far.
However I would love to play Socuwan one day, Maybe not actually „play“ it but you know, just checking it out. Afterall I saw most of your devlog videos on it, and just wanna try it out myself one day, it’s like nostalgia at that that point.
You're a RUclips devlog legend! You have absolutely earned that title. Damn, has it really been 10 years? I remember waiting for the next Socuwan devlog like it was yesterday. Wish you 10 more years of awesome devlogs and successful games!
Been here for about as long as I can remember, and been enjoying it since the start! Following your journey has been nothing less than amazing
Can't believe its been so long, 10 years already
You really fought it mate, quite a journey so far. I hope you find each day more pleasure in your path, doing what you love and what you're passionate about. You are really an inspiration!
Been subscribed since January 2015! Have you ever considered returning to the Socuwan idea, but not as an MMO? A singleplayer/co-op game in the Socuwan world would be pretty interesting, provided the story was good. Keep up the good work!
Congrats
Absolutely love to watch your stuff! Much love and I wish you the best! :)
Thank you for giving all of your inspiration, it was great watching all of your videos. Waiting for all the videos yet to come! 😊
You've inspired so many game developers! You've even created a whole genre of devlogs, chill updates and tasty food :D Thank you so much for being such a solid inspiration to so many people
What an incredible drive. It still blows my mind that people like you are able to just keep getting back up and keep pursuing what you're passionate about-- it's so inspiring, seriously, and I know success is only just going to keep rolling in for you. So so excited about Homegrown and can't WAIT to play when it's out!
Been watching since your city builder project. I always enjoy your calm voice and your impressive work! Keep up your work!
I have been watching your videos for several years now and I am very happy about your anniversary. Your videos encourage me to continue working on my projects when I lack motivation. I wish you another 10 years of great adventure in GameDev!
Congrats on the 10 years! I started watching you near the end of the city builder game because I was looking at making something similar at the time. It's been a joy to see your devlogs and I always get excited when new one is posted!
Happy 10 year anniversary! fantastic video!!
This is such a great channel to watch, been here for a few years now and every-single-one of your videos are so inspiring! Thank you for sharing your journey and congrats on the 10 years!
Thank you for taking us along on this journey. Happy New Year - All the best!
Thank you for this video ! Loved it, it is really interesting knowing what you've been through, how you managed to finish your first game, and your story
your journey is so inspiring!! all the love
Congrats on 10 years, thanks for all the amazing content. Here’s to another 10 years of even more success!
I've been here and watched every single video since your first project and it's incredibly heartwarming to see you grow over time
I discovered your channel with this video and wow, that was wholesome to learn about your fantastic journey. I'm very impressed by what you accomplished during those 10 years, huge congrats!
truly inspiring and so so so deserved, congrats man !!
it's really heartwarming to see the progress you had for all these years, and as someone who develop a game (at least tries to) with a couple of friends on our free time while having a full time job, it hits close to home.
i following your YT channel for so long now and it's so fun to see the games you're working on take shape and come to life.
can't wait to see it out and helping you achieve your dreams.
Massive congratulations! You have been and continue to be a huge inspiration to me and many others.
That's an insane achievement! Congratulations, you really are an inspiration for many, including me! I thought I was here since quite early on, but after seeing this I realize I was wrong. I 'only' joined this channel while you were already working on Equillinox and never knew about what you did before that. It's really cool to now see all of that and it adds a lot more perspective to a game development journey. Thanks for making these awesome videos, and I'll be looking forward to the next 10 years!
Following you for years. Thank you for the motivation and inspiration ❤
Great video, been watching you awhile now. Keep up the awesome work!
Crazy to think I've started programming and following you pretty much at the same time, you've come a long way man and we are here for the next 10 years too! Really enjoying your content, keep it going!
I can't believe it's been that long! I started watching around the early SOCUWAN development. Such a blast from the past, and it's great to see how far you've come
I started watching sometime during the city builder, your videos are always a treat!
this is incredibly heartwarming. your tutorial videos were how i learned opengl so many years ago, and your socuwan devlogs were a huge inspiration for me. glad to see you are happier than ever
I'm happy you stuck on for all this time, both for you and for the community that's grown around this youtube channl. You've become a big inspiration for many new game-devs like me :) Keep being awesome~!
This brings back so many memories. I can't believe it's been over 6 years of following your journey. Keep it up
Such an inspiration!! Happy Anniversary as well!!! Giving me hope to continue on my project
Good luck and thank you! This is very exciting.
you've done very well my friend. loved seeing your progress. great channel.
Thank you so much for this video. I have been following you for along time. You’ve inspired me for many years on my own journey of game development.
Happy 10 years of indie game dev! Love your channel! Keep it up and best of luck with Homegrown!
Congratulations on the 10 years, and the impressive progress you've made!
Been following you since the start of Equilinox, and been majorly inspired to keep developing myself, although with less success and progress, but progress non the less.
Excited to follow your next 10 years!
You're awesome man! Congratulations for your journey and thanks for sharing it with us :)
So glad I saw this video, really inspiring. Thank you for sharing all the pain and hardship. Knowing that something is going to be tough upfront helps you keep your head down and push through. I needed that reminder.
really well put together video. keep making stuff!
Just thank you for everything you've done. Great work!
Subscribed at the end of Socuwan/beginning of the Equilinox videos. I cannot believe it's been 7 years already, absolutely insane. Congratulations on your journey and sharing it with us :)
Just found this channel. Can't wait to check out all the older videos now! The fact that you did it without a readily available IDE is also amazing to me. Also, you survived a major health scare too! The journey you took seems like a story with so many challenges to overcome. What a story... thank you for sharing!
Congrats on a great milestone! I’ve been fortunate to have followed most of it.
What a wonderful journey. Congrats!! Here's to another 10!
Congratulations on 10 years of game development! This might be some of the most wholesome content on youtube right now. I'm extremely grateful for all your tutorials. They fuelled a lot of my early interest in programming and I have happy memories of working through them. Your videos are probably part of the reason I'm a software engineer today. Thanks TM and all the best for the next 10 years!
You are amazing! Keep up the good work! We are with you!
Happy 10 year anniversary! You are a true master
This is very inspirational, Thank you for sharing your story!
Happy anniversary! You've been an inspiration for devs for years. I'm glad you didn't quit early on