7:32 - Yup, been there, doing everything on my own, but, I recently hired a super talented artist for a cinematic trailer for my game Sky Harvest and boy oh boy, I have felt so confident on my game for the first time in 10 months of developing it. The game looks so presentable and I am feeling so happy.
It’s an important goal but definitely not the only goal. I would actually argue having something impressive on your resume/portfolio is the best goal for most people, which may or may not require releasing. E.g. if you just want to prove you can code great gameplay, an unshippable demo can accomplish that. Meanwhile, if you want to prove you’re a great marketer, then yeah, shipping is pretty much everything, lol.
Big fan of this channel here! Thanks for all these great videos. Really helping me shape some strategies for my first big upcoming steam game, RoadHouse Manager. Finding all this channel very relevant to a small indie dev like myself.
"Do everything yourself" Sometimes this is the only option, due to available funds and lack of people willing to either work for free/royalty/volunteer for a project. This is especially true with inflation in some areas.
When you're a hammer, everything is a nail. The guys making those videos have a clear bias towards working as a team, due to their own circumstances and background. Listening to their POV is still interesting, but take everything they say (esp. regarding solo dev) with a huge grain of salt.
@@iojourny Isn't it actually accurate? If you focus on making everything yourself you will not achieve as big quality as specialized team. Also you pay time to get good at something and you spread this focus to different, sometimes unrelated skills.
@@anonimowelwiatko9811 To an extent. If you actually implement everything yourself - sure. If you have decent understanding in most areas, and deep understanding in a few, you can efficiently manage a few freelancers or buy and modify high quality assets (or a combination of both) for a fraction of the price it'd cost to maintain a full team.
Absolutely SOLID advice, I made a game with construct 3 and was relatively successful for being my first project. It's more about HOW you manage your plans and work than the engine. And yes C3 is F tier, but can still be used right.
I like these videos, however I would suggest that towards the end, like the final 1-2 minutes where you're giving the conclusion, it'd be nice if you went over the listed items again back to back, while also listing the talk points on screen. Like: 1. Don't do this - Do this instead. (Quick summary of the detailed points you did throughout the video). It'd help retain the information you provided as it's a quick recap that targets key points of a section while providing visual conformation, which again helps retain information. Keep up the good work.
Artindi has a great toon series like this, _How to fail at Indie Game Development._ He apparently didn't set out to copy Terrible Writing Advice (also great!), but it has that same vibe.
6:22 I call that "Templating" It's easier than creating something what of thin air 8:41 I learned Programming and Modelling But my skills in programming allow me to change parts of codes and my skills in modelling allow me to adjust polygons and textures
The fear of having game ideas stolen is a double edged sword. Yes its ridiculous and rare for ideas of the game concept to be "stolen" but what of visuals, mechanics, character designs etc? I feel like if you have an original take on any of these then putting it out there, especially to other indie developers making their own games, is a dangerous thing to do and might bleed what makes your game unique out into the market before you are able to release. Recently the "bodycam" take on fps for instance, the devs said they are going quiet until they are further along in development because they can see a lot of other devs now taking that idea and developing their own games on it themselves, and they still have lots of ideas they dont want to lose before they can sell them. Totally reasonable
Amongus was actually a dying game until streamers started streaming it. That's the only reason it became a success. I wouldn't count that as marketing since it was a god send luck some of the big name streamers like penguinz for example did collab streams and then it spread.
Counterpoint, Among Us as a game had marketing potential built into the core gameplay loop, since it's infinite free content for streamers. Did they do this on purpose? Debatable, but there are definitely games that have "streamer friendliness" baked right into their core. -M
@@bitemegames among us was close to shutting down their service. They had existed prior for years before content creators got a hold on it. Another factor was that content creators were looking for anything to stream during the covid shutdowns. I can't attribute marketing to among us since they only came to success through content creators. Post content creator hype train, yeah they were using that sweet sweet marketing budget.
Trying to make a lot of money is the easiest way to guarantee failure. You'll stop focusing on what makes the game interesting and start trying to copy what bigger, AAA companies do. When you care less about profit, you're more willing to take risks. And ultimately, it's the indies breaking the mold that become huge successes. Yes everyone wants to be rewarded for their efforts; but ultimately that's not how the market works. And hard work doesn't really entitle devs to any success. Look at something like Balatro, that idea came out of left field yet has taken off spectacularly.
Game designers! If you ever need a compass to point the way in a moments of uncertainty; just ask yourself this question: *"Whats the coolest thing that could happen right now"* The answer is almost always good game design. Likewise if something isn't clicking just ask yourself *"Is this the coolest thing that could happen?"* and if the answer is no, dig into that. Its seriously a cheatcode for any situation.
You unlocked a new tool: Whats the coolest thing that could happen? You ran out of Ammo: Whats the coolest thing that could happen? You have too much stuff in your inventory: Whats the coolest thing that could happen? You got a game over: Whats the coolest thing that could happen? You died early and your friends still play: Whats the coolest thing that could happen?
@@GuitarSlayer136 Coolest is not always the answer and it will heavily depend person to person. If you go with your guts, you will definitely create something unique though.
Couple more failure protips: 1- Don't even consider any platforms but Steam. Everyone knows that console is for babies & mobile is for grannies, and that people who drop $500+ on plastic boxes can't possibly afford your $5 indie game. 1a- Mac & Linux gamers? Never heard of 'em! 😂 2- Ideally, you'll never do any research at all, but if you must, make sure it's only among other indie game-devs. There is absolutely no value to seeking out professional talks, blogs, or local small-business resources. Under NO circumstances should you check out other indie media, like music, film, or books, to see if they have any solutions to common problems, like community management, marketing on a budget, or self-publishing. Obviously nothing in games has ever been influenced by books, music, or film, so why should you be the first? ❌ [Flip the above for the real tips :) ]
I like most of your videos, but honestly without a successful release this (and many others) feels like the blind leading the blind. Sorry man, but you shouldn't be giving advice on this.
Sounds like you're getting a cold, try to take some rest and see to it that you drink enough, also a spoonfull of honey can work miracles. Take care. Great video btw.
@@ryuusaisaiha-ha lmao why do you say "at least", LOL? Do you imply that it isn't that much, ha-ha-ha? 'cos that would be soooo not true right? I think it's rather a lot to release a whole game
7:32 - Yup, been there, doing everything on my own, but, I recently hired a super talented artist for a cinematic trailer for my game Sky Harvest and boy oh boy, I have felt so confident on my game for the first time in 10 months of developing it. The game looks so presentable and I am feeling so happy.
just a heads up, your Discord invite link on your Steam page is not valid
@@KevinFu5100 fixed it, tysm 💖🙏
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky
- Michael Scott
🤣@@HomeslicedVideos
Such a dumb quote because in hockey perhaps the right move was to make a pass and have the other player shoot
Bad quote for game dev, given that your chance of success is miniscule while the cost is always high.
Releasing your game - be it good or bad, a success or failure, makes money or not - MUST be your number 1 end goal.
Already did that. Unfortunately my next title has not been exploding either lol. Need to get up more art, UI and a trailer, I think :/
It’s an important goal but definitely not the only goal. I would actually argue having something impressive on your resume/portfolio is the best goal for most people, which may or may not require releasing.
E.g. if you just want to prove you can code great gameplay, an unshippable demo can accomplish that. Meanwhile, if you want to prove you’re a great marketer, then yeah, shipping is pretty much everything, lol.
@@TESkyrimizerwhat is your game called?
Good to know I am doing everything to fail perfectly, thanks for telling me I'm doing it right...
Big fan of this channel here! Thanks for all these great videos. Really helping me shape some strategies for my first big upcoming steam game, RoadHouse Manager. Finding all this channel very relevant to a small indie dev like myself.
"Do everything yourself"
Sometimes this is the only option, due to available funds and lack of people willing to either work for free/royalty/volunteer for a project.
This is especially true with inflation in some areas.
You can still have a successful game that way. You are just doing it on hard mode.
I just like and want to learn this stuff :C
When you're a hammer, everything is a nail.
The guys making those videos have a clear bias towards working as a team, due to their own circumstances and background.
Listening to their POV is still interesting, but take everything they say (esp. regarding solo dev) with a huge grain of salt.
@@iojourny Isn't it actually accurate? If you focus on making everything yourself you will not achieve as big quality as specialized team. Also you pay time to get good at something and you spread this focus to different, sometimes unrelated skills.
@@anonimowelwiatko9811 To an extent. If you actually implement everything yourself - sure. If you have decent understanding in most areas, and deep understanding in a few, you can efficiently manage a few freelancers or buy and modify high quality assets (or a combination of both) for a fraction of the price it'd cost to maintain a full team.
Missing the most important point, by far: define succes.
This was a pretty fun twist on a regular advice video. It also had some terrible (great) tips!
Absolutely SOLID advice, I made a game with construct 3 and was relatively successful for being my first project. It's more about HOW you manage your plans and work than the engine. And yes C3 is F tier, but can still be used right.
I like these videos, however I would suggest that towards the end, like the final 1-2 minutes where you're giving the conclusion, it'd be nice if you went over the listed items again back to back, while also listing the talk points on screen.
Like: 1. Don't do this - Do this instead. (Quick summary of the detailed points you did throughout the video).
It'd help retain the information you provided as it's a quick recap that targets key points of a section while providing visual conformation, which again helps retain information.
Keep up the good work.
Well explained. Thanks for sharing these tips.
Artindi has a great toon series like this, _How to fail at Indie Game Development._ He apparently didn't set out to copy Terrible Writing Advice (also great!), but it has that same vibe.
What you should do: get gud
What you shouldn't: get bad
6:22 I call that "Templating"
It's easier than creating something what of thin air
8:41 I learned Programming and Modelling
But my skills in programming allow me to change parts of codes and my skills in modelling allow me to adjust polygons and textures
The fear of having game ideas stolen is a double edged sword. Yes its ridiculous and rare for ideas of the game concept to be "stolen" but what of visuals, mechanics, character designs etc? I feel like if you have an original take on any of these then putting it out there, especially to other indie developers making their own games, is a dangerous thing to do and might bleed what makes your game unique out into the market before you are able to release. Recently the "bodycam" take on fps for instance, the devs said they are going quiet until they are further along in development because they can see a lot of other devs now taking that idea and developing their own games on it themselves, and they still have lots of ideas they dont want to lose before they can sell them. Totally reasonable
Amongus was actually a dying game until streamers started streaming it. That's the only reason it became a success. I wouldn't count that as marketing since it was a god send luck some of the big name streamers like penguinz for example did collab streams and then it spread.
Counterpoint, Among Us as a game had marketing potential built into the core gameplay loop, since it's infinite free content for streamers. Did they do this on purpose? Debatable, but there are definitely games that have "streamer friendliness" baked right into their core. -M
@@bitemegames among us was close to shutting down their service. They had existed prior for years before content creators got a hold on it. Another factor was that content creators were looking for anything to stream during the covid shutdowns. I can't attribute marketing to among us since they only came to success through content creators. Post content creator hype train, yeah they were using that sweet sweet marketing budget.
Trying to make a lot of money is the easiest way to guarantee failure. You'll stop focusing on what makes the game interesting and start trying to copy what bigger, AAA companies do.
When you care less about profit, you're more willing to take risks. And ultimately, it's the indies breaking the mold that become huge successes.
Yes everyone wants to be rewarded for their efforts; but ultimately that's not how the market works. And hard work doesn't really entitle devs to any success.
Look at something like Balatro, that idea came out of left field yet has taken off spectacularly.
I think an overlay or a voice changer as you hop back and forth would've been helpful. It's a bit confusing when you're and aren't being serious.
i only try to learn everything about making games because i dont know what part i want to do.
Game designers!
If you ever need a compass to point the way in a moments of uncertainty; just ask yourself this question:
*"Whats the coolest thing that could happen right now"*
The answer is almost always good game design.
Likewise if something isn't clicking just ask yourself *"Is this the coolest thing that could happen?"* and if the answer is no, dig into that.
Its seriously a cheatcode for any situation.
You unlocked a new tool: Whats the coolest thing that could happen?
You ran out of Ammo: Whats the coolest thing that could happen?
You have too much stuff in your inventory: Whats the coolest thing that could happen?
You got a game over: Whats the coolest thing that could happen?
You died early and your friends still play: Whats the coolest thing that could happen?
I'll try that!
@@GuitarSlayer136 Coolest is not always the answer and it will heavily depend person to person. If you go with your guts, you will definitely create something unique though.
Couple more failure protips: 1- Don't even consider any platforms but Steam. Everyone knows that console is for babies & mobile is for grannies, and that people who drop $500+ on plastic boxes can't possibly afford your $5 indie game.
1a- Mac & Linux gamers? Never heard of 'em! 😂
2- Ideally, you'll never do any research at all, but if you must, make sure it's only among other indie game-devs. There is absolutely no value to seeking out professional talks, blogs, or local small-business resources.
Under NO circumstances should you check out other indie media, like music, film, or books, to see if they have any solutions to common problems, like community management, marketing on a budget, or self-publishing. Obviously nothing in games has ever been influenced by books, music, or film, so why should you be the first? ❌
[Flip the above for the real tips :) ]
I like most of your videos, but honestly without a successful release this (and many others) feels like the blind leading the blind. Sorry man, but you shouldn't be giving advice on this.
Make a sports game. That’s the fastest way to fail!
Video idea: How to choose your first/second game/game-genre ;)
Look up their tier list, it's basically there
Thats more of a general list i believe. I'm more looking for tips what a good "beginner" game/project is.@@anonimowelwiatko9811
I saw that excel doc of influencers... mind making that public?
It probably should differ depending on genre you are making
You guys really need to get off the negativity roller-coaster.
EA taking notes
Another video: "Our current game is failing hard..."
So not sure if this is best channel to take advice from
It feels weird hearing Marnix saying bad advice.
This sound awfuly similar to that RUclips series of how to succed at failure and I don't mean the topic but the script 😅...
Failing is great. Thats why I make games.
Sounds like you're getting a cold, try to take some rest and see to it that you drink enough, also a spoonfull of honey can work miracles. Take care.
Great video btw.
*BIITTEEEE MEEEE* 😬💀
Algorithm go brrrrr
first
Ah yes the old tactic of uploading twice the same vid but in 1 you say how to and the other the opposite
you would know a lot about it
no offence, quite the opposite, it's admirable that you try to learn
At least they've released a game
@@ryuusaisaiha-ha lmao
why do you say "at least", LOL? Do you imply that it isn't that much, ha-ha-ha? 'cos that would be soooo not true right?
I think it's rather a lot to release a whole game
@@VihniPuh-kolinkrivi No? I'm saying they seem to be doing good if they managed to release a game, as opposed to many who don't.
@@ryuusaisai I mean blizzard released a game, they must be doing great.
I was refering to Songs of Evergade
Link me your games@@VihniPuh-kolinkrivi