From a hobbyist to a full-time indie developer: here are the lessons I learned through the 4 years of my (still ongoing) journey developing "Shardpunk".

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• From a hobbyist to a full-time indie developer: here are the lessons I learned through the 4 years of my (still ongoing) journey developing "Shardpunk".
• Is there a "Startup Stash" equivalent for Game Dev
• ECS back and forth: Introduction to sparse sets and pointer stability (part 1 of 2)
• Portal Gun Core Mechanics using Unreal Engine with sample project included. Please, enjoy :)
• Is going to school for game design worth it?
• I need advice starting my first solo project
• If you have gone from hobby game development to professional (indie) publication. Was it a worthwhile jump?
• What Are Some Affordable And Great Motion Tracking Suits?
• The Rain World Animation Process
• Thoughts On Buying Music And Sound From AudioJungle or Unity Asset Store?
• Advice: Transitioning from web front end engineer to game UI engineer
• Climate chance and duration?
• 3D Models: How to keep a consistent art style?
• Where i can find finance for my game?
• The right game genre
• How risky is it to post our game title before we have a domain name/Steam page
• Is it a good idea (or at least neutral) to create your Steam page and put out some basic clips of your game on Reddit/twitter *before* the final art has been done?
• How do I come up with a studio name?
• Tutorial: AI - Perception reaction - Unreal Engine 4 + Unreal Engine 5
• What would A good theme/setting be for a game about creating makeshift weapons, traps, buildings etc.
• Best practices for making a demo?
• Open source

From a hobbyist to a full-time indie developer: here are the lessons I learned through the 4 years of my (still ongoing) journey developing "Shardpunk". Posted: 29 Aug 2021 04:06 AM PDT I like reading stories from fellow game creators who share their thoughts/lessons learned - and I believe it is time for me to share mine. I am happy about where I currently am in my journey - I started out as a guy sitting on a hobby project in my spare time and managed to transition to a full-time indie job. Since 2018 (or even mid-2017) I managed to start a hobby gamedev project, release several demos, built a wishlist and created basic visibility for the game, which then resulted in teaming up with a publisher and securing funding for Shardpunk. Because of that, I transitioned to full-time development since the beginning of 2021. A freaking dream-come true! My journey is still in a relatively early stage and I am sure that the hard part is still ahead of me - after all, I am still working on my game. The release date is planned for 2022, so all the release-related stuff is still going to hit me. That being said, I already made significant progress - here are the most important lessons I want to share with you. But first, I'm making an assumption that you're aiming to actually finish and release a game as a commercial product - and in a way that will allow you to fund the development of your next game. If you're working on a niche game that you're just making for yourself - that's cool; some of the points below might not match your approach though. Start small, do game jams I bet you've heard this one before. Finishing a game is a big undertaking. Heck, when I see the amount of work that is left on Shardpunk it makes me shiver. And I'm not talking about stuff like game design - there's all the stuff related to localization support, handling of save systems, and general bugfixing/stabilization. So, before you dive into a huge project, do test yourself with smaller games. Game jams are great for that. There are dozens of them to pick from - I've participated in two jams from itch.io: 1 Room RPG Jam and 7DRL Challenge 2018. The games I submitted there have become the base for developing Shardpunk - I am still using code from them in my game. Jams are a great way to hone your skills. I've never created a game using Unity before, so during the jams, I managed to learn how this stuff works and how to put it together to create something that is actually working. Was it high quality? Of course it wasn't - but the sole fact I was spending time working on it was providing me with the experience necessary to get going. Have some useful skills I had around 10 years of experience in software development when I decided to start working on Shardpunk. It means that I did not have any major problems with the coding part. Sure, I had to get familiar with Unity in general and I did struggle with it, but I avoided having any issues understanding how programming works. On the other hand, my art skills are not top-notch. I am able to describe how the stuff in the game should look like. However, when it comes to drawing stuff, it takes me ages to do so (we're talking pixel art here, as that's the style I wanted the game to have). I know fellow game developers that are great artists but are less experienced in coding. Which one of these skills is better? Hard to say, really. A good artist may be able to create a stunning experience, but due to lacking programming skills they'd have to simplify the game (or spend lots of time learning to code more extraordinary stuff) or to hire a programmer. Don't be afraid to ask for help If you don't have all the time in the world (and at least I'm not such a guy; married, two children, mid-thirties, you know how it goes) you probably won't be able to create a game within a reasonable time - especially when it's starting as a hobby project. I've decided to look for a freelance artist and started investing in some good art. Frankly, that was one of the best decisions I have made throughout the game development process so far. The quality of the art (and the time that I saved by not doing it myself!) significantly improved the value of the game, especially because… Visuals are important You won't get far with crappy graphics. People (you know, potential buyers of your game - as we're trying to sell a product here, remember?) need to see that the game is actually looking nice. Open up to the world When I decided to work on Shardpunk (so my first big, serious game), I started a devlog at TIGSource Forums and committed myself to post there on a regular basis (I believe it was once every week, and its bi-weekly right now). It was not meant for finding potential buyers for the game; instead, it was to establish a routine. Every little success I managed to accomplish was appearing in the devlog. The early gifs were basic; you don't really have to have professional visuals at this stage, but they're helping (it's easier to develop a game that is looking good). Be persistent Yup, that's another piece of advice that all of us self-made indies have heard too often. However, I see that many of us still fail here. The TIGSource Forums is a cemetery of abandoned projects. Just starting a devlog is not enough. As I mentioned before, the goal is to establish a routine. For the first two years (even more than that), I worked on Shardpunk in my spare time only. This meant working on evenings (prepare to put game development above Netflix and/or playing games), early in the mornings, during weekends, or when I was waiting for my children to finish classes. It was a slow grind. Sometimes I was managing to spend no more than three hours WEEKLY working on the game. The bottom line was that there couldn't be any zero-hour weeks. Prepare for a marathon Unless you're working on a mini-game of some sort, it will take a lot of time before you finish it. I did encounter a false start in the past; even before I started my work on Shardpunk I knew I want to create games. I had a fuzzy idea for a game back then (so fuzzy I can't recall it, really) and I decided to go all-in. I took two weeks of holiday from my day job just to focus on game development. Man, that turned out badly. I made literally ZERO progress, despite having all this time. I was simply not ready and didn't really know how to cope with this. I lacked persistence and discipline. I was finding all other kinds of side activities that required my attention, and I didn't really have a plan for making the game. I believe that a slow start - especially when it's your first game - is a good thing. Begin with spending few hours a week on the thing, build up the routine, see how it works out, and then try to push with it. Oh, and watch your mental health. You don't want to be spending ALL of your free time on the game as you will experience burnout pretty quickly. Ideas are cheap You've heard that one before, haven't you? At least half of the initial ideas I had for Shardpunk have been scrapped and removed from the game - or they didn't make it to the game in the first place. Having brainstorming sessions - even alone - is necessary. What is more important is testing all these ideas in action and checking whether they are fun. Implement a new feature, test it, evaluate, repeat. If it's good, flesh it out. The shorter the feedback loop, the better. Set up the landing page, start gathering wishlists As soon as you have something with decent visuals (it doesn't have to be playable), make sure you have a place that you can guide your potential players to in order to hook them. A basic landing page for the game, along with a newsletter signup form (I'm using Mailchimp) should work well. If you're not into creating a webpage and you don't want to spend too much money on all these website-building software that can become pretty expensive, you can always create an itch.io page or a Steam page (though you need to pay the entry fee for the latter). As the game development will progress, you will have a base of email addresses that you can reach out to when communicating some important pieces of information (a demo release, maybe?). Twitter is your friend Twitter is great to gain some initial visibility and see how people react to different pieces of media you're uploading. Still, most of your initial audience will be other game developers - so it's not about finding potential buyers. Don't underestimate the sound Ah, I remember the first time I've added some sound effects to Shardpunk. The difference in the fun factor was huge. Do make sure you treat the sound part with respect. Sure, you can't show sound on gifs, but still - sooner or later you will be showing your game as a whole and you better have some nice audio. I decided to handle the in-game sound by myself. It doesnt' mean that I was recording my own samples though - there's a lot of sound effect resources available; just wait for a bundle, free samples or simply buy an audio pack that is of interest for you. I tried working with an audio designer, but it wasn't working for me. The feedback loop was pretty long - meaning that the whole process (me describing what sounds I need and what are animations they should be synced to, then waiting for the sounds, then trying them out, and describing what I'd change) was taking too much time. It would be surely better if I'd be working with an in-house sound artist, but that wasn't an option. Look for feedback, release early As soon as you have something that is playable, consider wrapping it up in a demo (which means spending a lot of time polishing it) and releasing it. I released the first two alpha demos of Shardpunk on itch.io - and I've included a link to a post-game survey for the players to share their experiences which became a source of valuable feedback. Also, the demos were the reasons why publishers starting to contact me. If you reach this point, you can start assuming that you game has a commercial potential. Still, watch out for shady publishers that just want a cut from your sales and don't propose anything in return - but that's a broader topic and requires a separate entry. There's never a good time to start - just go There will always be too many things that are outside of your control that you might find discouraging in your gamedev journey. Try not to worry too much about them, and just stick to the grind. The appearance of the Epic Store. Kickstarter coming to my country (Poland). COVID. Steam Deck. All of these things have had an impact on the way I could be creating the game, some for the better, some for the worst. Don't wait for that perfect moment. Just start doing it and watch what's going on. Enjoy the journey Don't stress out too much - after all, that's only a computer game you're trying to make. Not taking life too seriously will help you in creating a better product. ​ Congratulations, you've reached the end of this entry! If you have any questions, fire away. Good luck to all of you game developers out there! submitted by /u/bryqu [link] [comments]

Is there a "Startup Stash" equivalent for Game Dev Posted: 29 Aug 2021 02:23 AM PDT Maybe a stupid question, but I see a lot of these "Startup Stash" type of things (mainly on ProductHunt) which is basically a directory for resources for various industries. Does anyone know if there is anything similar for game dev? submitted by /u/teejaaygee [link] [comments]

ECS back and forth: Introduction to sparse sets and pointer stability (part 1 of 2) Posted: 29 Aug 2021 09:20 AM PDT submitted by /u/skypjack [link] [comments]

Portal Gun Core Mechanics using Unreal Engine with sample project included. Please, enjoy :) Posted: 28 Aug 2021 10:16 PM PDT submitted by /u/JellyBeanCart [link] [comments]

Is going to school for game design worth it? Posted: 28 Aug 2021 11:47 PM PDT Would it be more worth it to just get a CS degree or should I study game design specifically? submitted by /u/ColeyPatroley [link] [comments]

I need advice starting my first solo project Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:08 AM PDT Disclaimer: This isn't supposed to be one of those "I got no experience, I don't know how to get started!!!"-type posts. I study game design (includes stuff like art and coding), and I have done some school projects as well as one game jam (hopefully more soon). So I do already have multiple skills and limited experience. I've never done a proper solo project and I really want to make a proper game, mostly on my own. However, I have really been struggling to get started. For example, I don't know how much I need planned before I can start compilling stuff into engine. Right now I've got basic idea for everything, but nothing more than that. I really don't know if I should plan more or just go straight into trying to make something. So I guess my question would be: How does someone who has the basic skillset actually start doing a first project? Also some basic info of my project: length around few hours, story-focused, turn-based rpg with some puzzles, made with Unity (2D) (Everything is subject to change though). submitted by /u/InfectedRamen [link] [comments]

If you have gone from hobby game development to professional (indie) publication. Was it a worthwhile jump? Posted: 28 Aug 2021 09:00 PM PDT I apologise if this is asked a lot, I am new to Reddit (and most of social media actually). I'm 29 this year and have been making games for a while now, just casually. I started with a little clone of "Asteroids" and was hooked. I did a little programming in college and love art and music etc so it turned into a nice hobby for me. Since then I've just been making 2D games that I enjoy or that I think my girlfriend would enjoy (she is more of a gamer than me and was my only playtester for "Asteroids" haha). I'm not REALLY good or anything. I still feel like a beginner, but I have some background to be proud of. Overtime my games are getting better but I never wanted to release any of them. Recently though, I've been knocking around an idea that might be good enough to actually develop to release. My girlfriend is my biggest fan and is really encouraging me to try to develop something to put out there for others to play...and I don't hate the idea or anything. I'm just worried about the process. Releasing a game means time spent on marketing or building a following with devlogs and YouTube videos and I'm just not that good at social media. Also this would not be a job for me...I would still just be doing it in my spare time, so updates would be sporadic which isn't the way to really do it anyway. I doubt very much that an indie game could be successful if it's just dropped with no hype. My definition of success by the way is not money, just people playing and enjoying it. With such an over saturated market though, it's hard to believe that anyone would even find it. I have struggled with anxiety in the past and it seems like a LOT of stress with very little reward. But I mean...releasing something would be cool. I would love to see someone other than my girlfriend have a go at my games. So my question is to everyone who has made the jump from hobby to professional (but still indie) game development. Did you enjoy it? Was it worth it? Would you recommend it to others? submitted by /u/kat_narwhal130 [link] [comments]

What Are Some Affordable And Great Motion Tracking Suits? Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:57 AM PDT I remember seeing some surprisingly affordable motion capture suits some time ago. I don't remember the name or time I saw them. But with time comes the advancement of technology. Link me some, if you will! submitted by /u/ForerunnerAI10 [link] [comments]

The Rain World Animation Process Posted: 29 Aug 2021 09:34 AM PDT submitted by /u/ArcticoGame [link] [comments]

Thoughts On Buying Music And Sound From AudioJungle or Unity Asset Store? Posted: 29 Aug 2021 09:13 AM PDT What are your thoughts on buying music from the mainstream sources? Do you think anyone would ever truly notice if you did? Sound packs seem to be the most recycled option and most people do not seem to care one bit. I have looked into hiring composers and the like but they charge closer to $400 a minute of the final track where you can find high quality tracks for as low as $100 with full licensing on the more mainstream options. submitted by /u/GachaJay [link] [comments]

Advice: Transitioning from web front end engineer to game UI engineer Posted: 29 Aug 2021 12:50 PM PDT I'm looking for advice on how to make the shift from front end (web) engineering to UI engineering for video games. With 10+ years of corporate experience and roughly 4 years of self-taught freelancing / part-time experience, I work as a front end software engineer for one of the FANG tech companies. My expertise ranges from front end system architecture (HTML/JS/CSS) to middle-tier backend services using a variety of technologies. submitted by /u/Live_Armadillo_4031 [link] [comments]

Climate chance and duration? Posted: 29 Aug 2021 12:41 PM PDT I made a climate system for my game, i need advice with the chances and the duration, currently i set it to: Cycle with random duration between 5 - 10 mins with this chances each time: 70/101 = normal 30/101 = rain 1/101 = rainstorm What duration and chances should i use? submitted by /u/Rikisimo69 [link] [comments]

3D Models: How to keep a consistent art style? Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:27 AM PDT Hey everyone, So i'm new to 3D modeling, but looking at all the websites and options, i'm wondering how i'm supposed to keep a 'consistent' art style when using a lot of models. My game is low poly, but of course most assets aren't. And the ones that are often don't fit this kind of style. So 99.9%+ of assets I can't really use without making the game look weird. How am I supposed to solve this problem? I'm willing to change art styles a bit for a consistent match with a lot of assets. Or should I just be building these models myself? Thanks :) submitted by /u/enterguild [link] [comments]

Where i can find finance for my game? Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:12 AM PDT I'm and 2 my friends (game designers and artist) develop some interesting game, but we don't have normal equipment. Old PC, old laptop and other. Tell me, where we can find some money for selling new equipment? submitted by /u/Markraimond [link] [comments]

The right game genre Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:12 AM PDT I'm new to the world of programming, and after making my first game with Clickteam fusion I decided to start a new project: I wanted to tell the story of a Sicilian "brigand" who fights for a new Italy after the peninsula was united by a Franco-Austrian puppet to suppress any attempt at revolt as in 1848 through a game After doing some research, I couldn't find the perfect genre of video game I would like to use, does anyone have any advice or ideas? submitted by /u/Any_Telephone6843 [link] [comments]

How risky is it to post our game title before we have a domain name/Steam page Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:10 AM PDT We are a small team but we have gotten moderate success in the past with posting things from our game. How risky is it to post stuff like our WIP title screens for feedback/traction? Has anybody been burned by that in the past? Thanks! submitted by /u/kr_107_cuz [link] [comments]

Is it a good idea (or at least neutral) to create your Steam page and put out some basic clips of your game on Reddit/twitter *before* the final art has been done? Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:05 AM PDT So I've been working on a game for about 1.5 years and now the gameplay is pretty much done and the game is playable. There are still a few features I need to implement, optimisations etc., but the main thing is that the graphics need a bit of an overall since I've just been using assets and its a bit of a mixmash. The graphics still have the type of feel I'm going for so the final artstyle will be similar, it's just probably most of the art will be replaced in the final game. My question is, is it okay to start a Steam page for the game, and put out some clips on Reddit before the final art is implemented? I wouldn't put too much effort into the clips obv, just some fun gameplay clips. And I also wouldn't put too much effort into the Steam page yet, just a place to start getting wishlists. Bascially I feel like the art will only fully come together about the same time that the game is ready for release, which would mean very little time for marketing before release, and I've heard it's a good idea to start promoting your game well before that. My gut is that it's no problem, people aren't going to not buy the game just because you 'improved' the art lol. Can you see anything negative that can come of this? It's not much effort for me so if it's at worst neutral then I'll go ahead and do it. submitted by /u/223am [link] [comments]

How do I come up with a studio name? Posted: 29 Aug 2021 07:54 AM PDT Hi, game fellow developers I need some help. I for the longest time wanted to come up with a name for my game studio (Even though I'm only one person). I just feel like publishing under the name Vangsguard is a little boring and a company name is a lot better to publish under. The only problem is I have no idea how to come up with one that isn't already taken, is too long or complicated, or just bad. So if anyone here either got the some name ideas or has a good way to come up with a name feel free to share. submitted by /u/Vangsguard [link] [comments]

Tutorial: AI - Perception reaction - Unreal Engine 4 + Unreal Engine 5 Posted: 29 Aug 2021 07:53 AM PDT submitted by /u/LeafBranchGames [link] [comments]

What would A good theme/setting be for a game about creating makeshift weapons, traps, buildings etc. Posted: 29 Aug 2021 07:47 AM PDT I'm making a game where one of the main mechanics is creating different combinations of makeshift weapons, traps buildings and so on. I was thinking of going for a kind of post - apocalyptic setting, but I'm not so sure. What do you think? submitted by /u/WyvernAllow [link] [comments]

Best practices for making a demo? Posted: 29 Aug 2021 07:28 AM PDT My game Inferno is participating in the "Steam Next Fest" and I'm seeking advice on how to make a good demo for this event. Here's some of my reasoning so far: Length - It's a puzzle game with 125 levels, I'm thinking about having around 10 such levels in the demo, this would make the demo around 30 minutes long (the first puzzles are easier on average). What to show - I'm considering two options: either use the first ~10 levels of the game, or choose one level from each distinct section of the game. Going with the first levels would make it more coherent and a bit easier since there are only basic mechanics. On the other hand I feel that some of the appeal of the game is its varied atmospheres, mechanics, and music of the different sections - seeing only the first levels may leave the impression that the game is more monotone than it really is. Difficulty - Some levels in the full game are challenging, but I want as many players as possible who play the demo to finish it, so I'm leaning towards picking easier levels for the demo. On the other hand some people (including me) love challenging puzzle games. How would you reason regarding length, what levels to include, and difficulty? Any other advice for making a demo? submitted by /u/vertex6 [link] [comments]

Open source Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:50 AM PDT There is a completely free and open source game engine with no programming language to learn WITH 3D SUPPORT? submitted by /u/IndieTigerDev [link] [comments]

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