Insights on Indie Game Development Journey

Aug 29, 2024

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Indie Game Development Insights with Jason

Introduction

  • Discussion on indie game development with Jason, creator of Cultic.
  • Jason's game sold over 50,000 copies.
  • Promotion for the new course YouTube GameDev (40% off for 14 days).

Transition to Full-Time Game Development

  • Cultic was Jason's first successful game, transitioning from hobby projects.
  • Experienced issues with project hopping prior to Cultic.
  • Current work on Cultic provides a full-time income.
  • Anxiety about maintaining success and fears of returning to a 9-to-5 job.
  • Discussion of feelings of guilt and imposter syndrome when comparing to traditional jobs.

Educational and Professional Background

  • Jason's background in graphic design (2013-2017).
  • Worked in retail jobs while pursuing college education.
  • Moved back to Kansas and started a job in software support, feeling more passionate about it.
  • Began working on Cultic in January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Development Process

  • Idea for Cultic had been around since childhood; always wanted to create a game.
  • Initial attempts in GameMaker and Unity were unsuccessful due to lack of 3D skills.
  • January 2021, while working on a different game, created a model that inspired Cultic.
  • Gained initial attention on Twitter, leading to interest from 3D Realms.
  • Created a proof of concept demo after gaining interest from publishers.

Scheduling and Time Management

  • Worked full-time (8 AM - 5 PM) and then dedicated evenings (5 PM - 1 AM) to developing Cultic.
  • Emphasis on the importance of commitment and managing time effectively outside of work.

Technical Overview

  • Importance of having a strong willingness to learn various skills:
    • Game design
    • Music composition
    • Art creation
  • Tools Used:
    • Game Development: Unity
    • Music: FL Studio (Fruity Loops)
    • Art: Blender, Photoshop, and Aseprite for sprite editing.

Coding and Design

  • C# coding used instead of visual scripting for flexibility.
  • Art process involves creating 3D models, rendering them to sprites, and cleaning them up in Photoshop.
  • Unique color palette usage due to limited colors enhances the game's aesthetic.

Conclusion

  • Encouragement for aspiring solo developers to pursue their projects diligently.
  • Reminder about the YouTube GameDev course to build a YouTube channel to promote games.
  • Course includes strategies to create a massive audience for potential income generation.