The greatest challenge for a game developer is getting stuck in the development process without ever releasing the game. Today, indie game development offers more tools and resources than before. This empowers indie developers to craft games that were previously unimaginable ten years ago. However, this abundance can also lead to overwhelming complexities for those beginning their journey. You can search for jobs for indie game artists on Jooble

This article will discuss some vital tips for making your first indie game. 

Tips For Making Your First Indie Game

• Consider Your Hourly Rate As A Game Developer About Your Budget

You might not currently have an hourly rate or are not paying yourself. Having an hourly rate can help you understand your potential earnings. Assuming an hourly rate of $40, if you work two hours a day after work or school, that’s 40 hours per month. If it takes around six months to complete your game, that’s 240 hours, amounting to $9,600. While this might seem small compared to a major AAA title like “Breath of the Wild,” which costs around $120 million to develop, it’s important to recognize the scale difference. Your first indie game should ideally be smaller in scope.

• Avoid building everything from scratch. 

This is particularly relevant considering the expense of creating games from the ground up. To illustrate this with an example: Imagine designing six sci-fi weapons in Blender, a prominent 3D modelling tool (which is often mistakenly thought to be free). Always remember that time equates to money – if you’re investing time, you’re essentially investing money, either now or down the line. 

Crafting these six 3D sci-fi weapons might require a minimum of eight hours, which, at your hourly rate, amounts to $400. While it might make sense for a highly unique passion project, this approach doesn’t align with your first title. Instead, consider utilizing assets from platforms like TurboSquid, Sketchfab, and, notably, the asset store. For instance, you could find a pack of sci-fi weapons in the asset store – six for just $14. 

These assets don’t look subpar; you can easily customize their appearance by swapping out textures. Truthfully, 99 per cent of players won’t discern this shortcut. Ultimately, this method costs only a fraction – three per cent, to be exact – of the expense. While the importance of creative integrity, it’s vital to acknowledge that a pragmatic financial perspective plays a role. Many game developers falter due to a lack of financial foresight. 

Remember, time is money, or at the very least, mental energy – a resource most of us can’t sustain for years during a single game’s creation. Speaking from experience, my first game consumed five years unnecessarily, a mistake I won’t repeat. 

• Avoid making your first game your dream project. 

Instead of making your first game your dream project, consider your first game your experimental one. Create a 15-minute game, release it on platforms like Hio, and consider it a successful accomplishment. Strangely, achieving this initial milestone carries a lot of significance. Once you’ve released your first game, you’ll likely discover your strengths – whether you excel as an artist, musician, storyteller, or game designer. In my case, I’ve identified myself as a storyteller and an atmosphere designer, and that remains my primary focus. I’ve realized this by experiencing failures in various other aspects of game development. This understanding has allowed me to concentrate on what truly matters for my games and what doesn’t. Ultimately, I’ve learned how to translate this focus into a source of income.

• Create Your Dream Game

The next tip is relevant not only to your next game but also to all future projects. Once you’ve successfully released a short, experimental game, you can shift your focus toward creating your dream game. More importantly, direct your efforts into crafting a prototype for your dream game. Instead of tackling the entire game simultaneously, concentrate on producing a polished prototype. This approach is more manageable because breaking the game development process into pieces is much more feasible than aiming to release a massive game from the start. The main reason behind suggesting a polished prototype is its potential to secure funding. 

You can take this 15-minute prototype and present it to seek support from platforms like Kickstarter, publishers, or even services like Apple Arcade or Epic Games. Once you’ve secured funding for your prototype, completing the full game becomes more straightforward because you’re legally and financially obliged to do so. 

Whether it’s the Kickstarter community expecting the game’s completion or an investor anticipating your launch, you’re committed to delivering. Money and legal responsibility serve as incredibly effective motivators. Although securing funding might sound intimidating, the process is quite natural when it unfolds. You’ll engage in engaging discussions with studios over the phone or on platforms like Discord. These conversations will cover the required funds to complete your game, potential revenue-sharing agreements with the platform or publisher at launch, and other legal aspects. If needed, you can enlist the help of a lawyer for a reasonable fee to assist in clarifying these legal terms. 

• Start Building A Community

Your community encompasses online friends who provide emotional support and fans who will financially back your game upon release. When it comes to connecting with your friends or collaborators, Discord can be the preferred platform. Discord can foster numerous friendships, whether it’s a free or paid community. It’s an efficient way to immerse yourself in the game development community quickly.

When it comes to your fan community, it boils down to consistent posting on social media, ideally daily, with appropriate hashtags. Share exciting game clips, insightful development logs on platforms like YouTube, or captivating screenshots. With each post, consider incorporating a call to action. Encourage your audience to wishlist your game on Steam and perhaps sign up for your email list in exchange for a free demo. Building your fanbase hinges on consistent output, high-quality content, effective hashtags, and a compelling call to action.

Conclusion

With dedicated efforts, you can amass thousands of eager fans prepared to purchase your dream game upon its completion. Don’t underestimate this aspect. Making a significant impact during the launch with the support of your fans sends a strong signal to platforms like Steam, indicating the popularity of your game and propelling it higher during launch week.