Indie Game Development

What is Indie Game Development?

Indie game development means creating video games independently, without publisher backing. You (and maybe a small team) design, build, and sell your own games on platforms like Steam, Itch.io, or mobile app stores.

It's creative, challenging work with potential for passive income—but success is rare and requires significant time investment.

The Honest Picture

Most Games Fail Commercially

Reality	What It Means
70%+ of Steam games sell <1,000 copies	Very competitive
Development takes longer than expected	Plan for delays
Marketing is half the battle	Building isn't enough
Most devs need other income	Don't quit your day job

Why Some Succeed

• Unique and polished gameplay
• Strong visual style
• Smart marketing before and during launch
• Community building
• Persistence across multiple projects

Getting Started

Choose Your Path

Approach	Learning Curve	Best For
Unity (C#)	Medium	Most game types
Godot (GDScript)	Low-Medium	2D games, beginners
Unreal (C++/Blueprints)	High	High-fidelity 3D
GameMaker	Low	2D games

Recommendation: Start with Unity or Godot. Both are free and have extensive learning resources.

Learning Resources

• YouTube tutorials (tons available)
• Official documentation
• Udemy courses ($10-20 on sale)
• Game development communities
• Books on game design

Your First Project

Keep it tiny:

• Pong clone
• Simple platformer
• Basic puzzle game
• Anything you can finish in weeks, not months

Finishing something small teaches more than abandoning something ambitious.

Types of Indie Games

By Platform

Platform	Development	Monetization
Steam (PC)	Flexible	Premium sales
Mobile	Constrained	Ads, IAP, premium
Console	Certification required	Premium
Itch.io	Any	Pay-what-you-want

By Scope

Size	Development Time	Team Size
Game jam game	48 hours-1 week	1-3
Small indie	1-6 months	1-2
Medium indie	6-18 months	1-5
Large indie	2+ years	3-10+

Game Development Skills

Core Skills

• Game design (the "fun")
• Programming (making it work)
• Art/graphics (making it look)
• Audio (making it sound)
• Marketing (making it sell)

You Don't Need All Skills

Many successful indies:

• Focus on design/programming, use free/cheap art
• Have strong art, partner for programming
• Use asset stores for areas of weakness
• Hire contractors for specific needs

Learning Priority

1. Basic programming/engine skills
2. Game design fundamentals
3. One specialty (art OR programming deeper)
4. Marketing basics
5. Expand from there

Development Process

Simplified Flow

1. Concept - What's the game?
2. Prototype - Does it work/feel good?
3. Development - Build it out
4. Polish - Make it professional
5. Testing - Find and fix bugs
6. Launch - Release and market
7. Support - Updates and community

Common Mistakes

• Scope too big for first project
• Underestimating time needed
• Ignoring marketing until launch
• Not playtesting enough
• Giving up after first game

Marketing Your Game

Before Development

• Build in public (devlogs, social media)
• Start a Steam page early
• Collect wishlists
• Build community on Discord

At Launch

• Press outreach
• Steam visibility events
• Content creators/streamers
• Social media push

Reality

Marketing is often harder than development. Many great games fail because nobody knows they exist.

Realistic Expectations

First Game

Your first game probably won't make money. That's okay—treat it as education.

Income Scenarios

Scenario	Revenue
Common	$0-1,000 total
Moderate success	$5,000-50,000
Good success	$50,000-500,000
Hit	$500,000+

Most developers need multiple games and years of experience before seeing significant income.

Alternative Paths

Freelance Game Development

Work on others' games for pay:

• Contractor for studios
• Asset creation
• Contract programming

More immediate income, builds skills.

Mobile Games

Different market dynamics:

• Faster development cycles
• Different monetization (ads, IAP)
• Higher volume approach

Content Creation

Share your journey:

• YouTube devlogs
• Patreon for supporters
• Tutorial creation
• Streaming on Twitch

Tools and Resources

Development

• Unity or Godot (engines)
• Notion for design docs
• Google Drive for collaboration
• Git for version control

Art

• Aseprite (pixel art)
• Blender (3D, free)
• Asset stores

Audio

• Audacity (free editing)
• BFXR (sound effects)
• Free music resources

Working While Traveling

Why It Works

• Laptop-based development
• No physical products
• Flexible schedule
• Creative work

Challenges

• Need good computer for development
• Large file uploads
• Focus for creative work
• Long development timelines

Who Should Do This?

Good fit if you:

• Genuinely love games
• Can commit years to the craft
• Accept most games don't profit
• Enjoy the process, not just outcome
• Have other income while learning

Not ideal if you:

• Need reliable income
• Want quick results
• Get frustrated by slow progress
• Only want to make AAA-style games
• See it purely as money-making

Getting Started

1. Pick an engine (Unity or Godot)
2. Learn basics through tutorials
3. Build a tiny complete game
4. Finish and release it (even for free)
5. Learn from the experience
6. Repeat with slightly bigger projects
7. Build community along the way

The Bottom Line

Indie game development is a challenging, creative pursuit that can lead to income but rarely does quickly. Most developers spend years learning before seeing commercial success, and many never do.

If you genuinely love making games and can accept the odds, it's a rewarding path. Start small, finish projects, learn from each one, and build in public.

The games that succeed usually come from developers who made several games that didn't. Keep building.