The way of independent developers on the example of a game that they do not promote in an article with a complex and abstract name about the way of independent ...

My friend and I made a game. In fact, we went through independent developers, and I want to tell about this experience. Below I write about the basic principles on which we built the game, about freelancing and about publishers. A big request to consider an article in the "where to start" genre.

Basic principles

After we decided to have a keen desire to do something for ourselves, we started not for an idea, but for pronouncing the principles on which we will play the game. We identified three:

• bright, famous and new characters;
• maximum, beyond the level of "blood";
• Kiss.

Having these principles, we came up with an idea for them. In our case, characters are Internet memes and politicians. For the second point, the artist was responsible and the presence in combat of up to two hundred units simultaneously. The third point helped us get out at all, and not get stuck in creating the perfect game.

KISS is the most important principle for independent developers with limited resources. Use standard off-the-shelf technologies wherever possible, discard unnecessary complicated features, cut them alive.
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Freelance

The game was done completely remotely. As my partner and I never saw each other, so the artists and musicians were found on freelancing. It was not without unpleasant surprises. One artist did let us down without doing the work. Because of it, we lost more than a month and had to do part of the design in a hurry. But with the rest there were no special problems. Two artists were, as they say, in the subject of the game, so they understood the problem at once.

My advice when using freelancing: to make a clear, unambiguous terms of reference. You should not make it gigantic, describing things that are insignificant for a product. And it is necessary to agree with the vision of the performer of minor details of the product. If an important detail of the product was not made the way you need it, but was not described in the statement of work, you should take this error upon yourself.

For freelancing future. It saves time for contractors and strengthens business processes for customers. The risk is only in the lesser reliability of the performers.

Independent Developer Challenges

We made the game for about six months and the biggest difficulty was not to quit halfway through. There were moments when I wanted to quit everything, but mutual support and the most acute, at the cellular, molecular level, need for my project rescued me. The second difficulty is time. We had to make the game by stealth, in the evenings, instead of work, on weekends. And here I can advise nothing.

Go to the publisher or not

After launch, we will face the problem of choice: promote the game on your own or surrender to the publisher. The publisher, in addition to well-established promotion channels, can help with the correct monetization of the game. For example, to say how much a sword or a gear should cost, which should be necessarily free, so that the profit of the game is maximum. Social networks are more likely to collaborate with publishers. But the publisher takes half the revenue.

Thus, if you want to make one or two games and earn them only, then it makes sense for you to contact the publisher. You should not get in touch with the publisher if you yourself plan to become one, that is, to create a studio for the continuous creation of games.

Conclusion

Doing independent development is worth it. There is always time. Better with a partner. It is better to use freelance and remote techniques for this. At least at the end there will be one finished project that you can add to your portfolio!