Success in Indie: A Beginner's Guide

This isn’t exactly what will surprise me, it’s a question of how to become a professional independent game developer and achieve success on this path. To be honest, to hear him is still a great honor for me, so first, I thank everyone who asked this question first. But then ... hell, if I'm really going to help a person with worthwhile advice, then it will take a lot of effort from me. Of course, I can always “otmazatsya”, saying something like “ Dare! Try your best Follow your heart only! "- and, in fact, it will not be the worst answer. However, the benefits of it, too, will be a bit.

Today, before you exactly what you wanted to know. Now I will always refer to this article when I hear such questions; repeating the same thing over and over again has taken me too much time. I hope that these tips will be useful to all novice independent developers in real life.
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Enjoy your reading!

INDIEPENDENT

Well, let's go. What do you think it really means to be “indie”? “Indie” or “indie” is short for “independent,” that is, “independent”? Does a certain game belong to indie or not? Maybe Indy is a genre? UNCLEARLY - WHY IN GENERAL WE HAVE FELLOWED THE WORD INDI.

We will deal with the last question. I offer you the following two scenarios. Scenario one : someone wants to create games, and maybe he sets up his own studio. He enters in the search line "game development". For such a person, the search results will be, to put it mildly, disappointing. They are dry, too “academic” and are designed mostly for programmers. Do not believe - try it yourself.

Scenario Two : Instead, our someone enters into the search for "indie games", and instead of endless pages from links to conferences, degrees and various utilities, he will see endless pages from links to gaming and vibrant communities full of those who do the same what he only dreams of. Of course, some of them still go to school, but most have already passed this life stage. The richness of various ideas and tools leads to amazement, in any case - even documentary films about the creation of games exist in nature! This is not the case when you first get an education for years, and then try to get a job for a long time - here you can start making games RIGHT NOW .

The word "indie" is much more than just a way of describing a specific development process ... like any "label" of belonging to a particular association, it opens the way for all sufferers to study their process and teaches prosperity with its help in the future. This word has a real reason to exist - because it offers practical lessons on game development and entrepreneurship, and this can create a real motivation!

Of course, the term itself is often misused. Sometimes it can be annoying - especially when the word “indie” is used for greater pretentiousness or with arrogance. In addition, like any label, “indie” gives rise to certain dogmas ... But the end result is still worth it. As a person who once said goodbye to the professional development of games because of the 5/2 schedule, I can say that independent development has a serious right to exist.

As to which games can be considered “real” indies, we most likely never agree - yes, in fact, it is for the better. But there are criteria that I derived for The Independent Gaming Source - in order to determine if the game is indie:

1. “Independent”, that is, does not have a publisher.

2. Made a small studio (roughly speaking, in the state of 20 people or less).

I chose this definition for the reason that it is the most useful. Whoever is going to become an “indie” game developer, is usually interested in what can be done based on these limitations and how these kinds of studios work. Companies like Valve or Double Fine are not included here - yes, they are independent, but too large to be considered indie. In addition, the list excludes those who "remind indie" - these are developers who do not publish their games on their own.

This definition still does not guarantee precise differentiation, but in the end, if not every one of us can tell where that line is when “red” becomes “pink” - this does not make the named words useless. Just imagine someone who wants to make a game with a small team and publish it on their own ... what will they put in Google’s search for inspiration, advice or help from the community? As it seems to me, the word "indie" in this case will give the result no worse than others.

So - should I go to university to learn how to make games?

The most important thing that you need to remember about the development of video games and training is that neither in small independent studios, nor in large companies will anyone care about your academic degrees and education. Yes, and why would - because some of the most famous game developers have either been expelled or have never crossed the threshold of the university? John Carmack, Cliff Bleszinski, Jonathan Blow and Team Meat are all members of this secret club.

Education is a piece of paper that suggests that you are capable of something in theory - while game developers are interested in the question of whether you have enough strength and fighting spirit to do real work, therefore your education does not interest them. If you are thinking of becoming independent developers, then you should be no matter what other people think about it - you just need passion, otherwise you will not succeed. The choice is yours.

I did not say all this in order to dissuade you from entering the university - I myself studied computer science in it, and although I didn’t study much later, I still got a lot of useful experience, I made friends and found out something new. Remember that the most important thing you should focus on is creating something : games, mods, art and music. If your educational institution is able to help with this task, this is excellent; but if not, you should think about whether you are distributing your most important resources correctly - time and money (which learning can squint down at the root).

If I go to study, what should I study?

In a regular university, you should first take up computer science — even if you “just want to be a designer.” The design of computer games is very closely connected with the way they are produced - that is, with programming.

At an art school , study illustration, concept art, and 3D modeling courses — they will be most useful for game development.

In the school of creating games , you (at least I hope so) will try to engage in all aspects of creating games - from programming to design. I would recommend to stay away from the schools of "ordinary" design or training programs in this area - these are either scammers or those who will give you theoretical skills - and not what you need to develop games. Also it is necessary to clarify the important condition - whether the school will belong to everything that you create in it as a student.

See also: Jonathan Blow - How to program independent games (comments and videos are also recommended for study).

OK, then I have to do something. And where to start?

My main advice to everyone who is just starting - do not try to run ahead of yourself. There is nothing easier than to start worrying about software environments, collecting teams, different platforms, deals, marketing, awards and everything else before the first sprite of your game learned to crawl around the screen. These stars in the eyes ... they will blind you. They will freeze your progress and make you mark time. All this time you have to spend on actively creating games.

If we were talking about drawing, then I would advise you to buy a set of pencils and a notebook in the nearest store and start drawing. The fact that you have the first time will get one solid crap, pretty disappoint you. But there will be a funny moment in it all - so you don’t want to leave your classes and you will continue to be engaged in drawing. Between times, you will sooner or later get acquainted with the theory and study the work of other people. And in the end, if you have a good taste and are critical to yourself, then you will continue to do this business until the day until you draw something worthwhile.

However, we are still talking about the game. Therefore, I recommend trying Game Maker and Unity - these are two universal packages that are suitable for all genres that a novice indie developer might have thought of. They are well balanced in terms of features and ease of use; They can be purchased for reasonable money or use free demo versions, and do not forget about a large number of tutorials and plug-ins. Both packages are used by professional developers (especially Unity). Choose any package and start learning. When you get stuck somewhere, ask for help; when you yourself start to get something - help others understand. Become an active member in the community of game creators.

But above all, keep making games. This is the only way to truly answer all the questions that now occupy your head.

And also watch this video:

Finally, my top 10 tips

1. Finish your games . ( thanks to gcc for the translation! )

2. Do not save on art. It is easy to underestimate the importance of art for the game. And even if this is all right with you, you can underestimate the importance of a unique art style in your game. As a result, we have a considerable number of ugly games - or made with a carbon copy - that cannot attract the attention of players.

If you have no artistic talent, then rely on the style and unity of art - so do many successful indie developers. Even ugly art will make a better impression than the style copied from someone. Remember: for most, art will create the first impression of your game.

3. Do not judge marketing ( too much ). The independent developer community has become a craze for writing articles on how I failed, where a thoughtful reader sees two different stories - screenshots and comments describe a boring and ugly game, while the article itself reveals a story of unsuccessful marketing decisions. Let's face it - none of us would like to admit that he lacks talent, his own vision or creativity. It is much easier to put all the blame on release dates, trailers, websites - yes, whatever.

However, as they say, “this is the Internet, % username% ”, and then a good game will find its own way. Marketing can provide significant support, and trying to deceive everyone can help you get ahead for a short while — perhaps even a thorough break out. But these measures will not help you gain success from scratch - marketing simply multiplies how good your game is already. If you prefer to count on the contrary, then you end up with only one thing - you become less self-critical and miss the chance to improve your skills. In addition, you also encourage others to do the same.

4. Indy is not a genre or aesthetics. Make the game what you want - do not try to adjust it to non-existent "standards" of indie games. Not so long ago, a small (and very independent) team that developed The Legend of Grimrock , reported that their very traditional-classic first-person dungeon crawler sold in the amount of 600,000 copies. So you don’t have to change your principles and vision due to pressure from outside - after all, wasn't it because of its absence that you chose an independent development?

5. Create healthy working conditions for yourself. You are an introvert and lose energy, being among other people - or an extrovert and alongside others on the contrary get it? Maybe something in the middle? How do you see your ideal work day?

You will certainly want to focus all your energy and direct it to work, and you will be surprised how much you can spend on seemingly mundane things. Figuring out how to unleash your talent best and move on to regular daily activities is a vital skill for any independent developer.

6. Stay independent! I will not hide the fact that the life of an indie developer can be difficult. You will always be tempted to sell yourself or your ideas to someone else in exchange for a piece of happiness - a sense of security and reliability. Honestly, if you choose this road once, then it will not be so easy to turn off from it - because every time you hide in a safe shelter, you most often do not develop. I do not want to say that you have to go to all serious things - but it is important for you not to forget about why you got involved in all this, and focus only on this. Remember - life is short.

In addition, do not give away your "trademarks" and do not bind yourself for too long. Let exclusivity be limited in time. When we released Aquaria - we were not interested in Steam. There is no such thing as the Humble Bundle in nature, and so does the iPad. And today we have come to all these platforms - and this has served us well. So your hands should not be tied in case the future brings new opportunities.

7. Do not expect good luck - create it yourself. Like any creative person, I owe a lot to those around me — my family, friends, colleagues, and idols. I recognize that a huge part of my success could only happen because I was lucky to be born among these people.

But it is important to know that each of us creates many of his own possibilities. For example, I met Alec (my friend and co-author of Aquaria) because he suggested that I work on “I'm OK”. It was a game born on the Pix Fu forum. This forum was a part of my web site, and its members were my friends whom I had met much earlier, when I was at Blackeye Software / Klik n 'Play.
Spelunky has gone the same way from the original PC version to XBLA thanks to the TIGSource forum.

The main idea here - try not to limit yourself and try something new - this is very important! It is impossible to guess when the intuition wakes up - but at the moment when this happens, her clue will most likely be related to some events from your past - this could be an encounter with someone or a picked up idea.

8. Avoid "doing business as a war." Like any professional, you will need to do business and sometimes make business decisions. As a creative person, this may not interest you at all - or even frankly frighten you.
Well, I tell you with confidence - to become a successful independent developer, you do not need to become Gordon Gekko. And please do not try to be. Even more I will say - avoid such people - those who are trying to confuse you, find fault with trifles or will rush you.

If you have a cool game, then you are not tied to a specific channel of its distribution, nor to the platform or the individual person with whom you have to work. Always find the strength to get away from a bad proposition - especially if it undermines your independence as a creator. In turn, be a sincere and generous man yourself.

People go into a protective position when they are scared. Do not sit at the same table with someone like that, doing business should be a pleasant experience! This is not Wall Street!

9. Say no to tricks. Simply put, first of all try to make your game deep, interesting and unique, and do not invent cheap tricks to attract the attention of potential players. It doesn’t matter what it’s about - a very clever-sounding-but-empty-inside idea for gameplay or a super-outstanding-unlike-other idea for marketing — the trick was and remains a trick. And you should stay away from such things, because they are designed for a short time and involve high risks - which is why you can pretty much “get cheaper” as a game developer, both in a figurative sense and in direct.

Of course, in game design - as in life - you need to take risks. But, as it seems to me, such risks should be sincere, worth it - usually (for a long time and for your career) they are not so deadly.

10. You are your game, so you must understand and develop yourself. Since you are an independent developer, there will be much more “you” in your game than in the one that hundreds or thousands of people created. You have to understand yourself well enough, otherwise you will never make a truly successful game. Fortunately, the disclosure of what makes you "you" - your tastes, interests, abilities - is one of the greatest life pleasures, and it goes hand in hand with your goal of becoming an independent creator. Treasure it!

Original: Make Games - Making it in Indie: Starter Guide .