Unleash Your Inner Indie

Get your creative caps on as we dig deep into the world of indie game development to find out how you can make your own successful indie game.

- Adam Bryant

Okay, so you’ve got a killer idea for a game but have no idea where to start. Or maybe you have a vague idea, but the sheer volume of things to consider makes going beyond your initial idea seem overwhelming and stops you from getting past the first steps in creating something amazing.

Well, we don’t want that, do we? So we decided to investigate the development of indie games to compile some practical advice from the people who know it best. We spoke to a bunch of developers who were more than happy to offer you their guidance. One thing that resounded above all else is that there’s never been a better time to jump into the world of game development and realise your ambitions. Be warned: making a game isn’t for everyone and it takes a lot of hard work, but if you’re up for the challenge there will be nothing stopping you from beginning your indie game journey.

We know you’re itching to get going, but before you do there are a couple of things to acknowledge. “You need to know just how much you don’t know,” explains Cuphead art director Chad Moldenhauer. “You don’t know how much things are really going to cost, you don’t know how long things are really going to take to develop. You don’t really know how interrelated art, programming and design are, and how time and money limitations on one will cause compromise on the other two. Once you know that you don’t know these things, you’ll realise that your scope and time scale plans are wrong and you’ll be more realistic with what you can do.”

You also need to be doing it for the right reasons. If you’re thinking of doing it for the money, you’re going to be hugely disappointed. “Making indie games isn’t lucrative for everyone, and it’s quite a bit more stressful than many other occupations,” says