Why You Should Make Tiny Indie Games In 2025

I think the answer will surprise you!
► Learn how to make money from your indie games (free webinar): www.fulltimega...
► What I believe: • What I Believe

[@thomasbrush]

Btw, in the video I mixed up supply and demand. I meant supply. I told you all I'm a dummy ► Learn how to make money from your indie games (free webinar): www.fulltimegamedev.com/opt-in-how-to-make-six-figures

[@ThrillTrekGames]

Hey Thomas Brother, When Twisted Tower Coming, I can't anymore,can you clear the release date soon, 🥺 please

[@SandorClegane-TheHound]

I disagree with you on an early point there mate I'm 38 yrs old I remember PlayStation 1 games being £30 That was for a top studio game back then Most were around 25 or even 20. Nowadays I can go into a second hand store and pick up a relatively.old game for that price The newer ones Maaaaate £70 brand new game out now I don't know what it's like over the pond but I can't imagine a ps1 game from the 90s cost you the same as a ps5 game today Inflation happened yes And I agree by those standards games should be closer to £200 each brand new now So I have some sympathy for the point But it's really not as you said over here at all

[@KristijanKL]

you are on the right track but I would like to add - be a publisher from the start design the game with a recognizable style. even if you dont get netflix show you will make it easier to make recognizable trailers. and even if you dont publish book based on the universe you will improve worldbuilding

[@bobshagit]

im sick and tired of these 5-10 hour game play games i would much rather have a game i enjoy playing over and over not something i through away after beating it in a afternoon stop pushing for this garbage already its clear you "make games" and want to push these garbage through away games WE HATE THEM

[@mBrajan]

@@bobshagit errm, i don't understand what you are saying. in my experience, people can't face even a small old-school game because it's too difficult, the attention span is laughably short now.

[@HTFGamesStudio]

Using your idea it can be applied this way: 1) You build a framework with a lot of systems and mechanics with minimum amount of assets in each just to show that they work well and are cool 2) You make a playable alpha version that is interesting for the players and release it for free as Demo on stem during Steam Fest 3) Start a Kickstarter that should launch at the same time as the Steam Fest (End of the Year) and build a UI at the end of the demo that allow people to view the kickstarter. In the kickstarter explain what other things you can add to your project and promise to make them based on monetary goal reached. Even if you need only 20k to make the small version of the game make a list of feature that you will be willing to implement even if it reaches several millions 4) No matter if your kickstarter will succeed or not continue developing the alpha to make a playable experience for at least 5/10 hours and release the beta on steam before the Summer Game Fest or the next Steam Fest trying to get more media attenction 5) If you manage to sell enough copies in beta you can continue developing it until you will reach the minimum required to launch the 1.0 release and do so also during one of the major game fest 6) Then start expanding your game world further and new content release as DLC's or expansions so you can make more money and bring to the table more content. 7) If the game will be successful and your DLC's and expansions will sell well you can invest it in a small team to make the sequel and make a saga like Ubisoft did with AC

[@PHeMoX]

Sorry, but it's a dick move to not invest development into a game when people have put their money into said game already. It's better to go through a deeper process of prototyping and making sure it is something decent before asking customers to pay for something. You can only screw over customers one time, generally. After that, they're just gone. Also, most indie dev studios self-destruct when they scale up their team. If the revenue isn't already there, a studio shouldn't even be thinking about growing.

[@HTFGamesStudio]

@@PHeMoX Not all people are blessed to have the ability to make decent money with a 9 to 5 or have a rich daddy to afford putting so much time and resources in the developing of a video game. Some people had to go trough kickstarters or their projects will never see the release. On the other hand people who invest in kickstarers know that most of them fail but still do in order to help a dream game to have at least a chance to see the light of day

[@gregorsayers]

I want to say that for all those people who haven't even made their first game or anyone who isn't part of a huge money making company, focusing on all the marketing and stressing about your game fitting into all these different molds is not what you want to be doing. Honestly, the best thing you can possible do, is simply make sure you are having fun. That's most important thing. Just make the game that you want to make, go out and explore! Best of all, if your enjoying it, you'll stay consistent and keep coming back to finish the game. But with that said, I do agree with Thomas here, when starting out, start simple, especially if you want the game to be big. That may sound contradictory. Regardless of the size of your game, my golden rule is to plan it simple, focus the whole thing around one idea, and branch of from there. That is what works best, the simplest premises lead to the greatest potential, and hence the most fun. This is for people who just wanna enjoy making something they can be proud of!

[@levi.motorsport]

Your comment is very good, I completely agree. I would like to hear your opinion on a point that I consider important. I am developing a game alone and I believe that, even though it is simple, it has great potential to please the public. However, I think that I should not promote the game too soon, whether through marketing or a demo, due to the risk that other developers or studios already established in the market will take the idea, make some changes and release it before then. Do you agree with this approach? Thanks!

[@mikeluna2026]

Well, some Japanese studios have always worked that way. Like Atlus with a bunch of franchises that often have artistic or mechanical similarities and constant iteration. Like the Disgaea strategy games and spinoffs (like Phantom Brave), and same with the Atelier games (like: Atelier Iris, Mana Khemia, Atelier Ryza, etc, etc), Ar Tonelico, and even bigger stuff like Shin Megami Tensei and Persona (a spin off of the SMT). Some franchises are strikingly similar to each other but have a different hook or core mechanic. Plus, games of the same series are just an iteration off the same idea (with some improvements to mechanics, additions and better art).

[@lvke794]

1:42 wtf that took me off guard

[@ArksideGames]

same

[@24Players]

I had to watch it again. I found him. lol

[@soykhasai]

11:21 too

[@vortex4044]

Came looking for this comment

[@LoafSimulation]

Hey mate! I'm an Indie dev, I'm all on my own, so needed to cover all the roles in a development team, first I thought it will be easy but after starting I came to know I'm lacking in some area, I need the knowledge about 3D modeling and needed my own textures which I'm currently learning in Blender. it's hard, but I like it, I like to do this, I LIKE THIS PROCESS a Person told me, think 100 times before starting but never question your decision or think to go back after you started

[@BumeowGames]

Agreed! Its very exciting and enjoying to learn new things all the way.

[@ahmadabdallah2896]

love the quote at the end

[@24Players]

My games are in the same universe. I'm designing the sci fi galaxy first. with rules and plotlines. then I design games around that galaxy. First I make them small, with the ability to expand (Never have a "I beat the final boss" type game). I love the "Grow each game at will" mentality. When I add a new plot or or storyline to the galaxy I add it into each of the game designs. Eventually the entire portfolio of games will connect to a larger story. (Maybe even turning it into a book or comic). I fully support the idea of sequels and characters. (BTW: I'm the Designer, I have Freelance Developers working on my small games.)

[@yurig.7120]

Oh, some months ago I've decided to scale back a little, release a early version and if there's demand, then I keep on releasing more content further! My dream project would be a bigger one out of the gate, but with the current financial landscape, I think it will be better for me to self fund a smaller game, with potential to growth, and then see what happens next. Despite being for a while in the industry with a shipped game, this is the first time solo. Well, let's see how it will unravel Thanks for the video!

[@ConorDrew]

I think it’s a good idea, and I’m not a super big fan of applying it to early access, for lots of different reasons (some pros some cons) But you look at a game like stardew valley, it was released, massive success, and he is still putting out updates, the most recent 1.6 is a whole free extension, bringing people back and in turn buying it on new consoles / devices. The subreddit loves it

[@SevenStonesStudioOfficial]

All of my games are in the same Universe, set in different times, and the stories are told from different perspectives.

[@Dark_Kevlarian]

The perfect example of this type of game winning formula is actually No Man's Sky. Originally built by a 4 man team, despite presenting the largest virtual universe ever created, the game was content-small on release. In fact, it was too small and oversold itself, but since then it has grown more and more and more and more in content and the game is wildly more successful now than it ever would've been trying to release in its current all those years ago. It's been its growth that has contributed to NMS's success more than anything.

[@__se7entin__]

I think Undetale would fit so well into this formula as well. Toby fox made a demo in like one year, made a kickstarter page for it which pledged for 50k, then proceed to make the masterpiece. ahh these games make me shiver

[@RyuuTenno]

I think one thing that's been tripping everyone up, from the indie studios to the giants like EA, Rockstar, etc, is we don't just need big games or small games, but we need medium games. In the early 2000s, games like GTA San Andreas, Halo 1, and Metal Gear Solid, were considered big games, compared to others like Spyro, Super Mario Bros, etc, that we'd often consider either small, or even arcade games. Now, we've got games like GTA V, Skyrim, etc, where they're just massive and require huge companies to build. But, something we only ever saw a small window of for a time, was the smaller games on the Xbox Live Arcade. XBLA allowed these larger studios to work on (relatively) small games and release them. These are great for what we can call medium games now, cause we've got access to things like Unity, Godot, and Unreal. Most indie games are still a handful of people, and most of them are capable of making a bunch of great small games, but also, to some extent, some really solid medium games. However, I'd also like to expand on your concept at the end, where you say, small games but that can be expanded on. Because one of the things I loved about the XBLA era (both the Xbox and PlayStation versions), was that we got games that came out in parts. Watchmen: The End is Nigh, is a good example, where, it's still a complete game in each part, and neither are required to play the other. They're both fairly small, and so they're pretty easy to make and put out, while working on the next part, but, they're also still overall a part of the same world and story, and as a result, 2 parts of the same game. I like to call these "chapter games" cause they're still self contained sections of the game that you can buy individually, or together for the complete experience, and it gives the developers enough time to complete the game, without it being stuck in a forever state of "early release". Heck, even Life Is Strange (1 at least, idk bout the others yet, lol), and The Wolf Among Us fall under these quite well (though slightly different genres of games), because each was developed and released in parts (though idt TWAS was done quite the same way), and each part was solidly their own game with very few issues. So, I think if indie devs decide to go with the `small with potential to expand` games, they should probably look more towards these chapter games, where you can build and complete a really great small game, but to also leave it open for adding on extra chapters. And, this may be something that even the corporate devs may need to consider as well if they'd like to be able to continue their giant games.

[@WizardofWestmarch]

Few thoughts. First, the fantasy books part was a weird thing to say. Fantasy was built on Trilogies for a long time, sometimes with a larger shared universe spanning multiple trilogies (see: Shanara by Terry Brooks). A few series went longer like Chronicles of Amber but those books were so short while Corwyn's arc was 5 books it was more like 3 books worth of story spread across 5 books. That started to change after Wheel of Time kept growing and growing and selling well. Second, on the genre stuff this worries me slightly because the Steamworld developer tried doing it with a lot of different genres and it has not gone well for them.

[@sekobg]

Also, expanding the universe makes your game(s) more intimidating for the new players/readers causing your player/reader base to shrink in time. That's why companies try to reboot successful series after some time.

[@phdost3267]

When you see games like Balatro, Vampire Survivor, Crab Champion, etc etc etc that are small and cheap but outsell massive games... it becomes harder to justify making big games unless it's your dream project and you don't care about money

[@MomirsLabTech]

I think the real lesson here is that games, regardless of size, which are built by passionate developers that have good gameplay systems and a solid art direction will outsell any "4k 120fps open world mmorpg creature collector survival crafting" game.

[@JediMB]

Big games are in more direct competition with each other, since they demand more time from their players. Sometimes they even want _all_ your time. For smaller games, the player can get a complete, satisfying and cathartic experience (that hopefully provides something unique) over a couple of days or a week, and then they can quickly find their next small game.

[@fiddleling]

Absolutely agree with this and it is my strategy for my games :) I released 3 small projects that are in the same universe and am expanding it in new releases. It is a very fun way to approach indie game dev!

[@razvanalexandru9358]

And do you make some money from these games?

[@felipezymor9970]

That's why there are a ton of roguelikes, and even with that we still have successfully launched new ones. Quick games, small runs, perfect for playing while on bus or train. That's my go-to too... Small games, bringing quality over quantity.

[@NinjaGuidesHQ]

so your talking about mobile related games on the go?

[@felipezymor9970]

@NinjaGuidesHQ well... Mobile Single-Player Games are a nice thing to, however, the Google Play Store and Apple Store are not that nice. You can make these type of games and release on Steam, Epic... I think the best idea would be the format that Thomas usually say: make a polished game (not extra small, just not so big that you can't finish in a hyper polished version), try to find a publisher (I think that Kickstarter is not good for someone without social media relevance) and sign a deal. Nintendo Switch and Steam are the cradles of indie games, so maybe having the support of a publisher would be great on those.

[@a6gittiworld]

Well about pricing there is also the fact that games is digital now and not cd/cartridge. Lower cost etc 3:14

[@notBradYourself]

Also way way less games coming out back then, and people spent MUCH more time on average with a single title.

[@hambonetunes1988]

Minecraft, Binding of Isaac, Geometry Dash are great examples of small to big (inflated balloon). It is a great approach!

[@mattc9598]

Lethal Company may be there too, i mean, one guy made it over a few months, and he's made $100m before Steam's cut

[@hambonetunes1988]

@ freaking wild. I’m def sticking with smaller scoped project. Increases your chances in every perspective

[@facelessanon]

I love videos like these, Thomas. Hope you post similar videos in the future!

[@ryanjdev87]

Bro the ending omg i jumped i swear that was epic ! Great video

[@drilkus1312]

The edibles kicking in as 1:44 hits was something else oh lawd

[@matthewhornbostel9889]

Moderately big games with tiny sub $3000 budgets where no salary is involved in production, self financed games you do with no pay, are not discussed here - I am bouncing between a couple midsize games and several tiny ones, and they are all in some stupid rotation based on the leanest imaginabel production pipeline, which is... I'll admit that is entirely ill concieved logistically, a solo dev ought to avoid pursuing multiple efforts, yet here I absurdly am making a half dozen games and some video production stuff and a massive pile of game dev assets... it is a little crazy. But I am really seriously pursuing it all and working hard, and hopefully that works out. I know I need only a few thousand $ a year to make ends meet personally and also keep development going, and my intent is to just donate the rest. I hope that is a way to make an impact. It is kind of what my hope is, to at least try to be a positive example in a world that is full of really excessive pricing, and choose to instead work hard for less money all year and give 50+% of it away instead of scaling up, choosing to remain indie instead of scaling up. I am used to income at well under minimum wage and still donating a fair amount. But earning more lets me give more of it which sounds great. Check matthornb.itch.io to see what I am currently doing, or at least one significant facet of it. Thanks.

[@GeneLagrimasJr]

The part where making your franchise is a good business model tbh. There's an indie mobile game studio called Dark Dome that makes a series of escape room style games, and all of them are in one universe. Plus, they get thousands of downloads every month.

[@MrSadek94]

I think it's a good concept and I also believe there is a wave slowly approaching of new era of gaming that will be small in size but giant in details. Imaging a GTA3 size map but with details of destractibul and enterbal buildings and advanced AI behavier etc that could be AMAZING.

[@Chronomatrix]

It's ironic because making tiny games is actually EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

[@thomasbrush]

Small games aren't easy to make. 100%. I think that's why they should be made :) Less supply.

[@_the_dare_devil_]

Making tiny games is difficult, making bigger games is difficult times X... There's no easy way.

[@connorhagerty537]

They're difficult in the sense that your game design needs to be so good that it can hard carry your game without a lot of variety or content.

[@mattrobb3566]

Excellent, VMT. I especially liked the advice about growing your universe and building each game with key elements from the previous game(s). Thanks

[@dusandragovic09srb]

Many, many balloons but also love behind what you do💯 No limits.

[@Alvara9]

I have a good analogy for Big game vs Small game development. Let’s say you are a farmer. In time you have to sell the crops to make money. So you can plant a Tree which only grows apple after 2-3 years, or plant berry Bushes, each year a different. After 3 years you have one type of fruit that may sell, may not. Or 3 different types and quality of berries. Maybe I talk bs, I don't know. See game dev like planting and harvesting. But if you just like taste of apples, and can't “plant” a smaller fruit then go for it.

[@ninja_tony]

I TOTALLY agree with the whole premise of this video, and I’ve been saying for years more devs should consider games that can be released episodically, or expanded upon in a gradual, natural way over time. You don’t HAVE to make a tiny game, and you don’t have to make an MMO (please GOD, people, do not think you are going to make an MMO. You‘re not lmao). But you can make a reasonably sized game that can be added to over time.

[@bobshagit]

im sick of that when I buy a product I want it to be FINISHED im tired of AGILE management... we test and design their games FOR FREE this cycle must end

[@TerribleTomy]

tbh making an mmo today is not as complicated as it used to be, but yes, it's usually a bad idea for solo devs or small teams, running the servers obviously costs money too.

[@bobshagit]

@@TerribleTomy the problem is everyone and their dog thinks they can make a game now because AI is there.... this is why we have THOUSANDS of games each month... and all of them look like they were made in the 90s

[@ChristopherSchweiger]

The latest Hitman game where it was episodic felt like a good "bunch of balloons" examples. Set all in the same universe and each episode was a different location in that universe. I thought that that approach to game development was genius.

[@ArcanumRonin]

I believe the wisest path is to create smaller games that involve the mechanics of your big dream game, like a series of stepping stones.

[@aTsIneffable]

I personally believe the reason big studios aren’t pushing up prices is due to micro transactions, I can’t remember the source but they make more money from the micro transactions then they do from game sales now.

[@jameskellam2980]

One of the best things about smaller games is that, in general a smaller game can be played quicker. Think of it as the TikTok effect. People have so muny things trying to get their attention.

[@gawni1612]

thanks man subbed also the end scared the shit out of me

[@flighttaker]

On that last point about games in a universe, and of course I don’t wanna sound like I’m comparing bg3 to indie games, but look how many people enjoyed bg3 enough where they wanted to go back and play the first two. If you make games in a universe and then your third is popular, it could incentivize people to go back and play the older ones for more lore in your world

[@brmawe]

Great vid! I've been working a small game, I have it planned out as two small games, then a slightly more bigger game in the future once I'm more comfortable & experienced. I've had trying to make a game since 2017 but I just never really dived in enough, and found the right setting. So many ideas I scrapped until this year. 2025 is the year!!

[@FireF1y644]

It's very dangerous, Steam might have the same fate as mobile stores, with millions of low effort small apps, and the only way to make money there is to invest a couple of millions in the first place.

[@coinopanimator]

2:51 in the 90s 1) console games were that expensive, but pc and Amiga games were not. 2) there was a huge resell and hire market. You could hire a game from your local blockbuster and return it when finished. You can’t do that now. And… you could sell or swap your game when done. You should also remember that a prerecorded video tape used to cost £100 - so prices have come down. The point of capitalism is that the price of good should reduce. These big corporations want it all ways. Allow us to rent out games and resell digital games if you want more people playing your game.

[@speider]

"Just scale it up" and "keep it fresh" seems to be polar opposites to me.

[@VladimirDev]

Inflating the baloon - that's exactly what we're doing with Heretical - people love it, we try to keep it fresh by building upon the foundation we already have, but man does it require a lot of work!

[@yoaty270]

11:21 wtf 😂

[@NinjaBirdStudios]

Bro had his ear on the door waiting for him to say his famous last words 🤣

[@PolygonHive]

What an ace of a video! Never seen this eternal question answered with such pragmatism and wisdom 👏

[@ChrisMuriel1]

What in your mind constitutes a "small game"? Is it a game that takes you a year to develop or less?

[@thomasbrush]

A small game is one that has a tight loop and takes less than a year to make

[@bobshagit]

they want to push out garbage constantly, get you to buy the crap, then through it away and buy their next thing instead of working on a quality product they just want quantity and its clear this clown is one of these devs

[@astranger448]

Something you can make while you hold down a daytime job?

[@nijuatama4362]

Thank you fo the video ! i've always had this issue with scope, especially after i worked as a producer lately (and got downsized lol) im workinon my game and getting the scope right is scary, when you work on it as producer it's maybe easier to deal with since you got paid for that and it's not your "game" techically so i can look at it more in a strategic way, but when you want to create your game, your idea, yor world, you become the director and producer at the same time and there's always that fight in your mind, one wants to expand and not sacrifice and the other want to make production realistic considering time, budget, all that jazz. Creating great "small" games as fragments of something big is really the way to go, it's not only about building a game but it's also about building and audience las you said and a name for oneself, when watching the game awards of this year, there was that teaser of a new game being made by Fumito Ueda, even tho it doesnt show much, the moment they show "by the creator of Ico, shadow of the colossus, the last guardian" i started jumpîng all around the living room, that's the ultimate goal i want to reach, just people knowing that you are working on something gets them excited, as well as aspiring game creators getting inspired by your work and ways of creating things, so thank you for inspiring us ! can't wait to experience your upcoming game !

[@Glaucus-999]

Another great Thomas Brush video to keep me going. today i have gotten my game design document into a new draft of 102 pages of greatness. thank you for the inspiration and information!

[@ZephramCocrhrane]

Thank you so much, you just gave me an idea how to expand my world in a minecraft like game!

[@JelajahKodingTech]

Good video, i will start as indie gamedev this year. i think i choose tiny as goals

[@bubbygonnawin]

Lol this is literally the strat my friends and I came up with this week, I feel super vindicated right now.

[@scottsbaitsandtackle]

I was buying commodore games in the mid and late 80's that went for between $40 and $60 depending on the game and prices have not gone up a lot on games. You have your occasional $80+ games, Flight Simulator! I have had this idea for a long time.

[@thePadlockesTech]

My first game 'Lockes The Thief' was a big, ambitious game. I should've let it cook longer and grabbed more wishlists. But, the design of it was excellent, 90% positive reviews but very little visibility. My second game 'Orange Soul Brother' will be much, much smaller. But I will market it and try to secure funding. Basically doing the things I didn't do with LTT. It will potentially be more successful!

[@pixithegreenpowerranger]

awesome points. I think, concerning your final point, the Kingdom series (sidescroller one) has done an excellent job of creating small and then expanding. As a loyal fan, I can't wait to immediately buy and test out the new game, features, biomes and etc every time. They've got a winning formula and I'm ready to go along for the ride. :)

[@AnthonyRosbottom]

The games in the 90's that sold for $60 and beyond was because of the manufacturing cost of the cartridge or disc, plus the packaging, plus the physical shipping and then retail needed their profit margin to make it worthwhile for them to stock your game. Digital delivery of games was an amazing development for the sake of the environment (no plastic or transportation) and the sake of the consumers (instant delivery and never out of stock) but you can argue that modern games HAVE gone up in price over the years, beyond inflation, due to zero physical costs anymore.

[@gusty7153]

i don't even remember games costing $60 back in the 90s. $20-$30 was more the norm with the machines to run them having wild costs ranging from $150 to $1000. $60 was actually an absurd amount back then. it was usually games with special peripherals or pc exclusives with the combined cost of expansions that came close to $60.

[@manuelsiebeneicher4426]

I have another reason for making small games. The gaming audience is getting older and with that time to play games is decreasing. It’s really hard to stay motivated playing a >100 h game if you no that you will need 2 years to reach the end. But having small interwoven but more or less independent games, it’s a completely other story

[@Katana622]

I make my game for fun and not to get rich. I think indie dev are split between wanting to make their own game purely to learn and make something vs wanting to actually make a profit. BTW, absolutely zero judgement or hate or anything toward people who are getting into it to make money. Its a business, job and profession after all!

[@samoldfield9997]

1:42 ah sir your videos are becoming scary you sure your house or computer are not haunted.

[@joshuavick887]

The last point of a big game being able to fully explore the potential of a good idea isn’t exclusive to a big game. Like you said in the point directly before, you can always expand upon a universe you already created. Just make a sequel if you want to, and then another. And then maybe a spiritual successor and so on. Just look at From Software. Edit: I made this comment before finishing the video. Always finish the video before commenting…

[@keurh475]

With AI becoming more and more useful I would suggest greener devs to build multiple small games and incorporate new tech as much as possible. Experiment with new frame works and work flows. Keep the projects small and heavily invest in getting a good understanding of features that will becoming main stream. Skyrim Mantella would be good inspiration for what I mean. Skyrim now has AI NPCs but you can bet elder scrolls 6 won't. Larger games need to have much more set in stone from an earlier date. If your working on a smaller project and you miss out on a feature who cares. Put it into your next project. Learn how to use chat and get involved with cursor along with learning multiple game engines. Nobody knows where the industry is going. It's getting crazy and won't be slowing down. Lace up.

[@AustinBMX]

This is exactly what im hoping to do with my new game - building first small step for the universe.

[@Fyrock]

Interesting, I loved this video!

[@casekocsk]

What makes a game small (or big)? The gameplay scope? The hours it takes to complete the game? How long it took for dev to build the game?

[@Wilfoe]

Excellent advice! Thanks for the tips!

[@TheRealJackArthur]

Thomas this was a super informative video man. Some fresh perspectives. Thank you thank you.

[@jessedv5915]

Great concept but you didn't get into the negatives for the audience. A lot of people have been complaining about live service games id be interested in hearing how this differs to that introducing live service to indie games a place where people go to escape it might be a bad idea even though profitable

[@x64kasra]

Great stuff to hear and amazing video to watch, notes taken. 👌

[@spruceforester3038]

I think the idea of making a small game which inflates into a bigger game overtime is a solid concept my only question right now though is what constitutes a small game? is the number of mechanics, the number of levels, the expected playtime, the amount of dev time, or all of the above?

[@OmegaF77]

For me, it would be like taking a favorite game that you play and boiling it down to the very essence that makes it fun for you. For example, I play Skyrim because I like to experiment with different builds of characters. So you can make a game that has the core mechanic of allowing players to experiment with different character builds but it's constrained within a small world.

[@IT-Entrepreneur]

Just finish your game and release it. Its much harder so stay motiviated and have the time for a big game (things are changing over years, like i became father 2 times the last 7 years, i dont have the time anymore). Just start doing small games and be able to finish and release them.

[@brianbrown7074]

What makes a game small vs big? Hours it takes to beat, Data size, etc?

[@hopfer66]

I´ll try this concept in 2025. Tks for the content.

[@PHeMoX]

The argument about game cost is total utter nonsense, sorry. Games in the 90s weren't ever underpriced/overpriced, nor are games now underpriced when indie games are cheaper than triple A games. In reality most triple A games _are not worth_ 60 to 70 dollars either, which by the way in 90s era money is way way more than games ever costed in the 90s. A lot of indie games are priced above 20 bucks and are *not* going to sell as well as when they were priced at 10 bucks. Most games in the 90s also sold way more when at a discount. I remember picking up plenty of games for 10 bucks in the discount bin in stores. It's literally basic economics. It's not about 'value'. It's about how many games simply aren't good enough, have not enough playtime to warrant a 20+ bucks price. Point in case, most indie games are totally overpriced for what they are. They should sell at 5-10 bucks, not 30 bucks looking at triple A games as if they compete (at least on production value levels, obviously most triple A games are mediocre). Nothing about a low price point is stopping indie devs from making good money. Just look at Vampire Survivors for example. 3:00 It is NOT about demand. If you raise the price of indie games to say 40 bucks or 60 bucks, literally no one will buy those games anymore. It's just customers who define that. And even triple A games sell less and less copies at their insane price points of 60+ bucks. It is not about demand. The demand for videogames is bigger than ever before. The argument that people should make a choice between small games or bigger games is kind of nonsense. I would also say that for 'success story' games, it often did take a developer quite a few years to make, releasing their game to still sell 'millions'. It really boils down to whether or not the game was great or not. 2:30 There really is not a growing appreciation of smaller games. Most gamers will be pretty surprised and even upset when they find out a 25 buck game has a playthrough time of only 2-3 hours. The push comes more from indie devs finishing smaller stuff, which _for them_ is not a bad thing. At the same time they shouldn't be surprised if people hate the pricepoint, wishlist the game and never buy it.

[@brouw7272]

0:18 the flag look cool

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

The problem with wanting to create a ‘universe’ and the movie flop train is starting to feel this pretty hard … is its easier to sell me more Star Wars once I am already invested in Star Wars. When Star Wars was made, Lucas just wanted to make ONE good movie in the larger universe of his dreams…but he had to be fully invested in one good movie that might only ever be one good movie…that’s it. It was only AFTER it was successful, the expansion came. The problem in games, movies, and books is people are already coming out the gate wanting people invested in a “franchise” (hello Concord) Stop trying to artificially create universes and franchises no one cares about yet, I say. Make one good game and make it the appropriate size for the idea being executed.

[@AndrejaPopovik]

Very good video, always thought the same about the bunch of balloons model :)

[@jboggsie]

Hey mate, what is the size of a 'small game' in your argument here? I know it's just B roll but it looks like ~50% of the games in the list at 2:29 are by teams of 15+ people and most devs would consider in the "III"/"AA" size range (ie: "Big" for an indie.) Not trying to call out here, just genuinely curious.

[@connorhagerty537]

I would personally look at it in terms of development time. So for example, you set a 4 month limit, and tailor your games design around something that can be finished in that time. And on the plus side, this will force you to rely more on innovation than content variety

[@levi.motorsport]

I would like to hear your opinions on a point that I consider important. I am developing a game alone and I believe that, even though it is simple, it has great potential to please the public. However, I think that I should not promote the game too soon, either through marketing or a demo, due to the risk that other developers or studios already established in the market will take the idea, make some changes and release it before then. Do you agree with this approach? Thanks!

[@dabmaster6874]

The genre of Vampire Survivors, bullet heaven, horde survivor, it has many names and subgenres. Could a game in that genre that a visual hook and a gameplay twist in mechanics as a hook, be something that falls under the umbrella of the balloon model. Or at least be the first balloon in the list?

[@resekai]

2:30 I somewhat disagree with this point. You forgot that games used to be distributed in physical forms like CDs or DVDs, along with printed advertising posters. The costs of producing and distributing these physical media across the country and worldwide were factored into the final pricing of a game. Physical media had to be manufactured and printed, including the advertising materials. Today, most of this is digital. Adjusted for inflation, the prices of those games would likely be much higher today. Creating a digital poster that can be easily copied and shared is far less expensive than printing posters with minimum order quantities (MOQs) and shipping them to distributors around the world. Additionally, I think game creators made less money in the past compared to today. Gaming devices and the industry as a whole were not as mainstream as they are now.

[@TUKMAK]

What is this horror film you posted? All these jump scares. I'm just tryina be a cozy game dev here

[@NorthGameStudio]

2025 I’m coming for you.

[@arvinrohani3225]

very valuable thoughts tbh, its pretty well strategy actually

[@FuzzyImages]

Awesome, this was actually my plan, to release chapters of games almost level by level. Im interested in seeing how it goes, though for me games arnt profit, they are just art…

[@DJDeon0]

4:30 I like the idea of working on a game to make it good and refined regardless of the time it would take - I feel like in the long run it would make a much better and lasting impression. For example, in my youth I loved a game called Freelancer (essentially the predecessor to Star Citizen) - the scope of that game is so insane it was delayed several years to add as much features and refinement as possible within the given budget. Did Chris Roberts get to fully implement every feature that he wanted to put into Freelancer? No. Did he need the money? Probably. Did he give up on his dream of making the game he planned on making? Nope - hence why Star Citizen has been in development for so long and has racked up an insane amount of money in the process in doing so pushing the absolute boundaries of detail, scale and dedication in computer games that has only been seen previously within the Crysis games(only my opinion). I'd personally say that if your dream game is something you want to make and that you think it's really genuinely good (like Stan Lee would say about his Comic Books) - I reckon it would be good to pursue it if it's genuinely something so close to your heart. Anyways, not ranting - defs think a good financial strategy is key and logical to stay alive and keep making games if it's your only source of income and/or if you have a busy social life, family etc. but I reckon it's better to follow through as that gives you better credibility as a high end game dev + it builds more skill and character anyways :) Circumstance is a thing of course - it's all relevant depending where you are at and what your goals are but I reckon your dream game can and will potentially be something unique that could stand out on the market when marketed well.

[@alexandrejuste5457]

Hello. Thank you for the contents, it gives me motivation to not give up. I have a question about small games, lets say a single player linear game; Hack and Slash, adventure or fighting game.... In terms of gameplay length, how many hours is good?

[@games-from-elvis]

I thought there will be another Jumpscare at the end of the video 🤣🤣😂

[@AndrzejGieraltCreative]

Great tips!

[@ProgrammingRainbow]

I'm sorry I played alot of games in the 90s and never once payed 100 or 60 or 50 or 40. Maybe 25 tops for a just out new game. Most games where closer to 5 or 10 USD. I don't know what you're on but just no. No no no. Stop reinventing history. From PC to NES, SNES, N64, PlayStation, even XBOX. The most expensive game I ever paid for was gta 5 in the UK it was 35 pounds and I thought that was a lot. Later I did pay some 50 for NMS but that was a lesson I learned. Until GTA 5 35 pounds or 25 dollars usa was the most I paid for a new game.

[@SteveRokette]

Why not using Agile Development in Game Development? Start with MVP and evolve after feedback in Controllable Chunks!

[@kawakami_idv]

Hey Thomas! Could you cover multiplayer games please? Is it worth making them opposed to single-player? For example, I see AmongUs as itself a pretty small game, though in my opinion any multiplayer game requires constant updates, otherwise people will get bored or just the game would stop making money (if it's free to install), and the servers fee might still grow over time...

[@komakaze1]

inflation has skyrocketed but wages have not kept up with inflation.

[@beardordie5308]

You might've mixed up demand with supply. Both have increased but it is supply that has skyrocketed. I think.

[@thomasbrush]

That's right! I got it wrong, apologies!

[@AMightyStorm]

bro's living in the 28 days later universe

[@Aquilasdev]

1:43 Is that... Gavin? From Two Star? Are you safe? 😆

[@joshua42777]

Make a simple prototype for a big game, shelve it then finish a small game

[@FillMakesGames]

What is better? Making a bunch of games with the same world or making a bunch of games in the same genre? Which will retain the same audience?

[@timmygilbert4102]

Okay that was really smart and insightful

[@DarkHeartDante]

1:42 Okay that's scary

[@DemoniumSama]

7:00 that's indeed my strategy XD. It's harder at the beginning cuz you gotta create a lot but eventually I will have a lot of reusable content and will be fine cuz the games are a diff experience etc. Edit: The bunch of balloons strategy is indeed what I aim for, and I remember talking about it with friends long time ago, indeed, but sadly I didn't release a single game yet cuz lack of time haha full time job and 12+h a week gym and other reasons. Hopefully soon...

[@silchasruin4487]

What would your idea of a small game be? Anyone serious about making a game usually doesn't want to make the next MMO/MOBA or Skyrim. I don't want to fall into the trap of making another clone of something already out there but worse. Fresh ideas are difficult to come by, I wouldn't say because of market saturation but when you look at what has been made you don't know what else you could do. I don't even think fresh ideas are important but what is important is for each developer to be able to differentiate what they are making compared to what's out there. Cultic for example as compared to previous boomer shooters.

[@oknaa8526]

Cultivating audience + "Balloon" game : see RimWorld

[@kmturley1]

Disney's franchise model is relevant here!