The Stress of Game Development - Tips for Survival - Extra Credits

[@extrahistory]

Making games is hard... but you can survive it. Here's our advice.

[@GrayGriffonKnight]

Extra Credits thank you guys sooooo much for this video! i really needed this today

[@CWunderA]

Extra Credits Thanks for the wise words! This could be said of independent software development or even research!

[@RossLarson]

and Knuckles.

[@NerdReaper]

You could also do a letter to your nephews on stress of life.

[@brandonpopovich4323]

Thank you, this was something I needed right now.

[@phantomstrider]

"Passion is important but so is sustainability" So true.. I think these tips are helpful to almost any profession requiring continual creative energy. Thanks for the helpful reminders :)

[@Robyamdam]

holy sh!t i did not expect to see you here

[@Sam_Kablam]

Really like the guest art in this one. Also, RIP to every game designer's dream that died from Toby Fox, lol.

[@arisenspirit]

& Knuckles

[@Elonyx.studios]

Toby Fox??

[@GamesAndWhales]

He's the guy who made Undertale.

[@TreetopCanopy]

What about dead dreams?

[@NSluiter]

(Hopes and Dreams intensifies)

[@RadarLakeKosh]

I love this guy's art! It's magnificently Seussian.

[@hoodiesticks]

I was looking for a word to describe it, and all I came up with was "droopy". "Seussian" sounds so much better.

[@RadarLakeKosh]

〈-thatguyoverthere yeah, it really reminds me of old kids books. I wouldn't mind seeing him illustrate one someday.

[@WhatTheFnu]

I love Joe's art. I was barely over a minute in when I realized I already wanted to see him do these more in the future. Seriously: I laughed out loud at 5:13. This man's talent for visual metaphor is superb.

[@skaermf]

this is the first episode where I have paused the video to enjoy the drawings

[@x_cross9248]

1:46

[@docterfantazmo]

Damn Joe, your art's so squishy!

[@stationshelter]

I think your guest artist is a bee

[@jan_harald]

sethraptor you just gotta bee a star and not fall...

[@arisenspirit]

& Knuckles

[@thegrandnecroposter6782]

sethraptor Yeah bee yourself

[@themanwiththeplan1401]

*bae

[@36inc]

DR BEES///

[@dawnknightx]

Okay, so...I'm leading a small indie team and making a game that might be a little too ambitious but damn it, there's no point in going indie if you're just going to make the same games as everyone else. I didn't think these things were going to apply to me because I'm part of such a small, close-knit team...but I think I was wrong. While being the idea guy has always been my forte (though experience has taught me that maybe 1 in 5 turn out to be interesting enough to pursue), I am also the director, producer, lead designer, and writer for the project and burnout exists. There are days, where I literally cannot do anything productive because I'm just drained. Or nights where I cannot sleep because "what if nobody likes my game" snuck into brain that evening. I get jealous of other indie games and pray I can be as successful as Toby Fox or Scott Cawthorn or Jonathan Blow so I can keep making the games I want to make. It's honestly the worst part of the job...especially when, as my first real career type job, I feel the weight of every decision I make since it's mostly my input people are going to criticizing. That said, it's unbelievably energizing when something just works. When we put in a new art asset or get apply a new set of voice lines or sound effects. I really do feel like we're going to change everything just because somethings are coming together and looking like a real, marketable game. So I guess the point of this rant it say thank you for this. This video was really helped me internalize that what I'm feeling isn't invalid or some kind of premonition. I'm just starting to go through another burn out cycle and haven't been very productive lately, but I think if I can feel satisfied just hitting a minor daily milestone instead of worrying over all that is left to do, I might just survive my first tour through the game industry trenches.

[@GraytheKnight]

Keep going, keep pushing along. Those Devs are human, just like you, and probably had the same exact problems. Heck, Toby never expected his game to go big and it stressed him out. How can he make a game better then the one he just did? Its thoughts like that you should analyze and not use to bludgeon or stress yourself out. And don't shoot for success by mimicing peoples past successes. You'll get blinded by it and lose focus on what you were working on to begin with. Make your game a success by putting the time, effort and work into it. Get it done, get it finished and get it out there when its ready!

[@mene1in]

Erik Gallegos Ha, I felt like I was reading my own thoughts as I read your comment, right down to the positions I'm covering in the team I'm leading. Perhaps we could trade stories and advice sometime?

[@dawnknightx]

Thanks for that, and believe me, while I might want the success of those developers, I could criticize Undertale, FNaF, and Braid enough to write several books and would never "just copy them." I think the wish for all of us game devs is not just to make an excellent product, but to make an excellent product that is uniquely us.

[@dawnknightx]

Yeah, sounds cool.

[@furosukki1301]

Erik Gallegos same, im making a game based on botw, but... im making it alone

[@lukewoodge]

These are all really good points, I should follow these 3:03 "Sleep right" Looks at clock 3:03 AM *IT IS A SIGN!*

[@Boltizar49]

Shoutout to Dr. Seuss for animating this episode from beyond the grave!

[@SirSaladhead]

The art is simply delightful. Kudos!

[@robin-autumn2441]

fantastic guest artist.

[@borg286]

This artist is amazing. Truly amazed at how much action you've been able to put into still frames. The depth of emotion in each gesture.

[@axeburningfire2507]

2:16 this imagery already puts me at great stress.

[@tysonasaurus6392]

This art is awesome

[@rcookie5128]

Definatly! It has an old school disney vibe to it, I feel.. (the expressions and gesticulation)

[@chrisossu2070]

It reminds me more of Dr. Seuss for some reason.

[@wu1ming9shi]

yeah, exactly. doesn't look at all like Disney but i guess mrcookie probably meant the "hand-drawn-feel".

[@rcookie5128]

yeah the Dr. Seuss art style fits indeed! But if you look at 2:07 or 4:43 the pose & outlines of the characters remind me of the very old Mickey mose on steamboat cartoon.. Or Poppeye.. And at 2:41 I associate Disney's pinoccio.. that's what I meant with the "old school", as the more modern ones (not 3D cgi of course) look a lot more smoother and in-proportion :)

[@Anastas1786]

I'm detecting a lot of Dr. Seuss in this style. Maybe a bit of Kricfalusi too, but it's definitely very Seussian.

[@brodydunn9031]

I give the art.... A Bee

[@furosukki1301]

Brody Dunn ya lika jazz?

[@badlandsroadtrip3099]

Thank you so much for making this episode! I try to stay positive, but every now and then I have to deal with severe development fatigue. I'm glad I'm not the only one. This episode is a great reminder pick-me-up for when the going gets tough.

[@relyks1988]

Thanks guys! I really needed to hear this. I've been struggling a lot lately and knowing how similar my struggles are to other devs is oddly comforting.

[@Hoyty1]

I want to play "Call of Judy"

[@ahbraveconscript997]

also grover watch

[@RegularTetragon]

Sips!?

[@oscarfellows6709]

Dave Hoyt Not as good as "Harr Fideldee Dee"

[@EmmettMcMullan]

Elevator pitch: Judge Judy just got done with a long day of shooting her tv courtroom show, now she needs to call her daughter about a difficult topic. How will you handle the stress???

[@josh-timallen1115]

"If we didn't enjoy a good challenge, I guess we wouldn't enjoy games so much". This is exactly what I needed. Thank you

[@benjamingrist6539]

I love how the guest artists are starting to do their own unique intros instead of the old "waving person" that the earlier ones did.

[@PhilTruthborne]

Thanks for making me more aware of how important advertisement in forehand is. I never thought it'd be that big of a deal but it seems like it really is.

[@Xp1c3r]

Thanks really needed the tip, I was laying off game dev shifting to my recent months as a full time web developer, the language used is so different that I find it hard to get back into it on a tight schedule.

[@Auzgames]

This is increasingly well timed, thank you EC (was literally making a game design doc for an assignment before watching this, Ive been up for 18+ hours now)

[@jackdoe3990]

I love all of the little details in Joseph's art. Everything from Zombocom, to Part 3 & Knuckles had me eating the art style up.

[@Lugmillord]

Yup. That's exactly what's coming up for me. I'm working on a demo for a couple of months, using up most of my spare time for it. Welp, I hope i reach point 5 instead of 4. Only future will tell.

[@Tyrope]

They are NOT mutually exclusive! Your game might sell horribly for a while due to bad marketing, then somehow a big content creator notices it, likes it, makes a video on it and you suddenly have 100k sales in a week, making you go from 4 to 5. :)

[@Lugmillord]

In my case they are - since I'm still in university for about a year, I have the freedom of making a kickstarter campaign without real danger. If it succeeds in october, I'll be a proper indie dev and be "the happiest person on earth" and if it fails, I will apply for jobs as I would have done if I hadn't tried kickstarter. Either way, it's a chance I don't want to miss.

[@mene1in]

Be cautious about celebrating a Kickstarter goal being met. Having extra money on hand helps with many problems, but it alone does not make a game, and it doesn't solve as many problems as you might think. By no means am I suggesting that Kickstarter is a bad thing. What I am saying is that it replaces one kind of weight with another, which can trip you up if you're not prepared.

[@Lugmillord]

I am aware of that. But I like the weight labeled "definitely the kind of job you wished for" better than the one labeled "may not be at all the job I want". Even if the weight is heavier. I'm spending a lot of time looking for information on how not to screw up a kickstarter campaign. I hope it'll pay off.

[@mene1in]

Lugmillord That's great that you're doing your homework on it rather than treating it like a golden ticket. I wish you happiness and good fortune in your projects!

[@kheaousdestra]

With an eye focused on getting into the industry myself, this video is definitely an eye opener and helps to voice something that not just in game development but also in day to day life gets forgotten about. Stress can lead toward so many different problems which could be solved or alleviated by the simple act of reaching out to someone else or having someone else reach out to you. sorry if this was a bit of a rant.

[@minichibis6279]

This guest artist has some of the most dynamic and expressive stuff ive seen. GOOD SHIT

[@AdamHoelscher]

I write lots of small pieces of software for work and I'm amazed by how many of the pre-release stresses you mentioned here happen in my work. Thanks for the advice.

[@austinsojka7917]

Thank you for this! I just released a game about a week ago and I swear my full time job for the past month has been just talking to people and trying to spread the word about the game. It's been rough but I've managed to create at least a small group of people who are in to the game. I really feel like word of mouth is the only option for an indie, the marketing budget that would be required to compete in a standard style of marketing is just soo high. (I have found reddit ads to be useful though)

[@tristragyopsie5464]

this is solid advice not just for game devs but for any project that has to deal with a largish audience. I know writers, artists, and even youtubers that could use giving this positive advice some serious thought. but most are so busy trying to top themselves they don't see they have lost their roots and are slowly rotting from the ground up. I love these people and I don't want to see them fall, or even worse eventually hate their craft, so I am going to share this.

[@acsblaid]

Everytime toon Dan showed up, his tie flopping all over the desk was hilarious.

[@Drevoed]

Woah, I hope you pay your guest artists. This one did a bloody good job.

[@crossguardgames4894]

These are great to come back to over and over. I watched this when I first started my project and I'm watching it now when I'm feeling a little overwhelm. Good videos!

[@aquaflare1]

I really enjoyed Joe's art! Please invite him back again!

[@Quroe_]

My goodness, this artwork is incredible. There was so much movement, even though they were technically still-frames (if that makes sense). Joseph had me laughing the entire time. Thumbs up.

[@robertdaw3364]

The guest artist did an amazing job. The style was so fun and dynamic. I would love to see him come back some time in the future.

[@cameronbrennan4109]

The fact that your videos are great is not a surprise to me. The fact that surprises me is that you don't have over a million subscribers. I mean, how is that possible?!?!? What I'm trying to say is that you guys are fantastic! Keep up the good work!

[@DjangoLowe]

Good tips! I have been in the industry as a programmer for 15 year. I have spent a lot of my career worrying about the success of my games. I have learned that if I do my best to help make the project a success, then I have to let go and allow the game to have whatever success it will. If it succeeds or fails, so be it.

[@BrynKhaeys]

Maslov did a truly fantastic job on the art on this one, really knocked it out of the park.

[@rob9x1]

Thank you for this video. it was so correct. I myself are soon to release my first android game. Even though it's a smaller one. I really understood what you meant with the stress and pressure. It's hard to accomplish something new and crestive. But in the end even though when if I realese it. I can pat myself on the shoulder and say. "I made that" Although the worst stress you can ever accomplish is almost being done with your project and suddenly the enginge you're using crash. Then every time you try to open it crash again.. *shivers* been there done that

[@mr_limp_pickle5475]

im studying as a game artist atm and i just found your channel. this place is AWESOME. im working on a game atm and this will come in handy when i really get into it

[@ImperialGoldfish]

Wow, Joe must have spent forever on this video: the art is amazingly expressive

[@pablozky21]

This does not apply just to games, but to any entertainment medium of work. It's amazing that Extra Credits gives you great guidance for more than game development 😃

[@thegeekclub8810]

The art is really perfect for this topic. Over the top and insane in a way on stress can make you feel. Nice work. Also, Undertale was the perfect example for the "if your game gets to successful" bit, because Toby Fox himself has come out and said he is worried about how he'll follow it up.

[@o632regergst31]

IMO the art is odd, but props to the artist for his time.

[@igorthelight]

Only two of us thinks so. Others are happy for some reason. Maybe we are odd, maybe they )))

[@pranavjha9367]

+Игорь Санду Make that a three

[@Draconicrose]

I don't think the art fits extra credits. :( I wish the artist had made an effort to incorporate the usual art of the series, like people not having arms and necks. Simpler expressions, etc.

[@chunes5801]

Legitimately Olie I agree, I prefer the more simplistic style that we usually see. I bet it takes less time and effort from the artist as well, but still is very high quality.

[@o632regergst31]

Huh, I has expecting hate. Yeah, I agree about the simplistic style. Didn't realise anyone else agreed.

[@mene1in]

The guest artist did well on articulating on the talk's points. On topic, though, mental stress has been one of the biggest problems I've been facing since I started my second game. I've faced everything from Stress Point #1-4 on my first game, and #3 was uncanny. Now I'm working on the first game I'm actually mustering the gall to sell, rather than give it for free as a fan game. I have a small group following my lead, which alone is scary. The fact that they seem pretty apathetic about the project has been adding weight to the stress. I would love to reach out to peers, but you could say that my area is the opposite of the town of Eureka in terms of ambition. So, I write this out now, hoping to both seek encouragement from others that may be going through similar gauntlets and to be proof that they are not alone. Anyway, I want to thank you for this video. It's made a heavy load in my life easier to bear.

[@LordEpos]

Dabbing is the single most important part of making games. Don't know what the problem could be in that scenario.

[@leocana]

This is phenomenal advice, and totally applies to other creative fields like Architectural Design. Boy, is it hard to kick-start a career, and every little fella around just looks so successful.

[@tkchushbm]

Thank you, Extra Credits. I'm making my first game, It's harder than I thought. I almost give up when I see you upload this new video. It's really nice to hear the other had hard time too. They can survive, WHY CAN'T I? I will finish it, even it's shit, it will be one finished shit.

[@RazvanStrambu]

The art in this episode is FANTASTIC! Joseph is amazingly talented! Good for him, and good for you guys for collabing with him.

[@T3sl4]

Omigod, Dr Seuss took on Extra Credits and it's awesome.

[@Sophistry0001]

Loved the artwork on this one. Had me pausing the video a couple times just to check it out.

[@KeyMan137]

The artwork for this episode is amazingly creative.

[@KaiserAfini]

Joe's art style is awesome, really expressive. I would like to see it in a game or even a comic. Hope he comes back for future episodes.

[@Locane256]

The art in this episode was awesome!! please tell me he's going to be a regular from now on. I have never laughed out loud as many times during EC videos as I did here. The faces were so expressive and the references were great!

[@darronperryjr.3171]

Joseph Maslov was a fantastic guest artist, guys. I caught myself laughing at his stills several times this episode, and the detail he had going on is super impressive for the turn around. Good job!

[@Nahemii]

Although a lot of people before me have already said it I want to say, that your guest artist was really great :D

[@Artista_Frustrado]

that's some pretty amazing art, I love Dan's overly expressive poses

[@KnaveMurdok]

How might a person become a guest artist for this series? I really like what you guys do and I do pretty good at the draw-wring~!

[@extrahistory]

When the occasional guest artist slot does come up, we review portfolios we receive through email (which can be as straightforward as a link to your existing blog/website) and go from there based on stylistic fit for the video topic. Keep in mind it's a VERY rare opportunity to get a guest artist slot as we receive a lot of portfolios! --Belinda

[@KnaveMurdok]

Thanks for the heads up, Belinda! Is the email address in question the one listed in your About section?

[@extrahistory]

Yup, and it's listed in the end credits of every (new and more recent) episode!

[@KnaveMurdok]

Very good, wanna make sure my portfolio goes to the right place :) thanks for the info and expect to hear from me soon.

[@jordanscott8307]

loved the art on this one! had a sort of loose, dr Seuss feel to it

[@Mampfax0]

You just gotta love the hilarious crazyness of the artwork.

[@TheEightshot]

im 2 months into developing a game which i have been planning for SIXTEEN years! the burnout component of this really spoke to me. ive been getting up at 4am and not stopping till 6pm (other than a half hour for a quick shower) ive been surviving on coffee and nicotine. ive totally burned myself out and have found myself making more and more mistakes which mean im doing the development equivalent of stuttering. Anyway, ice had a few days off and its amazing how much more motivated and ready to work i feel.

[@Flutter_Batty]

I totally love the artstyle in this video! Super expressive!

[@zehantig]

Wow, this video came just in time for me and my team, considering we're just on our first project. Thanks guys

[@chrisk3824]

I love the expresive characters of the artist this week

[@geckoo9190]

I have only made a couple of games and I have to say that programming a game is like that game in that you have to stack pancakes, you better make a solid library, a solid structure a solid frame and solid best practices guideline, because its bound to become a mess when you advance in the project.

[@tetrasa1]

Somehow, this video helped me with the stresses of my Chemistry thesis.

[@rmefantasygames]

The artist just knocked it out of the park. Omg! So good!

[@Moonworshiper]

not that yall arent normally so awesome but the artists style this week was really cool and emotive. the faces were very cool n squish. keep up the good work yall

[@pyrosianheir]

digging the art this week! well done Joe!

[@GarthTheMighty]

It's like Dr. Seuss, Phil Foglio and Michel Ancel did a fusion dance.

[@DrFizzyQuizzler]

the art in this episode is top notch! please get this artist some money and hits on whatever he does!

[@setteplays]

This is amazing. And it came on the right time for me. My team is unmotivated and we never even started our big project, only talked about it. We made some jam games (only one truly finished) and we hope to pump up with the upcoming ludum dare. And thanks, thank you very much, EC team. This means a lot to me.

[@D3LTA48]

Fun watch this after two semesters of game design classes. So many things you talk about are being taught in my courses.

[@ItohKuni]

Could not have heard this at a better time. On the final stretch of my first game and it's literally every single point in this video has been through my mind in that order. Definitely not expecting much after all the thinking, but it's good to know we're all kinda in this together, Thanks Bro and keep up the great work :)

[@nevec1991]

A KZbin channel I watch live streams whenever they work on their game

[@Kabloosh]

As an ios game developer myself, I am kind of glad this video came up. It may or may not be all that helpful to the viewers, but it is really interesting to watch. I hope I get to see more of these game development videos. :)

[@j0nahb]

Everyone is talking about the art... what about the actual video? I found this really good.

[@79centsoutofadollar]

You know me, I've left many comments before. I'm still going through all your vids, although sometimes I take months and months of a time out, only to come back after half a year passes..... ...but anyway, this is the VERY FIRST vid of yours, however, where I was almost distracted as much by the art than by the words. Seriously great art in this one, you should have this guy back again, many times. Hell, make him a permanent addition to your team.

[@rightclickman]

A special kudos to the guest artistry this week! I loved a bunch of your pieces here, and will probably remember that "Tripping Over Your Ego" one for my own future reference. Thank you for your work!

[@brianfong5711]

Best art yet, and this is in comparison for all the 300+ episodes ever made.

[@Verris_Ephemera]

Oh yes I can agree to all of this haha. I'm happy with the result of the release of my game or at least the open beta. It was a lot of fun to work on the project and I'm already working on my next :)

[@mario__265]

Are you the Nova bloodlines guy?

[@Verris_Ephemera]

Yes, Yes I am.

[@mario__265]

TrueCynder Is it going to be another RPG?

[@Verris_Ephemera]

Jup. JRPG's are my favorite genre so they are the most fun to work on.

[@mario__265]

TrueCynder Nice. Haven't played the first game yet, I'm gonna get it when it goes to closed beta

[@InfernalLawyer]

Funny how you mentioned Undertale: I was incredibly hyped for that title, and thought I would have to spread the word around as much as possible so it didn't sink into obscurity. Turns out the game didn't need me XD

[@Neppord]

So much is true for software in general. Thanks for a great episode!

[@LixianVG]

Thanks for the tips. I'll keep all of this in mind. Also, Maslov did a wonderful job

[@07derka]

I was skeptical of the art at first, but this artist is great and has a good sense of humor!

[@hazardoushumanoid6804]

this video could not have been uploaded at any better time...thank you

[@Nosgoroth]

How eerily timely, EC, I just released a game the day before yesterday to deaf ears. Thanks, some of that was nice to hear.

[@AidanRatnage]

Such a different art style, I like it!

[@meme-ze6sm]

Lots of what you say in this video is universally true. All the more important you talk about it. Even dream jobs are hard at times and success can be a huge burden. Great that you talk about these facts of life!

[@knuxchaoable]

oh I'm loving this Dr. Seuss art style here, nalstalgic

[@DavidChipman]

I love the images of the brains in this video. Cracked me up.

[@jonahunderhill]

The art this episode was so good!

[@denisfovas6399]

Until now, I didn't made a single comment in this channel. But now, after seeing that art, GOD, it;s amazing! Really good and nice and just wow

[@henriklarsen8193]

I really needed this, right now in my life! Thank you!!

[@MeatBunFul]

This art has some fine gestures.

[@mrapplegate4065]

This guy is great. I love the illustrations!!!

[@pokeyminch8376]

LOVE the expressions of this art