Getting Real About My Game Development Journey

[@josephruggia]

Hey everyone! I’m Joseph, Matt’s brother, and I just wanted to drop in and say how proud I am of him. Matt’s been passionate about video games for as long as I can remember, and seeing him create such amazing work is honestly inspiring. Matt, I think you should consider revisiting Trapped. With all the experience and knowledge you have now, I bet you could make it something truly special. It was such a great concept, and looking back, it’s a shame we didn’t market it more. I’d love for it to still be around to share, even as a freebie for people to enjoy. And about the ninja game… I didn’t realize the original code had turned into spaghetti! I’m curious, what exactly goes into a game design document, and what’s holding you back from putting one together? A mini version of the game could even be a great proof of concept to show your progress. By the way, that word you were searching for? One of my favorites: “parlay”! Keep up the incredible work, Matt. I’m so proud of you, and I love and miss you. Keep pushing forward, you’re doing fantastic!

[@makeitsogames]

Imma make Trapped 6 as a side project with a smaller scope. And I’ll keep it simple that stays true to the good old Newgrounds days. That would be really cool to release as my first game on Steam.

[@alexanderkulaev541]

So cool of you to support your brother like that! I wish I had a brother like you :) But I have a fiancee that supports me, so I guess it counts too and I'm blessed as well :) Wish you both all the best!

[@AirmanCS]

Idk if this worth something but here it goes, I have been working as a gamedev for 10 years, I do code, art, game design the whole thing. I have always been an employee, I have made 3-5 game demos of my own in my whole career and I have a lot of puzzle pieces to show but nothing complete. I get your struggle and I get your passion, almost feel like im on the same road right now that im a bit older. This is a VERY real video, great content dude, this is exactly my experience with dev and I prefer this over some "pretty edited" video, i think after all this time I'm just getting the hang of it so dont beat yourself up. Is not an easy thing to do, dicipline, knowledge, time, resources... I just wanna say that I have seen 100s of games and devs and you feel like one of the solid ones, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF but do it truly, is very clear you just need to scope better, do a small game even if it is 10 mins of gameplay, expose it, get a crowd, you need the public approval sometimes to feel the rush of motivation, think "shovel knight" for your ninja game. You will do well, you have made games, you know what it is to "finish a game" just put it on steam. I like your ninja game but looks like it could be short sweet game, aim for 1 hour of gameplay MAX, make it juicy and short, and some replayability could be nice, try to focus more on your vertical slice. Is very important to let people play your game before is ready and that is a bit hard on your own, I know first hand, so promote a community somewhere you will always find nice people to at least give you an opinion, note on that follow your criteria, take advices including this one with a grain of salt, just make the final choice yourself dont lean to hard on you game feedback. Good luck

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I really appreciate your support and the advice!

[@amirhm6459]

I'm solo dev myself, it is hell a of journey. Keep it up!!!

[@makeitsogames]

It really is a journey! Thanks for the encouragement. Where can I find your work?

[@ajwalker4416]

I sibbed because that was the most real video I've seen on game dev. Most other KZbin are all about "Make a game in 20 minutes! I'll show you how!" or "I went from zero to hero and made my game in 30 days with NO CODE! I'll show you how!" 🙄🙄 It's nice to hear from a real person who talks about the real challenges and not sugar-coating everything. I have less resources than you, I don't have a degree in computer science, I don't have savings to live off for any extended amount of time, I have to work and that makes it even more challenging. And thanks for talking about Gamemaker, it's seem the most "intuitive" for someone like myself who has no programming background. I tried all the rest but GM just "clicks" for me.

[@TommyGFPV]

Web Dev here, not a Game Dev, but I can relate in a lot of ways. I have made 2 websites outside of my job and they are both super simple and they are for friends/family. I really want to make more websites outside of work and be able to grow and flex my skills, but time management and working alone make things really difficult. Thank you for sharing this story and I wish you the best of luck going forward!

[@jimkurth]

awesome sauce, dude! I'm 43 and I started actual programming about the same time (8th grade-ish) on an Apple ][E and C-64 and in high-school, programming on the TI-85 calculator. Good luck with your journey. Us mid-late 90s-era game developers are not in abundance in this industry, so it's important we help each other out because life is hard outside of game dev, and especially when you hit 40, your back will let you know just how old 40 is. lol. Anyway, from 1 solo dev to another: I wish you all the successes and hope game dev brings you the fulfillment you're looking for.

[@aceplayndraw]

From one dev to another, keep it up man! I'm on the same struggle bus but more so as an artist trying to be a solo dev and struggling more so on the coding side. I have one game released and I'm currently working on my second (Still in Prototyping phase) while also working a full-time job, content creation, and personal life. It's tough but it can be done, just gotta keep going. You got this!

[@makeitsogames]

Sounds like you’re really hustling, thanks for the kind words! How can I find your work? Would love to see your art and game(s).

[@ignskeletons]

Going into indie game dev is like asking yourself to put in hundreds of hours into something incredibly difficult and frustrating, knowing that you will most likely never make a dime of profit. I'd recommend only go into it as a passion project with the expectation of it as hobby that is not profitable. You have to really just like doing it or be driven af.

[@finleyghost]

What a real video. I dig it. I will say, after seeing so many game dev videos, you should wait to do Steam Next Fest until you’re about ready to launch your game. That’s when most of the interest towards your game will be generated and you’ll wanna strike while the iron is hot. And I would make sure you get a really interesting mechanical hook into your game. Give it some kind of gameplay mechanic that you haven’t seen before in a ninja game that people would see 3 seconds of and immediately wanna play it. You got this! It’s time to make it happen and I believe in you!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll wait for a really solid vertical slice before entering a Steam Next Fest. Until then I’ll work towards a smaller MVP demo for my prospective Steam page. Also, yes much agreed, (while I believe my game is genuinely fun), I do need a unique gameplay mechanic hook.

[@maxelized]

I feel this. Went from making game maker and flash games with 100k plays decades ago, to releasing mobile games with a handful of downloads. Now just making an over scoped metroidvania dream project aiming for steam, watching next fests go by as i am not ready. It's tough and so is the competition so i do believe in fairly ambitious passion projects to have a shot, if you have the experience. I don't have the energy for KZbin, but these days it is the best way, best luck!

[@makeitsogames]

Wow, very similar. What are the games you’ve made??

[@maxelized]

@@makeitsogames Mostly lot of game jams, from Saut on Gamejolt, Hops on newgrounds, and more recently Cape Gun on Gx games.

[@cheesehead-games]

Thanks for sharing your story, i am working full time in a factory and trying to make games on the side, it's so hard, I envy you for the amount of time you have to devot to your dream!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for the support, I hope I can inspire you to keep pushing! Where can I find your work?

[@brianviktor8212]

I too work on my game. But I am not working on a minor game, but a big one. It's a space combat/exploration game that spans the entire observable universe. A lot is already done, and I work on it full-time since earlier this year. It basically has a new technology for multiplayer - a global single realm with a scalable server cluster. The logic took me 2 months, and it took another 2 months to test and bugfix it. The focus will be combat - that is what has to be fun. Customization, mechanics and most math is already done. Currently I am working on moon and planet textures and shaders. I am quite familiar with shaders now, but there is always more to discover and learn. For example I made a shader for planet rings which have a shadow solely based on a float parameter which is the radius of the planet they are around. Next I'll experiment with some effects to make planets "sparkle" to make them look more alive. There will be no 3rd person walking around part, because the focus is on space ships and interactions. It will also be PvE focused (coop or solo), and PvP has low priority... it will come later, if at all. Graphics quality is of lower priority, but overall design is very important. Meaning it must be the right graphics with the right sound.

[@makeitsogames]

Wow the entire observable universe?!

[@brianviktor8212]

@@makeitsogames Yes. For now it's only the primary galaxy, later I'll extend the procedural generation algorithm to also create other galaxies in a 3D web pattern. The math for positions is already prepared, it's 3 * 16 bytes (x,y,z). To travel to other galaxies will be a late-game activity, which I expect to be relevant at least ~3-6 months after release. Players will have to establish technology and infrastructure to be able to get to other galaxies and to survive. Other galaxies will be distinct however - aside from the difficulty level that is higher (and the resources), there will be hostile aliens to contend with who consider humans to be invaders. Visually galaxies will also be distinct. And the farther the galaxy is from the primary galaxy, the higher the difficulty and rewards. Let's say the primary galaxy has a difficulty range from 0 to 8, the neighboring galaxy will have 10, the next one 12, etc. So in theory players could continually advance. But to reach the edge of the observable universe will take years, maybe even decades. It isn't meant to be actually reached though.

[@claudsnmj89]

I've been watching your journey since Trapped and it's good seeing you on KZbin now. Wishing you the best of luck in finishing your new project!

[@makeitsogames]

It's been a long road, thanks for sticking with me!

[@franktaaffe7633]

I appreciate how real this video is. Been a solo dev for the last 5 years or so working with Unreal Engine and it has been one of the most difficult and yet fulfilling things to ever happen in my life and that’s without having come close to publishing anything.. It was a heartwarming moment hearing you went back to the project that really interests you and that you’re making progress with it. This was my first video from your channel that I’ve seen but I have subscribed and hoping to see more! Wishing you all the best brother and looking forward to playing this on when the day comes for release!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks, it means a lot to hear you're also in the trenches! Looking forward to your first published game.

[@Flaming_Hot_Beans]

It's awesome to see so many indie Devs passionate about games. But alot like myself struggle as it's just themselves. Scope creep, or what I suffer Uber scope creep, and having no one else to bounce ideas off of really is a handicap for many I think. Id love love to start a game makers compendium / game makers cafe where people can meet and create indie studios easier. Keep going though everyone.

[@dragonsnackproductions]

I can truly relate! @Make It So Games - I'm also 40, still have to publish my game but well on my way there :D

[@juicybeetlegames7645]

Keep at it dude. Everyone needs to start somewhere, and most of the time, its at the bottom. Everyone who aspires to become a game dev will be there, everyone who you look up to has been there, and everyone who is aspiring to build their passion project is going through it. Although, admittedly, having some form of job on the side (whether part time or casual) is advantageous in many ways (obviously the money and all), but for social interaction, and separation from "your home is your work" anxiety. I've seen a lot of game dev's who don't have a paid job on the side struggle not only financially, but mentally. You always seem to have a lurking feeling about "not finishing fast enough", and thoughts like that turn into burnout, regret, and resentment. So stay positive, work towards your goals, and remember to make time for yourself as well!

[@makeitsogames]

Brilliant! Thank you so much for your support!

[@dexqidev]

love this video (: thank you for sharing such an honest video about your experience, i can't wait to see where your project will go! best of luck:D

[@makeitsogames]

Thank you so much!!

[@artsbyak6602]

I use gamemaker to make my dream game as well. Please make more tutorials ur coding structure is very solid far better than mine, keep pushing I will support you all the way as a fellow game dev.

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks! I’m glad you think my coding structure is solid and hope to make more tutorials in the future!

[@KabeloRammidi]

Thank you sir I appreciate you sharing your experience it is very relatable (aspiring game developer myself)

[@hejhejhej952]

I loved hearing your story man! I wish you the best of luck!

[@makeitsogames]

I appreciate it! Thanks so much. Glad you loved hearing about my journey.

[@AvectaInteractive]

Let's go! Currently just a hobbyist myself. I'm going to join you in taking the journey more serious. Thanks for the wake up call and see at a Next Fest soon 💪

[@cyberthreat7735]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm 39 and have a computer science degree and somewhat similar situation as you. I told myself im going to be an indie developer while keeping my full time job. I'm going to definitely be looking into making horror games with my 7 year old son giving inspiration and also teaching him. Best of luck brother, you have just as much chance as anyone else in this world to make it. Have you thought about buying assets to cut down on some tedious stuff you are trying to create yourself? Obviously dont asset flip , but im surprised you didn't speak about that. Also .... you teamed up with your brother and that's awesome! I was thinking about doing the same with my Cousin. Overall , I do appreciate listening to your feedback and will definitely take some of your advice ;)

[@makeitsogames]

Hey, thanks for sharing and thanks the encouragement! I’ve thought about buying assets but haven’t really come across anything that fits my game. If anything, free assets are good placeholders for now. In the future I may commission someone to redo art, and a OST would be awesome. Good luck with your horror game!

[@calum303]

Thanks for sharing your story and for the encouragement dude! I'm in such a similar situation. BS in CS and have made a few small unfinished games since college. I just quit a toxic day job and am starting to work on my game. I have so many similar feelings of those guys that can publish a game with kids and a life. Thanks for being so real with who you are in all this. Maybe you should get a discord community started for us folks that struggle making our games and aspire to get sh*t done!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for sharing, I'm glad you're finding my journey relatable. I have a discord server that I’m working on setting up. Feel free to join with the link in the description.

[@DUHRIZEO]

There's so many solos in your same shoes. I've joined some discord channels recently and just started reaching out to start jamming with others. It's made a difference in staying motivated and a tiny team, even of two, will make all that's involved so much more manageable. Don't feel like your only option is to hire someone, theres many doing it for the passion. Treat a game jam like speed dating 😂 you'll get even more stuff finished and might meet some people that you really click with. You've accomplished a ton as is and you seem to have a lot to offer, theres bound to be others that have the skills you don't yet in the same boat. Just something to think about. I'm rooting for you man!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for your input, definitely appreciate it.

[@7DragonEyes7]

I wish you the best! I'm in similar situation to you. I still have some years before 40s but I'm getting there. I work has a programmer at a video game company full time, but I would like to make my own games, my own mistakes, having success and failure, but by my own doing. It's been 10 years of prototyping and saying this one I'll release it, but like you motivation is hard and nothing is getting finished, I'll jump into a new idea instead of finishing one.

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for sharing.

[@morisakitsukiyama2916]

I've put my dream game on hold. Either i make it with the smallest scope possible, or I wait to make it later after making other small games. Anyway, I can't finish a single game yet, this S***t is hard. Keep it up!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for the encouragement. It’s nice to know I’m definitely not alone! I’d like to hear more and see your game sometime.

[@ryanman56]

Really enjoyed this vid, I've subscribed :) Keep making vids and keep being yourself, and you'll definitely make it

[@sirlean-beautysubliminals-5515]

you seem like a good dude, hope you find success! I'm also an indie developer

[@marknicoll7034]

In the same boat as you. Turning 40 very soon. Worked on games for years and worked jobs to sustain my game Dev. Released a couple of games on itch and google play where no one even looked at them. Similar financial situation. I do feel like I have the motivation thing down pat. I used to have motivation issues but, for me, what seemed to be the cause was trauma related to my schooling and work related situations. I had to take some courses on cognitive and dialectic behavioral therapy to get my work ethic back on track. I don't know if stuff like that would be helpful for you because each persons situation is different but I thought I would tell what worked for me just in case it helps someone else.

[@makeitsogames]

Definitely appreciate your input Mark. I’m glad that worked for you. At the moment based on the response to this video I feel like a fire has been lit under my butt and I’m feeling more motivated than ever.

[@gameboardgames]

Great video man! I'm in a pretty similar situation working on my ambitious scope game. Always great to hear some real dev journeys and not some over produced, animation heavy click bait type one that are so common. Makes me think I should do the same sorta video about my own solo dev journey and my next-to-invisible RoadHouse Manager.

[@makeitsogames]

Do it!

[@hazusuki]

Ive been working on my indie game now in gamemaker for 3 years, I also think gamemaker is underrated. Funny enough Im also doing a similar project. Good luck!

[@cocamaster0]

Most gamedevs struggle, and not all of them have courage to show their faces and talk about it openly. Don't compare yourself negatively to the successful ones, try to see them as inspiration. If people new to gamedev can make it, so can you! You just gotta keep trying and do your best.

[@LostTravelerStudios]

As a new game dev, I truly appreciate your wisdom and advice. You seem like a good dude and I hope you nothing but the best, also your games looked pretty dope too 👍

[@r8teful]

As a solo dev myself I know how it feels, you got this!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for your encouragement! Where can I find your work??

[@foxhollowgames]

We're rooting for you!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks Joe!

[@julianhaas5372]

Hey there, I really empathize with you. I didn’t allow myself to dive into professional game development until I was 36. You mentioned that this is your dream game, but also that you’re aiming for financial success. If financial success is your goal, there are a few key things you should focus on: 1. Research Profitable Genres: Investigate which genres are financially successful but not oversaturated. For example, Metroidvania games are in general an oversaturated, making it a challenging market. 2. Develop a Strong Hook: Be able to describe your game in one compelling sentence that makes people want to play it immediately. 3. Prototype for Fun: Create a prototype to test if your game is fun. At this stage, don’t worry about polished code, visuals, or assets-just focus on gameplay mechanics. 4. Establish an USP (Unique Selling Point): Ask yourself, why should people play your game instead of any other game? A strong USP makes your game stand out and easier to market. Without these elements, a game won’t naturally market itself, making it much harder to gain traction. I do like your hook-ninjas and zombies-but while fun, it’s not a particularly unique theme. That could make it difficult to stand out. I can see you’re working hard, and that’s admirable! But I’d recommend doing more research to refine your approach. Also, just to clarify, a vertical slice is different from a prototype. A vertical slice showcases a small, polished portion of your game, as if it were complete. It doesn’t need a lot of content, but everything included should reflect the final product’s quality. Hope this helps and good luck with your game development journey!

[@makeitsogames]

Yes, this helps a lot. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to write such a thorough response!

[@thegreatestguyEVA]

thank you for making this- you’ve remotivated me to try making something again. i hope it goes well for you too

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks man! Good luck! Keep me posted on your project.

[@hector67100]

good luck there, im a solo dev as well and holy shit this shit is hard

[@cheesymcnuggets]

Btw i would like to say sorry before hand in case all of my assumptions are way off, i dont know you so this could be soooooo off, sorry if it is This is as real as it gets... I'm only half your age but man do I get it. A lot of the things you've said are thoughts and feelings I've had myself. The main difference between us being how you've been trying for so much longer which is probably the worst feeling of them all and one I couldn't possibly relate to at 20 years old. But I do feel what you're saying and can tell we share a lot of personality traits we probably aren't too keen on having... Despite it all though, I know your passion is real, no matter how desperate or envious you are getting... deep down you truly do just want to make games. Determination is high but output is low. I sit at my computer everyday staring at my notes, software and game engine, all open, all prepared to complete that next task... but I can sit and stare for months straight and still feel just as motivated and eager to achieve my goal of making a game yet still be in the same place. It's paralysis, potentially caused by fear and feelings of being overwhelmed. Solution? Not sure... but... I am making progress. I switched up my methods, despite being at a somewhat intermediate level, i went "f--- it" and actually went to make small games. I wanted to make games that will take a few years... still do, more than anything... but I know I wasn't going to succeed at that if I didn't try to fix my root problem... which I'm still unsure what it is tbh but I ain't gonna learn by sitting around failing to do what I genuinely want to and feel motivated to for months. So i joined a half year game jam... yeah that didn't work out... turns out... that was still too much for me to stomach... Then I eventually decided to take even more of that advice you hear everywhere from everyone... and I finally started recreating really old simple games... There is nothing more depressing than making games you learn nothing from, don't enjoy playing or making and get to express zero creativity on... they feel like a waste of time... but... wait a minute... Im doing it? Why am I making games I absolutely have no motivation for? This is weird... oh wait here comes space invaders, I dread having to ever make that... but hold up... I did it? I? Did it? It took longer than it should've, most definitely because I dislike it... but I still did it :) im actually making games what the hell? Up next, Super Mario Bros. I started this whole recreating old games challenge less than a month ago and I've already done more and learnt more than I have in 2 years... what the heck... and the craziest part is I haven't enjoyed making half of these games... but the other half I did... and regardless I'm actually doing it... they are nowhere near as big as those prototypes for my bigger projects but who cares because this actually feels good... Thing is, this is not what I want to do... but I'm doing it... I can only assume it's because it's a steady increase in scope and content that I'm learning to stomach. Thing is, I didn't expect to learn anything helpful or interesting, like i said, there is nothing more depressing, i thought it was gonna be a massive waste of time... and still did for a while but then it really hit me, that yeah I know a lot about making games and programming, but ive never really gotten to apply that knowledge. It's a completely difference experience, making prototypes for big games vs making small games for experience or game jams... I was never able to work when I wanted to but now I can when I don't want to? Not exactly... there's still a lot of struggle but at least now there is some evidence that I can do it. Even if these games come no where near the complexity or difficulty as those old prototypes did. I'm not saying I have found my way through that wall, I haven't yet reached the time I have been capable of spending on a game without hitting an unbreakable wall, that was a few months in length... but since then ive never been the same, it just kept getting harder and harder to make games as I was expecting so much from myself, like i was supposed to be doing better, supposed to already know all this afterall, Ive been programming for 2 years, why the hell wouldnt I know what a callable is. Thing is, i was afraid to think less of myself because of how much I had committed to being better and accept that I had only worsened over time... it's a hard pill to swallow... but eventually I did... and well... I can only help this venture works out for me... I hope I can go onto to recreate games like Super Mario Bros, Zelda, Enter The Gungeon, Terraria, Doom, Minecraft , etc. Because now I believe I can if I let myself cut off any creativity and work purely on steadily refining the process. That's what I'm really learning, yeah I've made games before but my games aren't comparable to the games I want to make, first I need to convince myself that I can do it before I put any other pressure on myself like creative freedom, game design, marketing, quality, quantity, etc. Im making progress forward by taking steps back. While I believe we share a lot of traits, we are different people at the end of the day. I don't know if this boring idea for an experiment is gonna work out for me, im not even sure being overwhelmed is the cause of my paralysis... but i am now prepared to remove the reason i love doing game dev so much so I can learn to do game dev. If it turns out to be a waste of time... oh well... at least I'll have a few games for my game dev portfolio incase I want to join the industry on a salary... I guess what I'm saying and why I shared all of this... I completely understand your determination and passion for game dev and i understand how eagerly you want to make this dream game of yours... but I think if you truly want to be capable of following through with yourself... you need to dig deep inside of yourself and in your feelings and find out why you keep failing and start searching for ways to overcome it. I can't tell you with complete honesty that I think this will be the time and you will still continue to make your dream game after getting a job... I just can't... but I do believe in you, I believe you can achieve your goals and I believe you can overcome your demons. But doing the same thing you've done before might not be the way to achieve that, still could be but usually when you hit these blocks, you require a new perspective and/or approach. You too could achieve the abilities of those game devs you admire, the ones who have families, jobs and still find a way to make games and videos... because, if they can do it, so can you... Once you understand your mind, anything is possible. I'm most impressed not by game devs with busy lives, but by game devs with adhd, it doesn't make sense to me how they're able to do it without hyperfixations or medication... but they are doing it... so... i know that eventually I could make games too. We are not limited by what we are, but by who we think we are, meaning, we set our own limitations, don't convince yourself you aren't cut out for this, don't lie to yourself that you think you should be able to achieve this if you put enough work in... no... instead, prove to yourself you are cut out for this by proving to yourself that given the work, you can grow, you can improve. Easiest way to do that isn't to "just do it", it's to do what you know you can do, have done, the easy stuff, and steadily build up your expectations of yourself as you build up your capabilities. This is easy to misinterpret so understand this, don't aim high, don't you believe you are what you aren't but also don't believe you arent more than what you are because while you are only capable of what you know, you know how to learn, and therefore you know how to grow. In other words, you don't actually know how to make a full metroidvania soulslike commercial game... but you do know how to make fun combat... so next, learn something you think you can learn, not because you should but because you could. You might not have made a boss before (i have no idea) but you have made state machines and you have made enemies with attacks and animations... maybe make a boss... but do not go telling yourself you know how to, you don't, but you could, because you know what you know and what you know, seems like something you could potentially make a boss with. I would like to apologise for all this nonsense, i have no idea what im talking about. Just rambling borderline incomprehensible phrases which essentially can be summarised in a few sentences. I won't summarise it as ive probably repeated myself too much over a potentially non-existent problem but aye, if it doesn't help you or me, maybe some other poor soul could make sense of my ideals. Anyhow... you can do this but i seriously suggest trying something new (as sh-t as it would feel to drop this game yet another time... i know the feeling trust me but it could be for the best, who knows). You are way more experienced than me but who knows, maybe my perspective is a perspective you haven't explored much of in a long while

[@makeitsogames]

Wow, just wow. What a deep deep dive. Thanks so much for your very thoughtful and thorough response. And no need to apologize for “rambling.” What you wrote could be summarized, rewritten in ChatGPT, and could be a script for a KZbin video!! Again, thanks for your support!!

[@Don-zo3ts]

Full support 💟

[@makeitsogames]

😃

[@GabrielVeda]

That was great. Thank you. I loved how authentic you were.

[@makeitsogames]

Thank you Gabriel!

[@SandorClegane-TheHound]

Ill watch this space. Good luck 👍

[@TryHardStudio]

Keep it going, you're doing just fine!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks! It’s definitely a journey.

[@RevolverOlver]

Subscribed! There's something very real about this video so I want follow your journey! I've worked full time as a solo game dev for almost 10 years so I thought I'd just share some advice! 1. There are hundreds of thousands of games and almost all of them make no money This is a "the winner takes it all" business. You won't survive if your games are mediocre. In order to survive, you have to make games that are in the top 10%. There's no luck in getting there, if people on the internet don't seem interested in your game, it's not bad luck with the algorithm, it's because your game isn't marketable. 2. Don't compare your game to old successful games Every year the rules change. It's not enough for a game to be as good as last year's hit game, it has to live up to the expectations of today. When a game makes the rounds in the media and here on youtube, a lot of devs get inspired and make similar games. This saturates the market and makes the bar for entry much higher. This means that, if you want to make that type of game, your game has to stick out and be better than all those new releases. 3. Explore niche genres I've had a few successes in this industry and all of them has been when I found an under served niche. If you can find a small niche where the top performing games makes you think "I can do that but better", you can make it truly big. These niches are out there but they can be hard to find. However, most people look only at the most prominent genres when deciding what game to make, missing the golden opportunities that are out there, waiting for someone to come along. 4. Make games that are unique but similar to other games If your game is too similar to other games, it will get lost in the masses. If your game is too unique, people won't be able to tell what kind of game it is and just skip it. A good medium is when someone can say, it's like game X but with X. "Oh, it's like pokemon but with guns" or "oh, it's like PUBG but you can build towers". 5. This is my most important advice: Check out Chris Zukowski I tell this to everyone that is about to release their first game on Steam. You HAVE to watch Chris Zukowski's talks here on youtube. He is the no 1 expert when it comes to releasing successful games on Steam. Just go watch him! Preferably everything he has! He will tell you everything you need to know And don't forget to have fun! Good luck on your journey!

[@makeitsogames]

Thank you for the advice! I’ll definitely watch everything Chris has put out.

[@GarimellaProduction]

keep purising this man. your passion was heard through your voice.

[@leonun]

keep up the good work, I hope to start making gaes soon myself

[@gonaye1]

Wow. This was an amazing story thanks for sharing your journey. Subscribed 👍🏽

[@makeitsogames]

I appreciate the support! Thanks for subscribing.

[@gonaye1]

@ of course! I was a bit shaken when you talked about just needing to finish something important to you after many starts and stops. I try to draw and write wherever I can but I’ve personally wrestled with feeling discouraged and feeling overwhelmed many times over the years, and it’s hard to push past that and just keep moving forward with any projects. I also have NO idea how other creators get projects done WHILE also having a family AND a job, lol. Maybe they have mentors or peer groups with other creators that help motivate them and keep them accountable? But I am an introvert AND I am terrified of criticism (even constructive criticism) so I don’t really do peer groups, lol. I think you’re doing a great job staying inspired in spite of the starts/stops, though. Have you heard of a KZbinr called Red Sixteen Interactive? I was strongly reminded of that creator when I heard your story.

[@jthistler]

good luck! I'm in the same boat. I used to make games on Newgrounds under name 'thistler' . Not that anyone remembers roboslug or stoneage sam.

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks, and that’s awesome to hear. I’ll definitely do a search for those sometime and check them out.

[@calicothecappuccinogurl9874]

I am very mentally spent from my personal projects so I'm gonna keep it short, gonna sub cuz I know how it is to do gamedev with a small team in a tight situation, tho specifically subbing since I don't see many people talking about game maker, so take it with a grain of salt but I think you have a big opprotunity here with that, usually people can makeit, if you can be there first for something that other people are looking for cuz its not oversaturated as much as other stuff I belive you can do it if you just actually get yourself together and keep going.

[@Valdarko]

thank you for the honest video as a solo dev I can relate with all said here scoping a project is one of those "secret" skill need for the job but no one talks about HOW to do it, it's one of those "you know when you see it" type of things in the field, but looking at your stuff you probably already know about it so i can't advice or give a worthy feedback about careers choices since I'm in the trenches like you trying to understand this completely bonkers field, so take any of my ramble about the business side with a grain of salt the size of brazil that said I'm pretty comfortable sharing some art tips since is my most prominent field(is not much but I know a thing or two) and creative process tips: - embrace minimalism(fully): looking at your games i have a sense of a shy attempt of minimalism, It doesn't look like a deliberate choice. don't do that, if you like minimalist design/art do it fully, avoid mixing modern effects/shading with it, if anything grab a already defined style from a game you enjoy and steal it, change it a little bit to turn into your own thing, don't try to reinvent the wheel - I don't know if you like pixel art, but pixel art solves a lot of problems visually speaking... A LOT of problems. my point here is, it's easier to make a pixel art game look good, it's really hard to make a game with higher resolution like that ninja game you are making to look good - experiment with other art styles/tools, I found that I really enjoy lowpoly 3D in 2022, so I started making 3D games after 20 or something 2D jam games and i'm on a new creative cycle because of it - speaking of jams, participate on gamejams, jams force yourself to make a small game fast and have something playable in a short amount of time + you have a lot of ppl playing your game at that time and giving you feed back etc - "theme your game" from my experience, ppl usually get attached to a theme first and the mechanic latter, so attach a theme to your games(horror, medieval fantasy, cozy, animals, zombies, aliens, candy, etc) - and last, think about land marks on your journey long therm... it can be making a specific genre of game(release a rpg, a medieval game, a 3D game, a horror game etc), release a number of games(release 5 games a year etc) something that you can achieve, avoid land marks that depend on exterior factors like "sell x amount of copies on a game" you can't control that so avoid it i thinks that it, you can look at my new stuff at valdarko.itch.io good luck on your journey man

[@Selrisitai]

Here's my advice to you: "Every time I make a video, I try to improve at least one thing." We should never see a video THIS good ever again. The next one should be at least 1% better. That won't happen accidentally. Godspeed!

[@sleve_mcdichael]

Good luck to you man, looking forward to following your progress!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks so much for your support!

[@ThinkWithGames]

Similar boat for me, just started working on my second steam release (the first one didn't do so great). You mentioned waiting until you have a demo before putting up your steam page. I would recommend putting up the steam page before that to help with gathering wishlists (assuming things look presentable).

[@makeitsogames]

Good call! From my recent research I definitely need to put up the Steam page asap. It’s on my todo list, even without a solid demo or trailer.

[@giannelli2291]

Best of luck boss man. Looking forward to the rest of your journey

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for the support!

[@migcreatesgames2622]

Best of Luck!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks! I definitely need it. Lol.

[@Cruck2]

Good luck dude!

[@filmcutpaste]

Idea - how to get creative energy to finish the game! Make a demo. Connect with an audience by asking an electronic store for a little space where you can sit and let costumers test your game. You could make a deal with the store of promoting a laptop by showcasing your game on. On your table you can have a qr-code pointing to your KZbin. Will you go for it? 😊

[@makeitsogames]

Definitely wouldn’t hurt to try. Once I get my steam page live and a more finished vertical slice I’ll look into this.

[@11vag]

13:50 we are on the same boat man. Just keep going.

[@dkoykoala1488]

My critique for this vid would be to add some passive music. This is a great video, very sobbering. Wish you luck m8.

[@RogueWolf_Dev]

I'm a fairly new solo game dev and this entire video felt like something I could have said myself. Living on savings to make a game until I run out, watching YT (instead of working on my game rn) and seeing succesful people also juggling a family, work and YT all at the same time while I have all the time in the world yet I struggle to have any kind of balance in my life cause I feel so much pressure to exit this precarity state that I feel like I need to be working 10+ hours a day on it, which I think is actually detrimental even to the progress of the game cause it ends up killing my enjoyment of the process. Maybe it's something like the 80/20 rule, like 20% of your time/efforts produce 80% of outcome and you gotta be good at knowing what those 20% are in each area? Anyways, your ninja game does look fun, I would still advise to keep it small as if there's one thing I learnt is that even small scope games are a ton of work, and scope can always be extended later if you do see compelling interest for it.

[@hawkbirdtree3660]

I’ve also found that making games is difficult, but I’m compelled to continue. I’m not famous and don’t care to be. I guess I’ve become a toy maker at this point. 😂 I believe in you. Keep it up.

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for the support, I appreciate it!

[@Bowlman84]

Thanks for sharing. Very inspiring.

[@makeitsogames]

Glad it was helpful! That’s awesome to hear my video was inspiring. We’re all in this together.

[@MostafaNassar]

You're an OG, newgrounds was the place to be. It used to be ever better than youtube at one point

[@makeitsogames]

I met Tom Fulp once. I was working at a liquor store in NJ and one random night he was in my checkout line. It was soon after I posted Trapped 5 actually. It was kinda surreal to suddenly see him in person. This was like 20 years ago.

[@spekks6315]

"I'm getting sick of gravity" is something you'll only ever hear a game developer say

[@makeitsogames]

Lol for real 😂

[@joespangler5299]

this reminds me of old school youtube. love it.

[@luotigames]

Upload a demo of your game and I will at least try it out and give feedback. Maybe make it a roguelike, where you fight against enemy waves and after every wave you can upgrade your character? Just an idea and I know sometimes us game devs hate those lmao. When I have "writers block" It's actually a blessing to have a day job, but when I have that urge to make my games, it's annoying.

[@makeitsogames]

That’s a great idea to pivot to that I’ve considered to reduce the scope of the game. But the way, my next video is going to be talking about folks joining my discord to access a link to a small vertical slice demo I’ll be putting on itch.io very soon. Feel free to join the discord with the link in the description.

[@aaronekstrand758]

I relate very much to your story man.

[@Popcornpower]

Working part time so I can make time to create a game that will hopefully kickstart my game dev career. We startet with four people three years ago, now its only two of us remaining with a freelancer or two once in a while. We have some government start-up funding but I never paid myself because my co-founder has a child and I can live off my part time job just fine. This weekend we will put out the game to be wishlisted on steam while visiting a comic con with a indie game booth. As the only unity developer on the team I feel immense pressure to make the game work but its also my first big project and I don't have any industry experience. After the prototype I redid most of the code as we got a better grasp of what the game will be and what requirements my code has to meet. But honestly I'd love to restart a third time like you did with your ninja game. It's horrible. Next iteration my code will be perfect! :D We will release spring next year but if I am being completely honest I don't see us making the money we need to fund another game, but quitting now would be a waste too. While we were searching for a publisher I made a smaller game by myself that can be released next year too. I heard the stat that 90% of studios close after their first launch so my goal right now is to stay focused until we have two games under the belt and then I can call it a day and be still in the 10% :D (as if that would mean anything). Good luck everybody with your games :)

[@makeitsogames]

Good luck! What’re the names of your games?

[@bonzero]

Love the video and the dev vibe but not sure if the graphics are just placeholders.. I don't think they are sellable... maybe with some ads somewhere... (like back in the day in Newgrounds) and even so.. I'm also thinking that maybe these games in roblox would make sense or inside a platform where the focus is on casual gameplay, but by themselves these game ideas really need some polishing.. also not sure why Unity wasn't even considered (can help in terms of finding a game dev job too).. if you went for low poly 3d.. you could get all you need from the asset store and make it cohesive and presentable enough. Just some ideas. Keep up the video content.. and hopefully you find the right focus on one of the projects

[@makeitsogames]

Once I’m really up and running I’m going to try to get proficient in other game engines like unity and godot. I’m also considering leaning towards a game dev youtuber primarily who makes games secondary. We’ll see!

[@bonzero]

@ nice, looking forward to more videos. There’s nothing wrong with gamemaker but for a future proof engine that can support all possible game types (3D,2D,VR) and platforms I would focus on Unity

[@Curlyxtail]

Hello, my names Curly. I'm brand new to game development and watching videos like these makes me want to start a devlog. I have Zero experience coding & I was originally planning to learn Unreal engine but I've run into a couple people using gamemaker & I'm thinking of using it instead. Anyway, I'm trying to get my illustrations and animations leveled up before I start getting more in depth on a game engine. I've attempted 2 game jams but 1 I dropped out of the other, I finished. But the assets I made never ended up getting used. They were pixel art... I've swapped to digital drawing in krita to round out a bit more but feel like I'm spreading myself thin.. This video was fantastic. If you have a discord I'd gladly join!

[@grailknightofenoch1263]

Senior software eng. here, interessting video, it helps that you recognize yourself that you're falling into the classic trap of not releasing and funds running out, but you still seem to not implement a right solution to this problem. In my experience you will almost certainly fail if you don't address this the right way, if you want to release a project this size you 100% need to manage time and money correctly. You absolutely need a managable timeframe with all features scoped out in advance, set them as achievable goals that you can stick to and tick off, identify the parts you're lacking skills or solutions for and hire somebody to do them for you, if you can not realistically achieve them yourself. Next you need a sound financial plan, maybe with a part or full time job at the side. The managing and executing of the project over a long period of time, maybe years, is at least as important as the game development itself, one just cannot work without the other. Wish you the best of luck!

[@grailknightofenoch1263]

You say that you just need to push through, this won't work, you don't seem to lack the skill, motivation or discipline, just the planning/structure, work on this

[@BrandonFerrentino]

Only reason I left game maker studio was because my college was using Unity that and the cost to use it commercially.

[@makeitsogames]

Unity is great, very powerful and popular. Pretty much anything you can think of is possible with Unity. Good luck and thanks for your feedback.

[@BrandonFerrentino]

@@makeitsogames Yeah been using Unity ever since going on 6 years now and it let me get a job using C#.

[@SAYHI2JAMMY]

Ahh man this video is all too relatable, except im about 10 years younger than ya. Anyway; Loved how personal this video felt, i subscribe to ya!! Cant wait to dig deeper into your content & see what you make in the future. 💌✨ Trapped looks like a lot of fun, its shame i never the chance to play it back in the day. Gonna have to try it out, if i can find it anywhere :)

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks so much for your feedback! I plan on publishing videos more frequently. You can play Trapped 5 on Newgrounds here: www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/221769

[@cirusMEDIA]

I subscribe to all 2D indie devs! You can do eeet!

[@makeitsogames]

Let’s f’ing go!! Thanks for your support!

[@Silencer1337]

Novelty is incredibly important when making games with limited man hours. If you are making a game that is very adjacent to stuff that already exists, it will then need to check even more boxes that you have no resources to make happen. Your mind then notices and tortures you about it. There has to be a big hook.

[@GameDevBry]

Newgrounds , they had todays problems back then. (The old slogan)

[@makeitsogames]

Oh ya! “The problems of the future, today!” Right? Now’s it’s “Everything by everyone”

[@Jacob-Palin]

It's cool seeing youtube recommend videos like this to me, of other people trying to make something cool, after I've started uploading my own short devlogs in the last couple months. I've still got a ways to go but it's interesting seeing people at multiple different stages in development. Keep on working dude

[@makeitsogames]

Agreed! Consistency is key.

[@tutata]

Brudah let me tell yah, when you create and add to the world, it fulfillsyou. Whether that is programming, art, teaching, managing, what ever it is. That's what matters. Even if you do it part time. It's almost like saying, I can only enjoy my free time if I'm spending money (shopping, getting my nails done, make up etc) even if you made all the money in the world, you would not be creating? Your going to keep creating no matter what, keep doing it because it's rewarding to you, or else your going to live in regret.

[@makeitsogames]

This is the way… 🙏🏼

[@TheParadellgame]

Dude, 10000% you need to be shouting from the rooftops about trapped, if .1% of the people who viewed it back in the day saw you are making content and followed, youd be doing very well. I would be super interested to watch 20 videos on what making trapped was like, what inspired it, what things did you not exactly plan but helped a lot in its success, what was it like being an OG newgrounds dev, what was it like on new grounds? like, there is no reason that you need to start from square one, lean into your achievements, talk about your new stuff, but trigger that nostalgia reaction, its powerful. Subbed, thanks for a real talk. There is a GDC talk called " No one cares about your game" I think you might be an excellent candidate to hook folks with trapped and NG content, maybe some game maker tuts, those look like they have done well, and then some percentage will convert to the new game. hmu if you ever wanna talk solo dev struggles, or plan content, pro bono with the caveat that I am not a millionaire game dev. You just seem like a chill good dude. You felt a little dejected in the vid, and thats totally ok, thats real, but man tap into that NG trapped energy, you are an OG, own it homie. Best of luck man.

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks for the support! I think you’re right. I’m going to make Trapped 6 as a side project for release on Steam. I’m thinking small scope, simple and true to the original series with some new twists. Making in GameMaker vs Flash will be interesting. I’ll see about making a YT series about it.

[@abidounesaad3780]

Great video, can you do a tutorial about statemachines?

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks! My take on state machines probably isn’t optimal but I’ll add it to my tutorial todo list and get to it sooner or later! Thanks for the suggestion.

[@RobertDoman]

I recommend making a Patreon, it seems like a lot of people connect with your story and might be able to support you!

[@makeitsogames]

Maybe in the far future if I have a big enough audience and people are interested, AND I have some substantial perks to offer. Mark from GMTK is getting like $8-9K per month at the time of this comment! That’s wild! And much deserved.

[@RobertDoman]

@@makeitsogames Sure, that's a goal, but don't be afraid to start! Even $100 a month from people not expecting anything in return would cover steam fees for example!

[@Tbjbu2]

good luck bro

[@makeitsogames]

Thank you

[@MuhammadHosny0]

My biggest mistake is turning game dev into a full time job instead of a hobby. It was never reliable for paying the bills Now it has been almost 2 years since I did game dev I switched careers and ready to make games for fun again

[@makeitsogames]

Hell ya!! 👍🏼

[@rebornreaper194]

Hey man, I think you may have forgotten to use the green screen. 😉 Also gl on your journey.

[@makeitsogames]

Haha! I was wondering when someone was gonna mention that. Thanks for your support!

[@thenamelessdev]

Hey good luck, passion project is fine just set a timeline for completion and be serious with it.

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks so much. Good advice! I’m really trying to nail down lists and deadlines for tasks. I also might start a very small scoped side project to break up the game dev’in of such a large scoped solo project. Thanks for your support!

[@progress_games]

Loved the video! As a solo dev, I can relate to a lot of these struggles. Game dev is really hard. I know you touched on it in the video and mentioned 'first I will make this large scope game, and then I might consider moving into some smaller scoped games'. I can only speak from my experience, but releasing games on Steam is really not easy, but the more you do it, the more you understand about what makes a game successful. More importantly, you learn what mistakes can really have an impact. I am really grateful that I got my shit together to release two games on Steam and although they didn't make me super wealthy, they taught me so much about game development that I just wouldn't of known had I not released them. There are definitely plenty of success stories of people going all in on a passion project and making heaps of money and whatever, but what we don't hear about are the hundreds of other games released on Steam daily that fail to make $100. Small roguelikes, idle games, or short narratives are a great way to grow an audience, learn from mistakes, and obtain realistic expectations for your Steam release. I wish you all the best for your future game dev efforts and I am looking forward to following along!

[@DuaManaGames]

dont hope on 1 game, fast make fast release, no count ghost money. set 6 month dev cycle thats it go on shelf, move on next game. platformer will sell poorly. 97.6% confirmed. steam no like. steam like horror, cozy, crafting, survival, strategy and anything streamer/audience friendly = much ez mode difficulty success rate. good luck i wish u best in your quest

[@makeitsogames]

Thank you for the advice!

[@KWART_O_MANIA]

Hey, I totally get the challenge of scope, but don't let it hold you back! Focus on releasing a minimal viable game-something small and polished. Trust me, that’s where real progress happens. And don’t stress about making money; if your only focus is on profit, it can actually hold you back. Think about it-you're already creating amazing content for free on platforms like KZbin, right? So why does your game need to be different? Your project looks like a lot of fun, and if you tap into that nostalgic Newgrounds Flash game vibe from your past, people will love you for it. Keep pushing forward, and the passion will shine through!

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks so so much for the encouragement and kind words. For my next video (coming soon) I’m going to be inviting folks to join my discord to access a link to a MVP on itch.io. Feel free to join the discord server with the link in the description if you want!

[@aggoserinn]

Subbed

[@onogrirwin]

I'm in a pretty similar boat.

[@makeitsogames]

Good luck! We’re in this together.

[@EarwormEngineAI]

You keep saying you haven’t made a dime from games as if that’s something you should be proud of. I know the Newgrounds Toss The Turtle programmer and he was making money from that game for years. That game is simple AF too but abounds in style. You could team up with a NG artist and make something bite size and quality.

[@mate8115]

hey, how do you go about explaining your time when you weren't working when job hunting? I'm kinda in the same situation where i haven't had a job for a while, money is running out and i don't really have much to show for the gap to potential employers and i feel like it's a huge red flag to them when i'm applying to jobs, barely had any feedback, mostly just ghosting, and i think it's because of this.

[@makeitsogames]

I’ve thought about this but haven’t had to explain myself to anybody yet. I’d just say I’m an entrepreneur and artist, and tried to start a business and develop/publish a game.

[@Mopey69]

Ship it. Your older stuff seems like it's not worth playing. This ninja game looks okay, at least there's enough there to look at for a bit, probably great for the kids. The art kinda sucks. It doesn't need to be fancy, but it needs a bit more that where it's at for sure. I'd focus on your strengths and use more effects on top of the simple art you have, rather than risk getting an artist who might be inconsistent. I definitely needed to have people to work with and it looks like so do you. What worked for me is to have the 9-to-5 and hire someone to help me part-time in the afternoon, found someone from a country with a weaker economy so it's not setting me back. They only work when I'm online and I pay them by the hour, but I'm quite flexible with them. Now I have 2 people, a coder and an artist. They aren't very experienced at all but it really keeps me engaged, as I nurture both of them. Then again - I'm a great all-rounder so I can cover anything they can't and it's not the other way around, so I'm not sure how you should manage that aspect. Good luck

[@gimmemovieth]

Focus on the game and the devlogs. Skip the tutorials. Those are a distraction from finishing the game. Get some playtesters so you can get feedback as you go. Replace the negative self-talk with positive. I can't wait to see your progress!

[@makeitsogames]

Great feedback! I do plan on skipping tutorials for a while, at least for now. I have some solid GameMaker tutorial subjects I want to cover later.

[@gimmemovieth]

@@makeitsogames I love the jump kicking in your video. It looks fun and reminds me of river city hacky-sack.

[@eddebrock]

There's too many parts to a game to do it well as a solo dev. Art, music, coding, level design... The solution is of course to pay people for it, but who just has that kind of money to spend? And statistically you won't make that much money from it.

[@makeitsogames]

I don’t quite agree with this. While it’s a challenge, there are plenty of successful solo devs making great games and making a living as game devs. And I think A solution (not THE solution) can be paying for assets or commissioning help. But ya, not everyone can afford that. I guess that’s where crowdfunding comes into play if you have a successful campaign. What’s really important is organic marketing, building an audience and a following, but this is also very challenging and time consuming.

[@Ally2_]

Good video, good voice to listen : ) Games without money, for no money ? I hope this will be true, too much amazing games to make, blocking by money. Amount of steam reviews, is great advise, to find yourself in some games, and some money to live in this, games we like, games we want to make. I looking for people, to make few games, dark city game(with choices, on yt, there is a little trailer), open world rpg (very good rpg, i know what i saying), racing tuning game, underground 3. Ai or people, i need both, to make this faster than few years for one game. Let me know, if you like something from this : )

[@janirobe]

what kind of burn rate do you have? like do you have some sort of income coming in or do you have a partner paying for expenses?

[@makeitsogames]

Savings

[@glitchydust4015]

Boy oh boy, I'm here wondering what is going on with me not finishing any game I make...

[@makeitsogames]

It’s very common!

[@captainawesome2226]

Stick with it man. One question - how do you graduate from a computer science degree and not know what a state machine is? :D

[@makeitsogames]

Actually now that I think about it I did learn about finite state automata in my theory of computation class. But not in the context of game development.

[@captainawesome2226]

@@makeitsogames Haha, fair enough. With the quality (or lack thereof) of degrees these days I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't cover it at all.

[@ZeynoArts]

it's hard, I wish you all the best man, try ai art, it'll help

[@makeitsogames]

Thanks man. I guess I could use AI art for ideas and inspiration. What free tool would you recommend?

[@developerdeveloper67]

Here is what you have to do: Sit down, put your headphones on and work on it like your life depended on it. You need more finished looking assets. Consider scraping the graphics and remaking everything in pixel art, that is something that you can sit down and work on it until you get really good and it would take you much less time to get good at pixel art than it would to get good in vector art. Good luck!

[@makeitsogames]

Appreciate your honest input. Easier said than done, but I’m gonna keep trying. I don’t think remaking everything in pixel art is going to be a good pivot for this project for many reasons, including the resolution of the game. Thanks for your feedback!

[@developerdeveloper67]

@@makeitsogames Well, you should adopt the vertical pixel resolution of a classic console and then fit the equivalent horizontal px res to put the game in the 16:9 aspect ratio. You should give pixel art a try, and maybe you will find out you have the talent for it. It would make your life much easier to work in a lower res, it would be easier to get the assets to a shippable quality level. Instead of being just "okay" level vector art, you could, for the same amount of work, if you develop the skills, have Great pixel art. Aside from that, I have to be honest, you have to bite the bullet, man. See all this time you have now as a massive opportunity that you can afford to work on your game, this is truly a privilege, and think that, this might be a short window of opportunity in your life. Have some urgency to get this game done. If you have to go back to a 9 to 5, you will have much less time to work on the game, which will make it much less likely that you will be able to deliver a Great game. I know you think that making this game alone is a massive undertaking. And don't take me wrong, making any game alone is, when compared to the average Joe ability to get things done. But see that you are developing a 2D game using a powerful off the shelf tool. Imagine the massive amount of time you would have to spend to develop this same game from scratch in C or C++. You don't have to do that. You have the tools, the time and the odds on your side. You just have to sit down and get work done! Good luck!