HOW I MADE Over $50,000 in 1 Year of Indie Game Development

Here's the reality of creating indie games for a living and how I am able to successfully pull it off for the decades to follow as a full-time career!
WISHLIST MONSTER TRIBE: store.steampowered.com/app/15...
Check Out Helpfull TODAY: bit.ly/ytBoundlessGames
Help Support By Checking Out Reece's New Pixel Art Course for Beginners: www.gamedev.tv/p/pixel-art-fu...
SOCIAL LINKS
Discord Server: / discord
Twitter: / reecegeofroy​
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As a full-time indie game developer / freelance artist I have many jobs.
From securing funding for my game during development, picking up contract work for other developers, making youtube videos, securing sponsors, and all the other revenues I have accumulated; this is my step by step guide on how I started and how I am currently garnering a marginal success for myself in the industry of game development. Don't let the myths of game dev stop you from starting your dream job!
0:00 Introduction
1:11 Chapter 1: Where Do I Start?
5:31 Chapter 2: Revenue Stockpiling
13:38 Helpfull
15:14 Confidence is HUGE
Get a 90% discount on your .fun domain for one year on get.fun/ using the
coupon code: REECE
#devlog​​​ #gamedev​​ #indiedev​ #pixelart​​ #gamemaker​​ #gamedevelopment​ #gaming #tips #money

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Check Out Helpfull to get public feedback during development! bit.ly/ytBoundlessGames

[@SkylessDad]

Thanks! doing it right now, but without money XD, i polish my skill a little more but will launch myself in a month or two, i think game developer need come back!

[@CodeMonkeyUnity]

Great video! Diversifying your income streams is definitely the best way to achieve some sort of stability. I've definitely experienced some wild swings with my various indie games. Congrats on getting a publisher, best of luck with the development!

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks man! Appreciate the kind words. Good luck with everything as well! 💯

[@barj]

Shame you owe me $32,000 in legal fees then isn't it...

[@micyoz5283]

Oh my

[@ReeceGeofroy]

😭

[@techtime3125]

Reply Me Mother...

[@coolraygaming]

Dear lord…

[@YouTubeSFscript]

Yeah me too

[@Skeffles]

Great video. I'm glad you're able to support yourself in game dev!

[@TheBugB]

That coaching session really went straight to my heart. You’re right. I just need to make better games and that’s it. Sounds simple enough!

[@merial7]

Super easy to do.

[@ThePixelExpedition]

Yours and other's stories are worth listening to. It's so important to represent the reality of what it means to make money as an entrepreneur, and especially a game dev. Looks like you're well on your way to the success you want to see for yourself! :)

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks Pixel!! 🙂❤️

[@jipiboily]

Nice one! Thanks to the KZbin algorithm, I found it 😂 Bunch of good advices. Having been a freelancer (not in game dev) in the past, and now running a SaaS, I liked seeing the business side of gamedev a bit more. Passion projects are great, but it’s also essential IMHO to have a decent overview of what the path to running an indie studio could look like, especially the other income sources before your game is out and achieve a decent level of success. It’s hard. But achievable. Your video shows that IMHO. Good job! Will look into your future videos and your current game dev soon!

[@PennyNickelMcGee]

You're the man, man. Great video, I look forward to more. I really gotta get back to game dev, but I've always wanted some smaller steps too, great tips

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks Penny! Appreciate the kind words and the support!! 🙂

[@synthemagician4686]

Thank you, this helped me get ideas as to how move forward with trying to make a game dev career. For now I'm just focusing on building my skills, improving the games I've already made so I have a nice portfolio but it's nice to start planning and working out the next steps like what you detailed here so I can be ready once my skills are at the level I want them to be at.

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Love to hear it Syn! Good luck out there 😁💯

[@andry_neuropsy]

I love your content & especially that video. It's common sense but the way you're narrating your journey is really inspiring. So...Thank you !

[@MisterMorrisGames]

Great video! And you make an excellent point on focusing on one or two social media platforms to began with - I preach this all the time!

[@ReeceGeofroy]

I've also heard a bit about your story, you're killing it Morris, definitely need your collaboration on an upcoming video 💯

[@ayushsidam289]

Thanks Reece for providing your wisdom to us. I'm learning game dev from 3 months and this advice is so inspiring to the beginners like me. 🙂🙏🏻

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Really glad you found this video helpful! Good luck out there 🏆

[@scarynightlight]

Hello i'm also learning game development and i'm working on unity engine, have made any game

[@WannibeManisha]

Super inspirational Reece! Keep up the amazing work. Love that you've really thought things through, I learned a bunch -thank you! Wishing you lots of luck going forward 😄

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks so much Manisha, appreciate the support and I'm glad I could help 🏆

[@tommyford1301]

Loved this video, I love when devs talk about non developing game dev stuff. Super insightful.

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks Tommy, glad it helped!

[@TheShelfman]

Great video, very clever stuff. Thanks for the tips😁

[@nichegames9590]

Good stuff, and congrats! I'm fortunate that I have my full-time career and I can do game dev aside of that.

[@saultoons]

Let's gooooo!! You're already killing it but the next year is going to look even better for you I know it. All the best my dude

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thank youuu brother! Wishing nothing but positivity on your success as well 💯💯

[@Rick-ng3lr]

My compliments for this clear, insightful, actionable and motivating story.

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks Rick!

[@MariJadeWrites]

A very helpful video of sharing your journey and income streams, thank you 😊

[@RobLang]

It's a great video! I'm thrilled you're doing well. I expect that you have some kind of support network (or job) to fill the gaps between contact work, which is great. The publisher lump sum is definitely going to help get the game out; I expect that's a one-off deal and for next year it will be replaced by game sales. Where did you get your sales projections from? Great video, Reece!

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks Rob! If you mean the deductions on the game revenue it's just simple math and percentages! But yeah I do this full-time so when I'm not working on the game or a new video I'm usually filling out my time with client pixel artwork :)

[@B4NTO]

Awesome video :D subbed and all notifications on 😊

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Woohoo!

[@greendroid6339]

I am impressed and great job. Thank you for sharing (I just subscribed today). I think I will learn a lot from you. This is work but you have also a lot of skill.

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks so much Droid! Appreciate the kind words 🙂❤️

[@zoroarts8930]

Man you are awesome

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Haha thanks Zoro, appreciate longtime supporters! I still have that portrait 😅

[@zoroarts8930]

@@ReeceGeofroy awesome! Now we are both working on our games! ❤😊

[@Karasu416]

This has been very inspiring. Thank you for your time you took to make this video

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thank you Karasu! Appreciate it 💯💯

[@soulflame5635]

That was good listen Ree. I wish You well on Your path - Keep working and providing value to others. I'm learning how to write - copy / sales / etc - I've created newsletter and learning skills to create interesting texts so I understand :) Also I love pixel art and indie devs - pixel art reminds me of childhood and cool old games I used to play. o/

[@TamaraMakesGames]

Hi there! Amazing video! Both inspiring and helpful - my favorite kind. I also liked the part of the video where you talked about the importance of different streams of income and not depending on just selling games. I think a lot of people know this but still, need a reminder to seek new opportunities for themselves. And I have a question for you. Where did you look for the companies to reach out to for sponsorships? I've been thinking about it for a while but I only know a few companies and they are kinda too big to sponsor my videos. Hope to get some advice from you 😊 Keep up the good work!

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks for the the kind words! When I was starting out I just researched companies through googling. Game dev software, best tools for programmers, finding companies that sponsored other small KZbinrs, etc. Hope it helps!

[@neromad8304]

Such a great video! Learned a lot from this video, especially for me who still can't decide my future

[@ReeceGeofroy]

I'm so glad! Good luck out there 🙂

[@micyoz5283]

I think that I’ll find that sponsor very… Helpful.. Great vid though! I think that the amount of repeat clips was a bit much, but maybe I was just supposed to listen to this video lol

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Good luck out there Micy! But yeah normally my videos are 6-8 minutes long so editing a 16 minute video was very hard to not repeat some clips here and there. I'll keep it in my for future

[@aryavatan]

Really inspiring to watch. I've been a hobbiest game dev for 2 years making practically no money from any of my work, but I recently got my first professional game dev job with a good salary so I really agree that it's all about your mindset and confidence. If you truly believe in yourself, there's no limit to what you can achieve. My next big goal is to grow my KZbin audience and your channel is a big inspiration.

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Love hearing about other stories, thank you Arya!

[@thefacelessnarrator]

Bro, no lie, this is a fantastic guide. Came for a Pixel Art video, but subscribed after this👌

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Yay! So glad 🙂🏆

[@MrEliptik]

Interesting path, thanks for sharing!

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@terry-]

Great one!

[@sina5071]

Very inspiring! Great video =)

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks Sina!

[@StarLightGem]

I was Expecting a Video like this From You

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Hope you enjoy!

[@GRNDBlade]

Me suscribo, era el toque de energía que necesitaba en el momento exacto :3

[@AndrisGameDev]

Nice video mate!

[@Goodgis]

Another banger! 👌

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks brother ❤️🏆

[@makra42069]

This motivates a lot!!

[@kllaterall]

I’m a freshman in high school, tryna have a few income streams by the time I graduate 💪🏾

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Good luck! Its great if you can start early but nonetheless, age is just a number 🙂

[@-INC0GNIT0-]

Very inspiring video ! I'm a professional developer myself for several years working for clients in the enterprise world and lately really shifted my focus on learning game development instead trying to aim for becoming an indie game developer :) Therefore the video was a good eyeopener in knowing what realistic expectations would be

[@BigBandoro]

I am slightly conflicted by this video, as inherently it isn't a bad video, most of the advice is pretty good. However, I feel like at the very minimum the title is incredibly misleading as by diversifying your income stream to contract work and making courses, actually makes it fall outside of the game development category that you use in the title. Additionally, but maybe this is too nitpicky, I very much missed you attributing luck as being a main factor to success. Grinding harder is not what brings success in my opinion, a healthy work/life balance + luck does. Would love to hear your take.

[@kirillkokorev817]

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. When he grinded for years, bacame good at what he does And was looking for a publisher, then he was “lucky” to find one. If he wasn’t prepared up to that point no “luck” would’ve convinced any publisher. Just become a master at what you do and opportunities will come.

[@FabiulousGames]

This was a great video! I started making indie games as a hobby about 2 years ago and I just started taking my KZbin channel seriously, hoping to get a nice following, so this video came at the right time ;)

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Good luck! Thank you 🙂

[@UsmanDev]

Great video for motivation!

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Glad you think so!

[@silaszinn]

just for comparison, you made more money in 1 year, than a senior developer on my country(Brazil) can make in 2,6. So it's extremely great and a good story to motivate others

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks Silas! Glad you find this useful :)

[@thedictator8070]

awesome vid. Thanks.

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Glad you liked it!

[@everything-has-a-handle-now]

Not planning to become a game dev as I like "normal" programming more but watching any way :)

[@Famicomnoobation]

I have severe ADHD and a good idea. I tend to not finish my stuff which is where I get stressed, but I try to come back to hit and not procrastinate. I feel like I would need to watch this video a few times a week in the background so I don't give up

[@romanograsnick]

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. As I am not that comfortable with spreading out my steps toward the aim I want to achieve (the games I make) I am thinking of myself as a kind of isolated from the world. I am shy and try not to flood the players with how tos and tutorials. I just want to make art with my games. Exploring new ideas and kinds of play. Even if it is just tilting the screen. I am creating games for 8 years now and only a demo of a game I made among the 14 I published got about 100 downloads. It is tough but I believe some day the fanbase will be there and enjoying my games. In the meantime I keep engaged with nice games and game making. Stay curious!

[@the_god_killah]

Great video!

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thank you!

[@Inasjejksk]

Hi , I always wanted to be a game developer and work using unity , this video accually motivated me to do so. I'm also a pretty news Roblox developer and yeah Thanks

[@YannMetalhead]

Good information.

[@Danny-wq3zj]

Amazing!

[@ashishgeorgechandy8501]

I never thought you would be Goodis' sensei, the greats have to learn from the greats i guess

[@ogluigi]

These videos are getting even higher in quality

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thank you! Doing my best haha

[@hiiambarney4489]

Cool. You became a shovel seller!

[@micyoz5283]

YES HYPE

[@ReeceGeofroy]

HYPE

[@jafsterlordbib]

Good advice

[@fbiagent851]

Awesome video

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Thanks! 🙏

[@darkknight2825]

Thanks

[@Thomeeno]

These vids are actual paradisal music to hear - live of your hobby, but reallity is completelly different, once you start making career with your hobby, sooner or later it turns out to be rather duty than hobby. Things you did for fun becomes must have and if you will not handle this in a good way it may turn to hate your (already) job which once was your lovely hobby.....

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Totally get this point and it is an important concept to touch on, however I’ve been doing this for a couple years professionally now and can say that while stresses do tend to pile up on a once known stress-free hobby…at the end of the day there is nothing i would rather do to make a living. It can become stressful but if at the core your job is something you enjoy that is a huge bonus in my books!

[@raeestheviewer224]

8:27 ayy rooftop run

[@eboatwright_]

Very cool! I'm making game engines for the Rust programming language :) It's alot of fun

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Sounds like fun! Good luck :)

[@eboatwright_]

@@ReeceGeofroy Thanks!

[@funicon3689]

dont. rust is for systems dev

[@eboatwright_]

@@funicon3689 too late lmao

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Thanks for this! Which while I can't touch sponerships and publishers becuase of reasons I can stockpile income streams by just getting my fingures in more pies... Like novels, Table top, KZbin, Devantart and more just gaining more of the ever green conent aand passive income. Really imspering though!

[@wabachi]

how i made 50k in 1 year: get 100 jobs, get a team, get sponsors, now lemme plug my sponsors for more then half of the video, very useful...

[@renji-hjk]

Very good my friend i still plan to make a channel to promote my games but for for now i will practice in gamejans

[@tpxalpha]

insane video

[@jabnakarramon5121]

hi reece I'm not in IT...but I've tried to learn gamedev before.. I can follow the course but it seems that I don't understand after half of the course because I tend to get bored and speedrunning it... I have a feeling if I try to learn pixel art first , I will be more interested in coding my ideal game..

[@haktes]

Hi there! what do you use to edit your youtube videos?

[@BloodyScythe666]

Inspiring video. Although I would much rather appreciate more dev log videos

[@ReeceGeofroy]

For sure! We are about to wrap up Monster Tribe and I’m looking to do more development vlogs with the next game :)

[@BloodyScythe666]

@@ReeceGeofroy nice! hope it's gonna be even cuter than monster tribe! I love the pixelated graphics style

[@pneuma-studios2036]

Haha living the dream, but trust me I am working on it 😤

[@computercrazies]

These "how much money with my indie game" videos are all over the place, the average situation is that they jumped into it, little effort, didn't make much and are discouraged and returning to the easier youtube ad money approach.

[@GrahamOfLegend]

Diversifying your income streams ✅✅✅. More people need to hear this

[@tochukwuunamma7132]

What's the app you use for pixel art?

[@nacho37909]

I'm wondering the same thing.

[@MJ-oi6ul]

What games did you make so we can try them out?

[@Amelia_PC]

I have a question about the release model to ask. What would be better, a bunch of smaller episodes (quick releases to make money and reinvest in the next episode) or a complete long game (which takes years to finish)? It's an action-adventure shooter. Every episode would be a self-contained smaller 3-hour game, puzzles, side quests, and all missions included. Players wouldn't need to play all the episodes to understand anything. What's better? Episodes, or a long game?

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Personally, I think either method could work well if marketed correctly. The episodes might leave players feeling like they are constantly having to pay for more content like dlc being expected from day 1, however I think if the game is good and keeps players engaged people will keep coming back as long as they know the game is being created in stages from the get go. On the other hand releasing all at once is much more beneficial for a BIG launch to grab as much attention as possible. The choice is really up to the individual and what you want to do :)

[@Amelia_PC]

@@ReeceGeofroy I'm not a big fan of episodic games too. However, if a game has a self-contained story, at least 2 hours of gameplay, and some replayability, I'll give it a try. Maybe there are more people like me, but as you said, it has to be crystal clear that every episode is not an episode, but mini-stories with beginning, middle, and end. (I'd compare it to the comics X graphic novels. same thing, but the last one is a self-contained product). Good point! I'll make it clear in my ad campaign. Thank you!

[@klosterhoster4223]

Which animation programm do you use?

[@kevinbatdorf]

life is harder than it should be.

[@ryrythetravelguy6405]

How do you make your pixel art????

[@KINGGEORGEIO]

99%?? I like your enthusiasm 😂 for real tho nice work on your game dev career

[@MrDitano]

Sry my english is not the best so I am sorry if you mentioned it in the video but did you contact the publisher or did the publisher approach you to publish your game?

[@ReeceGeofroy]

The publishers approached me for monster tribe :)

[@MrDitano]

@@ReeceGeofroy oh ok thank you for the answer:) Thats really cool :D

[@cool.guy.]

i like how you manage to make money without even selling games, are you really a game dev ? haha x)

[@skippy0901]

Heyy, i wanna learn creating piel art too, but when i try to draw characters i end with some messy characters art with even references

[@MichaelBLive]

Nice. Thank you. Been trying for a decade at this. Some success except for $. Cool

[@thefacelessnarrator]

Also, do you have any tips for how to find companies to contact regarding sponsorship when you're just starting out? (In that 2000-3000 subs range) 😁

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Honestly, I think the video sums it up haha I just contacted as many companies as I found relevant when I was starting out. I spent a couple hours crafting a business email I could use to outreach to companies, explaining why I would be a good fit (what my audience is into and how they would benefit from the company) nowadays I only take sponsors that contact me that I am currently already using or started using once they presented themselves to me, but when you are starting out you can be a bit more broad ❤️

[@thefacelessnarrator]

​@@ReeceGeofroy thanks friend, appreciate the advice and the top-tier content! Looking forward to whatever you release next 😁

[@yodica1575]

What program do you use for pixel art?

[@ReeceGeofroy]

I use Aseprite :)

[@dimusikus]

планировать, двигаться и не сидеть на месте.

[@Evan842Complex]

Tough I fall into this clickbait I find the info very useful. TLDR patience and practice is key

[@nacho37909]

What pixel art app do you use?

[@ReeceGeofroy]

I use aseprite!

[@USNTM2]

TLDR; Learn about MSI (multiple streams of income) by leveraging your skills. Focus your skills, ???, profit.

[@joelevi9823]

Thanks for all the guding info❤.. How realistic it is to sell 30k copies of a game for 3$?

[@notagain3732]

Lets goooo

[@danilovlahovic4831]

It feels ilegal to be here when there is only 13 likes

[@ReeceGeofroy]

LMAO yeah you are extremely early haha

[@motivational8347]

What if I can make mobile games wud u help me get it out there?

[@joantonio6331]

What I did was first create a reliable source of income (online selling) that way I will have all the time in the worlld to focus on my game full time because I have a guaranted income every two weeks

[@alasin5792]

I fell soo motivated now

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Glad I could help 🙂

[@ogluigi]

You haven't even finished the video yet

[@Georgesbarsukov]

Well this is kind of depressing.... I'm planning on leaving a FAANG company to do full time AI and Game Dev, but that income makes me cry.

[@Philippe275]

Yo! I'm a game dev, but I have a different skill set than yours. I wonder if you exchange services with other devs? I would really like to exchange services with somebody who can design game art in exchange for some more programming intensive thinks like real time back-end multiplayer stuff, database, user accounts, linux, etc. anyway if that speaks to you, tell me!

[@ReeceGeofroy]

Hey Philippe, you can send me an email at: [e-mail]

[@ReeceGeofroy]

I’d love to discuss what you had in mind :)

[@hubertkafel640]

2:05 thats an easter egg

[@RagnarEdward1313]

i want to make pixel art and create 2d games...but damn, i can barerly draw a line....i don t have a drawing skill at all and everything for me it s 2x harder

[@JoshRichBJJ]

Amazing video man. But the math at the end isn't accurate, you aren't paying your team members a percent of the sales ( I hope) so it's a flat rate. So it's not like 5 of the 8 dollars of your game is going to them. Also the "other expensises" aren't going to be taken out of each sale. So you should be making a lot more per sale than you think. Make a big enough following and I'm sure you'll be able to reach your income goals. cheers