How NOT to Finish an Indie Game...

Рет қаралды 27,895

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 157

@DaFluffyPotato 3 ай бұрын

I'm in a similar boat. While I haven't worked on a single game for 4.5 years, I've been cycling through prototypes since 2019 and I've finally got a full game on track to release this year. I'm super excited to not have the pressure to make a "bigger" game for a while when it's done. Good luck with Slimekeep's release!

@myklightgamer 3 ай бұрын

hi fluffy potato 😄

@0-M72-0 3 ай бұрын

Nice ad.

@christopherrogers532 3 ай бұрын

I got the same issue. So many ideas not a lot of usable fun.

@KiwiAsh 3 ай бұрын

Remember... For every 1 feature you add... 2 bugs pop up.. and for every bug you fix.. 1 new pops up... Its an infinite cycle

@closertale 3 ай бұрын

Every bug you fix either another appears or 2 or none

@KiwiAsh 3 ай бұрын

@@closertale sisyphus type shit

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Too real

@pixelatedluisyt 3 ай бұрын

This is too real

@ConnerGalloway 3 ай бұрын

Unless you add more bugs

@j.griffioen1415 3 ай бұрын

the ball and chain feeling is not a feeling, the ball actually exists. it's called tech debt and it's what you get when you build a huge game on a very wobbly base.

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Yeah, that's definitely what I am think I'm experiencing, didn't actually know there was a term for it, so thanks for sharing.

@beavertrax4959 3 ай бұрын

It’s great that you took the time to be actually transparent about this. Most developers just disappear for long stretches of time without any word.

@flarethetitanpea5358 3 ай бұрын

Are you calling out a certain milkman?

@3v1l73ddy 3 ай бұрын

@@flarethetitanpea5358I had the same thought lol

@ClammyGuy 3 ай бұрын

Hollow Knight dev?

@the_procrastinator8606 3 ай бұрын

more like most youtuber "dream game" devs lol. Tho tbf big props to ben for actually sticking the landing in a pretty polished state + while addressing plenty of player feedback as well.

@Swoofix 3 ай бұрын

I can't believe its been 4.5 years! I've been watching since the very beginning, can't wait :D

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for staying around! I really appreciate it.

@Xx_TRIGONOMETRYDASH_xX69420 3 ай бұрын

Yet we still don't have a mobile version. Please make a mobile version. I don't have a computer. Please

@capybara2515 3 ай бұрын

@@Xx_TRIGONOMETRYDASH_xX69420 Do you understand how fucking hard that is? You can't just "make a mobile version", that takes SO long, not to mention that Slimekeep is a STEAM GAME???

@Slyme_7 3 ай бұрын

Same man. its insane how long its been

@Slyme_7 3 ай бұрын

@@Xx_TRIGONOMETRYDASH_xX69420 yeah thats not happening

@HumanyoyoStudios 3 ай бұрын

In the industry, we call this "Tech Debt". Basically, you can deploy a given feature quite swiftly, but it will usually mean spending more time down the road when bugs crop up or when you need to expand the system. I've tried to avoid tech debt in my game, but it can be really tricky trying to balance perfectionism with stability. Good luck!

@nikkiofthevalley 3 ай бұрын

Yep, this is why my engine was carefully designed to make sure it was modular (to the point where you can outright delete the physics engine and the engine as a whole will still work, though obviously the physics won't) and easy to write and read the code.

@yesevoi 3 ай бұрын

Incredible quality on this video! I've been here for a bit over a year and I've enjoyed every devlog :D

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Thank you! This one took me way longer to edit than usual, so I'm glad it paid off.

@Vieislost 3 ай бұрын

If i had a nickel for every game dev youtuber who uploaded a video that said how to not finish a indie game in 2024, id have 2 nickels, which isnt a lot but its wierd that it happened twice

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Lol, it’s because game dev is really dang hard!

@_Wruce_Bayne 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing! I have felt the exact same way with a game I've been working on for YEARS. It really can fee like that ball and chain stopping you from pursuing other creative ideas. So its a relief to hear I'm not the only one. But everything you've been doing so far looks great so keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing the full game when its ready for the world!!

@OandCoGames 3 ай бұрын

Man the painful endless bug flood is so real. Great work really clearly communicating the reality of how hard game dev truly is. You got this! I'm stoked to play Slimekeep when it's released!

@mostlyghostey 3 ай бұрын

As the director of an animated short film I feel this video so hard. We meant to finish the film before May and we didn't fix all the issues until August. The film releases soon and I couldn't be happier to finally have the creative freedom to work on personal projects again.

@ZiggyPebble 3 ай бұрын

Solid architecture and rigorous version control practices are also critical to being able to collaborate effectively with a team. I bet there are folks who would be happy to jump in and help you knock out some bug tickets but I suspect that would just not be feasible for Slime Keep. Keep your head up! It's amazing what you've accomplished despite these shortcomings. I agree with your take that it's probably not something to try to change now (except maybe your version control strategy) but something to really pay attention to for your next project.

@helplessAnimator 3 ай бұрын

I’ve been watching your vids since the very first devlog. You’ve been a huge inspiration and incredibly helpful, and you’re the person that got me into coding in the first place. Good luck finishing Slimekeep, and best wishes ❤❤

@WeenieWalkerGames 3 ай бұрын

Wishing you the best of luck! That "final 10%" focused on polish and bugs is more like 50% for most games. As an example, for our short game "The Lost Dachshund" (15-30 minute playtime) with us even using a Unity plugin that came with many systems and which cut down on code we had to write, we still had about 100 bug reports when we had people playtest it for us. Just the nature of the beast.

@3v1l73ddy 3 ай бұрын

It's possible that refactoring your code will actually be faster than trying to fix all the bugs popping up due to bad game architecture but i understand the decision not to do that since it is a really big time sink and bugs will still happen regardless. GL man.

@QuiltedDusknoir 3 ай бұрын

I've been working on my RPG Maker game today and 1 little visual error has wasted my entire night so I stopped and did some planning on character visuals instead. My personal endeavours has made me appreciate game development in a whole other way. I hope you don't worry over the channel if it affects your dev work, I want Slimekeep to be the best game it can be, I've already wish listed it. =)

@FrogKin9 3 ай бұрын

I think that's perfectly normal to be frustrated and stressed out. I'm in a similar situation as you but far from releasing. I'ts important to have fun and take some days off if needed. But releasing a devlog video every month, which is already challenging while trying to improve the game and work full time too, is a huge achievement in it selves and I would consider this as progress too in terms of marketing and community building. Everyone will understand, if you just take a break from producing devlogs. I'm curious to see the final game.

@BoomCatOfficial805 3 ай бұрын

I just found I just discovered this series and well... I adore it! The videos themselves are great and Slimekeep looks extremely fun!

@FillMakesGames 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing. Do whatever you have to do to finish your game. Keep it up!

@Reditect 3 ай бұрын

I feel the exact same way with most of this stuff. I'm in college and working on my passion project, it's been about 4 years in the making as well. I want to play test more, work on my game more, but I don't want to lose the passion piece of it and my time is limited. I just hope when I do more extensive marketing that the game doesn't flop. I poured so much into this. Thanks for the video btw, the comments and your video show that I'm not alone in this feeling. It's nice to see that. :)

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

I hear ya man, sounds like we are in the same boat. Hang in there, and good luck!

@hilmarjokullarnarsson5956 3 ай бұрын

Can´t wait to play the game when it comes out. What a journey you are taking us on. Keep up the good work Ben Bonk. From you number 1 fan

@christianscobie6860 3 ай бұрын

NO! I AM THE #1 FAN

@hilmarjokullarnarsson5956 2 ай бұрын

@@christianscobie6860No, I’m his number 1 fan

@Skeffles 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing. Game dev is tough and long process. I think game jams and quick devlogs can often make it feel the opposite but if you've got a big project it is. Each year that ticks by on an unreleased project, the more stress you feel to complete it. Don't worry, you're doing amazing! You will release slimekeep and hopefully many more fantastic games.

@xdsloth5199 3 ай бұрын

Lookin forward to it mate :D keep it up! we know you got this in the bag, after all, just look at how far you’ve come :) good luck!!!!!!

@GoldenEdits656 3 ай бұрын

Been watching for years and am anticipating the launch still, but yeah I think we should all appreciate your video alot, at least I know I do, getting your thoughts out there can most definitely help, and I think because this game is like you said a passion project it shouldn’t be super stressful so if you need to slow down or take a break then go right ahead. I would most certainly not am consider quitting tho not just bc people want to play but also all the effort and time that would never see the light of day, also seems like smth you would regret later down the road

@jackawaka Ай бұрын

Might be good to remind yourself of the phrases "Finished, not perfect" and "Fail fast, learn fast". I agree on you wrapping things up given how much technical debt I imagine is in the project. It does look awesome though!

@lisyarus 3 ай бұрын

I've released one commercial game, and I as well aimed at releasing it by the end of the year (it was 2023 btw). The result? I hated the game with every fiber of my being, despite many people saying it's a good game. I was close to depression for several months straight. But the good thing is that it has an end, and you're closer to this end than many of us fellow gamedevs ever got. After a year you'll look at Slimekeep and see a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, made with dedication and love. Good luck on your journey, you've almost made it!

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Hey, thanks so much! I really appreciate it, and I’m sorry you went through that, but glad you recovered.

@Emo_bvich 3 ай бұрын

It’s like time flies the first time I saw your videos till now!! 🎉 what an adventure ❤❤

@iamsnoot 3 ай бұрын

so fucking big. been waiting years for this! can’t wait :)

@SomeOne-rw6gz 3 ай бұрын

its really crazy how it has been already 4 years!! i still remember the early stages of the games...

@thatsmaik 3 ай бұрын

Hey man thanks for sharing! I feel you - just don’t stress yourself, take your time and see how it goes. And don’t listen to some of the rude comments here, I have crazy respect on what you accomplished so far.

@M4RK0_ 3 ай бұрын

Wow, great job! Wish you best of luck!

@Ari_Fudu 3 ай бұрын

I've literally been waiting for this since the very first devlog. This feels like another Stardew Valley, yet for roguelikes.

@thevoid5863 3 ай бұрын

to one indie dev to another, it's not that you are a bad programmer, it's normal. expected even. this is late stage game dev lol. the only way i pull through is by focusing on getting the game to a playable state, to hunker down and fix those big issues. especially since, often times, the bigger issues are the direct cause of smaller problems.

@JettWilliamsDev 3 ай бұрын

Great video. I'm in a similar boat, about to release my game after 4 years of part time dev. The Obra Dinn music was a nice touch.

@danchampion5604 2 ай бұрын

Hey, keep up the good work! Even though you said that there’s no flashy new features that are implemented, i think it would be a really cool video idea for you go through some the obscure, interesting bugs that occurred and go through them! You can show us how and why they came about and ofc how you fix it. It would help other developers but also could be entertaining how some of these bugs were found by the play testers! 😂

@randomfellow27 3 ай бұрын

I cant wait for it! It looks so good!

@LegendaryLink818 3 ай бұрын

a good idea is to release it as a demo or early access and take your time for the game, it would be a lot easier, we still can wait for the game so dont pressure yourself, our expectation is not like triple A games

@bosballl 2 ай бұрын

add a 1 in 10000 chance that a secret door will appear and something is behind that door. And behind that door is either an item that you can pick up or a statue. Each statue or item has a 1 - 100000000 chance to spawn. the rarest item or statue will be super rare to see and if you do see it then quickly snap a picture because the room only last about 15 - 20 seconds and the picture will cost about a cheap 1000000 USD.

@CharmanderGamer 3 ай бұрын

"A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad". - Miyamoto, Shigeru Please don't rush the game, take your time and don't put to much pressure on yourself.

@Gradient42 3 ай бұрын

dont stress yourself out man. yeah, we want to play the game, but its not like we cant wait. Personally, I dont mind waiting for the game to be fully finished in like 2025 or even 2026. I mean, after all, im still waiting for dani's carlson... so yeah, take as much time as you need to finish it, and make sure that it doesnt become worse for you mentally than it already is. take a break :)

@mkrichey1 3 ай бұрын

Just found your channel, love the look of the game and would love to play it! Best of luck!!!!

@sledge1693 3 ай бұрын

Don't feel rushed about making the game, just work on making it as good as possible.

@PinkMicrowave 3 ай бұрын

dude dont rush yourself, u have so many people excited for this game, that doesnt mean u have to rush the finish, we has waiting a long time, we can wait a lil more, take your own time, this is YOUR game, not ours, we dont want a rushed no mans sky esc launch, we want a good game made on YOUR own terms, take care dude. ♥

@SnowHornet580 3 ай бұрын

I cant wait to be able to play this!

@rainbowthumb9979 3 ай бұрын

I feel ya man, as a fellow game dev, the last little bit of a game can take forever.

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Yuppp

@kitsunemusicisfire 3 ай бұрын

Remember: bug fixing is often just figuring out your options for what kind of bugs you have with certain code, and figuring out which bugs would hurt the game's flow the least. There's always going to be bugs, no game is perfect. Instead of trying to make the game perfect, figure out which bugs can be fixed without breaking the game and which bugs need to be removed for the game to function.

@FabbeNJ369 3 ай бұрын

Wooo new video!

@Forracell 2 ай бұрын

omg lets goooooooooooooooo its coming out!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@AbbanS 3 ай бұрын

NEW VID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@STNDD 3 ай бұрын

I remember when the seam page said 2021/2022

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Yuppp

@mimi_cat_69 3 ай бұрын

bros editing style hasn't changed in 4 years either

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Is that good or bad lol

@ShadeTDW 3 ай бұрын

@@BenBonk It's good, probably

@ultimaxkom8728 3 ай бұрын

@BemBink Growth, freshness, adaptation, variety, experimentation, inspiration, and so on will typically result in changes. Probably.

@Bupboy 3 ай бұрын

I wouldnt feel so down about bug fixing or adding extra polish, it might be tedious, but at least youll be delivering a better product than most AAA companies even bother to make

@WiryMarigold913 3 ай бұрын

Let the man cook 👨‍🍳

@softwoof 3 ай бұрын

I thought in the beginning you said "hey what's up guys it's pinball" i had to repeat it 4 times, i'm probably just tired af

@pideperdonus2 3 ай бұрын

0:40 Nice return of the Obra Din, or you could say, Return of the Slime King

@ezyybin604 3 ай бұрын

this is what the story of gd 2.2 behind the scenes looks like

@abdullaheta 3 ай бұрын

We got GTA VI before KARLSON

@lulke187 3 ай бұрын

Why didn't you just program everything correctly from the start?

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Wait that's a good idea idk why I didn't think about that.

@a_pi_guy 3 ай бұрын

been here since the start :)

@thewizardslime6764 3 ай бұрын

i dont care how long does it take or if you go silent, i can wait as long as you need to finish the game, wether it releases this or next year. i just want you and the game to be healthy

@faloodaman 3 ай бұрын

How much do you plan for Slimekeep to cost? and will you have localized prices? Really excited for the release :)

@srimandshan6628 3 ай бұрын

I wishlisted your game! i forgot to do it for like years

@frostcop6693 3 ай бұрын

The Obra Dinn host omg. A game dev of culture I see

@drewahearn7293 3 ай бұрын

Will you add controller support for slimekeep? I feel more comfortable playing games with either just a mouse or just a controller.

@xXMr.SealXx 3 ай бұрын

Just curious how much do you think the game will be?

@HackMan1248 3 ай бұрын

Damn, 4.5 years... doesn't feel like it

@christopherrogers532 3 ай бұрын

lol ahh nothing like opening the floodgates to everyone else and getting swamped.

@DaBoi808D 8 күн бұрын

where the game at, im trying to play

@link0109 3 ай бұрын

After the game is released will there be updates or DLC?

@Bobbo69 3 ай бұрын

From the video it's pretty clear the answer is no

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Most likely yes, but I guess it just depends on my motivation, and how well the game does.

@SillyandgoofyAnim8or 3 ай бұрын

you could release it, then fix bugs as like updates on steam. it might be helpful to motivation to see people playing it and having fun.

@Portable_Sinco 3 ай бұрын

How has it been 4 years and you haven't had like atleast 80 or more devlogs? General question.

@maxmorrison9763 3 ай бұрын

Amazing and entertaining video 👁️👄👁️

@uffboyletsplay 3 ай бұрын

Ben bonkkk🎉🎉🎉

@RecraftedS 3 ай бұрын

Well at least you were actually working on your game... It can be so easy to lose track and fall off. Like I did 😮‍💨

@bosballl 2 ай бұрын

I don't know what you mean but it been past summer...

@Dailyfiber_98 3 ай бұрын

It took me 5 years to finish my first indie game because my computer died and I had to finish college… so that means you still have time to complete it! 😂

@giangio45510 3 ай бұрын

if you wanna slow down making videos you could livestream your bigfixing, might even get some cool suggestions from watchers to speed up the process

@Ng8htmere 3 ай бұрын

Don't feel the need to rush for a release. That is how we get games like cyberpunk 2077

@Steve_Fid 3 ай бұрын

that was awsome! i have a challenge.... , can you make a game like the new vr game mannequin as a 2d game? cuz i think its a really cool game

@symansayz 3 ай бұрын

3 words for you to listen to: take a break. ("Sometimes the simplistic things are the most important" -IDK I think I have heard this before)

@snezitko 3 ай бұрын

Why do I always hear whats up its been long insted of whats up its BenBonk

@addeadde97 3 ай бұрын

Hello Ben

@BenBonk 3 ай бұрын

Hello

@Innerspacezombie 3 ай бұрын

i think what you should do is just make a list of EVERYTHING you need to add to the game or change, and i dont mean things like "more replayability" or "better balancing" but much more specific changes. also compile as many bugs (bugs as in things that occur often and make the game more annoying, something like a rare and hard to perform glitch isn't important) as possible. then just go "i will do everything on here and nothing else and if i have a new idea or new bug to fix it will be a post-launch update". i find in my creative projects that often you never finish something because you are going "oh i could change this small thing to improve it" and you eventually you just have to go "this is good enough, i will release it now". obviously you dont have to, but its what i would do personally

@Vanduo610 3 ай бұрын

Bruh. Before adding anything I always fix what is now added, so no need to go backwards and fix over again things.

@dadarkdan 3 ай бұрын

That's why clean code matters. I highly suggest you dive into this topic in a professional manner and read a few books, such as "clean code" and "clean architecture". Good luck!