I Made $300K Making Video Games. Here’s What I Learned…

[@dmon1088]

Haven't been clickbaited this hard in years, totally unexpected. "I made 300k with my day job, I learned that having a job pays"

[@BlakeGoGameDev]

Lol he got us

[@revehaut]

he didnt like the comment also

[@tfozo]

Thats why I read the comments first to learn from guys like you.

[@CodexCornerGames]

thanks for commenting so i dont have to watch the entire vid.

[@rickraydubs]

It's actually not clickbait. He literally told you HOW he makes money making games lol

[@CodeMonkeyUnity]

Great video on a different perspective! The indie dev dream is indeed great but some people really undervalue just how good a regular job can be. You get paid, you do just a few tasks, you get some stability and hopefully you learn a ton from other people.

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Absolutely! I’m grateful for my time working at a studio, but I’m hoping I’ve acquired enough skills to make a living solo now. I’m trying to play the long con and get my career where I want it over the course of a handful of years

[@BlakeGoGameDev]

Dang you really are everywhere Mr code monkey

[@britainvanderbush9194]

Please point me to this stability you speak of in the game industry. Sincerely, A very successful AAA game dev who still has yet to see it.

[@bonnymich]

are you shitting too?

[@Dailyfiber_98]

I absolutely agree with your tactics. I was job hunting for 8 months with 3.5 years of experience (CAD Designer/Engineer) and I had no luck. all of the sudden I knew a guy who knew a guy (who knew a guy) and I was hired in two business days. Connections go SO far.

[@RohanDaDev]

unemployed with exp for 8 months sounds horrible. Hopefully your mental health is good

[@il35215]

Same numbers and same approach, I making the games for almost 15 years now and best way to get 100-300k per year it’s just make games for someone else.

[@Nicklefritz]

This sounds like exactly how I got a job in Web Development. Wanted to learn Game Development, but that seemed more risky; went into Web Development and Software Engineering through the same means. Finally got a job and have been using my job experience to hone my programming skills. Considering trying to get a game development job next. Thanks for the advice!

[@ThomasStewartDev]

It's fun! And my game dev skills grew so quickly!

[@artmosphereID]

Im also working in web dev as a frontend engineer for about 4 years now, i think i have skilled enough in programming. Now i want fulfill my passion on game dev

[@Aarimous]

Thanks for sharing this perspective. One of my worries about going this route is working for a studio that would treat me like shit. I'm sure there are plenty of great studios, but it seems the industry has a pretty poor reputation. I'd love to hear others perspective.

[@ThomasStewartDev]

For sure. I was fortunate to work for a great studio where everyone was respected. My perception is that game studios tend to care less about their employees the bigger they grow - so I like the smaller/indie side of the industry. It was pretty obvious to me during the interview process that they care about people.

[@Aarimous]

@@ThomasStewartDev Which is pretty consistent with my experience for "normal" companies. I'm skeptical that this is a game dev industry problem. My arm chair expert thought is that we only know about this since players have a vested interest in the studio and when devs are treated poorly we hear about it since players are paying attention. Whereas I rarely hear about some tiny company in the middle Ohio that didn't treat their works well.

[@JoeTheis]

Kinda tough that lots of studios just did big layoffs. Not only are fewer hiring, but also there's tons of talented people competing for fewer seats now.

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Yeeeeaaahh it's a rough time in the industry... Hopefully things will recover soon

[@wr41thx29]

@@ThomasStewartDev Until then, I'm grinding my skill sets more and more and move to a big city to improve my odds. :)

[@bumstudios8817]

@@wr41thx29 idk if a big city helps at all tbh

[@ConernicusRex]

In my long experience in all facets of software development the people who make the argument "there are so many talented devs not being hired," are almost always beginners who don't realize they're beginners who are living in a bubble where the most talented people they know don't actually meet the bar for talented. When it comes down to it, talented developers and engineers get hired no matter what the industry-wide meta looks like.

[@fille.imgnry]

I love that ”download unity” is part of your game dev journey.

[@bootmanmstz]

Great vid man. I'm currently learning game dev and plan on making some indie games but not trying to become "the next big thing". I just want to use it as a launchpad into a job somewhere. I just can't imagine working on a game for years and it flopping lol. I'd rather have someone pay me to help

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Haha for sure! 💯 I’m aiming for minimum wage with my games, then try to grow from there 😅

[@Meaningfulcausesstudio]

I did Java as well! So tough! This video is amazing! So much great advice.

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Thanks! Yeah it's definitely not the only path to take, but it worked for me and I'm enjoying the ride!

[@TYNEPUNK]

really elongated way to say get a job lol :) true though, I freelance as a unity game dev, been doing so for about 5 yrs, its made me around £25K, games that I have released myself even on switch and pc, has made me about £300. The truth is you are better off being hired to make other peoples games, so yeah, spot on mate.

[@RohanDaDev]

what are your games, how hard was it to do a switch port?

[@dynamicdingus]

I'm currently learning game dev. A simple puzzle mobile game with my art style. I'm drawing all the assets and programming it. I have some programming experience, I'm a semester away from getting my AS in CS. I've been watching tutorials for specific things I want to do. So far, I have a main menu, and I'm currently working on the level selection screen. I have a very small following on Instagram where I showcase my regular art stuff, so it's gonna be super hard to get people to play it, aside from my friends. But, it will be a great learning experience, and something I can be proud of. Cus in the end, my reason for wanting to make a video game since I was a child, was to bring my art to life, and to have people interact with it. Also, it will serve as a start to my portfolio building so that I can also get a job in this field if all else fails

[@Skeffles]

Clearly working for a successful game is easier than making your own. I think this is why I like software dev. It's adjacent to games and pays better 😂

[@phoenixghost2466]

What dev stack do you use?

[@vast634]

Build portfolio, apply for job. Realistic advice for many in the industry.

[@ScroseOfficial]

This was a fantastic realist approach, very enjoyable!

[@arctiformgames]

Personally, im not pursuing the indie dev dream of becoming a massive success, but rather, i just really enjoy making games and want to do it as my career. The biggest reasons i dont want to do that for a company is because i want to work for myself. Ive been in the workforce for a decade now, so not a huge amount of time, but ive worked for many companies. Not all of them are bad, but i appreciate my own hard work when im doing it to grow my own visions and ideas more than doing it for a paycheck. So even if i make just enough to get by in the indie dev world ill be content and happy.

[@ThomasStewartDev]

This is exactly how I feel too! I'm glad I got a game dev job, though, because it accelerated my learning and skillset tremendously. But my end goal is to make my own games while self-employed. And I'm right in the middle of that process, hoping it will work out. I don't want to make a ton of money, I just want to earn enough to justify continuing to make my own games.

[@cariyaputta]

I love the perspective, at the end of the day a buck is a buck.

[@Chubakabrah1]

Loved this video bro, wished i watched it sooner.

[@mxaddict]

Hello from Tutorial Hell! :)

[@trys10studios]

I have been in this boat for quite some time. Gonna have to give this a shot lol. I'm finishing my comp sci degree by this time next year 2025. I went back to check off that box to be more employable, and I've learned things I would not have on my own. Despite being autodidactic, when you're doing your own projects, you only learn what you need to get it done and sort of skip things that could be of use. So, there value in a comp sci degree imo.

[@dymardo_]

The outcome of this video was unexpected. I'm used to the typical "you can be anyone you want if you work hard and university doesn't matter" and here it's the opposite: become a professional and find a job. I think having a coding degree is the biggest shortcut to success. You can buy sprites, you can buy music and you write the code yourself. Someone coming from visual art or music is going to have a bad time.

[@flamart9703]

Yeah, unfortunately, game development, and especially making money from it, is much more than code, art and music, and therefore very insecure path. It requires a lot more effort than a regular job.

[@SpaceMyName]

Great video Thomas! I never considered using Twitter as a way to job hunt, looking forward to playing Tanks but no tanks :)

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Awesome, thank you! It was definitely a game changer for me. Now I view Twitter as the LinkedIn of the game dev world.

[@grapefruit256-wu5ml]

Very interesting. Thanks for the video. really had fun watching it🙂 Unfortunately I really love my job as Linux Admin at the time😭 But I might come back to that idea later on... 🎉

[@sziklamester1244]

I am a person who interested in making games as indie but still no have skills to do this well. Currently following one tutorial and trying to finish it from the start to end and later alter it to my likes. I gladly will accept hints, tips, or just a hi, anything helps.

[@jakeyhiebert9384]

How many years were you working in game dev till you reached $300,000?

[@veljkoradovanovic1130]

Here b4 this guy gets big on youtube

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Bro you're gonna make me cry 😭

[@erikm9768]

He’s not going to get big with crap clickbait videos like this , I’m not subscribing

[@ArabGameDev]

bro i started gamedev years ago and the total money i made is 95$ sometimes i think i should give up is not worth it at all

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Nah man, keep up the good work! You got this 💪🏼

[@ArabGameDev]

@@ThomasStewartDev what if i fail and waste my life chasing something doesn't work

[@ThomasStewartDev]

@@ArabGameDev Life would be boring if there wasn't any risk. Maybe indie game dev won't work out for me - I dunno. But life is about more than jobs and money anyway. KZbin and game dev come after my first priorities.

[@ArabGameDev]

@@ThomasStewartDev because you are good financially when you are poor you will only think about jobs and money life is relative not absolute

[@ThomasStewartDev]

@@ArabGameDev Hey man, that's fair. I hope things turn out great for you 👍

[@ashleycchan]

No interest in game development but long time fan ! Informative video Tom!

[@ZeeWolfed]

really nice video you make some light because I'm just starting to learn game dev. I'm complete beginner so it's scared me when I see many inde game dev in a trouble.

[@thesomantics]

10,000 layoffs in 2023, 6000 layoffs in 2023. Might be harder than it used to be to get into the game industry

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Yeahhhh...that's one of the reasons I left my day job. Even the safe route isn't necessarily safe

[@gamereactz]

Yet I broke through in December 2023.. if I would of followed the trend I'd still be in my old day job.

[@Prfct_GM]

great. finally a realistic video

[@Vern-i3s]

Well done - Great video.

[@99thiler90]

Word of Mouth really matters, bro!! Thanks for the most honest video. Really would have loved with more in depth game analytics for per day earned.

[@Cowwy]

Stop Starting, Start Finishing. I love this quote. 😂

[@goroakechi8577]

Happy you got your dream job

[@tobinrysenga1894]

Although true in many ways, the current layoff trend makes this a very sad story for many.

[@akeonnstock8359]

great video man, just start the journey .....your video is very informative. keep it up!

[@theonerm2]

I made an asset called Urban Architect.

[@ChristopherCricketWallace]

You ACTUALLY got rejections?!?! That's impressive in its own right. Most people apply into the void and the void doesn't even look back.

[@idle.observer]

Great video but the question is how long it took for you to make 300k?

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Thanks! It was over the course of a few years

[@bonon_69]

You do deserve a subscribe. Here you go .

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Well thank you very much! I hope to not disappoint.

[@ItsAllGoodGames]

damn look at the nice house he bought with the 300k!

[@AndrewKramerenko]

Thanks dude, that's inspiring!

[@mattynice1798]

Did you have to re locate to a new city or many of these game dev jobs remote?

[@cjhonsons]

i wanted to make video game based on to tell & experience its dynamic storyline, with advanced physics, smooth motion matching locomotion system.

[@ghabrielF]

Right now I'm stuck in this hell of applying to linkedin jobs and never hearing back, recently I heard back and they sent me a test, unfortunately I didn't pass. I was almost loosing my hopes, but this video came in a good time, thanks Thomas. I wish you luck in this new journey! Btw, this job you landed, was it remote? I live in a place with no studios nearby, so I'm mainly seeking remote opportunities.

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Yup, I worked remotely! I know how difficult it can be - but you only need one! One interviewer I chatted with asked for a code sample, so I sent him one of my personal projects, and he emailed back with "Your code readability doesn't meets our expectations" - then sent an Amazon link to a book for how to write clean code 😂 (Ironically, that studio just started following me on Twitter) I think the best advice for getting job is having a polished looking portfolio - so definitely focus on that if you can!

[@guilhermeholz1606]

Cool too see another Brazilian! I'm getting into Unity too, I recommend you to join his discord channel, we could share some experiences and I can point you to devs I know in the area

[@ghabrielF]

@@ThomasStewartDev Thanks for the advice!

[@ghabrielF]

@@guilhermeholz1606 I'm gonna do that, thanks

[@ahm4642]

what is the name of book?@@ThomasStewartDev

[@elijahfuller9693]

Wow I’m surprised you got that many replies back, last time I did job hunting I got ghosted by hundreds of jobs and only got two interviews.

[@ord1naryus]

bro discovered the reference 😂

[@Ricys]

yea i followed this idea and havent found anyone hiring for a 3d artist role. at least recently. i found some posts from last year which i doubt are still open. what am i doing wrong? or should i just forget the years of 3ds max experiance i have and go work at mcdonalds?

[@TheSpiritForceGD]

Very informative.

[@Dodgingsimulator]

Ive had a mobile game idea for years i just keep adding shit to but have no idea where to start in bringing it to life so it shall forever live in limbo with my hopes and dreams

[@achorjustin9807]

I advise you to bring it to life. Start with a basic playable demo. Don't go beyond your scope. To cut it short, have a finished project. You must not implement all the ideas at first. With time you can add them as updates for instance; customisation section and all what not. Just start! You got this.

[@Dodgingsimulator]

@achorjustin9807 thanks for the motivation I needed that shit

[@achorjustin9807]

@@Dodgingsimulator My pleasure😎

[@JohnnyCashOriginal]

Why would you want a job. Thats the reason most people want to do this. They hate working for someone else. You didnt even show people what you did to advertise. I don't mean to be harsh, but that's the failure. There are so many shitty games that get millions of downloads. Clearly the issue is marketing! Its like building a kick ass website but never paying any attention to seo. This video is very discouraging

[@ThomasStewartDev]

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not saying this is what everyone's path looks like, but I want to be realistic. Too many people on KZbin make game development look easy and very lucrative. And I think that's misleading - but still possible.

[@JohnnyCashOriginal]

@@ThomasStewartDev I understand, but I find far fewer people making videos claiming its easy, and many more talking about specific challenges. I just think we should be encouraging people, most people understand that being a solo game dev is hard.

[@Uhfgood]

At least you're not selling me a product.

[@darrylwolfe7359]

im 37 and im still a begginner.. Im a slow learner and I fear that I will not reach my dream of becoming a game developer.

[@alejandrosuarez5893]

You can do it, bro! Big things take time and start small. Believe in yourself! You will rock it one day! 🌟

[@darrylwolfe7359]

@@alejandrosuarez5893 thank you for your confidence in me.

[@jarenagra2804]

how is someone paying you 300k a year as a newbie developer? especially now, theres a lot of talented people looking for jobs

[@soulure]

hahahaha I'm so happy to see this vid, as a 25+ yr game dev (not years old, that's how long I've been in the industry and you've probably played a game I've made) I'm somewhere around 3mil from income and options from employment, never made anything significant from any personal project lol. sad but true. Yet I'm still here working on personal projects in my free time. it's a way of life I guess

[@nobody-zz8gp]

Great vdo🎉

[@CitizenCoder]

Ok, i had a good laugh at this. Honestly im glad you didnt say "i quit my job to make my dream game" 😂

[@ludomancerstudio]

Well this video didn't aged very well, with all the layoffs going around I would say it is RISKIER to work in a game company than to run your own indie/solo game studio now.

[@redthunder6183]

0:45, felt like Minecraft should have also been mentioned

[@swamipawar1803]

What would be your advice to a new comer how wants to be financialy successful as a game developer and how much time due you think a 18 year old new comer will need to make some descent money of game development

[@ThomasStewartDev]

I think making money independently as a game dev is extremely difficult, and an enormous amount of the work is front loaded. My advice would be to learn the technical skills, create a couple small projects, put together an online portfolio, and apply to get a job in the industry. Your growth will be exponential, and you'll have a steady paycheck.

[@swamipawar1803]

Thanku for the reply do you think a gamedev job and college can be done at same or no it requires time and is work from home option available and can my age(18) be a problem in getting job

[@Johan-rm6ec]

You like GameDev do it. CCan you get a job get that over solodev because of experience and when ripe start on your own. Or mix. Development is a highly valuable skill, way better then swipe tiktok X youtube vids.

[@Arab_GameDev]

Thanks that what am looking for , a place where i can learn the actual game dev on a game studio , am working on unity for a 3+ year and feel hungry 😅 to now how studios work

[@ThomasStewartDev]

Awesome, glad you enjoyed it!

[@yku9ted849]

Hello sir Please can you put me through how i can become a game app developer

[@PlayGamesWithX]

Hi, Where do you live now?

[@ryanze26]

TLDR: Get a Job

[@Gawko]

Did you actually earn 300k? Or the company you worked for?

[@ThomasStewartDev]

I did make over 300k - it was over the course of a few years

[@vladcalin]

"How I made 200k building a social network. I work at Meta" "How I made 50k selling electronics. I work at Best Buy" Come on dude... XD

[@jorcoco5300]

plot twist. 1 month later he quit his job to become a indie game dev. The hypocrisy of that...

[@Lous_taunau]

11:50 me.

[@ariorick]

AAAAA you got me hahahaha

[@bishalgurung684]

11:50😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@__Rizzler__]

monehhhhhhhhh boaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[@ArazStudio-op4cg]

I'm the get reviewed game dev 😅

[@skigui1]

Basically if you want 300k go get a job.

[@BartoszSzymaszkiewicz]

This is a good video.... BUT! Why did you gave up man! You have done more than 99% of people who dream about financial freedom and at the end you agreed to get back in a cell of employment. What I only hope for is that you keep your day job to learn and make more games. The idea here is to make a conscious decision to keep trying to achieve the highest goal you can conceive off untill you make it... Or you die! Yes... You set a goal, 10 milions, 100 milions a billion, whatever crank your gears! And then do it for the rest of your life.

[@full_throttle]

you lose at the indie game, the best part is not being a tool for soeone else. The best part its the freedom you get by working for yourself.

[@lorenzogarbin8990]

So the answer is to quit indie dev... Nice

[@SnakeEngine]

Ok, but you did a game for someone else, not yours. :P Still good for learning, I guess.

[@mikelerader9367]

God this was dumb. Thanks for the useless info. So to sum it up don’t create a game there is no money. God what was the point of this long dumb video. Useless from start to finish

[@damnhue5915]

Meanwhile all i hear right now are job layoffs.

[@codered_dev2]

300k??? that's 299,999 more that i have made 🥲

[@endurancegames9068]

“Wait, you guys are getting paid?”

[@Reskareth]

You made 1 dollar more than i have

[@damnhue5915]

What's the name of your game?

[@codered_dev2]

@@damnhue5915 little scavenger it's has a demo on steam

[@BlakeGoGameDev]

​@@Reskareth was going to make this exact comment 😂