Let's Talk Game Dev: With Sasquatch B Studios

Check out the Podcast! - sasquatchbstudios.podbean.com/
Show your Support & Get Exclusive Benefits on Patreon! - / sasquatchbgames
Join our Discord Community! - / discord
To celebrate hitting 25K subscribers, for the first time ever, my wife Nikki & I are going to sit down together and answer all of your questions!
We're about to give you the real deal on what it's been like ditching the security of a nine-to-five and diving into the indie game dev scene and showcase some never before seen footage from our game Samurado.
A couple of years back, we made a risky move-we sold our house, said goodbye to steady paychecks, and chased my dream of making games. It's been a crazy journey since then and we're going into ALL of it.
In this video, we're not sugarcoating a thing. We'll be giving intimate details on the daily grind of indie dev life, what it's like working side by side with your partner, and the rollercoaster of finances that comes with this big leap.
And hey, it's not just us feeling the impact. Our families have been along for the ride too, so we'll dish on that since you've all been asking.
So, if you're up for some real talk, a bit of insight, and a whole lot of passion, stick around.
If you're new to our channel, we're Brandon & Nikki from Sasquatch B Studios. We sold our house to start our game studio, and work full time on building our business and making our game Samurado.
Original Let's Get Real Video Mentioned: • I have something to sa...
---
In need of more Unity Assets? Using our affiliate link is a great way to support us. We get a small cut that helps keep us up and running: assetstore.unity.com/?aid=110...
---
Looking for some awesome Gamedev merch? - sasquatchbgames.myspreadshop....
---
Subscribe for NEW game dev videos every Monday & Thursday!
Wishlist our Games:
Wishlist Samurado on Steam! - store.steampowered.com/app/23...
Follow us on Twitter for regular updates!
/ sasquatchbgames
---
#gamedev #indiegame #gamedevelopment

[@twistedliverstudio]

Love the content keep up the great work fellow Canadian's.

[@coreymatthews5210]

Hey, I've been watching the channel since before Samurado and it's cool to see how far you have come. Its tough before it gets easy and people have a hard time getting over that hump. I'm glad to see yall sticking to it. Probably one of my favorite game dev channels. Looking forward to more content and happy deving!

[@gamedevblueprint]

Hello, I loved this Q&A, I'm glad your channel is blowing up, you absolutely deserve it, you have amazing and helpful content. I came here to just listen something in the background, but it was so helpful and encouraging so thank you. Keep up the good work! :D

[@IdealIdleIncremental]

Awesome Q&A session. It was really interesting to listen to your story especially the part where you moved across Canada. You should definitely bring Nikki to your videos more often. And also this is such a blessing to share interests and be able to work together with your spouse.

[@IgnaEscobar]

Great video! I love seeing this kind of genuine content on youtube, greetings from Argentina ❤

[@Lentor-Dev]

It was nice to have Nikki in the Podcast and it was overall a nice listen as I work on my game! Thanks for the content :)

[@achomatico]

This was such a great Video! Honestly I doubted the decision to sell your house when that "Lets get real" video came out. But now I love seeing these videos and especially the podcasts. This if definitely my favorite one so far and I hope you'll do more of these in the future

[@Mudtek]

Appreciate the content. Rooting for you guys and your future success in the game industry!

[@boss_gamers]

Greeting neighbours (NS here). Congrats on your success👍

[@rickiousproductions]

Thank you both for all your work. You are balancing this so well, making it financially feasible for you two and your family without selling out. Nice to see you are working on your passion as well as yourselves. Inspirational! 🙏

[@KnightSansk]

This was so wholesome to watch, you guys are an inspiration I wish you the best

[@ItsJustJoe]

Wanted to let you both know this is the best game dev video I've watched this week. I really appreciate the authenticity and transparency.

[@miksdickinson]

Love this format! It's great to see you and your wife's relationship, the 20+ years of friendship clearly comes across.

[@Hazzel31337]

gl and only the best for your two and your family

[@HyuugaRaull]

I loved this Q&A, this was very inspiring. Proud of you guys, can't wait to play samurado.

[@Bazerath]

I left a pretty substantial comment on ur angry bird tutorial. This video legitimizes how relatable you are to myself. I feel like I am you just years behind in the journey. I have a wife and kids and work an hour intensive job, I'm highly motivated, mostly an introvert but can be an extrovert. Had a dream for making games at a young age, feel as if I have something to prove, I guess though I don't like to admit it a sensitive guy. Everything your talking about I can relate to on a core level. You and your wife are doing amazing, you have inspired me.

[@JackLanDan]

DO NOT!!!! Do what this man has done... it is the WORST thing possible.. the next worst thing he could have done was buy NFTs and waited for them to mature :) ... if you must make games.. do it in ur spare time.. if you dont have spare time.. DONT QUIT YOUR JOB!!!! There are many steps that u can do before that.. hell.. first.. go get a new job.. something like a secuirty guard that works nights.. you can take a laptop to work and work on your game there.. its more sensible than quitting outright and risking EVERYTHING!!!! I also notice this guy hasnt replied.. he should really be on top of that.. it was a lovely message to leave.. i would have answered u instantly.. its not like hes got 1000s to look through.. never meet ur hero they will always disappoint!

[@Bazerath]

@@JackLanDan it's not an expectation to have someone reply to a comment. I'm a big boy, I can handle it. I just wanted to share that his video made an impact on me. Kind words go a long way for a person's motivation and self-esteem. I think it's great there are people in the world who are willing to take risks, demand change and shoot for there dreams. One way of doing things doesn't mean everyone should do the same, do what works for you. That's why after a 14 hour shift, I cram as much C# in before I go to bed and have to repeat the cycle.

[@JackLanDan]

​@@BazerathWow.. good luck with that.. all i can say is that you are very easy to please. Personally if someone doesnt reply to me, especially with such a low channel count, I dont comment again. I dont think its beyond the realms of reality to expect someone to reply, esp when they INVITE people to comment and ask questions.. but hey man.. U DO U!! Hope to see your game some day. Stay employed.. or dont :) youre a big boy, you will figure it out.

[@Bazerath]

@@JackLanDan lol, not sure where the hostility is coming from? No one has said anything negative to you, I hope that the rest of your day goes well. Who knows, maybe one day I can make a game but for now I'm just learning.

[@JackLanDan]

@@Bazerath Im genuinly sorry if you felt i was being a dick toward you my friend.. this was not my intention.. sometimes my humor is more enigmatic than funny.. i applaud ANYONE willing to put the time and effort into making games.. for some of us its in our blood.. from your passion i can tell u might be one of us :) again.. no offence meant.. i really do hope u create something we can all play one day.. take care dude..

[@Ravisherrr]

Thanks for the video. Your team is great and inspiring!

[@VforVictorYT]

Best game dev channel in my opinion, would love to see you test other devs builds and give your feedback and thoughts about their gamedesign and how you would have done things different.

[@vast634]

There is one big upside when running a business within the family: the question of how cost and return is split is very easy to answer. It can get tricky when several friends make a game together, and then the financial discussions (who should get what share) comes up. And who did how much work etc.

[@asig396]

I just have to say a couple of things. First: I love his channel, the studio, the podcasts, the discord and I hope to buy one of your shirts, and second: Stop feeling like an imposter, you are much more Game Developer than thousands more over there. Keep it up and I hope to see a complete video game soon.

[@castlevillagegames]

exciting video, thanks for sharing, continue your good work! most indie devs are in the same boat, me included ;-)

[@WyrmyrGames]

Hey! We’re neighbors! (I live in Maine) I’m very glad to hear your Studio and your family are doing well through all the changes and challenges. And I appreciate your honesty with all of the questions. Nice to see/hear from Nikki as well. It seems like her efforts, above all else, have made it possible for you to keep moving forward. So keep up the good work, both of you! I loved your wording of mid- to late-thirties. I’ll be holding on to that mid- prefix as long as I can too! 😂

[@marcmustermann1676]

It's good to hear that things seem to have started working out for you.

[@futuregamedev7]

42:49 I feel like having something to prove is a healthy reason to work hard. In a way it is how every athlete gets to the top of their game. It’s what sets apart the passionate from the sellouts.

[@rootbindev]

I'm going to watch this when I have time

[@jorava8768]

This was great! Thank you.

[@-LightSmit]

I appreciate you both answering my question. Best with your son in HS and the journey forward 👍 I’ll be rooting for you guys.

[@sasquatchbgames]

Thanks!! And we appreciate all your comments and support!

[@nerdmassa9086]

You are SO LUCKY having such a wife, man! And you deserve that, you had the courage to follow your dreams even with your responsabilities. I'm working on a game since 2013, sometimes part-time, other times full-time, and for some periods i don't touch it much, but i recently lost my full-time gamedev job and I'm back with my project, DinoSystem. I have no wife or kids, but very old parents that need constant care, and I'm in my late 30s too. I'm now living with my savings as well, pushing 100% on my game with the ambition to market the hell out of it, and finally get it out of early access... after 10 years. In italy it's a bit harder, especially in the south, as the "if you make games you spend all day playing, it's childish" mentality is very radicated. I got a story to tell, but i'll probably make a video about it at some point. I'd also love to give an interview to you!

[@zzayy8282]

I'm really blessed to have been given such an up to date guide on developing, where did you get your education? I am curious in beginning programming games. And the video is really good!

[@LANMEE2]

Hey guys, huge respect for all of your work and good luck with all the future endeavors. I have a question regarding procrastination. I am working on my game in my free time, as a designer, programmer and an artist. And whenever I get to a wall lets say that I don't like some artistic choice I tend to procrastinate until I figure some solution in a few days. An example, and please don't take this the wrong way, your games look so cool and Nikki is doing a great job, but this is the thing I noticed in a lot of games not just the top down, but in sidescrolling platformers as well. I'm talking about the perspective, specifically the perspective of the walls, pillars holding the walls sometimes does not match the perspective of the character and the objects inside of the room. Like I said I saw this in many games and it can still look cool, and I am sure you noticed this as well so I am basically asking how do you not let a minor detail like that affect you, and I am aware that in situations like those I find myself redesigning lots of things, and prolonging the development a lot?

[@sealsharp]

Brandon, i need to give you a speech now. About imposter syndrome. It's a feeling and that feeling is real. And there's no use in doubting it's existence or talking it down, it exists, and i think it is based on a warped perspective. Storytime: There was a moment when i got into code analysis, especially static code analysis and analyzer tools. It's the historic predecessor of the IDE suggestions telling you to maybe do one more nullcheck in parameters. I found those tools to be very helpful, they would check my code for problems i may have overseen, sweet! Among developers in online certain communities, those were not seen as "what real devs would need", kinda in the same way real devs do not write comments, do not use IDEs, do not use windows and whatever~ One of these losers like me, who tried static code analysis, liked it a lot and wrote a blogpost about it, was John Carmack. That one. The Doom&Quake guy. The guy who did everything first for 20 years and does actual rocket science in his leisure time. So obviously, John Carmack thinks he can benefit from a tool helping him to find his errors. So dismissing those tools would be like "yeah, John C. may need them, but i don't!" kinda peak arrogance. Where am i going with this? Experts seem to have a good understanding of their limits. To quote Einstein: "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know". That is normal. Not knowing everything, not being absolutely awesome at everything related to the scope you work in,... is normal. Learning/growing is a continous process, so a learning person is in a constant state of being better than yesterday and thus: having sucked yesterday. The imposter syndrome of gamedev implies that there is a certain barrier that you cross and then you are a real gamedev. John Carmack was having his work critically evaluated by a computer after he the made Doom 3. At that point he was god tier for players and developers. The point where you will feel like you know it all will never come (if you are not predisposed to think you are gods gift, which you are obviously not). So that footage in the background, that looks like a game to me. Well you can do a game, so you're a gamedev. Congratulations, you crossed every objective line there could be for what a "real gamedev" is. That's so logical that you probably know that, but feelings do not work on logic alone. Not knowing everything is normal. No researching things you need is stupid. You went from accounting to gamedev and YT you did learn what you needed. I hope you two sometimes take time to say "i'm proud of you" to each other, because you both learned a bunch of new things in this courageous act you did by trying that gamedev thing. Stay humble ( not a problem for you) but also be confident based on what you objectively did. And i am really happy to hear that it's going financially well for you two. Peace 🦭🔪

[@ruf256]

Congratulations!

[@danny-expand]

Hey, Brandon, like to hear from you again! You give so much quality to your audience, especially to developers. Keep doing what you love to do, make money of it and stay in touch with your soul. Money always come to those who fulfilling their dreams. Have a great day!

[@halfpixel12]

Awesome video

[@makeitsogames]

Hey Brandon. I definitely think a video of you playing our games and giving feedback would be a great video.

[@Draekdude]

I think you’ll be fine even if your game bombs. You have a great story to tell and all aspiring game devs want you to listen and learn from both your successes and failures. Heck, if your game bombs it might expand your channel even more than a semi successful game might. Sometimes you learn more from your mistakes than your successes… either way, we’ll be here!

[@shavais33]

I would love to see you trying out subscriber's games.

[@beatrageGameSalad]

Do you guys hire people? I am looking for a part time job. And I have more than 15 years in unity! How can I contact you?

[@TESkyrimizer]

As it turns out moving to a low COL area and diversifying your efforts did not help you finish your game but is helping you to achieve net 0 income (sounds bad but zero expenses is great and it can only go up from here) Happy to hear that everything is not so stressful and anxiety for you guys! I was honestly worried. If I had fully commited my savings to gamedev I'd probably have taken 2 years to finish an awful game and bombed. We all think we are wiser than we are, but I think I can do it now knowing what I know. But even so my lowest expectations keep getting disappointed 😅 That's life as a starving artist eh

[@danielmisra2912]

i told you: “The most amazing thing about persistence and perseverance is that they make it almost impossible for you not to succeed.”

[@thehypersonicegg5540]

Even if the game were to bomb which i dont think it will you can always be proud of the youtube channel alone and if the game does well its stil gonna get hate maybe even more so because of the extra attention and maybe thats gonna be painful to read but eventualy you wont care anymore since youl realise the hate isnt something you can entirely erase no mater how well you do, all that maters is that you get to keep doing things in life which you enjoy if you enjoy making games how well they do wont mater if you can afford things you care about thats literally all that maters so yes if it made 0 dollars maybe youd lose access to some things but the success itself doesnt mean anything only living a meaningful happy life maters no mater who you are any big goal or achievement only maters because its suposedly going to make you happy but many cases you can learn to be happy by just being able to actively pursue what you enjoy not the end goal or how people feel about it and you

[@DannyDeer]

Inspiring.

[@DannyDeer]

Also* super chill to listen to.

[@kwcnasa]

Resume @38:30

[@friendlyfox2189]

You got the dream wife!

[@toegap202]

It's honestly so cool to see your wife in a video. We've all known she plays such a big role in Sasquatch studio and we've wanted to get her perspective on game dev for a long time!

[@praised_goodness]

first lol

[@CoconutButter45]

First

[@JackLanDan]

If you have SO much tied up into this venture.. why are u not investing in a good artist?? you make so many videos about WHY this works.. and WHY this doesnt.. yet your game would suggest you know very little about what makes a good game.. and if your game doesnt have a unique hook.. (i didnt see one in yours) then the first place you start is that the player has the most EXPLOSIVE and IMMERSIVE experience possible.. you do this by having some kickass player sprites and animations... if the binding of isaac didnt have the art style of ed mcmillen then it wouldnt have sold CLOSE to where it has.. If these are DEV gfx that you plan to update later.. then you are losing so much time not show casing your REAL GAME. Im not saying all this to be an asshole.. im saying it because i would hate to see you fail.. then again.. Jhonas's game looked like a POS.. infact.. it was a bad game all around.. he still made money because he created an audience that supported him.. i bet you could count on one hand the amount of people from that support that actually played it more than an hour.. this to me is also a failure.. not financially.. but certainly as a game dev. I do wish u all the luck in the world and will continue to watch and comment on your videos.. you need people like me to balance out the nice comments.. which are lovely and all.. but worth nothing.. Im making my own game .. so i know of what i speak :)

[@IdleLegacy]

I 100% agree, but I’m pretty sure this style/artwork is the final product. I watch a lot of game dev YT because I find it fascinating when these games just never release and/or these YTers just disappear (not saying that will happen), but the amount of times it does happen is crazy to watch in real-time.

[@Isleofsheep]

Too bad the weight of your words aren't even close to how you might want them to sound. You are a game developer? I would like to see the game you have released. No believability without it apparently, like you said your self.

[@JackLanDan]

@@IdleLegacy I couldnt agree more man.. and from what i can tell.. its his wife that is doing the art.. so.. i may have insulted them on that level.. when that was not my intention.. The problem is.. games are massively hard to make money with in the first place.. if you dont give yourself every single leg up possible.. u are already setting up for failure!!! Just because ur wife CAN do the art.. doesnt mean she should!!! A games gfx is like the smell of a meal .. its what makes u want to taste it.. or buy it in this case.. at the moment their games smells like an old nappy.. (diaper) for anyone in the us.. they need to see past this silly notion that they can go hand in hand into the sunset making a game together.. get a proper artist in there and they might stand a chance.. thanks for not shitting on my message btw.. i feel i may have upset a few people.. but yeah.. the amount of people that just slink away in the night after a big fanfare is amazing in this business!!

[@JackLanDan]

@@Isleofsheep strange.. my other handle also has sheep in the main body.. tho i wouldnt never be so presumptuous so assume someone elses message doesnt have the WEIGHT!!! .. how do you know? They may have run out the very next day to hire an artist!!! Who are you to judge the weight and girth of my words??? u got a little tape measure and weighing scales for each of my alphabetic chums??? no!!! so keep ur noise down... im giving them nuggets of gold here son!!!! ;p I have games on ichio go look.. im currently working on a new one now..