Low-Poly Survival Game is Shutting Down After 5 Years of Development | 2024

[@Rooslahn]

Part Two-Happy Ending… kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIezgGd4ndKtaqc

[@tajaloe5920]

Solo dev here. The hardest thing to overcome as a solo dev is... Ego. That being said, if the developer reads this... You're probably going through a lot of negative thoughts, however, it's never too late to down scope. After 5 years, somewhere in there, if you cut off the fat... Is a complete game that just needs some loose ends cut. Don't delete the game, downscope, and release. 6 more months.

[@Rooslahn]

You guys are extremely underrated and not appropriated enough for the work that you do. Down-scoping is such a prefect advice though. Starting “too big” especially for your first project is probably such a common mistake solo devs make, especially for the competition that you have to race against. But there’s always audience and people for everyone…

[@tajaloe5920]

That's a very kind thing to say man, I think I can speak for all devs when say thank you, but honestly, with a right balance, solo dev doesn't have to be hard at all. 1 - Have a real feasable finish line 2 - Never push the finish line forward 3 - Be strict with your release requirements 4 - Make games you want to make, not games you think will make you money 5 - Don't try to beat competition, instead innovate and have fun with your own concepts Maybe I'm just lucky, but even though I have a game in the oven thats 70% there, the amount of times I've just cut things out, removed features, or downscoped a foundational design component is staggering. You HAVE to be brutal with it. Just my opinion though, I'm sure lots of other solo devs have different experience too

[@summonthecat]

@@tajaloe5920 100%, I moved from solo to studio dev and we follow similar concepts; wishing this guy the best and hoping to see more of whatever he ends up making out there, its a hard lesson we all have to learn at some point. Good luck to everyone out there making stuff.

[@ShiroCh_ID]

@@summonthecat i guess being as success as notch and its game called Minecraft is something rare huh? xD oh well time to back to drawing board and start small

[@mariyan5433]

Just take a breath and write down what is the most important thing left to do for the fun part of the game. We are gamers, we are simple. If we have fun, we can ignore and wait for more polished stuff. The other things left, you can add them with updates every 3 months one by one or something similar. Wish you happiness and peace.

[@andreynol9498]

Micah ran himself very thin. I remember you said “passion beats paid position” but paid position gets paid

[@rafaelmoisesbezerradasilva7271]

The major mistake is not having a decent job to pay the bills. Solo developing is not something you can count on to put food on the table.

[@nobertstanel9428]

Kenshi dev worked 10~ years as security guard in some parking lot, 1 day / 24 of work and 3 days free i think, was his shift. Low income yet = tons of time to focus on your game. Game sold ~1 mil copies by now.

[@DeavtheDev]

Game dev tips for us solo Devs (1) Start small, never have your first game be your dream game.. never make an rpg, mmo, open world game as your first. (2) Learn to recognize small victories and take time to appreciate them. Got the ui done? AMAZING, be happy! Got a new character and its animations done? AMAZING, be happy! (3) Be organized, a GDD (game design document) or something planning out what you want the game to be is CRUCIAL to prevent the #1 killer of indie devs aka SCOPE CREEP. Make a plan and stick to it with little to no exceptions. (4) If you want to make an ambitious game like the one in the video, start very simple. Release the game in a playable state with the base features. Then overtime using EA (early access) implement the rest of the features and changes based on feedback. Or instead of releasing, drop updates demos to your players to gather feedback. (5) Time. If you think the game will take 1 year, plan for 2 years. Always double the time you think it will take. NEVER give release dates for anything that isn't 75-80% done already, id recommend finishing the game, do promo then say a release date to polish it until then. Prematurely saying a release date thats unobtainable will kill your passion for the game as you have to crunch and cut corners to make it on time. Last tip, enjoy the journey. Have fun. Most of us game devs started making games because we haven't found the game our hearts wish to play and want to make them ourselves.

[@valideno9592]

good advice.

[@MorteWulfe]

I dont know coding, but I have had your feeling about wanting to play a game based on an idea I have that hasn't been done yet. Have debated learning to try, but I do have a good job now....

[@DeavtheDev]

@@MorteWulfe do it for the passion, if you make money from game dev that's a bonus! If you have a good job that's even better cause you won't have to rely on the game being successful which will lighten your stress load!! Go for it, it's never too late.

[@DanteAngeli-d6u]

totaly agree with that statement: I'm learning to make video game because nobody makes the game I want!: I have this one concept that has been haunting me down for years and I'm certain millions of people would enjoy it as there is litteraly no game like that that even exist on the market (as far as I'm aware of anyway) and it has a very high replayability potentional if not infinite and it's all based on a very simple idea: but I would need a whole army of pro dev to take it up to that scale. So the problem is that it IS a big project. I conscious of it so I already made up my mind it would just of a little concept game with a very little tiny fraction of what I actually want to do, but even if it's only that: it would be a huge victory! Once the concept game is done, maybe i'll be lucky enough for it to be successful and developpe it to the scale I hope, who knows? even Minecraft started small...

[@ageronin7796]

hey u can because i gonna, but first i learn all about optymalizion in code and graphic. that's gow u can made it. If just create the game like that without prepare that's gonna hurst when u write thousands lines of codes to find out your game suck in construction and adding new objects to the world be smart use classes and groups, use states, create chunks to load only around your player if u want to add more live to your game do this in 2d map like the move of the travelers and add them to the point only if player will be around

[@WilliamUmstattd]

Why not just make it clear the game is unfinished and won’t ever be finished and drop the price to free? Just because it didn’t become what the developer envisioned doesn’t mean the 5 years of work he did do should be removed.

[@Rooslahn]

Unfortunately that’s something we may never know…but very good question

[@ashj5952]

I don't get that part either. Maybe because they get emotional that they can't complete it. Or maybe they have to pay for the game to be up idk.

[@Staszk01]

@@ashj5952 You only pay steam once for putting the game in store, then it's just provision from each sale

[@jlebrech]

or a dollar, the sales could help fund another year of development.

[@selfmodded9736]

I don't understand why devs don't make failed projects (that easily have a following) open source

[@Ziplock9000]

Solo dev here. As 'side work' I have ~9 projects under my belt either part way through development or very nearly completed, but none never fully. I assumed decades of experience as a professional Senior Software Engineer would help me with the pitfalls. I keep falling for the same deadly trap,.. scope creep. Projects getting bigger and bigger. So my advice is make your first projects not just small, but tiny and do everything to stop them getting bigger. Don't listen to the devil on your shoulder saying that adding X will be fine, because it's never just X.. It's the 100 other X's that creep in too.

[@troller9838]

Solo devs are simply built different. Generally they have massive amounts of mental fortitude and motivation compared to their specialised peers that work in teams, this is because solo devs have to do basically every role in making a game, such as coding, modelling, animation, testing, sound, music, game design, level design etc. etc.

[@Rooslahn]

Different breed of people

[@ShannaNL]

often delusional and overestimating their own capabilities and stamina.

[@Darkfault]

And massive egos. [solo dev here]

[@InnerEagle]

I will be cruel: - Release it as it, don't let it aside, let us enjoy it - Don't be a perfectionist, just see the flow running - Don't destroy your work, it was a big good looking kid - Disappoint? There is no disappointment, If you will read this, I wasted 15 yrs into delaying a simpler project, and you loved to make it

[@Rooslahn]

It’s already removed from steam and the ones that can play it, are the ones who stumbled across his work prior to all of this

[@joshrennedy]

Someone come and rescue this man! He clearly needs help, please let’s unite and help Micah

[@theashenone9703]

It would be a beautiful story about players saving the man and his game. But I'm afraid that developer thought things through over and over again before that decision like he reworked features over and over. Let's hope there's someone in the audience here to save that project or at least giving this man profit he deserve!

[@DaysOfFunder]

Such a beautiful video man. Glad I watched this. I also have 2x five year projects, both are massive projects with big communities, publishers, investors, groupies, and my heart and soul poured into them - and every day I ride the knife edge of giving up. I'm burnt out right now, with a heat pack on my shoulder from another 12 hours stint today. Just trying to make it happen. And my word I can, but the chance of giving in, and accepting I may not, haunt me every day.

[@Rooslahn]

Feeling burnt out is natural (especially for creators of any sort) but I think when it begins to impact your mental health and overall happiness. It’s a sign of grinding & over-doing it for way too long. And ignoring the stress. The one and only keeping your community alive is of course you, but taking a break isn’t going to erase what you’ve built in years-not overnight. I hope you find that fine balance in between, my friend.

[@DaysOfFunder]

Yes. I admit. I think accepting less in life is a healthier approach. It's just never gunna make you rich! #grindlife right! Lol but yes, I'm trying to set more reasonable timelines. And expect less of myself. Like 80% is good enough. ​@@Rooslahn

[@Rooslahn]

@DaysOfFunder but isn’t there a healthy balance of becoming successful and keeping your health in the right place as well!?🤷🏻‍♂️

[@DaysOfFunder]

Contentment through compromise, a lofty goal for me. One I wish I could embrace, but alas my mind and body will not accept my plea for peace. ​@@Rooslahn

[@silentshot4328]

It is quite surprising how everything has taken a drastic turn on his part. For a while he kept on delaying update one after the other, promising content then all of a sudden announcing a shut down. Just very unexpected that’s all

[@Rooslahn]

Definitely unexpected. But it’s probably been building up for a while-just masked well

[@nardalis4832]

This is why I'm afraid of promising anything. Because I might change my mind 1 million times before I'm happy with it and know that it works lol

[@TikiShootah]

Ppl need to relearn the basic of development. Start small. If you eake up one day with dreams if making a surival mmo, you're likely to fail. Have to respect the depth youre gettting into.

[@Crouton_6]

As a solo dev, this is hitting the feels really damn hard. I’ve made 6 games, all of which I’ve never published because I just didn’t feel right, I didn’t see it as complete enough, or I was scared of some game breaking bug that just didn’t show itself to me. I’ve now downscoped my ideas to hopefully release some smaller games for small gains but that’s all I think I can really hope for.

[@aliyabdulrahman]

Is so sad and honestly I wish him the best, but one mistake most indie devs make is not proper planning and making research before they undergo a project, honestly passion is good but if you want to really make game dev a business to strive on then you have to treat it like any other business, understand the market before going it to, another thing is quality i understand most indie devs don’t have budget but the sad reality is the average consumer won’t care and instead keep judging the games base on the millions worth of game they have played that’s just the truth, if you aren’t ready for game dev as a career don’t dive into it because you should know everyone out there will judge you, from publishers down to consumers, and remember no one cares about your passion or vision they care about the product, publishers want to recoup there money, consumers want to have a great time, only a few care that’s the reality of the market.

[@mistrzjuliusz9372]

that kind of games are too big for solo dev. Mistakes were made but he was not the only one, thousands of unfinished solodev games lies outhe there

[@Rooslahn]

Ohh yeah most definitely, I can recall at least 5 studios. Some of them are German, of course but still

[@andreynol9498]

This video literally just saved the game!

[@jeckrucel0001]

I mean, without more detail on the reason, it doesn't seam that "solo dev" was the problem, people quit from all sort of thing in life, even from life itself...

[@Waffel136]

you sir, maybe just saved this developers project/career with this touching video.

[@andreynol9498]

Man, Your comment is so spot on! I’m pretty sure because of this video this “solo dev” was reached out and offered multiple hands from other devs (free of charge). But the steam already removed the game because it was requested prior to this video. Mad respect though

[@Rooslahn]

Thank you for taking the time to listen, Waffel! I Purely meant it from the heart, mental health is very important.

[@TheGrimjackfromCPT]

Honestly the only way I've noticed how solo devs can manage to make progress is if they release a version of the game to get more awareness and share videos with plans for improvements and more content and then hopefully the dev can get some people to donate so that the dev would have more resources at hand and be able to put food on the table while working on the game and besides some gamers might have ideas that could make the game better that the dev didn't even think about adding

[@Rooslahn]

Yeah basically hype people up and those who believe in the game’s development-will support

[@aibou2399]

yep, receiving feedback is really important.

[@nerdmassa9086]

It's my 11th year workin on my game, lol

[@Rooslahn]

Here’s your crown king 👑

[@timvandeneng4724]

What game r u making?

[@Cyan37]

I never even heard about this game, it's a shame. Low poly games are something I enjoy a lot. The artstyle alone gets me interested. Wish I had a chance to check it out but it's too late now. :(

[@lifeartstudios6207]

not finishing a project costs me my mental health and happiness just as much as missing out on life. It's a hard decision to make, but I totally understand.

[@GallowROKs]

"5 years is a long time." Yes, if we are lucky, we get 7 decades. First one, yiu don't really remember. Cheers and best wishes to you all

[@rickstas2683]

The dude worked on the game for 5 years and made little to nothing from it. And everything that was made-went back into the development of the game. Which tells me-this was straight out of passion. He seemed to quit because he was spending too much money out of pocket and the fact that he even lasted 5 years, says a lot.

[@InnerEagle]

@@rickstas2683 I'm poor, but I would offer money to buy that unfinished game as is and play it, Idk if it's much, but I would gladly pay 10€

[@Henry-sv3wv]

@@rickstas2683 in the end it was just an expensive hobby

[@vampire847]

Dead Frontier is my favorite MMO, and it's been developed and ran by one programmer, one artist, and one sound guy....

[@Rooslahn]

That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing that peace of perspective👍🏻 love to hear that

[@JanKloevekorn]

It´s important to do the right things. For me, changing the map four times is an indicator that you are not working on the right things. Maybe because you don't know how to do it, maybe because you don't want to go there. We are a small studio and we have to be very careful not to waste our time on things that nobody out there wants or needs. It's a quick 2-3 weeks of work but no value for the users. My tip: always take care of the CoreLoop first. These can be gray cubes at first. If the core loop isn't fun, there's no point in working on the graphics or the music or the map.

[@Rooslahn]

Beautifully said

[@GoldenOuroboros]

I've seen a lot of games that sit stagnant for a long time and then a update pops up. The dev/s has been working in the background doing some stuff; Novus Inceptio, Stranded Deep, Raft. I think it's more pressure from the community and bending to what they want is the issue. Although I can see going back and redoing maps while in dev could definitely wear someone down. Balance is really important when managing life. When on a complete downer I've done things that I've later regretted and I hope that the dev doesn't feel like this about his creation. Even if he just left up and then slowly worked on it, release what updates he could and go from there, just have to ignore all the garbage that the community can at times throw a developers way. I've noticed a trend recently that gamers/consumers seems that they are owed something and will kick up a stink when they don't get it. If you want a product a certain way, sure put it out there, but don't get upset when they go "oh that's not the direction we're/I'm taking with the development of the game". Sometimes people just suck and I do hope that the dev is ok and that this wasn't the start of a spiral for them

[@MrQuaidReactor]

It sucks but there are a few things that always happen to solo devs. Not sure if this dev made more games, but this looks like he jumped at making maybe his dream game but did not take the scale into account. I did the same thing when I made my first game, however, I did release a product, while not the best and far less than I wanted. I learned after that, start small, get your feet wet, and being a solo dev means you have to be very disciplined. There is also a lot of sacrifice, you lose time with family, friends, and playing video games, while it's a passion its no easier. And most of us solo devs work a daily job, all things the dev needs to take into account and prepare for. Now jumping non-devs, sadly there have been so many criminals out there making cash-grab games, ruining early access, and just making indie games a risk. This makes trust in any non-established dev very little. Because of that even if someone buys the game they either quickly loose interest or get frustrated it takes longer to update. Hell I release one of my games into early access, and some dude played it 25 seconds and based it and gave it bad review, saying its not finished, etc when I clearly stated its in early access I am working on it. Then there's marketing, how can we compete with AA and AAA studios dropping millions in advertisement. I dropped 11k and reached about 2000 people on my new project, which is the most I've had on any of my games, and that's just a fraction of what games like Starfield or Cyberpunk got, and both of those came out horrible, lol Starfield still is, but they still made millions.

[@r.rodriguez4991]

Where can I find your game?

[@MrQuaidReactor]

@@r.rodriguez4991 steam, what lurks inside, my current project.

[@BusinessWolf1]

I will never understand people who discontinue projects without giving away the work that was already put in. At least sell the assets and put the game out for free or something. Open source it so maybe it gets completed eventually. Anything is better than just 'bye'.

[@filipshinigami7263]

Hey, idk if my opinion is valid but if game shuts down, can at least be open source so that people who love it can play it on even improve it. I want to start game dev but i dont know how and what to do first. Seeing indie games shutting down and being erased its painful to watch cos we all had that little game that we can't play it ever again... Wish u all indie devs luck and success, and keep your health and lifestyle healthy!

[@Rooslahn]

I think he already filed for removal and once that’s done, it is only up to Steam to make a move. Technically the only ones that could still play it are the ones that bought it previously. But I do 100% agree with you! making this an open source, opens up opportunities and possible restoration of the game.

[@filipshinigami7263]

@Rooslahn yeah, its sad and wasteful to see great ideas burn and have their ashes scattered by wind. Hope we have something of them to remember for the future. Nostalgia and regret are some of the things that there is no cure for...

[@summonthecat]

So I work for a small studio and I 100% empathize for the guy, solo dev is hard, long and sometimes thankless (was a former solo dev), getting ANYTHING out both as solo and now in a studio is tough, even we had to scale back like half our game towards the last months. This is just part of the process to learn and I support him making the decision. Lastly, this doesn't always mean the end; Trim, rethink, simplify and polish, I'm not in touch with the guy, but if I was I would say take a good breather (always needed) and go back in with fresh new eyes (Even if not the same project), and make something he can be proud of, cause that's what we all want at the end of the day. Wishing this guy all the best in future.

[@Rooslahn]

How did you proceed with moving to a different team? Were you approached by someone needing your talent? I’m sure your feedback could help someone out there!

[@nardalis4832]

I'm a solo dev, been working on my game project for about 3 years, yet it feels like I've come nowhere with it. I start to see the project is just too big for me to take on right now, so I came up with a side project thats now the priority instead. I love my main game but it didn't truly have a straight forward direction with everything. So I made a side project thats smaller, have a better plan and most importantly still fun to do. I'm hoping that my audience will still be just as interested in this new game as it follows a similar genre, just a lot less fluff. This game is my wild card to the future and I really hope I won't have to shut down any of them

[@Simon-ik1kb]

I guess I can call myself a solo game dev because I’ve released a couple of crappy mobile games and even made some money from them. Now, I want to make a proper game. I have ideas, but a lot of things get in the way-motivation, lack of time, lack of skill, and simply not being good at some specific areas of game development. Recently, I realized that making a proper game alone is very hard. For some individuals, it’s even impossible. So, I have huge respect and admiration for the people who manage to do it, even if they release an early access, unfinished but playable version of their game. For example, I now see that I need and would love to have a friend or friends who share the same ideas and game development goals as me. We could work together, each covering different areas of the project-areas where each of us is specifically skilled. Of course, working with others adds additional challenges, but I think it helps a lot with everything. In situations like the one mentioned in the video, I think that if this person weren’t working alone, it would have helped him get through those hard times. Collaborating could assist with defining the game’s scope, mechanics, finding motivation, and more.

[@SG-js2qn]

Scope is probably the main issue preventing release, though reducing scope doesn't prevent you from releasing a bad game. I suppose it's like writing a novel, and cutting it down and down and down, hoping someday to have it completed and actually a good read.

[@HeroGetsu]

I’m so sad to hear about this I understand though I’ve been learning how to do this stuff and practicing it since 2021 there’s so many reasons to quit being a parent is one of them for sure but man it’s sad this happened I wish homie all the best

[@xr.spedtech]

I recall the dwarf fortress devs and comparing to this dev. Some mamoth task(s) can be automated. How the heck someone who is using an engine, still has these problems.

[@theashenone9703]

I've seen this game one time and thought "Hey! Looks pretty fricking good but lacks a lil polish in animations and destiny!". I never bought nor played this game, but I'm really sad to see this announcement. I hope this dev will see this video or someone will believe in him again making him believe in his project again and grant some reward for his long efforts. Someone beautifully wrote about Ego that is the hardest thing to overcome. I agree that deleting this game is a bad idea. I think the dev should take brake, or polish everything that it has right now add more engaging destiny, ending or smth if it doesn't have it already and release this game, try to go out with this game to larger audience, some bigger youtuber or something. If someone have contact with a person that would help the developer with marketing or showing the way, please pull those right strings, unless the developer really doesn't want it which I'm afraid of the most.

[@pherostudio5398]

There are dev's out there that would fund and/or finish this. I wonder if he would be willing to branch out to the community. Super sad to see dreams die. Kickstarter, Publishers, Patreon, Subscribestar, Yourtube, twitch. So many ways to get the game out there I truly hope he doesn't give up.

[@LoftyRobotGames]

So dev here. Sad to see. I'll remain strong and see this through. Hope you get well and you pick up the mouse and keyboard again.

[@NolasDev_official]

hey man, what a lovelly speach you had i hope it reaches more people

[@Rooslahn]

Thank you for taking the time and listening to it:)

[@andreynol9498]

This video just saved the game bro

[@adrianzkr]

if by slight chance there's a group of devs willing to take over the project, or helping this man back on his feet to actually finish the game, im gonna cry happy tears ☕

[@ProjektHarvestSoul]

Ouf, I feel that. As a solo dev working on my dream game that is open world RPG... I feel that hard. I've thought about working on a smaller project, but the reason I haven't done that I guess is ego. I just don't want to, it would feel like a waste. My dream game is already going to take 4-5 years (4 years if we're counting time already spent), but it would feel like a waste to drop everything I'm doing. I'm done with the first implementation of almost every system (the rest require systems in place to make), so I had the delight of going back and looking at all the mistakes I made when I was just getting started. It feels like a mountain I have to climb that I made myself, it's buggy, deletes stuff arbitrarily, but it does otherwise work. At the same time, it feels like I'm finally over the crest of the mountain, the systems are in place, now I can use automation to add most of what I need going forward. I'm just getting finished with all the foundational work for my game. I've created all the creation tools I'll need to create all my items, spells, buildings, and NPCs. I'm finally entering the territory where I can start working on art and giving this world it's identity. I've already engaged in an exceptional amount of downsizing and I've already decided that if 5 years looks too optimistic I'm just going to downsize again. There's a lot of stuff that isn't needed I've ordered everything's importance on a list so I can easily cut stuff that isn't as integral to the game as some others, but if it starts looking like I'll need more time and the integral systems are all that's left then I'll just have to find a way to add more time. But, yeah, I'm hoping I can find a couple of people who are basically willing to work for just royalties since I have zero extra money laying around... And still somehow find enough money to pay for everything that I need to buy to make this game work. Well, at least the part of quitting would come sooner than later for me, if I can't get enough money for art that really would mean it's time to make a short game first.

[@flat_foot9017]

I think he shouldn't have stopped for his mental health and happiness, but for his family. Imagine if the people throughout history stopped pursuing their passions cause of their "mental health" and "happiness". I can say, with certainty, we'd still be living in the stone age

[@hatersgonnalovethis]

Yeah, sounds more like the chores of being a father creeped up on the project. Happens, no need for a youtube video with a piano playing in the background. Choices were made.

[@Rooslahn]

@hatersgonnalovethis your comment is intrinsically paternalistic view.

[@Henry-sv3wv]

at some point in time you become homeless and your life time hobby stops

[@-LightSmit]

Damn I felt this. I’m making a Japanese learning game RPG with 1-9 players. Early access is funding my life and family’s. I plan to work on this project for another 5-20 years if I’m financially stable. I hope Micah is in a better place. mentally. No social life and all gamedev can really destroy a person’s life.

[@branidev]

Woow your videos is sending a strong message to all of us indie solo devs, i completely understand that Dev, i made myself a top-down shooter containing only 10 levels around 2 years of game development i couldn't imagine how long i would need to spend to make surival 3d open world game... All of us indies we have great "imagination" or "dream game" we now we can create or build that game but we don't know how long it is gonna take... still i love the process ;)

[@Rooslahn]

Best of luck to you! Don’t forget to share the name of it when it gets closer to being done:)

[@branidev]

@@Rooslahn first game is already out year now today : Space Warden and now I am working on second title The Greys: Human abductions (just waiting for Steam to approve to have steam page up)

[@DanteAngeli-d6u]

I get lost after 5 minutes when launching Unreal, and a 12h tutorial takes me 48h because I'll watch it once first step by step then I try to do the thing but I need to rewatch it at least 3 times to get it right and to actually have a chance remember maybe half of it later. 5 years is a very long time, I get that your mind starts to break after a while. Shame to delete it though, reassessing your goal and cutting off some stuff could do some good. Maybe all he needs is a good vacation.

[@soloriotz]

I lost about 3 years of my live working on my previous game that I restarted 3 times because of real life events such as selling my computers and switching jobs for more income, not only that my hard drive got corrupted and that's when I called it quits. But I'm not giving up yet, even though I'm working full time with random hours, taking care of my girlfriend and about to have my first kid on the way, I will never give up on my dream no matter what people say about the indie world, solo development, or what lack of sleep I'm getting day after day. I started a new project about 4 months or so ago and I plan on finishing it no matter how big/small my scope is for the game; I know my limits and I plan on showing people you CAN do it no matter the situation you are in! It's not an ego thing either, it's called not giving up on your dreams. This is what I want to teach my kid one day and other indie developers that feel as if they "can't" do what they want.

[@joelambert7331]

I think another big lesson is deliver something even if you don't think it's perfect if it at least works. You can always update, but it's hard to start over. Sounds like he had a solid game, even if it didn't stand out a lot, but he kept raising the bar higher and higher, piling stress on himself. I think an unfocused solo dev needs a trusted manager to redirect them into something feasible and small but obtainable and make that the initial goal. And also it's good to follow SOLID design principles especially if you think you're going to blow it out of the water later. I haven't developed any games yet. OOP seems hard to wrap around designing like that. But I imagine these things will at least help and keep fans sustained if nothing more. Perfectionism running rampant ALWAYS leads to incomplete messes.

[@Skeffles]

It's a shame to see a project like this get cancelled. I think too many people expect games to be easier and quicker to make. I've had a 3 year stint on my own game and I know it's got a few more left. I just hope I don't get into the same place.

[@Vanderer11]

Just today I woke up and felt like no one will play sht I'm making rn and it will generate more problems than any good, lol. It can literally crush your morale hard, even if you know perfectly what you doing and have everything planned.

[@StupidDanimations]

Solo developing is a different kind of stress. It can often feel overwhelming for good reason; when you don't get anything done, *nothing* is getting done. If you have a team, it's easier to feel like things are still progressing, even if you have an unproductive day. *Keeping the scope small is key* -- making an unrealistic goal will break you. Design a game that plays to your strengths. Good at animation? Make a game that showcases that. Suck at texturing? Make everything simple flat shaders. You have to save time somewhere, while still looking polished. Developing alone takes TONS of fortitude and blind confidence in your abilities. Look back at all you've accomplished once in a while to remind yourself, "I've got this". Even if this dev has to abandon his project, the experience gained is priceless. He should be very proud of what he's accomplished.

[@garen591]

Nah he will be back pretty soon. He just went to take a breather. Sole devs are a different breed altogether

[@Rooslahn]

He definitely will not revive Re.Poly-its already removed from Steam

[@smith3136]

yep... he's back. lol

[@samohickey]

I feeeeeeeel that. Sorry to lose a fellow solo dev! It's rough out here. I'm ten years into mine, started with UDK, went through all of UE4's lifetime, and now I'm in UE5. I stopped uploading videos and posts to my personal KZbin, my game KZbin, Twitter (I refuse to call it X) and even my website... because my wife and I have a baby now and when I do have time on the computer it is spent in Blender, GIMP and UE5. I had to cut something out and that was posting updates... I just want to get my game done and I figure I can post when.. I don't know. Ha! Anyways, the mental battles are daily. Working a full time job and coming home to a personal life to only push yourself to work more is rough. It's rough! Hard on those around you, hard on you... There's only so much time in a day, then a week, then a month, then a year. It all goes so fast and there are other people that want your time as well. Anyways, much love to all of you other solo devs out there. Keep up the good fight! Take it fifteen minutes at a time. The competition is steep and you can't look at that or it will destroy you. Just stay in your lane and take things as they come. xoxo

[@Rooslahn]

I wish you best of luck man, please come back and let us know about your journey. I have Mad Respect for you my friend

[@fortcullisgames841]

As a solo developer, my first projects were too big and ambitious for me to complete. It' seems to be a classic beginner mistake. We get so excited about the idea of making games that we try to make an epic dream game for our first project. Start small. Try and make a simple game that plays well before taking on bigger challenges. Each small game will teach you so much that when you do move on to a larger project it will be much easier to make.

[@tanker7757]

i worked day and night for 6 months on a mobile app idea my friend had i came in with large amounts of enthusiasm but ended 6 months later burned out and broken my friend didnt understand the trouble developement bring niether did i fully i knew i was going to be over my head and i told him as much but he still expected more good riddence of that prodject and former friend your mental health is the most valuable thing in the world

[@neppallv]

As a solo dev, I 100% concur.

[@leeburton7901]

Whilst I feel for the guy, truth be told.. no low poly game should be 19.99 on early access. Half that and I’d assume the sales would fly up.

[@TheFlamingPike]

There's too many survival/crafting games out there. The market is oversaturated for this genre, just like with battle royale and arena shooters, so even if the interest for these games is big, it's too spread out and those who aren't at the center of attention will suffer from that. Me, I weep because I'm addicted to those games so I never get enough. But the average customer will go for the most popular games like Project Zomboid for sure. Merge Games ( Smalland ) shut down a couple of days ago.

[@jasonweddington3782]

it's never too late to ask or accept help if anyone is willing to help you out finish your game, there's no reason to deny it just cause of ego, or cause you want it to ne "solo" that may be what pushes you to get to the finish line. If anyone offers to help out at least, listen to their offer of what they are thinking they could help with.

[@Wrigggy]

actually i think solo dev has 1 unique advantage: no communication overhead. too much scope is a classic noob trap tho.

[@linuxrant]

Don't quit. Downscope, and release. People will buy it, then maybe even you will be able to up the scope if you will want to. Man, that game looks great.

[@TheOddApe]

Fantastic video with a lot of thought-provoking points. I'm not a developer myself, but I recognize that the struggles and challenges you've highlighted aren't confined to just one profession. I truly appreciate that you took the time to reflect on what often goes on behind the scenes, and you've really helped me see things from a different perspective. Thank you for sharing such an important message.

[@diggledoggledo]

Hi, I played this game and have it in my Steam library. I am going to say that I really am impressed by solo devs. I am sorry to see that this didn't make it but hopefully this person can get a job at a good studio on a good team - they deserve to be rewarded. It was not a total waste as they got valuable experience that they would not have gotten any other way. For all you solo devs and small indie team devs I salute you as you are, by and large, true innovators; however, you guys really should understand that very rarely is anything worth your health and happiness. If you are not a single person and have obligations I would suggest not to go this route.

[@flamart9703]

Yeah, gamedev sux... But we are optimistic and want to prove it one more time. :)

[@iHoPStA]

Another example to STOP BUYING EARLY ACCESS!!!! It's not helping the gaming community. I will never give my money to an Early Access title at the beginning of their journey ever again. Stop buying into them!

[@tonyzaddo]

Thanks for sharing this story. I am 4 years into developing an open world survival game. This could be my story in the not too distant future. But life is about having dreams and trying to fulfil those dreams.

[@Rooslahn]

I wish you best of luck in your journey!👍🏻

[@jstncheney]

This was a very well thought out video. Like you said, solo devs have to have the mental strength to keep going. And the only way to keep going is to have breaks. Honestly, a really good system would be to meet other like minded individuals and each year, half year, or quarterly, maybe let them take over and swap out. There IS such thing as burnout in everything you do!

[@Citizen-Nurseman]

Not all artists get recognised in their lifetimes, if at all. Hope he has another go, looked like a cool game.

[@TheAsjdj]

Personally i have been part of game devoplement in level design area and hell no it was not fun in the end. I ended up changing my EDU over to networking tech. Also i am planning my own game right now. but i will be making as a hobby in my free time. I will keep it as free thing but keep it as a hobby.

[@SurfersCode]

Mental health aside, what would you do if you put 5+ years into a game and got around 80% completed but did not get much attention? For example, few interested youtube players, no awards and not accepted to any events. I like this video and reading the comments is interesting, however, I see a lot of advice that is more useful for starting projects rather than for dealing with the situation presented in this video, which tends to be more similar to where I seem to be headed.

[@loolgam1ng229]

I would also drop the game. Being in a healthy mental state is obviously more important . I have been pulling my hair out the past day trying to remember a upcoming low poly medieval open world game i saw. AND btw did anyone see the new StarRupture gameplay reveal?? It got a Satisfactory/Starship Trooper ish vibe to it. Could be great

[@Rooslahn]

Wishlisted hahah😂 never heard of it but it looks nice not gonna lie

[@jimmyma9093]

That's sad, we have chat gpt now, and its actually really useful

[@georgeobama6167]

5 years on a project that you don't know will be successful, unless you already have a studio that won't tank because of previous success or running multiple projects on different games, or because personal finances that won't be affected (e.g. you are rich), 5 years is too much, sorry to break it ya. A bad move. There's actually videos by game devs on KZbin that explain this.

[@deltapi8859]

Absolut horror vision to develop a Game 5 years and then needing to drop it, because you realized "I can't finish it". Stardew Valley guy also nearly quit his game, but luckily came back. With his support system he was in the position to that. Kenshi also took 12 years to do. But these are the cases where "pushing through" was actually possible. It's a very privileged situation when your efforts are rewarded instead of punished. I also never really started my GameDev journey, because I was too afraid to have this happen to me. On the other hand if you don't do what you want or what you think is important you kind of waste your time anyway. I guess he gathered experience. It must be devastating though to through away 5 years, I'm wondering if he has the guts to start something new and smaller. But with half a decade, I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves and never comes back. Making a Game alone is very taxing, not because of the work load (that would probably be enough), but because you have no one to exchange ideas etc.

[@Rooslahn]

He returned back to development, many people(solo devs) were able to relate watching this video and poured an incredible amount of support for him. Encouraging to keep pushing and he decided to return.

[@deltapi8859]

@@Rooslahn awesome, what a wholesome story.

[@impheris]

Game dev is not for everybody, with the popularity of games and also the popularity of 2 or 3 game engines (of like 60 game engines out there XD) comes the misconception that everybody can make games now and it is easy, it's easiert han before, but not easy. That dev should start by making simple ideas, games that he can make in 1 week or 2 weeks max and then, complicate things with time

[@firstnamelastname-oy7es]

The fact that everyone can make games now means its harder than ever before to stand out.

[@jernaugurgeh451]

Game dev is fecking hard… solo game dev is almost impossible.

[@enermaxstephens1051]

At this point it's not even a loss, just shelve it until Ai matures. Then tell the Ai to finish the game. What would have taken years will take it days or even hours.

[@jasko346]

And yet this is the first time I see this game. I wish steam would push some of these things up with a lot of potential rather then the same old stuff. COD been on there for years. Apex, battlegrounds… all these big games. I hope someone keeps this going. Looks like a fun title. I’m going to download it today if that helps at all.

[@jimmyyang-p9x]

Honestly just listening to you talk made me sub

[@Rooslahn]

Hey thank you Jimmy 😊

[@quademasters249]

Most businesses fail. It's something you need to internalize when you decide to work for yourself. Considering all the code he's written, he should be able to start on something else with a better baseline. I had some false starts before I found something that worked for me.

[@Rooslahn]

We all hope, he picks something more suitable for him. Open world survival game is hard for anyone as it is. Imagine taking that task as a solo man and as a first project

[@adamcolon]

I don't get it. As a solo dev you creating for your passion, however long it takes. If you're losing your passion, tighten things up, release it and move on.

[@mikemikemikemikemikemeup]

I’m going to be honest. The game looks kinda bad and generic. The idea of a survival game like this has been done 1000 times over. It also sounds like he messed around a lot and changed things when he probably should’ve focused on making the game. I do feel bad that he put so much time into something just for it to fail. But just looking at the game and watching things about it honestly it doesn’t seem like it would’ve done well anyway. I know that’s harsh, but it is the reality. He should’ve known for a while that he wasn’t going to be able to do this project by himself. Did he ever consider scaling the game down a little bit and releasing it as a smaller project. Spending five years on something just to drop. It seems silly to me unless the product isn’t good. I hope he finds success in whatever else he ends up doing.

[@dakotah4866]

Love the video. however I'm thinking of making games myself I would not be a CEO for being independent. If I want to make something and sell it and give it to the public you don't need a business or corporation for that. Maybe a storefront not everything has to be a studio type action.

[@Rooslahn]

That’s true! It doesn’t have to be a studio type action. Vintage Story is a perfect example for that.

[@dakotah4866]

@@Rooslahn if you think about it and I know I'm going off topic of gaming but when you had people rapping they didn't have a label they just made a few songs and then after a while they were picked up they were independent until they were picked up by a studio. now there's no problem with making your own studio but I would probably be independence without one for a while. That seems more independent than having a studio. then you have to go through all the paperwork and bs. You know because here in the union you have the right to an occupation of whatever you want to do without being held back. You know name the occupations fishermen contractor Carpenter Hunter gatherer traveler shopkeeper guilds which some of these are under.

[@JoshuaPeck-j8m]

That's crazy poor guy...😢

[@HereIsANewGuest]

It's not very nice to say that, when the dev is going through difficult times, but... like others, I find it a pity. He could have said that he was taking a 6-month break feom the game and that he would see afterwards if he continued or not. Or simply, release it as is (or lighter) without. A priori the game works well technically and some people enjoy playing it like that. Even if it means making (or not) updates later. (Even if it means letting other devs try to finish the game?) I understand that there, he can no longer and must no longer think about this project and work on it. But no one has anything to gain from killing the game? Although at least it has the merit of being clear...

[@SkullyBones448]

Looks like a decent game already. Maybe he should’ve taken time out for a while and come back to it.

[@Repanon00]

Hey if you can contact the dev, tell him if he can take apart the different assets he made as well as the different mechanics/systems he made and sell them on Unity or Unreal(dont know what engine he used). That way, he can try to recoup some money and even bring in passive money. Maybe even inspire him later in life to finish the game. However, he sounds like he is burned out and doesn't even want to think about doing that. Im a solo dev, and i know it is rough and have purposely taken breaks from working on my small game to maintain my mental and physical health. It is not an easy "art project" if you choose to do it.

[@Rooslahn]

I will reach out to him with this message! This is such a good idea.

[@Repanon00]

Yea, I just saw it from a couple of other solo devs whose games didn't really profit. I plan on doing it myself.

[@scotmcpherson]

You could release is as FOSS and see if it get's picked up by the FOSS community

[@DiabloGoldSecrets]

Scope creep. On the bright side, his game probably was a big part of his resume.

[@les121476]

If it's shutting down there is no point talking about it

[@luciusrex]

i quit "professional" game dev and went to nursing school. im now 3 weeks in and theres so much promise within healthcare, a lot of the nurses we spoke too say they earn 6 digits easy a year!! ill still do game dev as a hobby. see you later guys!

[@territorygameofficial]

the struggle is real!

[@DSFXRENDER]

needed that

[@Scarcheeze]

Make the game into horror fantasy game similar to felvedik and berserk1997

[@cyberaxe_lznj]

Thank you

[@GianVlogs2]

this is why I only do small projects this is what Im afraid of

[@Rooslahn]

Your eyes aren’t bigger than your stomach! Keep it up man

[@GianVlogs2]

@@Rooslahn actually got inspired by this video to make something I've never tried.

[@WitchDimension]

nah game devs are just dub as fk. Every single thing on a computer is already calculated, and every single game has been designed to some degree before. If your sht fails you did the wrong fkn thing instead of the right thing. No accountability in the video game world

[@nardalis4832]

Well you sound like someone who doesn't know an ounce about gamedev. Make one yourself if you think there is a "right" way to do a game, I'd love to see you take on 20 team roles all by yourself. Won't do one? Then sit still in your seat there my guy

[@humanitzgame]

Great video

[@Rooslahn]

Thank you boss

[@humanitzgame]

@@Rooslahn solo devs are legends huge respect for them, we started our game with team of 2 and that was hard but now 6 members and having more help is key and looking after your own mentle health is the most important thing, maybe this poly survival game wont die and the community can help this solo dev complete his dream game!

[@michaeljungnickl6596]

What is the name of the game in your video? It's not mentioned in the title.

[@Rooslahn]

It’s called Sand! It’s not out yet

[@agereaver]

Sad but respect his decision

[@Rooslahn]

Of course

[@SeanBotha]

Yes it is hard but look at must survival one of the best games out the developed by one man. Coding has never been for the weak. Nowadays many devs are ooh I' don't want to work so long we worked from 5am to 11 at night. We had people who's job was to bring us coffee and just that. It is sad he failed but that is just because most do not know what real hard work is