Nowadays, being a game developer means having a lucrative but extremely risky career. 10,500 employees in the gaming industry were laid off in 2023. We’re half way through 2024 and recent report suggest that another 10,000 people have been laid off, resulting in over 20,000 layoffs in just 18 months.
In order to help all current and future game developers, we decided to take a look at some of our interviews and extract the most useful tips from industry veterans.
Tip #1: Vision, Passion and Perseverance
In our conversations with the majority of developers, we have noticed that the holy trinity of game production is having vision, passion and perseverance. Game developers must know how to do things, love the things that they’re doing and never give up! Not having this mindset can have dire consequences for the whole creative process and risk failure somewhere along the way.
Artiom Komarov and Scott Christian, from the indie Hilltop Studio insist that you simply have to: make sure to start by finding an idea that you’re passionate about. We’ve seen a lot of indie devs start their process from a position of “what’s going to sell… I’ll just make that”. We’ve heard from numerous publishers we talked to early on that they could tell just how passionate we were about our game idea with Lil’ Guardsman. Because games take so long to make, and it inevitably gets hard, you need to love what you’re making in order to take it across the finish line.
Worldless is a phenomenal game precisely because of its refusal to blindly follow certain trends. As Noname Studios explains, “One thing that was key for all of us was making a game that we wanted to play. We didn’t bother following trends or hard-established rules in gaming .”
The young but extremely ambitious Croatian developer Lovre Gobin also agrees that passion is instrumental. He believes that: passion is key: stay passionate about what you’re creating. It’s the fuel that keeps you going, especially during challenging times.
Jeremy Berson , from the ultra-popular V Rising, follows up on this and explains that you should: “Make a game you want to play, but don’t forget that you are creating an experience for others! Choose a theme that ignites passion within your team, treat your game characters like pop stars, and create a universe that expresses identity.
The Macedonian studio Workbench Entertainment is aware that this is a harsh industry in which one can succeed only through hard work, and willingness to be persistent:
“Never give up and don’t lose motivation if you don’t have the budget and support from local sponsors or whoever. With hard work and effort, literally anything can be achieved.”
Tip #2: Start small
At the beginning, most veterans don’t recommend being unrealistically ambitious. That’s why Lina Anderson, at Dinomite Games, recommends that you: start with a small game and then work yourself upwards. So, for example, say you have a mid-size game you want to create; try to make several smaller games where you can re-use parts in your mid-size game. You both get a ton of experience and release games that hopefully can generate an income, all while working towards your game goal!
Sergio Gonzalez Jimenez, creative director at Team Delusion, offers similar advice, explaining that: if you want to make a game on your own, try by all means to make the game short, and of course interesting. That way you will face as many unexpected changes as possible.
Dare to dream ambitiously, but be aware of your limitations, don’t wear yourself out at the very beginning. ” – C2 Game Studios!
Tip #3: Be open to constantly learning new things and collecting valuable feedback!
According to Lovre Gobin, constructive criticism and feedback is of utmost importance: look for feedback on your work. Constructive criticism is a powerful tool for improvement. I for example alone tested my game for over 200 hours, I think I did every quest at least 10 times and tried to break it any way imaginable, so yeah – the development of it may take a long time but testing it will take 10x more!
C2 Game Studios explains that you will make mistakes, lots of mistakes, but: don’t run away from them, admit your mistakes, learn from them, take risks and be willing to accept criticism that comes from what you love to do the most.
Lina explains that you should: test your game early and a lot with friends and random people to get feedback on what’s fun and how to improve things! If something is fun in a prototype stage, you’re off to a good start!
Tip #4: Marketing Strategy
The Macedonian studio Maximus Ludos Studios, best known for their game Echoes World, believes that ideas and imagination are key and that developers are required to show: “maximum dedication, desire and love for video games.” But they emphasize that: “pay a lot of attention to the promotion of the game, because no matter how good the game is, without a proper marketing strategy it will get lost in the melting pot of constantly released games.”
The notion is shared by Sergio Gonzalez Jimenez as well. The creative director for Guayota believes that advertising the game is extremely important: Market your game. Yourself, through a Marketing & PR company, or through a publisher. But you will need to do it. And the sooner you start, the better.
Tip #5: Health and enjoyment!
How many times have you heard the saying: The greatest wealth is health? This is doubly important for developers. If you’re not physically and mentally well, if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, then what is the point of it all? Money? In the pursuit of monetary gains, you risk seriously damaging your well-being.
Lina Anderson especially agrees with this. She reminds us: Don’t forget to prioritize your health! The games industry is riddled with burnout, and it’s easy when working with something you love. So don’t forget it’s okay to take breaks; it’s a marathon, not a sprint!
Noname Studio does not want you to work in bad conditions! They feel that: “there’s really no need to suffer more than necessary, especially in the game development industry; the core of programming is stressful enough!”
Most importantly – enjoy the Process: It’s not just about the destination; relish the journey. Game development is a creative endeavor, and finding joy in the process is crucial for long-term success, shares Lovre Gobin
At long last, we leave you with, perhaps, the best advice, coming from the Macedonian studio Three Cats Games :
Let those who are already making games keep on making them. If you’re wary of starting a business, set all fears aside! Get a feel of the games that players want to play and always to differentiate yourself from others! Let’s show the world that good games can come from Macedonia too :)
Good games can and are coming from all of the corners of the world. No matter where you are, we can’t wait to play your game too!
