How Making Indie Games Changed My Life

Summary

David, an indie game developer, recounts his unconventional journey into game development. Starting as a film school graduate with no programming knowledge, he began making mods for Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight. Discovering Unity and PlayMaker allowed him to create his first game, 'Home is Where One Starts', after months of self-teaching. Although it didn't gain massive success, it led to a dream job in VR and ultimately, his second game, 'The First Tree', which changed his life financially. David now shares his knowledge with aspiring developers through 'Game Dev Unlocked'.

Takeaways

• 😀 David started as a film school graduate with no programming skills, initially unaware of his potential as a game developer.
• 🎮 As a teenager, David explored modding games like Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight, igniting his passion for game design but thinking big studios were the only ones who could make full-fledged games.
• 💡 His transition to game development was sparked by a coworker's suggestion to try Unity, a free game engine, although David initially thought coding would be out of reach for him.
• 🖥️ David discovered PlayMaker, a visual scripting tool for Unity, which helped him realize he could create games without coding expertise, offering a breakthrough in his journey.
• 📚 Despite online critics, David chose to embrace PlayMaker and began experimenting with small projects to improve his game development skills.
• 🎥 David's passion for storytelling, combined with his love for gaming, led him to create his first game, 'Home is Where One Starts,' which explored a personal story of a young girl overcoming her past.
• ⏳ After 18 months of part-time work on the game, David released it for free, despite limited financial success, and used the experience to build his portfolio.
• 🏆 David's first game helped him land a job at The Void, a VR startup, where he worked on high-profile projects, including Star Wars content, fulfilling his dream of working with Lucasfilm.
• 🔥 David’s second game, 'The First Tree,' was a critical success, generating significant revenue, which allowed him to buy a house and fund console ports for Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
• 💰 The financial success of 'The First Tree' enabled David to quit his job and pursue full-time indie game development, later creating 'Game Dev Unlocked' to share his journey and lessons with others.

Q & A

What inspired David to start making games despite not having programming skills?

David's inspiration came from his childhood experiences modding for 'Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight,' where he created levels and explored others' creations. This sparked his desire to make a full game, even though he initially thought only big studios could create games.

Why did David initially pursue a career in film instead of game development?

David chose to pursue film because it seemed like a safer and more realistic career path compared to game development, which he thought was reserved for big studios and expert programmers.

How did David learn to make games despite his struggle with coding?

David discovered PlayMaker, a visual scripting tool for Unity that allowed him to create games without needing to write traditional code. This tool made it easier for him to see and manage the interactions in his games, helping him overcome his coding challenges.

What role did Unity play in David's journey to becoming an indie game developer?

Unity was a game engine that David's coworker introduced him to, showing him how he could use it for architecture. This sparked his interest in game development, and after discovering PlayMaker, it became the foundation for David's game-making journey.

What impact did the game 'Dear Esther' have on David?

Playing 'Dear Esther' made David realize the potential of storytelling in games. The exploration of a 3D environment to piece together an abstract narrative inspired him to create his own game and explore the medium's narrative possibilities.

What was the first game David made, and what was its story about?

David's first game was 'Home is Where One Starts,' a first-person exploration game about a young girl overcoming her difficult past in a broken home. The game was inspired by a T.S. Eliot poem and David's memories growing up in rural Virginia.

Why did David's first game not achieve massive success despite its completion?

David's first game didn't achieve massive success because he neglected marketing, a critical aspect of indie game development. Additionally, the game had limited mass appeal as it was a short, experimental project.

How did David's first game help him land his dream job?

David's first game, with its inclusion of Oculus Rift support and its success in selling 5,000 units on Steam, helped him land a job at The Void, a VR startup. This game on his resume impressed the chief engineer at The Void and allowed him to escape his old job.

What was David's second game, and what were the key elements of its story?

David's second game was 'The First Tree,' a third-person exploration game with two parallel stories: a fox searching for her missing cubs and a son reconnecting with his estranged father. The game was a passion project that David worked on while at The Void.

How did the success of 'The First Tree' change David's life?

'The First Tree' launched successfully on Steam, earning David $150,000, which allowed him to buy a house and invest in console ports. The game's success also led to David quitting his job at The Void and becoming a full-time indie developer.