Creating a Successful Indie Game - 10 Tips to Get Your Project Started on the Right Track
Creating your own indie game is a challenging and rewarding process. This is your chance to create the game you want and share your ideas with the world. Whether you're working by yourself or with a small team, there are some very important things you should keep in mind when creating a successful indie game.
Chances are you don't want to just create one game and be done with it, this is something you want to keep doing, and in order to keep doing what you love you need to create games that are successful. This article will cover some of the very important things you need to keep in mind when working on your game so you can ensure you're setup for success.
This is probably one of the most important things to creating a game; you need to have a budget whether it's big or small. You need to know exactly how much you have to put into the game, and you need to understand where your money is going. Chances are you don't have an endless budget so you need to be able to manage your money in a logical way.
This game might be a labor of love between some close friends who don't expect any compensation until the game is published, they just want to create a great game in hopes their passion will be rewarded. However, this is not always the case, and artists usually want to get paid. And sometimes even your close friends won't be convinced by the typical "I can't pay you, but once the game is published you'll be rich."
So if your team requires compensation for their work you need to know your budget and how many team members you can actually pay comfortably. This might mean you need to have a few less team members in order to create your game on budget. Because you never want to be half way through production and realize you don't have the money to finish the game.
Finding a game engine to use with your game can be a difficult process because there are many different engines out there with different features and benefits. Choosing a game engine can be determined by the style of the game you want to make as well as your budget.
To help you choose a game engine that will work for your project check out this in-depth article to learn about the different game engines and their features, as well as their costs so you can decide which will work best for your project.
Working small is extremely important especially if you're just starting out. You never want to bite off more than you can chew. This can mean a game that exceeds your budget or simply can't be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time or if you and your team don't have the man power required to create a game of that magnitude.
Create something that you know can be finished with the team you have as well as your budget. Ask yourself if your game really needs top notch graphics or the amount of detail put into each level or environment. There are reasons why games like Grand Theft Auto and Halo take years to make, even with hundreds of artists.
Simplicity is the logical route to take when working with a small indie team. It's better to have a finished game that is simple than an unfinished game that is graphically top notch but may never see the light of day due to time or money issues.
This tip is definitely an enjoyable one, but you should not be playing games simply to have fun, but rather to learn from. Play your favorite games and dissect them, find out what you enjoy so much about them, and what aspects you feel the game does right, and where it could be improved.
You shouldn't be afraid to take risks. There are hundreds of new indie games coming out, from mobile to PC and console, and the market is constantly growing. Innovation is another great way to be successful, as mentioned previously don't rehash a game style because you think it will make you more money. Take risks with the mechanics, art style and aesthetics. Create something that is unique and will stand out among the crowd.
This doesn't mean you need to create a game with unconventional mechanics and an over the top art style, but rather find places where your game can stand out. It might be something as simple as an exaggerated animation style or a new way to implement the gameplay mechanics.
Know Your Budget
This is probably one of the most important things to creating a game; you need to have a budget whether it's big or small. You need to know exactly how much you have to put into the game, and you need to understand where your money is going. Chances are you don't have an endless budget so you need to be able to manage your money in a logical way.
This game might be a labor of love between some close friends who don't expect any compensation until the game is published, they just want to create a great game in hopes their passion will be rewarded. However, this is not always the case, and artists usually want to get paid. And sometimes even your close friends won't be convinced by the typical "I can't pay you, but once the game is published you'll be rich."
So if your team requires compensation for their work you need to know your budget and how many team members you can actually pay comfortably. This might mean you need to have a few less team members in order to create your game on budget. Because you never want to be half way through production and realize you don't have the money to finish the game.
Finding the Right Software
Depending on your budget, the software you have access to may be big or small. Luckily, there are many choices of 3D and 2D applications that can work for any budget size. Maya LT is the light version of Maya designed for indie developers for a reasonable sticker price of $50/monthly or $795 for the whole program. However, it does have some restrictions in that it only has modeling, animation and texturing features. An alternative is using Blender which is a completely free 3D application; this can definitely be a great choice especially if you're working with a very tight budget.Finding the Right Game Engine
Finding a game engine to use with your game can be a difficult process because there are many different engines out there with different features and benefits. Choosing a game engine can be determined by the style of the game you want to make as well as your budget.
To help you choose a game engine that will work for your project check out this in-depth article to learn about the different game engines and their features, as well as their costs so you can decide which will work best for your project.
Work Small
Working small is extremely important especially if you're just starting out. You never want to bite off more than you can chew. This can mean a game that exceeds your budget or simply can't be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time or if you and your team don't have the man power required to create a game of that magnitude.
Create something that you know can be finished with the team you have as well as your budget. Ask yourself if your game really needs top notch graphics or the amount of detail put into each level or environment. There are reasons why games like Grand Theft Auto and Halo take years to make, even with hundreds of artists.
Simplicity is the logical route to take when working with a small indie team. It's better to have a finished game that is simple than an unfinished game that is graphically top notch but may never see the light of day due to time or money issues.
Play Lots of Games
This tip is definitely an enjoyable one, but you should not be playing games simply to have fun, but rather to learn from. Play your favorite games and dissect them, find out what you enjoy so much about them, and what aspects you feel the game does right, and where it could be improved.
Create Something You're Passionate About
Creating an indie game should not be something you're doing because you're hoping to get rich quick. If that is your mentality then you will not have a successful game. Don't create a certain style of gameplay or graphics simply because you think it's popular and will make you more money. This will only cause you to lose interest. Instead, create something you're interested in and passionate about, because your passion will show through to your game. If you find yourself in the trap of making a game you aren't interested in yourself, chances are it's not going to be as good as it could be. Often times the keys to success as an indie game developer is to create a game that you would love playing yourself. If you're itching to finish the game so you can get your hands on it and start playing, that's a good sign.Be Unique
You shouldn't be afraid to take risks. There are hundreds of new indie games coming out, from mobile to PC and console, and the market is constantly growing. Innovation is another great way to be successful, as mentioned previously don't rehash a game style because you think it will make you more money. Take risks with the mechanics, art style and aesthetics. Create something that is unique and will stand out among the crowd.
This doesn't mean you need to create a game with unconventional mechanics and an over the top art style, but rather find places where your game can stand out. It might be something as simple as an exaggerated animation style or a new way to implement the gameplay mechanics.
