I have something to say... Harsh truths and Honesty | Indie Game Dev

You can check out our follow up to this video here: https://youtu.be/Ic9qvlx7fg0

I'm sure someone else has told you this, but I'm watching this video 8 months later. Y'all currently have 10.6K subscribers and this video has 28K views. Huge shout out to y'all for sticking with this and channel and with Veil of Maia! I'm wishlisted and I'm hoping for all the best!

I finish my career last year i just have some couple of final exams left to get my degree. I was lucky my teacher was a younger boy than me who succeed in the game industry and he is the one that made Madison the horror game. He explained to us a lot of the problems he faced through the years. Madison was developed by 2 people and it took 5 years. Between those years he explained to us he got copyright claims from different companies and countries, he has to re edit so many times the game trailer, to met platforms standards and the part that made him develop depression was the games that were trying to imitate his game style. He also told us when you are working everyday with other person the relationship becomes like a married couple is "very complex" there will be moments that are going to be really tense and rough. He also told us there was a moment he hated his game so much he couldn't even turn on the pc and work a few minutes on it. But one day he calmly analyzed (what does my game bring compared to the other ones out there?), (what do i offer to the player that make me different than the rest) and he found the answer he was literally putting his heart on the line where these dudes were just releasing trailers copying his camera style and such then from there he started to change things. He fired his first programmer and hired a new one in a few days so much was done he couldn't believe it how much time he was wasting due to being friend with his first programmer but sometimes if it doesn't IT DOESNT WORK u have to cut ties and move forward being friends doesnt mean u can pursue the same things in a working environment. Long history short i asked him Alexis how much did u earn with Madison? and he told me -by contract i cant tell u how much but i can tell u something if i want to live my life in a humble way without working anymore i can. He got into Da vinci university as a teacher because it was the time where Madison was getting ready to being ported in other platforms and he told us if he hasn't his mind working on something else he would go crazy. He also explained to us the risk when ur about to make a deal with a publisher read the fucking contract read it READ IT AND RE READ IT over and over because sometimes they want to help u financially but at the exchange of getting ur IP rights and if u accept u cant pretty much take any decision anymore u can keep working but under someone else lead. So an amazing history, he also helped us make our seminary game way better than it was. Great person and he was like if i could do it u guys can too. Now he told me he has a lot of offers from companies that want to work with him. But now hes in that place where since his dream became true "making an horror game" he declined so much offers he feels like the weight that were on his shoulder fade out and that now hes a bit more relaxed and that he can choose who he want to work with, is like a privilege after so much years of stress and work. So yea man everyone goes through what u are going through is up to u what u wanna do but hard work usually doesnt betray the only difference is that u have a family behind you so the stress must be even greater than a normal game developer. Sorry for the potato english i learnt the basics playing video games.

Iv been working on my game for more than 2 years and Iv never showed it to anyone. this video is great and you nailed the way I feel every day.

Game development videos have an evergreen kind of quality to them. I have only made about 18 videos and from those its clear to me which 4-5 just keep on bringing in steady views. I released 1 video this past year (2022) and netted +136 subscribers over the course of the year mainly from all the other videos. So first thing is to keep producing content, and then to limit the time investment in the content production - I really dont think at this stage that 40 hours on one video is anywhere near worth it. i've spent less than that on all my videos combined. Then, people like Thomas Brush it must be said are not (in my opinion) deriving a primary income from selling games. He's super talented and think about it, when you watch any of his videos he ALWAYS has just a few more spots or an extra day or two of discount on his COURSES. How many times have you seen him punt Neversong? Never? Hardly ever? So his business is not games - he likes that - but his business is largely education with a sprinkling of games on the side - still good cash, but there is less competition and way higher value in selling courses to his audience who are people like you and me - game developers. Who is your audience? And how are you getting THEM to Wishlist your game? It's not game devs Im sure. I would definitely consider doing a Kickstarter once you have built your audience more, which I reckon you will succeed in doing over this year. Wishing you both all the very best on this adventure.

Not a game dev or in the space at all, this just popped up in my feed and I am not disappointed. The genuine yet almost stern take was refreshing and amazing to hear. I wish you and your family the most success. I will definitely play your game once it releases as well! Good luck👍

I have been working in game development for 12 years as a game designer. The coolest game design book I've ever read starts with "your first games are gonna suck and there's no way to change that except make more games". And I felt it in my own skin. I hope you know what you're doing when you bet so much on your first project. Do you really need 15-20 hours of playing time? Even big titles don't always do it. I wish you luck anyway!

I respect your courage and I really wish your studio will take off! Good Luck !

Watching this in August 2023 and you have thousands of subscribers and this video has over 20k views. Congratulations! Keep going!

(Sorry if I used bad English, I'm still improving my language.) Hello my friend. This is the first video I watched on your channel, I met you today and I felt very similar feelings. It was interesting getting to know someone who lived a similar life to me, miles away. I've been living what you said for exactly 2.5 years :) I have to deal with everything myself, from their music, to their drawings, to the design, to their coding. I quit my full-time job, gave my life to a game while people were traveling and having fun, basically I focused on "achievement". I continue to live and improve my game on my own by financing myself with small jobs. There is a saying: "If your path in life is clear, you are probably living someone else's life." In other words, those who choose the difficult and bumpy road are those who prefer to live their own lives.. I appreciate you. Your wife must be proud of you. I'm sure. And one day your child will be proud too. I don't have a family :) Fortunately you have that. I wish you success. I've already added Samurado and Veil of Maia to my wishlist. 🤩

New to your channel here. I'm seeing 8.08K subscribers as I watch this video now - quite the bump from the 600 you mentioned in the video! Stay strong my dude! You voiced very real and common emotions in this video that all of us go through. Thank you for keeping it real. I'm excited to follow along from now until launch!

You're videos are gold. Keep it up you guys! You're so genuine and your honesty goes a long way in helping us grow. We need more people like you in the industry, people who take a little time to sit down and have a talk about some tough subject, genuine and honest. Truly a gem!

I came across this video by searching “being a solo game dev log” and you had a juicy thumbnail. Really enjoyed the message of the video. I’m always fascinated and moved when hear about people going all in on something they love and why. Just a minor thing, at times it felt like you were about to start repeating yourself but you were doing a stream of thoughts kind of thing so all good 😊 . I was invested in your mad lad story so I saw the video to the end. You came across relatable and genuine. Lastly, I really appreciate the editing/sound design for keeping my tiny attention span going. Hope this help! Your glow up is any day now 😊

I'm so glad I was randomly recommended your channel. Your videos really speak to someone who is in the very early stages of learning how to become a game dev. I'm slowly learning how to use the Godot Game Engine and watching tutorials in my spare time. I love art, I love playing videogames, so I thought, why not learn how to do it now? It's fun, but oh boy is it totally different from what I'm used to doing, especially with working a full time job with a company that LOVES to change your days and hours constantly. I have a big dream of the game I WANT to make, but watching videos like this really makes me think and remember what I want to do. Keep up the good work with these videos! Hopefully this comment helps boost your video for the constantly changing YouTube algorithm.

Just got recommended this video. Respect for taking the exciting hard road and letting us know your story/struggles. I'm currently a software developer, but ideally want to do game dev full time. I'm too sacred to just take the deep plunge like you did and hoping I can opt to get a game development job instead. However it's been tough to secure an interview without professional experience in games industry. Anyway I'll keep chugging along making short demos until my portfolio is enough to inpress my way into a job haha.

Aaaaand bam! I'm one of the 5.33k subscribers 5 months in of the upload of this video! Best wishes + luck, and I'll be keepin' an eye out for your game!

I really appreciate the vulnerability. I recently took a bit of a gamble move to try to pivot into the game industry & it definitely helps to know I'm not alone in trying to tackle this crazy dream. Thank you Sasquatch B Studios! 💚

Here's what I've done. I got a job as a school bus driver where I work 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening. So, in between 9:40 am to about 2:40 pm I got 5 hours to work on game development or pretty much anything I want. And then when I finish my bus route (after 3 hours in the evening), I could come home and work on game dev (or whatever I want) for the rest of the night. And thus, I earn good income and get to work on my dream. Well, I explain this in a video on my own channel. But, this is just food for thought with me trying to achieve my dreams while staying afloat too.

"It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good warning to his heart." (Ecclesiastes 7:2) Subscribed.

This video so clearly illustrates what I am going through right now, and that I'm not alone. Thanks for the much needed motivation to keep grinding. I wish you all the best on your adventure!