Stop Dreaming, Start Shipping: A Solo Dev's Guide to Real Progress

Stop Dreaming, Start Shipping: A Solo Dev’s Guide to Real Progress

Many aspiring solo game developers get stuck in a cycle of endless ideation. They jump from one grand concept to another, never quite starting, let alone finishing, a project. This common pitfall stems from a misunderstanding of what it takes to actually ship a game.

The biggest mistake is overscoping. You envision an open-world RPG with intricate lore and a hundred hours of gameplay. While admirable, this is a recipe for burnout and abandonment, especially for a single developer.

Instead, focus on small, achievable projects. Think about a core mechanic you can build and polish in a few weeks. This iterative approach builds momentum and provides tangible progress.

Prioritize a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). What is the absolute bare minimum required for your game to be playable and fun? Build that first.

Don’t get lost in feature creep. Every new idea, no matter how exciting, adds development time and complexity. Be ruthless in cutting features that aren’t essential for your MVP.

Learn to reuse assets and tools effectively. Building everything from scratch is inefficient for solo developers. Leverage asset libraries like Wayline’s Strafekit to save time on art, audio, and more.

Documentation might seem like a chore, but it’s crucial. Even for solo projects, a concise Game Design Document (GDD) helps maintain focus and clarity. Tools like Wayline’s Blueprint can streamline this process, helping you transform ideas into professional GDDs quickly.

Embrace prototyping. Before writing a single line of production code, quickly test your core mechanics. Use simple shapes and placeholder art to validate your concepts.

Seek feedback early and often. Don’t wait until your game is ‘perfect’ to show it to others. Early feedback can highlight critical flaws and save you months of wasted effort.

Understand that perfection is the enemy of good. Your first few games will not be masterpieces, and that’s okay. The goal is to finish them and learn from the experience.

Break down large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. A giant ‘Implement Combat System’ task is daunting; 'Design Basic Attack’, 'Implement Player Health Bar’, ‘Create Enemy Spawning’ are much more approachable.

Time management is vital. Dedicate specific blocks of time to development and stick to them. Treat game development like a part-time job, even if it’s just an hour a day.

Avoid getting bogged down in tutorials. Learn what you need, when you need it. Don’t fall into the trap of endlessly watching tutorials without applying the knowledge.

Be prepared for challenges. Bugs will happen, features will break, and motivation will wane. Resilience is a key trait for solo developers.

Celebrate small victories. Finishing a feature, fixing a tricky bug, or getting positive feedback can keep your spirits high.

Networking with other developers, even online, can provide support and new perspectives. You’re not alone in this journey.

Remember, the most successful indie developers are often those who consistently ship small, polished games, rather than endlessly pursuing a single, massive project. Focus on finishing what you start, and your skills and portfolio will grow exponentially.

Take action today. Pick one small game idea, outline its core mechanics, and start building. Use Wayline’s Blueprint to quickly organize your thoughts and define your project’s scope. The journey from idea to shipped game begins with that first concrete step.