Solo Game Dev: Ship Your First Game (and Don't Get Stuck)

Solo game development offers immense creative freedom but demands discipline. Students and independent creators often face similar hurdles in bringing their visions to life.

Your first goal should always be to ship a complete game, not a perfect one. Many aspiring developers get stuck in an endless loop of adding features, leading to unfinished projects.

Start with an extremely small scope. Think of a single mechanic, a simple level, or a core loop that can be polished quickly.

Successful indie games like Vampire Survivors or Stardew Valley started with focused mechanics and grew iteratively. They weren’t born as sprawling epics.

Avoid the trap of learning every skill before you start. You’ll learn more by doing and finishing a project than by consuming endless tutorials.

Identify the core skills necessary for your current small project and focus on those. Expand your skillset as your projects grow in complexity.

Leverage existing resources and tools whenever possible. Don’t reinvent the wheel for every system or asset.

Wayline’s asset library, Strafekit, offers a wide range of royalty-free 2D assets, 3D models, and audio. Using these assets saves significant time and effort.

Tools like Blueprint can help you define your game’s core mechanics and scope early on, preventing feature creep. A clear Game Design Document, even a simple one, keeps you focused.

Start marketing your game from day one, not just before launch. Share your progress, screenshots, and dev logs on social media.

Building a community early provides motivation and valuable feedback. Don’t wait until your game is perfect to show it off.

Burnout is a real threat for solo developers. Set realistic work hours and take regular breaks to recharge.

Prioritize your physical and mental health. A burnt-out developer produces nothing.

Seek feedback early and often. Even if it’s just from friends or family, an outside perspective can reveal blind spots.

Playtesting is crucial. Observe how others interact with your game, even if it’s just a rough prototype.

One common pitfall is falling in love with an idea without validating its fun factor. Get your core loop in front of players quickly.

Another mistake is neglecting the business side. Even solo developers need to consider how their game will reach players and generate income.

Many developers get stuck trying to achieve AAA quality with indie resources. Embrace your limitations and find creative solutions within them.

Remember, a shipped game, no matter how small, is infinitely more valuable than a perpetually unfinished magnum opus.

Learn from the experiences of others; for instance, understanding Why Small Teams Win can reshape your project approach.

Focus on iteration over perfection. Release, learn, and then build something better next time.

Your journey as a solo developer is about continuous learning and consistent execution. Stay disciplined, stay focused, and ship your games.