From Zero to Hero in Avoiding Indie Game Dev Horror Tropes

From Zero to Hero in Avoiding Indie Game Dev Horror Tropes

So, you’re making a game. Awesome! But the road to indie success is paved with good intentions… and plenty of development nightmares. Designing a game solely for your own enjoyment can quickly summon some nasty demons. Let’s exorcise those tropes before they haunt your project.

The Scope Creep Specter: A Ghastly Overreach

The most common horror? Scope creep. It’s that insidious feeling that whispers, “Just one more feature…” Suddenly, your manageable platformer is a sprawling RPG with crafting, romance options, and a procedurally generated world.

Avoid this by defining a clear, concise scope before you write a single line of code. What is the CORE experience? Stick to it. Defer all other ideas to “maybe later,” or, better yet, a potential sequel.

Monetization Monsters: Predatory Practices in Disguise

No one wants to play a game that feels like a constant shakedown. Avoid pay-to-win mechanics, excessive ads, and other predatory monetization schemes. These might bring short-term gains, but they’ll destroy your reputation and alienate your players.

Instead, focus on fair, transparent monetization. If you’re going free-to-play, ensure players can progress without spending money. Consider cosmetic items, expansions, or a one-time purchase for a premium experience. Think about what you would find reasonable as a player.

Polish Poltergeists: Rushed Releases and Buggy Boogeymen

Releasing a broken, buggy mess is a surefire way to kill your game before it even has a chance. The “release now, fix later” mentality is a recipe for disaster.

Allocate ample time for testing and polishing. Get feedback early and often. Don’t be afraid to delay your launch if necessary. A polished, functional game is always better than a rushed, buggy one.

The Isolation Imp: Development in the Dark

Thinking you can single-handedly create the next indie masterpiece in total isolation? Think again. Development thrives on feedback and iteration.

Share your work early and often. Join online communities, participate in game jams, and get your game in front of real players as soon as possible. Constructive criticism is invaluable.

The “My Vision” Banshee: Ignoring Player Feedback

It’s your game, yes, but it will be enjoyed by the players. Dismissing feedback simply because it doesn’t align with your “vision” is a dangerous path.

Be open to suggestions and willing to adapt your design based on player experiences. A game that’s fun for you might not be fun for everyone else. Use player feedback to refine and improve your game, not to validate your ego.

How a Game Dev Journal Can Save You

All these horrors can be mitigated, if not entirely avoided, by one simple practice: keeping a consistent game dev journal.

A game development journal isn’t just a diary; it’s a critical tool for tracking your progress, organizing your ideas, and making informed decisions. By keeping a game development log, you’ll not only maintain a clear vision but also make it easier to analyze decisions and stay consistent.

Here’s how a game dev journal can help:

• Clarity: Document your core design principles and refer back to them to prevent scope creep.
• Problem Solving: Record the bugs you encounter and the solutions you find.
• Iteration: Track player feedback and how you’re implementing it into the game.
• Motivation: Seeing your progress written down can be a huge morale booster.
• Accountability: A game dev journal keeps you accountable to the goals that you initially made, and is a great place to revisit goals and change them.

Indie developers who meticulously track game development progress are significantly more likely to stay on track and avoid the common pitfalls that derail so many projects.

Consistency is key. Aim to update your game dev journal daily or at least several times a week. Write down your goals for the day, the challenges you faced, and the solutions you found. Use it to brainstorm new ideas, analyze player feedback, and reflect on your progress.

Need a place to start? Try using our easy-to-use game development journal to track your progress, stay consistent, and organize your creative process.