The Hobbyist Game Developer Manifesto
A manifesto: Ten basic rules for the Hobbyist Game Developer to remember before starting a new game project.
1. Make a small game
Don't aim to make the next World of WarCraft. At least complete some small games before moving on to some of your grand ideas.
2. Be open about your game
Don't be shy about developing games as a hobby. Upload your game to a website as soon as the first playable version is ready and share the link with friends. If you have concept art then share that even earlier in the process. Create videos, take screenshots and release early demos for the world to see.
3. Let your game evolve
Your game will never end up quite as you expected. If something does not work or feels annoying then change or remove it and maybe add something else to the game if it needs to be improved.
4. It is YOUR game
While input from friends can be useful don't forget that it is your time being spent developing it. If you love space themed games then set it in space. The target audience is probably you and it is really just a bonus if other people happen to like it.
5. Find help when you are stuck
Join communities and forums to find people who can help you when things get over your head. This can also lead you to a possible collaboration with someone who is talented in areas you are not.
6. Learn when creating your game
Game development allows you to learn a lot of things. Improve your skills in design, programming, graphics, sound, music and even creativity. Game development will naturally make you more creative.
7. Learn from other games
Play games that are comparable to what you are creating and draw inspiration from them without simply copying them. Even board games can be an inspiration. Improve their formula if possible or create something entirely new the world has never seen before.
8. Finish your game
Ten unfinished games will not make you half as proud as actually completing one game. Always strive to finish the game you are working on.
9. Give your game away
Free is the keyword here. Don't charge people for wanting to play your game and make it easy for them to share the game with their friends. You can try inserting ads if you need to make money from your game.
10. Have fun
Do it because you love it, you want to do it and because you have fun doing it.
Some of the rules might not be perfectly suited for your project. Go ahead and change the rules once you learn what works best for you.
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January 6th, 2010 - 12:28
Hi there! This blog looks like it may develop into a pretty valuable resource, I reckon I’ll keep popping in. Keep up the good work! Do you have any idea what sort of material you are planning on covering in the future? M
January 6th, 2010 - 12:36
Hi Maurice!
Thank you for the kind comment. I hope to add Game Maker 8 tutorials in the near future and then move to FPS Creator tutorials from there. I have my eyes on a few more user friendly engines as well. In between tutorials you will probably see some more “motivational” posts like this manifesto and some tips for finding ressources and useful tools.
/Soren
January 6th, 2010 - 23:48
I don’t know that I agree with you on point 9… it may depend on your medium. I’m a hobbyist developer, but I use the flexSDK and produce flash games. The compensation from in-game ads is pretty small, but I think at least token compensation is important when every site hosting your game is making money off of it.
The flash game player base however, has pretty much accepted the presence of pre-game ads as the price of having monetarily free games. If your a hobbyist focused on downloadables, your distribution channels are different and I don’t know enough about them to say whether there’s a moral imperitive to get -something- in return for your work.
January 7th, 2010 - 08:11
Ads are an interesting way of making a return of investment but from what I have learned from most who use it and what you write is that the compensation is pretty small. If you have a hit flash game with a million daily plays it can be a reasonable source of income – at least as long as the game remains popular. Making a hit like that is not all that easy of course. In a way inserting ads is not the same as charging people if they want to play your game (and therefore not in conflict with nr. 9). It’s a middle road that works for some highly popular games.
For downloadable games there are currently no viable ways that I know of for small unknown developers like hobbyists to insert ads into their games.
January 9th, 2010 - 06:58
I’ve disagreed with about 50% of the “manifesto” this one was based on. But I mostly agree with these points. Don’t necessarily agree with 10 that is, I agree you should have fun. But not necessarily because you love it. Instead I think you should be more free with that definition. HAVE fun, that is try to relax and don’t be uptight, so what if it isn’t perfect if you’re having fun that’s all that matters
November 23rd, 2010 - 06:08
I just discovered this site and have read most of your articles. I find this an excellent resource for getting started in game development. It’s much more approachable to than anything else I’ve come across so far. Thanks for sharing all the great inspiration, ideas, and resources!
November 23rd, 2010 - 11:16
Thank you for the nice comment Curtis!