User Stories: How Founding An Indie Games Blog Changed Our Perception Of This Industry

As the term gained popularity, producers and consumers alike began to wonder: what exactly is an indie game anyway? Should we consider anyone who hasn’t been signed by a publisher independent? And if that’s the case, are solo developers and multi-million dollar self-publishing studios on the same plane?

Eventually, to answer these and other questions, my partner Elisa and I launched The Indie Toaster in May 2017. We began to review other people’s work, we attended events, we published summaries and - most importantly – we made an effort to meet as many creatives as we could fit into our schedule. Our final goal, you ask? To provide the community with all the guidance and assistance we could muster.

Almost immediately, we began to realize just how deep this specific rabbit hole goes. The indie gaming industry is not as simple as it might seem at a first glance. Whether you’re working on your first project or already have a few titles safely under your belt, here are three tips we feel could help you!

All Projects Have a Price

Once you open your door and let people know that you’re there to help, questions usually start pouring in. One of the most common we’ve seen in the last 400 or so days is about how much it costs to build a game from scratch.

Let’s be crystal clear about this one: there’s no such thing as a completely free effort to bring something to life. Regardless of your intentions to make money out of it, developing an indie game will cost you. Before you even attempt to move forward, you should get familiar with whatever requirement your project has.

If you’re only developing out of passion or are doing it to earn experience, time ends up being your most valuable commodity. In this case, the golden rule is to be as constant as you possibly can. Dedicating 8 to 10 hours a day into the earlier phases of your plan will serve you no purpose, if you can’t be persistent enough to see the end of it. 

Things get a bit more complicated when a commercial release is involved. You’ll have to acquire all needed licenses, invest in assets and marketing, maybe even pay your colleagues a few bucks to keep them happy. As such, building a realistic business plan remains one of your utmost priorities. 

Do that and you’ll be one step closer to becoming a successful indie games developer.  

Don’t Be The Jack Of All Trades

“Fine then! If hiring outsiders costs so much, I’ll just take care of everything by myself!” This too is an extremely common answer we get while talking to devs. Especially among first-timers, tackling every aspect of their project in a single sitting is seen as a final proof of honor and ability. 

Unfortunately, as players come to expect more polished and richer experiences, doing everything on your own often becomes impossible. Mind it: it’s not a matter of skills or willingness to sacrifice your free time. On the contrary, it’s the sheer amount of work that has the ability to trample your dreams. 

The average indie game takes several months to see the light of day. We’re only talking about the time needed to turn an idea into a working build. On top of that, you’ll have to account for marketing, community management, quality assurance, and shipping. Oh, and you should sleep too. You might feel invincible in your early 20s, but that won’t last forever. 

Once again, your final goal influences the way you work. For a non-commercial release, you can take as much time as you want. When you’re planning to sell your game, though, setting the right kind of deadline - and sticking by it - can make a difference. Delay your release too much and you might doom your title from the start! 

Maybe it’s time to drag a few more people into your project? 

Be Ready To Fight For Your Place

We talked about managing your resources, we discussed how you shouldn’t do everything by yourself, yet we left the most important question for last. “What exactly makes an indie game a success?”, we were asked more than a few times. Truth be told, there’s no clear answer to this one!

In its infancy, the interactive entertainment industry saw a couple of hundreds of new releases hitting the shelves every year. In 2016, SteamSpy counted more than 6000 titles seeing the light of day. The number was even higher in 2017, for which the site reports more than 7050 new product pages. That’s a lot of competition you’ll have to ride through. 

There’s no magic formula for success, but there are a couple of guidelines you should stick to. Among the others, always make sure you probe the market before you start working. Join development groups, visit events, ask fellow gamers what kind of titles they would like to play. You won’t have time for it once the project is underway. 

Finally, be prepared to fight for the attention of your crowds. Start marketing ahead of time, get in contact with the press - we have a guide on how to do both - and give your indie game as much visibility as you can; even if it means cracking open your piggy bank!

- Alessandro Cossidente