Game dev is complex because it brings together so many disciplines: programming, art, animation, music, writing, design... You’re essentially trying to create an interactive universe from scratch! That’s not supposed to be simple. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Many devs give up early because they assume making games is just a matter of following tutorials until something "clicks" Playing games and making them are two completely different experiences. There are no fixed rules. You’ll have to find what works for you. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

I’m going to start streaming on Twitch! Haha You can come hang out right now (or later when you can) here: www.twitch.tv/gaelthedev See you there!

Game development is a creative process, and like any creative craft, there isn’t one single “right” way to do it. Every developer carves their own path, and that’s what makes it beautiful 💜 #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Game dev is hard… but incredibly rewarding It takes a lot of time to understand even the simplest things. If you feel like you “should be further ahead”, that is completely normal. It’s not just you. This is just how it goes! #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Celebrate small wins in game dev. If you only wrote one line of code today, that’s one line that didn’t exist yesterday. Tiny progress adds up to finished projects. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Thanks YouTube, it was supposed to be "childhood" but OK 😂

Is YouTube worth doing as a solo dev? Maybe, but it depends… youtu.be/faYno3Gn7g0 #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedeveloper

“Work on it when I have time” is a trap. You’ll never find time for your game, you have to make it. Even a few hours a week, protected like gold, will move your game forward. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Last night I deleted ALL my games file by accident. And I didn't have a buck up of most of the files (stuff like art, documents, etc). Luckily, I could recover most of it with recuva 😵‍💫 This is your reminder, BACK UP YOUR PROJECT NOW! #indiedev #gamedev

Forget crunch. It’s better to work 30 minutes a day on your game than 12 hours once a month. Consistency builds rhythm, and rhythm builds finished games. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Your game is like a plant. It doesn’t need a flood once a month, it needs small, regular watering. A little game dev time every week keeps it alive and growing. Show up regularly. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Terrain Shader Structure - Terrain Shaders - Episode 3 #gamedev #gamedevelopment #indiedev

Curtains The Clown by @grimclownjay.bsky.social has released! You can get it for the price of a cup of coffee and it is more than worth it (and I LOVE coffee) Steam store.steampowered.com/app/3766820/... Itch grimclownjay.itch.io/curtains-the... #CurtainsTheClown #IndieGame #Recommendation

Your game dev to-do list doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to keep you moving. Vague and messy is fine at first. Plans evolve as your game does. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Currently playing @againstthestorm.bsky.social And damn, this game is GOOD! Check it out, you won't be disappointed 💜 store.steampowered.com/app/1336490/... #indiegame #gaming

Don’t overplan your game. You’ll drive yourself mad trying to predict every detail. Plan high-level first, then refine as you go. Game dev is creative, not a checklist carved in stone. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Don’t worry if your game dev goals sound unrealistic. It’s okay to dream big! Your goals act as a compass, not a contract. They remind you what success looks like to YOU, not to punish you for missing it, but to help you steer toward it. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Write your game dev goals by hand first. There’s power in physically committing your plans to paper. It turns ideas into something you can see, not just think about. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Think of early planning as setting your game dev compass, not drawing the whole map. You’re just pointing yourself in the right direction. Clarity now prevents chaos later. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Without clear goals, your game project will wander. And wandering projects rarely finish. Define what success looks like, even if it feels ambitious or impossible. A compass is better than a fog. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Ask yourself early: * What can the player do? * How should they feel? * What world are they stepping into? Emotions and actions define engagement far more than mechanics alone in game dev. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Should you continue or should you quit?

Build a “reference bank” for your game dev process. Collect screenshots, film stills, music, concept art, anything that sparks your vision. You don’t need to use it all, but it keeps your creative tank full when inspiration dips. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Multiple studies show this: you’re more likely to act on things you write by hand. So when planning your game, goals, features, ideas, write them down. It’s like saving your game dev brain from running on RAM alone. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Start with the basics of your game: 🎮 Genre 🎯 Player actions 💭 Player experience 🎨 Atmosphere & visuals These four pillars set your game’s direction. Everything else builds on top. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Planning your game can feel overwhelming. Between coding, art, marketing, and staying sane, it’s easy to stall before you even start. The truth: game dev doesn’t have to be complicated. You just need clarity on what you’re building, why, and how to keep moving forward. #indiedev #gamedev

Here are 10 honest truths about making games that I keep learning every time I work on mine #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Before opening your favourite game dev tool, grab a pen and paper. Writing your goals by hand forces you to make real choices, not endless tabs and menus. It makes your ideas tangible and helps you focus on what truly matters. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

So your game “failed.” Cool!! You made something. You learned from it. You levelled up. That’s not a failure. That’s progress. Keep going. Every flop is a step closer to the version of you that wins. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Working on the first area (sort of tutorial) of my survival horror game, Silent Corruption, doing some assets for the kitchen! Still WIP, but I like how it is looking! #horrorgame #indiegame #survivalhorror #gamer

If your game didn’t hit, that’s fine. You shipped. You got real feedback from real players. That puts you ahead of thousands of people who never release anything because they’re too afraid to fail. Now you have data. Use it. The next one will be better. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

The whole process of game dev is basically: try something, watch it break, adjust, and try again. That’s how you grow skills, and honestly, it’s how you build a career too. Every mistake is a course correction, not a dead end. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Standing still feels safe, but it’s not. You can’t learn from doing nothing. You can’t debug an empty project. You can only improve by making, breaking, and fixing. So build, even when it’s messy. That’s how you get better. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

You don’t have to be right all the time. Nobody is. Most progress comes from testing, failing, and correcting course. If you wait until you’re “sure,” you’ll never release anything. Action beats perfection every single time. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

At some point, your work will start to feel like you. You’ll stop feeling like a beginner and start recognizing your own style. That’s when you know you’re levelling up. It’s not about fame -- it’s about finding your creative identity. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Progress in game dev will never be a straight line. Some months you’ll be on fire. Other times, you’ll feel stuck, bored, or even lost. That’s completely normal. When that happens, don’t quit. Step back, take a breath, and come back when you can. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Join the community! And get my “Quick GDD” Guide for FREE! + honest game dev advice straight into your inbox! gael.dev/newsletter/ #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedevelopment

Every “overnight success” story you’ve ever seen is hiding years of quiet work. You don’t see the prototypes, failed ideas, or late nights that came before the breakout. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Once you’ve got the basics down, Level 2 starts. This is where you go beyond coding and design and start learning about marketing, community, and business. You learn how to talk about your games, connect with players, and think about sustainability. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Consistency will take you further than any burst of motivation. You don’t need to work five hours a day. You just need a rhythm you can stick to. Thirty minutes a day of focused work adds up fast. Game dev is about compounding effort, not heroic sprints. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

When you’re early in your game dev journey, your main goal shouldn’t be profit. It should be learning. This is your sandbox phase. Try different game ideas, experiment with mechanics, learn what feels fun and what doesn’t. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

I used to think I had to force success. Like, if I just worked harder, I could somehow make my way out of a tough situation faster. It never worked. Forcing success only burns you out and makes you resent the process. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

If you ever feel like you’re not getting anywhere, start tracking small wins. Write them down. Fixed a nasty bug? Finished a feature? Polished a level? Count it. These tiny wins are proof that you’re improving, even when the big stuff still feels far away. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Your game is a house, build it wisely... open.substack.com/pub/gaelthed... #indiedev #gamedev

Game dev is a long game. It’s not supposed to be fast. You can’t rush your way to mastery or force success to happen overnight. It’s built through consistent, patient work -- the kind that compounds slowly. You don’t need to “make it” right now. You just need to keep making. #indiedev #gamedev

Be careful not to replay your failures in your head like a broken record. Once you’ve learned the lesson, move on. Don’t let one rough launch live rent-free in your mind for months. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Mistakes are just data. That’s it They’re not shameful, they’re not proof that you don’t belong, and they’re not permanent. They’re data points that help you understand what actually works in your game. The people who grow fastest are the ones who collect data without taking it personally. #gamedev

Failure isn’t proof you’re bad at game dev. It’s just a signal that something in your process or design needs attention. It’s like debugging. The compiler doesn’t tell you, “you suck.” It just points at a line that needs fixing. Same energy. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev

Your first game flops. No one buys it. The reviews sting. You start wondering if you just wasted months, maybe years, of your life. But that’s not failure. That’s feedback. Every bug, crash, and awkward design choice is information. #indiedev #gamedev #indiegamedev