The reason it took me a year to complete my first indie game

The Reason It Took Me a Year to Complete My First Indie Game (and 3 Tips to Not Give Up)

Questions About Completing My First Indie Game: 5 Key Q&A

Q1. Why did it take so long to develop your first indie game? (1 year)

A. There were multiple reasons. Since it was my first time, I was overly ambitious and set the game's scale too large (scope management failure, also known as Scope Creep), I kept running into unexpected technical difficulties, and developing alone led to fatigue and a lack of motivation.

Q2. What was the hardest moment during the development process?

A. The hardest time was when I spent weeks staying up late due to bugs that kept occurring no matter how much I tried to fix them. It felt like walking through an endless tunnel. I also felt pressured every time friends or family asked, "When will the game be finished?"

Q3. What game engine or development tools did you use?

A. I used the Unity engine, which is known to be relatively accessible for beginners. However, learning it for the first time was not easy. Both coding and graphic work were challenging, and solving everything on my own turned out to be more difficult than I expected.

Q4. After taking a year, what motivated you not to give up?

A. I can identify three main factors. First, the sense of accomplishment I felt every time I completed even the smallest feature. Second, the support from the community as I communicated with other developers facing similar challenges. Lastly, the clear goal of "I will release my first game into the world" kept me going.

Q5. If you could give just one piece of advice to someone starting their first game development, what would it be?

A. "Start small!" Rather than dreaming too big from the start, it's really important to experience 'completion' even if it's something very simple. That small success will become the strongest fuel for your next challenge.

Everyone has probably dreamed at least once of creating a game from a brilliant idea that popped into their head and presenting it to the world. I was no different. With a sparkling idea, a bit of coding knowledge, and a vague confidence that "I can do this," I plunged into the vast ocean of indie game development. The first few months were exciting. I stayed up late coding and drawing characters with my rudimentary painting skills, and my heart raced as "my game" gradually took shape. However, that excitement didn't last long. I encountered unexpected bugs, the planning went off track, and self-doubt crept in, wondering, "Can I really finish this?" So, a year flew by. Today, I want to share the story of how I released my first game, imperfect as it may be, with my name on it after that long and lonely journey, along with some small tips I learned about not giving up along the way.

The Gap Between Dreams and Reality: Ambitious First Steps and Unexpected Challenges

Every beginning is filled with excitement. I felt the same way. I was filled with baseless confidence that if I picked the best aspects of my favorite games and added my own clever systems, a "blockbuster game" would be born. From the game's backstory to dozens of characters, a complex item crafting system, and even multiplayer capabilities… Looking back, it was an absurdly grand plan.

At first, everything seemed to go smoothly. I learned how to use the Unity game engine and felt on top of the world when I implemented basic character movement and jumping while watching online lectures. But that was as far as it went. Problems began to arise as I attempted to implement the complex features I had envisioned.

The Swamp of Bugs and Burnout: A Lost Development Journey

The biggest issue was 'scope creep'. While developing, it’s easy to fall into the temptation of thinking, "Oh, this feature would be fun to add!" or "This system would be cooler if it were a bit more complex!" I too fell into this trap. As I continued to add features that strayed far from the core fun I initially planned, the amount of development grew like a snowball, while the essential systems lagged behind.

Moreover, unexpected technical barriers kept tripping me up. What seemed easy in books or lectures turned into a barrage of error messages when I tried to apply it to my project. I spent several sleepless nights trying to solve a simple collision issue, and I felt frustrated due to my insufficient art skills.

Taking on planning, coding, art, and sound all by myself, burnout was almost inevitable. Exhausted from the endless workload and ongoing issues, I started to dread sitting in front of my computer. Negative thoughts like "I must not have a talent for game development" and "Maybe I should just give up now?" kept swirling in my head.

Episode: The Tears of Ambitious Planner Kim Min-ji

"Kim Min-ji set an ambitious goal to create an MMORPG as her first indie game. The planning document looked blockbuster-level with a vast universe, hundreds of quests, and a complex combat system. However, six months into development, she had only managed to make the character walk in the field. She eventually cried, thinking, 'I think I was too ambitious from the start,' and decided to drastically reduce the project's scale to a simple puzzle game. She realized that experiencing 'completion' was more important than anything else."

Turning Point: Adjusting Plans and the Power of Community

When I was on the brink of giving up, I decided to try just one last thing: 'significant plan adjustments'. I boldly eliminated many of the additional features I had been greedy for and set a goal to properly implement at least one element that I thought was the core fun of this game, aiming to complete it in the form of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). An MVP is essentially the minimum version that has enough features to launch on the market and receive user feedback.

Interestingly, once my goal became clear, I found the strength to focus on development again. By cutting unnecessary features, my development speed noticeably increased. During this time, another great support for me was the online game development community. When I posted questions about the technical issues I was facing, experienced developers and fellow developers encountering similar challenges generously shared their advice and solutions. Sometimes I received tough criticism, but the feeling of not being alone and the camaraderie of solving problems together provided immense comfort and motivation.

After months of intensive work, I finally completed the first playable version (prototype or alpha version) of my game. Although the graphics were still rough and there were minor bugs, the fact that I could play through the core flow of the game from start to finish was incredibly moving. This small success became a pivotal point that allowed me to continue developing.

Completion After a Year and 3 Lessons: How to Not Give Up

Based on the first playable version, I went through several months of polishing, improving graphics, adding sound, refining the user interface (UI), and constantly testing to fix bugs. Finally, on the day that marked one full year since I started development, I was able to officially release my first indie game on platforms like Steam and itch.io.

Of course, my game didn’t become a huge hit. However, regardless of sales or ratings, the experience of having completed and presented a game I made with my own hands became an invaluable asset. From this year of trial and error, here are 3 key tips on 'how to not give up' that I want to share with those who are now taking on their first game development challenge:

• 1. Start Small: Put aside grand dreams for now. A very simple game is perfectly fine. Experiencing 'completion' at least once is crucial. That small success will serve as the strongest fuel for your next challenge.
• 2. Be Consistent: You don’t need to do grand things for hours every day. Even 30 minutes is fine. It's important to cultivate the habit of regularly checking your project and making progress, even if it's slow like a turtle. As long as you keep moving, you'll eventually reach the finish line.
• 3. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help: Don’t try to solve everything on your own. If you hit a wall, actively seek help and ask questions in online communities, study groups, or from experienced people around you. Game development doesn’t have to be a lonely battle; it can be a collaborative process.

Episode: Programmer Park Hyun-woo and the Power of Community

"Solo developer Park Hyun-woo was stuck for weeks trying to implement the AI logic, which was the core feature of his game. He searched the internet for solutions but found none, and he was on the verge of giving up, thinking, 'I guess I just can’t do this.' With a last-ditch effort, he posted his code and problem in a game development community. Amazingly, within hours, he received clear solutions and encouragement from experienced developers. Thanks to the community's help, he was able to overcome the crisis and focus on development again."

In-Depth Exploration 1: Managing the Whisper of the Devil, 'Scope Creep'

One of the biggest traps indie developers can fall into is 'scope creep,' also known as 'scope expansion.' This phenomenon occurs when new features or content are continuously added beyond the original scope of the game, causing the project to grow uncontrollably and eventually become unmanageable.

Like the devil's whisper, thoughts such as "If we add just this one more feature, it will be much more fun," or "Should we try adding that cool system from that game?" tempt us throughout the development process. However, especially for first-time developers with little experience, it's crucial to practice firmly rejecting these temptations.

What is the best way to manage scope creep? First, at the project initiation stage, clearly define what the 'core gameplay loop' is—the basic fun that players will repeatedly experience in the game. Second, when new ideas arise during development, assess whether they are essential features (Must-have) or simply desirable additional features (Nice-to-have). Third, make the decision to boldly move 'Nice-to-have' features to a backlog for future consideration or exclude them from the first release version. Finally, set development goals using the MVP approach and focus on completing a version with core features first. Remember, a 'completed small game' is far more valuable than an 'unfinished masterpiece.'

In-Depth Exploration 2: Overcoming Burnout in Solo Development

For solo developers, burnout can arrive unexpectedly. The pressure of being solely responsible for everything from planning to launch, the endless problems that arise, and sometimes feeling unrecognized can lead to a complete depletion of energy. I too experienced a dark period where I couldn't even turn on my computer for weeks due to burnout.

To prevent and overcome burnout, here are some methods I tried. First, conscious breaks are essential. Rather than pushing through late-night work with the thought that "I’m almost done," I made sure to turn off my computer at set times to sleep or intentionally engage in hobbies completely unrelated to development (like walking or watching movies) on weekends. It’s crucial to have time to recharge both body and mind.

Second, setting small, specific goals is important. Fixating on the distant goal of 'completing the game' can lead to quick fatigue. Instead, set very small and achievable goals like "Today, I will complete the character movement feature" or "This weekend, I will fix 3 bugs," and feel a sense of accomplishment as you clear them one by one.

Third, interacting with peers is beneficial. Just because you are developing alone doesn’t mean you have to be entirely isolated. Joining online game development communities to share your results and receive feedback or getting inspired by observing others' project progress is very helpful. Participating in offline study groups or game development meetups to talk face-to-face is also a great way to alleviate feelings of isolation and gain new energy. Burnout is difficult to overcome alone. It's wise to seek help from those around you and move forward together.

Additional Questions About First Indie Game Development (FAQ)

FAQ: Can I make an indie game even if I have no experience in game development?

A. Yes, it is definitely possible! I was also a non-major. Nowadays, there are many excellent game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine that are relatively easy for beginners to access, and there is a wealth of free or affordable quality learning materials available on YouTube and online lecture sites (like Inflearn and Udemy). If you lack coding knowledge, you can also utilize visual scripting features that allow you to create logic without writing code. The most important thing is the 'will to start' and a 'consistent learning attitude.'

FAQ: How did you fund your game development? Did you receive any investments?

A. I created my first game purely by investing my personal time and effort. I did not receive any external investments. During the day, I worked (or studied), and in the evenings or on weekends, I developed when I could. Of course, there were some costs for purchasing necessary paid assets used in development. If you are planning a larger-scale project, you might consider options like government support programs or crowdfunding.

FAQ: Where can I see the completed game? (Or where should I launch it?)

A. There are more platforms than you might think where you can release indie games. The most representative one is, of course, Steam, where PC gamers around the world gather. Platforms like itch.io, where you can upload and sell games more freely, are also popular among indie developers. If it’s a mobile game, you can release it on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. In my case, I chose to first release my game for free on itch.io to get feedback, and later, I released an improved version for sale on Steam. I believe the experience of 'showing my game to the world' is important, no matter the platform.

Editor's Note

This article is based on my personal experiences and trials while challenging myself to develop my first indie game as a non-major and completing it in a year. I focused on how to overcome common issues faced by beginner developers, such as scope management failures, technical difficulties, and burnout, and aimed to share practical lessons and tips to provide small encouragement and help to those facing similar challenges.

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