Recently, I’ve come to a critical realization regarding my project, Dewdrop Dynasty, a whimsical neo-retro metroidvania that I’ve been developing over the past two to three years. The stark reality of game development is that the longer it takes to release a game, the more challenging it becomes to achieve success. While there are notable examples of games that took five or more years to develop and were highly successful, these are exceptions. Many projects remain unfinished or fail to capture attention.
Maintaining excitement for a game over several years is a formidable task. Over time, audiences may shift their attention elsewhere, or worse, they may become disappointed if the game doesn’t meet heightened expectations. A notable example is “Tears of the Kingdom,” where delays have led to questions about its eventual quality.
Timing is crucial due to evolving gaming trends. For instance, if you’re developing a farm simulator, by the time it’s ready for release, the market might be oversaturated. Additionally, developers may lose motivation or energy, especially solo indie developers who must manage every aspect of their game, which demands constant planning and effort.
These considerations have been on my mind regarding Dewdrop Dynasty, leading me to conclude that I need to complete it swiftly or move on. Despite my dedication, progress has been slow due to my full-time job, marriage, and YouTube content creation, leaving little free time.
In search of solutions, I discovered Steam’s Next Fest, an event where Steam promotes games through live streams, allowing users to explore and wishlist them. Participation requires a demo, offering a valuable opportunity to gauge interest. I viewed it as a chance to showcase the essence of my game without fully developing every aspect.
Determined to participate, I began overhauling major mechanics, such as the camera and room system. I enhanced the art style, introduced larger tiles for variety, and revamped the user interface to include basic settings, a mini-map, and a character screen. I added more enemies, a mini-boss, controller support, and polished the game extensively. I also collaborated with composer Peter Reed Jones to create music for a new demo location, Tumbleweed, a dusty desert Western ghost town.
While progress on the demo was promising, I realized I was burning out, working 12 to 14-hour days for weeks and missing social events. This raised concerns about the sustainability of completing the final game. Although many successful developers endure long hours, I questioned whether sacrificing my personal life was worthwhile.
To expedite development, I recognized the need to hire additional help, which requires funding. The revenue from my YouTube channel supports Dewdrop Dynasty’s development, but additional resources are necessary. Consequently, I decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign alongside the Steam Next Fest. My goal was to secure funding to complete the game and cover development costs, enabling me to contract work and accelerate progress.
As the story unfolds, I successfully released Dewdrop Dynasty for the Steam Next Fest, streaming to hundreds of viewers and launching the Kickstarter with community support. However, I was surprised by some hesitancy to support the project, with concerns about my intentions.
Today, the future of Dewdrop Dynasty hinges on your support. If the game interests you, I encourage you to back the Kickstarter. If not, there’s no obligation to contribute; I aim to gauge genuine interest. The Kickstarter’s success will determine whether Dewdrop becomes a reality or if I shift focus to YouTube content and smaller projects.
As dramatic as it may sound, the fate of Dewdrop Dynasty rests on your shoulders. Regardless of the outcome, I deeply appreciate your support throughout this journey. I’m eager to reflect on this experience in a year and see what the future holds. If you have any questions or concerns, please share them in the comments. A special thanks to my Patreon supporters for their incredible support. Thank you for joining me on this game development adventure.
Research and analyze the development timelines of successful indie games. Identify common factors that contributed to their timely completion and success. Share your findings in a presentation, highlighting lessons that can be applied to your own projects.
Develop a detailed project management plan for a hypothetical game development project. Include timelines, milestones, and resource allocation. Use tools like Gantt charts or project management software to visualize your plan, and discuss how it addresses potential challenges in sustaining interest and motivation.
Join a game jam to experience rapid game development firsthand. Focus on creating a small, complete game within a limited timeframe. Reflect on how the constraints of a game jam can help improve time management and decision-making skills in larger projects.
Research current gaming trends and market saturation levels for different genres. Present your analysis on how these trends could impact the timing and success of a game release. Discuss strategies to adapt to changing trends and maintain relevance.
Design a comprehensive Kickstarter campaign strategy for a game project. Include elements such as target audience, funding goals, reward tiers, and marketing tactics. Evaluate the potential challenges and opportunities of crowdfunding, and how it can influence the development timeline.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Recently, I’ve come to the realization that I’m running out of time with my project, Dewdrop Dynasty, which is my whimsical neo-retro metroidvania that I’ve been working on for the past two or three years. The cold hard reality about game development is that the longer it takes to release your game, the harder it is for it to be successful. Of course, there are many examples of games that took five or more years to make and were incredibly successful, but that doesn’t account for the thousands of projects that were never finished or just fell by the wayside.
First off, keeping people excited about a game or project for years is extremely difficult. After a while, people eventually move on to something else, or even worse, they may be disappointed with the game because the longer it takes to make it, the higher everyone’s expectations become. A prime example is “Tears of the Kingdom.” People wonder why it’s taking so long and if it will be amazing.
Secondly, timing is crucial because of current gaming trends. You could be working on a farm simulator game, and by the time you release it, you might find that the market is too saturated. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you could lose faith, interest, or energy to keep working on your project. This is especially true for solo indie developers, as you have to manage every aspect of your game, which requires constant thought, planning, and preparation, taking up a lot of energy.
These are the things I’ve been thinking about a lot lately with Dewdrop Dynasty, leading me to the conclusion that I need to finish it as quickly as possible or move on to something else. However, I wasn’t sure where to start. Yes, I’ve been working on Dewdrop, but slowly. I’m married, I work full-time, and I create videos for YouTube, so free time is scarce.
That’s when I started searching online for help and found out that Steam was hosting a Next Fest in October. For those who haven’t heard of Steam’s Next Fest, it’s a week where Steam promotes games through live streams on the front page, allowing people to check out your game and add it to their wishlist. You are also required to have a demo, which is a great way to gauge interest in your game. I saw it as a game jam submission that could highlight the tone and feel of my game without needing to flesh everything out.
I instantly knew I had to be a part of this Next Fest, so I began overhauling major mechanics like the camera and room system. I worked on improving the art style, adding bigger tiles for more variation, and completely overhauling the UI to include basic settings, a mini-map, and a character screen. I added more enemies, a mini-boss, controller support, and polished everything as much as possible. Meanwhile, I reached out to my composer, Peter Reed Jones, to create tracks for a new demo location called Tumbleweed, a dusty desert Western ghost town.
Progress on the demo was coming along beautifully, but one thing became painfully obvious: I was burning myself out. I was working 12 to 14 hour days for several weeks, missing out on social events with friends and family. I kept wondering if the demo was this hard to put together, how much harder would the final game be? I realized that this wasn’t sustainable. While many successful game developers have crammed for years, I questioned whether sacrificing my life to finish this game was worth it.
It’s always been my dream to become a full-time game developer, something I aspired to as a kid. I realized that I was the bottleneck, and the only way to speed things up was to hire more people or contract work, which requires funding. The money I make from this channel goes directly back into the development of Dewdrop Dynasty, and without it, I wouldn’t have come this far.
I know some people say they can develop a game for free, and that’s true, especially if you have free time. However, developing games can be expensive, considering costs for artists, musicians, and even accountants to manage finances if the game is successful. So, I made the decision to launch a Kickstarter for Dewdrop Dynasty, planning to release it alongside the Steam Next Fest. My hope was that if we raised the minimum goal, we could finish the game and cover development costs, allowing me to contract out work to speed up the process.
As the story unfolds, I successfully released Dewdrop Dynasty for the Steam Next Fest and streamed in front of hundreds of people, which was a great opportunity to connect and learn about the game. I also launched the Kickstarter on the same day, thanks to the support of my community. However, I was surprised to see that many people were hesitant to support the project, with some expressing concerns about my intentions.
Here’s where I stand today: the only way I can finish Dewdrop Dynasty is with your help and support. If Dewdrop seems like a game that interests you, I encourage you to support the Kickstarter. If it’s not your cup of tea, please don’t feel obligated to contribute, as I want to gauge genuine interest in the game. The fate of Dewdrop rests on this Kickstarter. If it succeeds, we can create an amazing game; if it fails, Dewdrop will be shelved, and I’ll focus on making more YouTube videos and smaller projects.
As dramatic as it sounds, the fate of Dewdrop Dynasty rests on your shoulders. Regardless of the outcome, I appreciate each and every one of you for your support throughout this journey. I’m excited to look back at this video in a year and see what the future holds for us. If you have any questions or concerns about what lies ahead, please let me know in the comments. I also want to give a huge shout-out to my Patreon supporters for their incredible support. Thank you for watching, and I’ll see you next time for another game development adventure.
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This version removes any informal language and maintains a professional tone while preserving the core message.
Game – A structured form of play, often undertaken for entertainment or educational purposes, especially in the context of computer programming or design. – The team spent months designing a new educational game to teach coding to beginners.
Development – The process of creating, designing, and programming software applications or systems. – The development of the new software application required collaboration between programmers and designers.
Project – A planned set of tasks or activities undertaken to achieve a specific goal, often involving software or hardware creation. – The students worked on a project to develop a mobile app that helps users track their daily habits.
Timing – The control or regulation of the sequence and duration of events in a process, crucial in software execution and project management. – Proper timing in the execution of code can significantly improve the performance of a software application.
Mechanics – The rules and procedures that govern the operation of a system or game, often referring to the interactive elements in software design. – Understanding the mechanics of the game was essential for the developers to enhance user engagement.
Interface – The point of interaction between a user and a computer system, often involving graphical elements and user input. – The software’s user interface was redesigned to be more intuitive and user-friendly.
Funding – The financial support provided for a project or initiative, often crucial for the development of new technologies or software. – Securing funding for the tech startup allowed the team to hire additional developers and accelerate the project timeline.
Resources – The available assets, such as time, money, and tools, that can be utilized to complete a project or task. – Efficient allocation of resources was key to the successful completion of the software development project.
Interest – The attention or curiosity shown by individuals or groups towards a particular project, technology, or field. – The new programming language generated significant interest among developers due to its innovative features.
Support – Assistance provided to maintain or improve a system, often involving technical help or customer service. – The company offered 24/7 technical support to ensure that users could resolve any issues with the software promptly.
