Why make a small game no one will buy? Why make a big game you will never finish? Well, here's some good news: the Crappiness Versus Finishability dilemma is not real! There is no spoon! :) #smartgamedev #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

The 1-hour brainstorm that can save you months of gamedev work. Don't go with your first idea; challenge yourself to find a high leverage alternative instead! #smartgamedev #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

If you can't be better, be different! Don't Starve is an example of a game that uses a brave (even if weird) art direction that avoids comparison with AAA and also helps it stand out. Do your research and find out what works for you! #smartgamedev #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

Some games benefit from having one VISUALLY WEIRD element that gets you to at least notice its thumbnail among dozens of others - whether they did it on purpose or not. If you do that deliberately, just make sure you don't overdo it! #smartgamedev #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

Very often, your game's NAME is the one shot you have to start a marketing conversation with your potential players. Here is one approach to eliminate this major bottleneck that takes place even before potential players watch your trailer! #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

Being productive means only investing your time and energy on HIGH LEVERAGE activities! There are good reasons to put together a community, but those are usually not what indie developers are seeking when they do it. :) #smartgamedev #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

In theory, you could outsource art for any game. In practice, games that work like card games or board games are a natural fit. Games where the art assets are really embedded with the mechanics (ie. action) tend to be much harder! #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev #indiedevhour

It's all about the general experience. Players will trust your ability to deliver good mechanics and will be willing to learn them AFTER they are convinced your game deserves attention! :) #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev #smartgamedev

If you hide behind this excuse, you will never ship your game! Respect customers, but don't mask an irrational fear of being judged that can keep you stuck in a game project for YEARS. Real artists SHIP, and that's how they improve! #gamedevelopment #gamedev #proindiedev

We work so hard on our games that we tend to lose sight of why players are supposed to care about them! If you are developing with commercial intentions, make sure to take a step back and figure this out :) #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

If you find yourself having to develop a game for an audience you are not a part of, this is a way to understand that audience and develop something they will like :) Know our work at: proindiedev.com #smartgamedev #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

Many games that are considered innovative often get a head start by starting with a working design. Finding the fun early greatly reduces a game project's risk, and you can always use the extra time to innovate on features later into development! #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

If you decide to make your game radically innovative, just make sure you can afford it! Remember that for every failed game on Steam, there's at least 10 games that weren't even finished. It's important to stay realistic :) #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

Marketing Mistake #1: focusing your communication on HOW your game works, instead of what EXPERIENCE the players get. Convince them first, teach them later! Even more important if your indie dev must become a business for you! :) #gamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

How do you promote games that rely heavily on story without spoiling it? Fortunately for us, we are not the first industry to need an answer to that question! :) #gamedev #smartgamedev #indiedev #proindiedev

If you have commercial intentions for your game, it's important to ensure you are capable of finishing it and that it will have a market. Here is an easy (and surprisingly effective) method for finding such ideas! #gamedev #proindiedev #smartgamedev #indiedev

Going "live" in 1 hour to teach how to FINISH GAMES EFFICIENTLY by avoiding the landmines that kill most indie projects, learned from failing a lot... And then getting it right! 2h long, 100% FREE. Come chat and learn! #gamedevelopment #gamedev #indiedev youtu.be/u93T4Itkp1I

Going live NOW to talk about making money as an indie developer: the main ways + pros and cons and tips for each, based on decades of accumulated experience from many other professional indies. Pls RT if you think this can be useful to other developers! :) youtu.be/hQ3qEox7m_Q

Just started broadcasting a Pro Indie Dev interview with the incredibly insightful Mike Bithell! It's full of awesome #gamedev career advice for indies and people looking to work in game companies. Check it out and pls share! youtu.be/i-ewDuHZZVE

And btw Mike Bithell just released The Solitaire Conspiracy, probably one of the most unique takes on this type of game ever. Everything he does is awesome, so make sure to check it out here! store.steampowered.com/app/1424980/Th…