{"id":310,"date":"2019-09-11T05:23:34","date_gmt":"2019-09-11T05:23:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/2019\/09\/11\/20-indie-dev-tips-for-a-great-game-design\/"},"modified":"2023-05-31T14:29:43","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T14:29:43","slug":"20-indie-dev-tips-for-a-great-game-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/2019\/09\/11\/20-indie-dev-tips-for-a-great-game-design\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Indie Dev Tips for a great Game Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Creating a video game is a daunting task, but it can be incredibly rewarding. If you’re an indie game developer, you know that there are a lot of things to consider. From the game’s concept to its mechanics, there are endless decisions to be made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s why it’s important to have a solid plan in place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 20 tips to help you create a successful indie game:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Start small.<\/strong> Don’t try to make your dream game right away. Start with something small and manageable. This will help you learn the ropes and avoid getting overwhelmed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Keep your team small.<\/strong> Working with a small team can help you stay focused and avoid communication problems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Make your game unique.<\/strong> There are a lot of games out there, so you need to find a way to make yours stand out. This could mean introducing new mechanics, creating a unique art style, or telling a compelling story.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Focus on one mechanic.<\/strong> Don’t try to do too much at once. Focus on one core mechanic and make it as polished as possible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Prototype early and test often.<\/strong> Creating prototypes early in the development cycle will help you get feedback from players and make changes as needed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Get into a daily routine.<\/strong> Establishing a regular schedule will help you stay motivated and on track.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Use placeholder assets.<\/strong> Don’t worry about using final assets until later in the development process. Using placeholder assets will save you time and allow you to focus on gameplay.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Create rough versions of levels before polishing them up.<\/strong> Getting the basic layout of your levels down first will help you save time and make changes as needed later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Iterate frequently during development cycles.<\/strong> Don’t be afraid to make changes to your game as you develop it. The more you iterate, the better your game will be.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Put yourself in players’ shoes when making decisions about game mechanics & design.<\/strong> Think about what players will enjoy and what will make your game stand out.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Make sure your game feels good first before balancing it.<\/strong> It’s important to get the feel of your game right before you start balancing it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Remember that simplicity is key for balancing.<\/strong> Don’t overcomplicate your game’s mechanics. Keep them simple and easy to understand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Strive for consistency in gameplay mechanics across all aspects of your game.<\/strong> Players should be able to expect the same level of polish and consistency throughout your game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. Re-use code wherever possible to save development time.<\/strong> Don’t reinvent the wheel. Re-use code from other projects or find open-source libraries that can help you save time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. Create an organized file structure for project files.<\/strong> This will help you keep track of your files and make it easier to find what you need when you need it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. Plan for scalability by structuring your codebase professionally from the outset.<\/strong> This will make it easier to add new features or functionality later on without breaking anything.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  17. Avoid spaghetti-code by following coding principles like SOLID or MVC pattern.<\/strong> Writing clean and easy-to-read code will make it easier for you and others to work on your project.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  18. Aim for a steady framerate throughout development cycle & optimize as needed later.<\/strong> A smooth framerate is essential for a good gaming experience. Make sure your game runs smoothly before you release it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  19. Be mindful of accessibility options for users with different disabilities.<\/strong> Not everyone can play games in the same way. Make sure your game is accessible to as many players as possible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  20. Lastly, make it fun!<\/strong> Remember that the goal is to create a game that players will enjoy. Don’t forget to have fun with the process.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Following these tips will help you create a successful indie game. Just remember to be patient, persistent, and have fun!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Creating a video game is a daunting task, but it can be incredibly rewarding. If you’re an indie game developer, you know that there are a lot of things to consider. From the game’s concept to its mechanics, there are endless decisions to be made. That’s why it’s important to have a solid plan in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[128],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-design"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/e928cfdc7rs.exactdn.com\/info\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/09\/20-Recommended-Indie-Dev-Tips-for-Awesome-Game-Design.jpg?strip=all","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2TFCd-50","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=310"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5438,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310\/revisions\/5438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}