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Thomas Brush17 Sep 2021

I'm A Full Time INDIE GAME DEV And STUPID...

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
Independent game development is characterized by a non-linear, iterative workflow where technical experimentation and trial-and-error cycles are essential to the creative process.
02
Live-streaming the development process allows for real-time community feedback, which directly influences design decisions and helps troubleshoot technical issues during the build phase.
03
Rapid prototyping using custom assets, such as bounce pads and environmental textures, is a critical method for testing gameplay loops and refining mechanics.
04
Embracing unconventional, humorous, or physics-defying assets can become a core part of a project's creative identity rather than just a technical failure.
05
Even with fifteen years of professional experience, developers frequently encounter unpredictable behavior and bugs within standard game engines like Unity, particularly regarding physics triggers and animator controllers.
06
Commercial success in the indie sector is presented as accessible through persistence and the willingness to experiment with unconventional design choices.

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Transcript

so do you guys want to keep it or do we want to remove it what do you think i've been using visual studio for the last 10 years there we go well it's just a straight up nipple at this point let's test it out [Music] [Music] so this is what we were working on last week we were cleaning up this beautiful sort of snowy scene here but i do want to hang at a hanging dead body to a tree so i'm going to call this hanging body this is going to be really fun [Music] look at this okay so hey that's cool what hey dude hey look

there it is get out of here no please at least i can rest in peace now okay let's hang up from a tree oh good it works wait wait i thought it worked like see it's so screwy why is that screwy i thought this was going to be easy okay so you know obviously that looks like it really hurts this is what they did to william wallace wallace was hanged his genitals were cut off he was disemboweled and his entrails were burned before him disgusting by the way guys feel free to download my free 2d game kit below it's totally free it's my treat to you i used this exact 2d game kit to make a game for pewdiepie in 14 days and then i got to play it in front of his subscribers which was really awesome um so download that use it however you want it's my treat to you yeah okay see here look at that okay i know it hurts but listen

i'm the god of this world [Music] what what are you doing buddy [Laughter] it's like he's uh what do you call it a trapeze person you can get a job on carnival cruise lines hey it works that's awesome ooh you can stand on them you probably use this as a game mechanic and this is the kind of stuff that i don't fix because it's hilarious and we're gonna keep it in there that is so so confusing for some reason he's like blowing away why he just disappeared let's try that where are you going bro why did you get launched like that like that that really looks cool we need to definitely fix this crap it looks horrible 75 years later we got these beautiful hanging bodies which is again always wonderful this is

exactly what you want to put in every single game you're immediately going to become a millionaire [Music] i want the cylinder to wrap around just kind of like in return of the jedi is it the e what are the bears called i've always wanted to create a 3d version of this all right so we have this beautiful platform here my head feels like a balloon i don't know what's wrong with me lately i get sick all the time in my head it just feels like um you think about a good metaphor toxic karon says thomas do you have children if so they're disease breeding machines correct thank you i forgot oh itchy belly sorry that was weird let's keep going see we have this texturing here so i kind of want to match that actual pine tree here planks well that's uh i mean we could try we could see what that looks like um i would all right so we've got this blank image

here just adding a little bit of texture here you know so do you guys want to keep it or do we want to remove it [Laughter] oh man anyway i love being me and it you know what i don't even know if i would have done that if i wasn't a dad dad jokes all day long that's perfect copy this is up this platform so we could copy it me [Music] we're gonna start creating some bounce pads i think we're gonna do giant mushrooms so i'm gonna do my very best to make them look exactly like a huge pimple coming out of the ground that's always the goal with any game is you want to make sure that there's pus filled sacks coming out of the ground if you do that you've got a viral hit on your hands bouncer dot blend but thomas there's pimple bouncers in pinstripe

yeah i know you always need plenty of room to embed pimples into objects like the snow you guys know me when in doubt add a rashy red this is gonna be extremely fun something that many of you have dreamed of it's the ability to just bounce balance bounce on a fleshy the fleshy bounce pad there we go well it's just a straight straight-up nipple at this point just remember this is a christian channel oh it's much smaller than i thought i like that the pimple now it's oh it feels really good to walk on now that is something that i would really like to bounce on this is game dev oh man i should probably make this stream private we have these cool platforms here and i want to be able to bounce on these pimples and bounce onto the platform we'll go [Music] i don't even know what this is whoa

well well well very very very nice when i was born god gave me the talent of making pimple sound there it was there it was there it was uh we'll keep that in there i was thinking yesterday about how if it was like me three years ago and i got to see into the future of where i was in my career and like i saw moments like this i would be really disappointed i'd probably be wondering why am i still making pimple bounce pads i thought that was what i did when i was 18 and it's why i struggled to get a girlfriend in high school there was there was there was there was there was there was there was there was there was there was does anybody want a there it was t-shirt unity hub wants access to visual what do you think i've been using visual studio for the last 10 years let's test it out what i don't know what's going on and this is after me making games for

the last 15 years seriously when i say i'm a [ __ ] i'm dead serious i don't understand most concepts in anything there was there it was whoa why are you moving where you going we got ourselves a flying nipple guys no don't fly away stay [Music] i'm sorry guys it's just gonna be a little bit delayed oh gosh it's not right why frank what's going on see this is so frustrating i've made two games where i've used the animator controller all the time and every time i use the trigger it always breaks why it would happen to begin with outside of the engine whoa

you really need to be careful with science you never know when you're just gonna create a black hole whoa look at my gun what the heck okay here we go yay there was [Music] it's fun it's really fun and then up here you get your key get over here hey thanks for watching by the way if you haven't downloaded that free 2d game kit below click below it's my treat to you i used this game kit to make a game for pewdiepie in 14 days and actually got to play it with him in front of his audience which was really cool this game

kit is totally free it's my treat to you and you can use it however you want you can make a commercial game and make a million bucks off this game kit i don't care or you could just use it for a hobby project it's my treat to you and by the way if you haven't clicked like that would mean a ton to me hit subscribe and also this is important hit that notification bell here's why if you get notified of when i'm live you can watch me make my next game and let me know in the chat what you think about the game or any ideas you have and you might just show up your chat might just show up in the next video that i upload all right i'll talk to you later bye i love you too

Summary

The development process for independent games often involves a chaotic, iterative workflow characterized by technical experimentation and unconventional design choices. By documenting the creation of a 3D environment, the process highlights how developers balance functional mechanics with absurd or humorous assets. The core thesis suggests that game development is rarely a linear or strictly professional endeavor; rather, it is a trial-and-error cycle where unexpected bugs and bizarre visual elements—such as physics-defying character models or unconventional platform designs—are often embraced as part of the creative identity of a project.

Key technical observations include the persistent challenges of using standard game engines like Unity, specifically regarding animator controllers and physics triggers. Despite fifteen years of experience, the developer notes that common engine functions frequently break or behave unpredictably, necessitating constant troubleshooting. The workflow emphasizes the importance of rapid prototyping, using assets like custom bounce pads and environmental textures to test gameplay loops. These sessions serve as both a practical development phase and a community-building exercise, where live feedback from viewers influences design decisions and helps refine game mechanics in real-time.

The scope of this work centers on the solo indie development experience, focusing on the transition from initial concept to functional gameplay. The methodology relies on iterative live-streaming, where the developer builds, breaks, and repairs game elements while engaging with an audience. By offering free resources, such as a 2D game kit previously used for high-profile projects, the developer encourages others to enter the industry, reinforcing the idea that commercial success is accessible through persistence and the willingness to experiment with unconventional, even humorous, design elements.