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Thomas Brush18 Feb 2022

Why You SHOULD Make Indie Games Solo

Key insights

5 takeaways

01
Solo development is a practical pathway for developers with limited budgets and infrastructure to launch their careers without the immediate need for large-scale team resources.
02
Creating and releasing early, imperfect projects in isolation builds professional resilience and provides critical learning experiences that are difficult to replicate in large teams.
03
Solo development functions as a strategic career investment that provides the technical versatility and professional validation necessary for long-term industry sustainability.
04
Managing every aspect of a project—including coding, art, music, and design—provides a holistic understanding of the development pipeline that is essential for future leadership roles.
05
A portfolio of completed solo projects serves as definitive proof of capability, helping developers overcome the difficulty of convincing stakeholders or publishers of their ideas through verbal persuasion alone.

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Transcript

Hey guys, my name is Thomas Brush and I make indie games for a living. Most of you know this, the majority of my career, and that's like 10 years of my career, was just hunkering down in my own little bedroom or my own little office in my house and making 2D platformers completely alone. And these platformers ultimately launched my career, they launched my studio, and they're the reason why I'm here today. So, solo game dev is why I'm doing what I'm doing. But, I recently made a video where I talked about why solo dev is not for me currently. That's because I have a bigger budget, a bigger team, and I'm kind of lonely at this point in my life, right? I want a team to help me make games, and especially make a first-person shooter. I've always wanted to do that. But, in this video, I want to talk about why you might want to make a game solo. So, the first reason why you might want to make a game solo is because, well, you don't have the money or the resources. So, this is really more of an encouragement to you. I want to let you know that you can make a game solo. You don't have to stress too much. Um I know a lot of you probably see me or other

developers out there that have a team, and you think, "Well, they must have started out that way." Well, that's not true. Most developers start sort of hunkered down in their bedroom, right? And they don't really know what they're doing. And I just want to encourage you and say, "It's okay that you feel that way, and it's okay to continue making games solo, and to release crappy games." Honestly, I highly recommend all of you release crappy games because it's going to give you a thicker skin, and you're going to learn from your mistakes and make a better game in the future. The second reason why I think you should make games solo, at least starting out, is because, ultimately, hopefully, maybe 5, 6 years down the road, when you're making games with a team, you'll have a better understanding of what they're doing, so that you can better direct them and better lead them. A great leader has a good understanding of all of the aspects of game dev. And hey, if you're not actually leading a team in 5 years, you may be working with a team. And the best team members, and maybe even the higher paid ones, are the ones

who have a really good understanding of what's going on with the game, with the code, the music, the art, the level design. It's really, really important for you to understand all aspects of this. So, if you're starting out, don't be afraid to go solo because you might be able to use all the skills you've learned in a future step in your career. The third reason why you might want to make a game solo is, well, sometimes you have to convince the world that your ideas are worth it. When I was at my previous job, I was a web designer and a developer, and I did a little bit of digital marketing as well. It was really, really hard to convince people that I had something to say, that I had really good ideas. I couldn't do any convincing. I was young, and no amount of convincing that I said would convince anyone older than me or in a senior position that I might have something worthy of pursuing. So, sometimes you just need to do it yourself and really work hard and build

up a project that proves your point, right? I've found and I I've I've started to realize this. I'm not really good at convincing team members with my mouth as to why something is good. And I'm not really good at convincing publishers with my mouth as to why my game is worthy of their money. But, what I am good at doing is convincing them with my previous work and with my portfolio that I might have something to offer. So, I think that if you're going to want to see a flourishing career, and you're going to want to eventually convince people. I know a lot of you probably feel that way. You wish You wish that people would just listen to you. I think the best way to do it is just to have a great portfolio, and you can do that solo. So, for the next 2 years, maybe you can can um commit to sitting down in your bedroom or your dorm or your parents' house or your parents basement, and making two or three great games. And these great games can convince your team in the future, or maybe a team at a studio, or maybe just

a job that's outside of indie game development, and you can use that to convince people that maybe what you have to say is worth listening to. Anyways, guys, I know this was a short video. Be sure to leave a like, subscribe, and leave a comment below with your thoughts. And also, just remember you can check out my free course. It's my brand new course. It's totally free. It's called Easy 3D. It's how you can make a 3D game with no knowledge of code, no knowledge of 3D modeling. I'm going to show you how to do it, and you can have a beautiful, beautiful game. Click below to check that out, and I'll talk to you guys later. Cheers.

Summary

Solo game development serves as a foundational career path for aspiring developers, offering a practical pathway to professional growth despite the common perception that large teams are a prerequisite for success. The primary argument for working independently is the necessity of resource management; developers with limited budgets and infrastructure can effectively launch careers by producing games in isolation. This approach encourages the release of early, imperfect projects, which is essential for building resilience and learning from mistakes.

Beyond immediate production, solo development acts as a critical training ground for future leadership and collaboration. By managing every aspect of a project—including coding, art, music, and level design—developers gain a comprehensive understanding of the game development pipeline. This holistic knowledge is invaluable for those who eventually transition into team environments, as it enables them to lead more effectively or contribute as highly skilled, versatile team members who understand the complexities of each discipline.

Finally, solo development functions as a powerful tool for professional validation. In an industry where it is often difficult to convince stakeholders, publishers, or senior colleagues of the merit of one’s ideas through verbal persuasion alone, a tangible portfolio serves as definitive proof of capability. By committing to the creation of several high-quality solo projects, developers can build a body of work that commands respect and opens doors to future opportunities. Ultimately, the practice of building games alone is a strategic investment that provides the experience, technical versatility, and evidence of skill required to sustain a long-term career in the gaming industry.