No Rest for the Wicked
GameBy Moon Studios
Documents about No Rest for the Wicked
Thomas Brush69 min
How He Sold 1.6 Million Copies Of His New Game (w/ Thomas Mahler) — FullTime GameDev Podcast Ep 62
The modern AAA game industry suffers from excessive corporate risk-aversion, where a reliance on playtester feedback and genre reskinning stifles creative evolution.
- Maintaining creative independence is critical, as demonstrated by Thomas Mahler buying back his game rights from a publisher to avoid cancellation and retain control over the project's vision.
- Relying solely on playtester feedback can lead to 'reskinning' existing games; true innovation requires the courage to ignore safe advice and push the boundaries of a genre.
- The success of 'No Rest for the Wicked' was driven by hitting a 'tipping point' of product quality combined with a free weekend promotion that removed the barrier to entry for new players.
Thomas BrushFeb 2026
Thomas Brush27 min
I Interviewed 50 Famous Game Devs, And They All Do These 5 Things...
Successful independent game development is defined by five core traits identified through an analysis of 60 interviews with industry professionals.
- Successful developers prioritize intrinsic motivation by building games they personally want to play rather than chasing market trends or viral potential.
- Treating development as an investment requires managing project scope and starting with smaller, manageable releases to ensure financial sustainability before scaling.
- High-performing developers maintain a disciplined, relentless work ethic to push through the inevitable burnout and stagnation phases of long development cycles.
Thomas BrushJan 2026
Companies behind it
As the documents state it.