8 things independent developers should know before entering the industry

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About five months ago, I decided to quit my job and become a mobile web developer. I knew I needed a chance to see if I could make a living designing games. Soon after I quit, I found a partner and we started working on a game as the sole developer. It's scary when success and failure depend on you, but it's also exciting. I've learned a lot in my time as a developer, especially publishing my first game. This post is a letter to myself from five months ago, when I was sitting at my desk reading articles about game development and wishing I was the one writing them. Being the sole developer of a game is the hardest thing I've ever done. Here are some things I wish I knew five months ago:

1. Track your time

It's easy to lose track of how much work you've done on a project. Suddenly, I went from a regular 40-hour workweek to freelance work. Every week I worried that I wasn't getting as much work done as I was doing when I was in the office. I subconsciously knew that this feeling was unreal. I knew that although I was working less hours, I was more efficient, but at the time I couldn't convince myself that this was true.

So at that time I learned how to track my work time, and I found Toggl to be a great tool because I could set up customized weekly reports, and when you close the window, the app is still running. But the hard part is that it’s easy to forget to open it when you start working, and it’s also easy to forget to close it when you finish working, so it adds a lot of time.

For me, the best way to use time tracking is to set a relatively small goal first. I think 10 hours a week is a good starting point. If I put in five hours by the middle of the week, it means that my plan has not been disrupted. I can adjust it a little more or less. Then, you can increase it to 15, 20 hours, and more if you think you should. This is very valuable because it allows you to separate work and play time. If you don’t know what you did during the week, it’s easy to stay up late. Tracking time allows you to adjust the rest time you should have instead of working yourself to death.

2. Write everything down immediately

This habit is not only useful in game development, but also very good for memory in real life. It is important to write things down first, otherwise you may not do them. Another application I use in the development process is Trello, which is like a cork board. I always have it open in a window when I am doing development, so that when a bug appears, I can switch at any time and write it down, and then continue to develop, which basically does not cause any loss of time.

Google Calendar is also a great tool because it allows me to easily post what I'm working on. It's another window that's always open. The easier it is to write things down, the more likely you are to write about them. I try to write as many things as possible on my calendar, such as demos, conferences, developer talks, meetups, etc., even if I have no interest in attending many of them. Because you never know when you'll feel too tired and need to stop and step out.

As a lone developer, it is impossible to always have someone by your side to remind you of problems that arise during the development process, so it is necessary to let technical means take on this role.

3. Read gaming news sites and take notes

If you've already read this, you probably know what's going on here, but it doesn't hurt to reread it. Being a one-person developer means you don't always get enough feedback from others on design decisions, UI, UX, etc. Game developers have probably been using the same design decisions for over a decade, and you're just getting started. This is an industry full of inspiration, so you can study flying gameplay with Star Fox 64 and platforming games with Mario, and it's important to know what people in the industry are working on.

The same is true for the gaming industry itself, reading articles online is the easiest way to stay connected with the developer community, especially if they are related to your field. Personally, I read every article about VR, because other people are doing the same thing, and even outdated information can sometimes give you good guidance, and this help is free.

4. Bookmark

This is closely related to the third point. When you see a very well-written guide or excellent article, it is very likely that you will directly click on it. Don't do this. You may not necessarily read it now, but at least bookmark it for easy reference later. When you encounter a special problem and need it, you will be glad that you did it instead of searching for a needle in a haystack.

In this regard, I have made a lot of bookmarks, and I basically manage them regularly, which can remind me what I have not read or forgot to read.

5. Buy something to help you think

After quitting my job, it was hard to figure out how to spend it, but it was worth it. What I bought was a huge, blank game development book. It's useful for UI design, can help you solve problems in the game, or help you come up with new ideas. I also recommend that you personalize this item, for example, I added a lot of game stickers.

Other items include: a giant notebook, clay models, an expensive cup of tea or coffee with a Kitty image, newspapers, digital sketchbooks, and more.

You'll know which one works best for you, and if not, you can try something else. My recommendation is to buy something portable so you can carry it with you when you have new ideas or encounter programming problems.

6. Use online forums

This is easy for me to understand because I use Unity for development and they have a dedicated forum. If you don't have Unity's game editor or just don't want to use their forum, there are actually many game development forums to choose from. Just like reading news stations, forums can always help you learn more about game development. In addition, helping others in the forum can also solve many of your game design problems.

Another benefit of using a forum is that it is very convenient for you to seek help when you encounter problems.

7. Attend some meetups and talk to developers

Maybe this advice is more suitable for developers living in a big city, but if possible, go to your local meetup, but you still need to meet other developers. I would feel guilty if I went to a meetup and didn't communicate with anyone. There are many such events. You need to find the right one for you. For example, I am happy to attend an event. If someone asks for help and I can't solve it, I will eventually discuss it with others. Maybe it doesn't sound that good, but it is a win-win.

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Especially as an independent developer, connecting with others at these events allows you to exchange ideas, and as mentioned before, helping other developers solve problems can also help you avoid those problems in future projects. Of course, doing so can also help you build connections and even help you showcase your own projects.

8. Have other hobbies

If you happen to have a lot of free time, then you should know one thing that many famous game developers keep telling us: have a hobby besides game development. This is the best way to help you stop thinking like a developer, because game developers are often not the users who will eventually play your game. For me, being an independent developer gave me time to learn cooking, which not only gave me a break from the hard work of game development, but also allowed me to eat better.