How to make money indie games

Game development is a very hobby fueled passion fueled industry. So if I set up a shop that sells protein powder all I got to do is figure out how to get that in from the right people. You have to entice. It was a big risk it still is a big risk right. But one of my thoughts was hey I know how to get clients I know how to build a business doing freelance gamedev is a great alternative because I can make games which I love to do but I can also get paid by clients to build the games. And I felt like that was a safer business move at least initially for me to kind of to build up get more games done make some money pay the bills with that kind of stuff versus actually starting out making a game. So freelance is a really great way to make money with games especially if you have some skill in some software. There are a lot of people that will pay you to make games for. Getting clients is going to be hardest part obviously. But you can always find clients you can go in freelance sites. You can go on Craigslist.

Let’s Talk

People seem to be clamoring for more creative, indie-driven games that they can sink their teeth into. We all know Minecraft , and The Binding of Isaac , but how do you make money off of these great and creative titles? This is somewhat an anomaly in the gaming world, as Stardew Valley exploded, being ported to nearly every platform. The most recent release on iOS in October , and Androids at a later date. This should motivate game developers with a vision and a dream to bring an indie game to life and perhaps launch it on Steam to critical and commercial acclaim. Stardew may have sold 1. Not bad for a one-man project. The tricky part of this is making your indie title sustainable, scalable, and ever present like Stardew Valley is. And the many ports to other systems keeps it always relevant, always on the dashboard, literally and figuratively, of gamers every day. I stumbled upon the blog of game developer Cliffski , who regularly posts tips, stories, and helpful advice for game developers. I made more than k from gratuitous space battles, from democracy 3, from gratuitous tank battles and from production line still in early access. But it can be done.

How Do Mobile Games Make Money? Most Popular Monetization Models

Luckily with the rise of game engines we no longer need to worry about porting games or building our own engines. Together you can create a work of art that can pull gamers in, connect with them, and help the game to become mainstream. A two-man team developed it, noio and Licorice, aka Thomas van den Berg and Marco Bancale, respectively. It had a quick rise; after one day, they received enough funds to move ahead with full game development. Whereas Eric Barone had only himself to learn the entire cycle of game development , noio and Licorice had prior experiences and each other as partners.

Stardew Valley- a Million Dollar Game

Search Unity. Log in Create a Unity ID. Unity Forum. Forums Quick Links. Could I make a living being an Indie Game Dev? Joined: Jan 17, Posts: I’ll admit, I’ve been doing a lot of google searches lately about how much new indie game devs make, or the average, but for a different reason.

I’ve got an idea… where do I begin?

If it’s good and marketed well, then you’ll probably make a good bit. Another growth factor is the explosion of social media interest in gaming on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. People frequently look at their phones out of habit and boredom and mobile games provide an instant dose of entertainment. However, it does require you to learn coding. Free Mobile Games sometimes monetized through ads ; 2. Related Posts. An example of a microtransaction for a roleplaying game RPG is a player purchasing a limited-edition potion which gives their character special powers that would be otherwise very difficult or time-consuming to obtain via normal gameplay. Mobile games lend themselves well to videos and screenshots, meaning that creators can easily develop visually compelling content that will showcase video games in action. Influencer marketing will continue to play a role in mobile app monetization going forward. The very first gaming apps fell into one of two broad categories: 1. Or maybe you have a vague idea, but the sheer volume of things to consider makes going beyond your initial idea seem overwhelming and stops you from getting past the first steps in creating something amazing. Game developer companies with a large roster of titles can test out different tricks and dedicate manpower towards marketing various upsells.

Note: This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising, and problematic harassment, fighting, or rude posts. People frequently look at their phones out of habit and boredom and mobile games provide an instant dose of entertainment. Publishers are interested in the project they signed, while investors focus on growing your studio and long-term sustainability. Zealous gaming fans will don T-shirts and snap up collectible merchandise as an extension of their love of the game. First off you already have a similar thread posted a few days ago. See comments. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries. Choose one, and take it to new heights with modern physics, visuals and storytelling. The first how to make money indie games mobile game was a prehistoric version of Tetris, installed on a mobile phone called Hagenuk MT in Popular games, as well as cult indie games, can commoditize their brands by producing merch.

Home Discussions Workshop Market Broadcasts. Change language. Install Steam. GameMaker: Studio. Global Achievements. All the new platformers coming out, mostly simple games but decent enough to be called a game. Lets say I make a Super Mario type game in 2. I plan to do everything myself and spend about 2 years full time.

Last edited by King Hadu ; 15 Jan, pm. Showing 1 — 5 of 5 comments. No one’s gonna have hard numbers as the contracts they’d have with steam list disclosing that as a no no.

If it’s good and marketed well, then you’ll probably make a good bit. Last edited by TehGuy ; 16 Jan, am. First off you already have a similar thread posted a few days ago. Spaceport Hope has been in 3 bundles and its in a Steam bundle which is where I bought it.

I’ve played the game and it has issues. They sell it for 50 cents all the time, but if its been in 3 bundles, chances are they made 5 — 7 cents on each copy via bundle, maybe more depending on the deal. One of my friends had a game in a bundle. It sold 10, copies. How to make money indie games the publisher probably takes money out but gives them publicity in some form.

Their publisher has maybe a million copies combine Not only that but there are different economies too so Russian and Brazilian copies are sold cheaper than US copies.

There’s a deeper world beyond just making a game. With 1 review I’d say those 6, copies are either inaccurate or it was bundled. Last edited by sitebender ; 16 Jan, am. Let’s say Median instead of Average Per page: 15 30 Date Posted: 15 Jan, pm. Posts: 5. Discussions Rules and Guidelines. Note: This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising, and problematic harassment, fighting, or rude posts.

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My Indie Game Launch Revenue Numbers

Technical skills alone might not be enough

At the time of hlw, a quick check of stats on steamspy for player unknown:battlegrounds reveals this chart:. So the average income per employee there is a million dollars. Include sequels, potential DLC, merchandise and so on, and you can probably round it up to 25 million. But the problem is, the chances of Mojey Indie game developer achieving this are close enough to zero as makes no difference.

Cliffski and Solo Game Developing

Taking the mid point, ondie looking at the top game I wont pick on it publicly, so lets not name it. Steamspy says…. Are we really thinking they sound so out of whack? You are either in the top 0. Its really no different from waiting ro whilst pretending to be an actress, or avoiding admitting you are unemployed by claiming to be a writer. There is virtually nothing I how to make money indie games do about this, and nothing you can do about this, but there is something we can collectively do to at least minimize the collateral damage:. Lets admit that the default position for an indie game developer is pretty much poverty. If you want to make money, maybe one day buy a house, start a family, have a pension, why are you making indie games? You KNOW you are almost certainly screwed right? Your chances of success are incredibly, incredibly small. This is not indir sensible career. This is not a wise career .