Skip to main content

Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines

Lessons From Failure #49

A topic by SunkenCrownGames created May 27, 2021 Views: 288 Replies: 2
Viewing posts 1 to 3
(1 edit) (+4)

After working on a game for month's I have come to the realization that personally need to have a few things planned or else all my future projects will end up the same.... Abandoned.


  • Meaningful Games

Games need to have a purpose, a game with no purpose in my opinion does not deserve to exist. I cannot make games that I do not find meaningful and that do not add anything to the world. This is more of a personal observation as every person makes games for a different reason. Knowing and understanding why you make games is super important, I had lost sight for a while of why I even started making games in the first place. I was more stuck on how to create the game then why am I creating the game.

I was making this game out of obligation and wanting to be successful. But this kind of mentality is detrimental as you are not making the best game you possibly can. The stress of wanting to create the best product counteracts my ability to be creative and I am left with a blank page.

  • Finished Project Snapshot

At the beginning of the development process I need to create a thumbnail of what my finished game would look like, have a vision or else I will keep adding new features until my game becomes a convoluted mess. During the development process I would think to myself : "Wow this would be so cool if I added it in" but then I reach a point where all the systems are in but none of them are tested. Realizing that these new systems are not right I remove them. But then I get left with an empty shell of what the original idea was supposed to be. I end up polishing a  pile of garbage.

  • Stick to the initial vision and scope

As I said above adding new features when the initial vision has not been realized is a death sentence. The project as time went on kept growing in size, in systems to the point where I had no idea where I was going, I was shooting in the dark. Scoping appropriately and stickling to it is probably the hardest thing to achieve. I get excited by my own game and all the things I will be able to create with it that I lose sight of the initial vision.

  • Using Reference

I think the biggest factor resulting in every single one of my failed projects is the fact that I am not using any reference for the genre that I am constructing the game for. I would shoot in the dark instead of playing games similar to what I am making. Making my levels convoluted and not really fun to play. Having great reference of games that are similar to yours is probably the most important. Imposter Syndrome is 100% real and it's a bitch. But as developers and creatives we need to understand that nothing is original and we need to draw inspiration from other peoples work to create great new experiences. For example experiences  like Soul, Whiplash, Coco, Invincible. all have themes and plots that have been done before but the way that they approach the plot and characters makes room for a really fresh experience.

  • Living Live

Always being stressed and trying to create a game cooked up in my  basement working constantly is probably another reason why I had no way of creating pieces of art drawing from my own experiences because well I was having no experiences. Watching movies or reading literature also helps unlock our creative minds. 


I would love to hear what you all think,

Angelo.

(+1)

Hey Angelo, I think the fact that you can reflect on it and try to figure out what went wrong is already a step in the right direction.
Making a game is hard, but that doesn't mean it has to be a negative experience; you just have to take it one day at a time.
Good luck on your future projects!
Salim

(+1)

Good wisdom here, dont give up.

Sounds like you have your head in the right place.

Good luck :)