Small games win big, here's how to make them

Thank you to our Patrons:
evykdraws
Anthony Lesink
Jon Bonazza
Gabrielle Edwards
Adrián Husár
David Snopek
Egoosy
Anthony Rietkerk
Netierrez
artemch
VewixxPlayer
Rohan Antony
Evia Iva
Riley Dutton
DDL Studios
iTTee
Charles Frederic Atienza
feena750
Cube_of_Rubric
Leslie
TreinCoupé Wagon
Sascha Lois
Tyler Bartley
Evgeny Nesterovskiy
LastChild
Pile
Guillermo Puyol
rain dust
Sarkis
Alessandr _0
Sergiy Matviyevskyy
ReadingOcelotl
christophed2
thatfriendlydev
James Edmunds
Benjamin Carney
Cary Farrier
Artur Bartnik
Carl "tripps" dos Santos
Jacob Langston
Sergey
Terkani
Lincoln
HawtLavaGames
Madodev
Matthew M.
Jorge Crisostomo
josh Belt
Ricky Jeremiah Ikadev
Wiechciu
Julian Boardman
RadiozRadioz
Tanya Decarie
Eliane Schwindenhammer
Uzabi
Ryan Sylvia
Markus Fink
Ivan J
Bas Eastwood
Mustafa Al-Hassani
Dobrx
Kyling X
Alexander Presthus
Mattias Lundell
Jesse Segun-Oside
Lucas H Silva
Bart Mamzer
jeijeixoxox
Kyle Gilliam
Jonathan E.S.P.
Dj S
Kaine Usher
Game Dev With Michael
Florian Alushaj
Joachim Pileborg
GagePerryGames
Channy H.

Timestamps:
00:00 The small games meta
00:45 Why make them?
03:16 Scope management
05:07 Playtesting
07:20 Funding
09:23 Sokpop approach
09:52 Teamwork
11:49 It won't be perfect
14:12 Summary

---

Get our games:

[LOC-Ness]

"You can't get distracted during a 3 month project" Honey I get distracted while cooking

[shannen]

If you try to write your "core" code in a modular un-coupled way (even better if you make it its own Plugin/Module) you can then re-use it in your next game (e.g. Settings Menu, Movement Controller) or even re-using the majority of the codebase for more iterative or art direction different game.

[macronomicus]

Great tip, this way you build your way forward with smaller potential wins along the way. Plus, if the micro game is super popular you can always do a second installment with more features.

[usercontent]

This channel is a gold mine for indie developers

[MarkWillis-zq]

Here is my idea to make a small scope game. Take an classic game like an atari 2600 game. Then ask a simple question if this game was made today what would it look like. Finally make that game!

[Echaechaaa]

Really like your work guys, thanks for the transparency and the way you talk about gamedev in general!

[OnyDeus]

"Don't worry about what we talk about in the feature tier list", I'd watch your take on a micro-game tier list. Do's and don'ts and features.

[draganoidept]

Heres the thing tho.
Those games that take years to develop are being done so by people who really love that project. I do not think these people care about money as much as they care about bringing that very vivid image they had in mind to reality!

[OnyDeus]

Regarding fun & playtesting, a direct character controller makes a world of difference. My last 3 month game was kind of a strategy game that wasn't playably "fun" until a lot of separate components were made and set up to work together. My goal wasn't to sell it, but still get it functional to keep learning. It was a slog and as soon as it worked I dropped it, ready to do my next game. This one has a direct character to play and the fun is already viable a few weeks in, despite the environment only white boxed.

[nkbdl]

Good simple idea - One game mechanics. And you are right on time spent. Like if you discuss and get in sync on an idea for a week, that's like so much time gone already. Really useful reminders.

[mathiasfaitdesjeux]

As this one solo guy who spent 10 years working on my dream game, I can only approve everything you say here. I'm very eager to finish my "big project" to go into this kind of production. I think it's much healthier for the mind AT LEAST. Plus I already know at this point that it will be nearly impossible to have a benefit regarding the time I already spent. Soooo one more voice from a dev who chose the wrong path. If it might help new comers here...

[ColdEmber]

Being able to make small commercial game really fast, is something you're also able to do if you have a bit of experience.

[digi]

making my first game soon. designing smaller makes much more sense. love your practical advice based on your experience, thanks homie

[Skeffles]

Neat video. This kind of small games are great for starting off but I don't think they're always for everyone. It's so fun seeing someone with a big vision achieve that, even if it might be considered a financial risk from a business perspective.

[The_Masked_monarch]

loving the videos mate! You help people like me a lot!

[briangopfa]

Totally agree with you .I follow the same philosophy of making smaller games targeting atleast 2 games a year. Bigger projects take time particularly when your an indie developer and not to mention the funding required.

[JesusSVasquez]

Great content value, thank you Marnix!

[ianmclean]

Glad to see this studio is still chugging along after it's first release. Love your work!

[GonziHere]

About scope vs city builders: That's just the inability to define why the genre works, or what is your unique take on it. You don't need to prototype roads/building placement/etc. to check your core gameplay loop. Your other point still stands: you change only one aspect of the genre, so you prototype only that. Also, paper prototypes exist.

The main idea is that you are (trying to) sell the fantasy of something. In city builder, it might be running your city and responding to the city size problems. (not enough hospitals, not enough food, this road is congested, etc).
When you define what is special about your city builder, you can prototype just that. As with many other genres, it should be fun even as a paper prototype (meaning two of you are looking at a google maps, one says "this road is congested" and the other deals with it, one says fire started here and is spreading... etc).

I agree with your overall point. City builder will likely take longer than something like a unicycle. I'm just saying that making a bare bone prototype in two days (as opposed to two hours) is still fast enough, IMO.

[ZahrDalsk]

There are two reasons you might be making a game or game(s). One is that you want to be a game developer, and it doesn't matter what in particular you make, just that's what you want to do for a living. In this case, the fast shovelware might be the way to go. But the other is that you have a specific game you really want to make, and in that case making some shovelware you're not interested in does not further your goal except insofar as it gives you some experience. And it may be actively counterproductive because making something you have no passion for can turn you off it altogether, whereas if you'd just focused on a game you have actual passion for that can give you the determination to stick with it through thick and thin until it's done.