Your game's GENRE matters (more than you think)

No genre tierlist this time, but I'm spilling the beans on how we decide what's a good genre for indie devs, and what isn't. Now nothing is stopping you from making S-tier games (and your own genre tierlists).

Thank you to our Patrons:
Lincoln
flippypixel
Spencer Evans
Madodev
Matthew M.
Jorge Crisostomo
josh Belt
Ricky Jeremiah Ikadev
Wiechciu
Julian Boardman
RadiozRadioz
Tanya Decarie
Eliane Schwindenhammer
Uzabi
Ryan Sylvia
Jokster
Kay Rudge
Markus Fink
Bas Eastwood
Mustafa Al-Hassani
Dobrx
Kyling X
Alexander Presthus
Mattias Lundell
Jesse Segun-Oside
Lucas H Silva
Jacob Rutter
Bart Mamzer
Lolicide
Kyle Gilliam
Jonathan E.S.P.
Dj S
Team 5 Steps
Kaine Usher
Game Dev With Michael
Joachim Pileborg
GagePerryGames
Channy H.
Do you want even more content regarding making your own studio and getting an in-depth look at how we run BiteMe Games? Check out our Patreon:

Timestamps:
00:00 We like game genres
00:39 7 parts of a genre
07:00 What about passion
07:52 Calculate your genre
08:41 Genres for learning
09:49 No plan survives contact
10:52 Closing

---

[mandisaw]

Good advice for both learning game-dev & commercial-dev. Even if you're doing it for fun, most folks get more out of finishing projects than maintaining a "folder of shame" 😅

You see the same in craft circles - folks try to start learning knitting with an Icelandic sweater, or a massive cabled blanket. A Mario-like 2d platformer is the game-dev equivalent of "start with a scarf" 👍

[Atticus_Moore]

I hear you, BUT I'm going to make a 3D open world RPG alone anyway. It's going to be a pain in the ass I'm sure.

[zejugames]

I think there's a lot more that could be added about genre mashups (like how Hades mashedup action RPGs with roguelikes, soft deck builders and visual novels) and also streamlined genres (like how Thronefall streamlined the city-builder /strategy genre).

[CastleClique]

I recently discovered this channel and I love it!!! It's so refreshing to listen to people who talk about the reality of being an indie dev. Versus people like Thomas Brush, who are lying to their audiences and only care about selling courses.

[psychopathfw]

Thanks for the nice beginner content. I can really use this(!)

[SenkaZver]

IMO it's a triangle. Passion, successability, and achievability. At the start, it's a balance of the three and few will hit all three.
Achievability is the most important for experience grind so you have to balance or sacrifice passion or achievability to help you finish the game (and like it) and the ability to make money which can help you make better games you're more passionate about.

[DidierFuentes]

I like to see how everyone's been changing their mind on working on something you're passionate about.
As someone who recently started working on my first game, the only thing that's really getting me through the hard days is the feeling of being able to play something I like and I built.
I don't think I would be able to do this for a genre I don't like.

[marcomoutinho.gamedev]

Greate video! Never seen this topic with this approach, that is actually really smart and more realistic

[dafff]

when it comes to genres i would say its important to find a good balance between what you enjoy playing, making, whats in demand and how difficult it is to realize.
as much as i would love making a fallout style game, for a solo dev this is nearly impossible to realize given how many moving parts there are. literally.
the market is there considering how bad the last couple of fallout games were and how many people want a good sequel.
just look at sim city. it was a quite bad game. then colossal order swooped in with city skylines and took all the glory for itself.
but this can also backfire. trying to compete with a strong going ip can leave your game in the shadows if its a more niche genre.
a good example would be darksouls and ashen. ashen wasnt a bad game, but compared to the strong ds3 game it just could attract enough lasting fans.

[Pewsplosions]

Ah... the folder of shame. **glances through with a tear in eye**

[Pariatech]

I like tycoons and I'm making a tycoon I want to play. The passion of making the game is what is getting me out of bed.

[agittiworld]

appreciate your content. honest, constructive, guiding 👍

[Surkk]

Well, as someone who has put rubber to road and crashed immediately, I learned that I don't comprehend code... which is not good since I need that to actually make games.

Also proves 8 years of college study and practice on a singular topic don't mean much if you can't do it out of class environments.

[clubtonberry]

Although it has a bit of a stigma around it, using something like RPG Maker is also a good learning tool for beginners and is a basic turn-based combat system. No, you don't necessarily learn how to code and it's essentially a pre-built game you just modify, but it definitely gives you ideas on the basics of design, story and baby's first foray into things such as 'if' statements, switches, formulating cutscenes and other game mechanics. If you're completely new to game dev it's definitely a good learning tool and the genre is super basic stuff, that can be modified with the use of javascript plugins.

[EijixxD]

Hey, I was wondering, where do you find those images you guys use in the thumbnails?

[Kolbiathan]

Hey this isn't how Marnix lives frugally 😡

[agronacilius]

So I have an idea about this open world RPG game Im gonna make :D

[paluxyl.]

I have watch or listen to over 100 videos about game development, some are helpful others not so much.
It always depends on the person, but I would say to make a good 2d plattformer is much harder than a mediocre but awesome looking 3d open world rpg.
The reseons why I think so are :
- Just take the Unreal engine and make a world with the landscape tool that is 10 x 10 kilometers (or miles) put a nice character in it and of course some music = you got a nice looking open world game ... now you just need to put some quests (go from A to B, from B to C ... and so on) and some enemies in it = you got a nice looking simple 3d open world rpg. Even a beginner with a small budget (under 500 Euro/Dollar) should be able to make a game like that in few months (or just few weeks) and if the artstyle appeals to the audience it's possible to earn a little profit.
- It takes much more to make a good 2d plattformer that stands out, you need to draw all the art, design good levels, you need many game mechanics like moving walls or spinning plattforms, Boss battles needs extra mechanics, ... not sure how much time an absolute beginner with a small budget (under 500 Euro/Dollar) would need to make a decent 2d plattform game that is at least on the level like a good Super Nintendo or a Sega Genesis game. I got no idea about to success of 2d games, but I would suggest to make 2d plattformers with sexy Anime characters.

Btw, not many people know that it costs $100 to put a game on Steam, that means your game needs to be for you worth it or good enough to pay this fee.
I was shocked to read at the comments that some people from poor countries need to work a whole month just to earn $100, I think that's sad and Steam should have an extra fee option for people from very poor african or asian countries. I think it's sad ... but I don't know a single game from Africa that was made by black people. 😭

[francescobrunocia]

I’m a generalist, I’m trying to do a racing game but alone it takes more time that the one I have, anyone that wants to help?, I’m a Unity developer looking for dev buddy open to share equally the glory

[humman]

Action RPG in 3D open world still isn't worst game for solo gamedev beginner, Holly Grail will always be MMO RPG