Staying Motivated in Game Dev

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These are the areas I focus on when dealing with motivation issues. They may not work for everyone but hopefully in some way you can take something from it.

[Big_Con]

When that day of inactivity turns into a year…

[nissegroos]

I haven’t been making games for a long time, but at the moment focusing on my strengths really helps staying motivated!

[Ironlionmn]

Guys as a heads up Jason is partnering with Thomas Brush and they are going to bundle their courses together which brings a lot more value!

[BlenderKiel]

Yay! An another gamedev video from Vimlark! I love watching them :)

[Klayperson]

i think the best answer i've heard is that you don't bother "staying motivated" to work, and instead realize that motivation is a feeling, and shouldn't be mistaken for the source of action. Instead, you should commit to work even when you don't feel like it; approach a project expecting and knowing that you will want to slough off at times, and consciously decide to deny that urge when the clock reads scheduled working hours. Motivation is a feeling: excitement and eagerness towards a project, but it can't carry you through to the end, so don't count on it to do that; rather cultivate a sense of duty towards yourself and your goals, craft key habits that aim at those goals, and count on those habits to get you there. The corollary: set goals that are reasonable for you to achieve, or else you are being unfair to yourself, in which case you likely *will* quit.

[TuPapiEri]

Ive recently started game dev in unity and you were a big part of that so thank you and please never stop posting!

[DolphinDev]

What helps me with motivation, is try to do just a tiny bit of the project everyday.
It helps to feel accomplished and that I did at least something during that particular day.

[aj-nxhm]

I was struggling in last 3 months, didn't work on my game, today i started again, don't know why YouTube suggested me your video but im happy it did ❤️

[matthewcunico]

I really thought this was going to be an announcement for taking a break or quitting, instead i got a helpful video with alot of great tips!

[madtrix]

for me, it's just not pushing myself too hard, I always look for the easiest way something can be done
sometimes it's better to just do it the lazy way rather than the "standard" and normal way

[Mr.BoxMonkey]

Love the honesty and transparency. Helps others realize that the struggle is not unique to them. Others struggle too. Love the video

[wordtrue]

after watching your video I subscribed, thx motivation is always an issue for me, is difficult for me to share this with others that do not fully understand all the work is involved and how a simple line or new image may get you super happy and they simply say : ah, its ok ...
So thanks a lot for your video

[GamesBySaul]

Great video Vim, I agree with everything you said, handling motivation is definitely a tough one you but pretty much tackled all the key things on it.
For me I found a few things work: Make a prototype/something different, take a break, try and get into a better routine (for this one I tend to say after [Something PM] stop doing Dev work and finally, watch other people's work on YT or Discords, seeing other people create gets me wanting to create. But do not compare yourself to others if you follow that last one, that can quickly lead to Impostor Syndrome!

[NinyaMonke]

I find that watching dev logs or videos on game design often get me really motivated to make games

[tommywatson]

petition for Vimlark to make a monkey roguelike

[LadyGameProfessor]

It's important to note that this isn't a problem just for indies or students - pros at major studios struggle with this as well!

Helping devs figure out when they need a "mental health day" and getting bosses to let them take one has been an industry concern for DECADES.

I can't tell you how many studios I've seen collapse over this, or how many times I've encouraged a dev to take a day off.

[a.harrispoems]

I don’t make games. I write poems (though I’d love to write a game about poems).

This kind of motivation advice is really helpful. Thank you. Especially the perfectionist thing.

[apancakewithabs]

e\\youve been a huge inspiration for me. I dont know any code yet but love making art and thinking of ideas, so your game dev vids really inspire me. So thank you!

[lubu]

I've been burned out lately.
from experience, it's hard to get out of.

[randominternetstranger]

I relate SO much to your struggles and difficulties, so these tips feel custom-tailored. Genuinely good tips. In my experience, routine is definitely a big one. Even if you don't achieve anything significant in that time, spending the time helps you to establish a pattern, which gives you momentum for your project.