Making a living off your own games can be compared to breaking into the music industry as a singer. It can be very difficult and the competition is fierce, especially now in 2023. While I have released two commercial games, I still have a lot to learn. These are the four steps I recommend when you are setting out on your first endeavor of creating your first commercial indie game. Let’s look at how you can earn money as an indie game developer in 2023.
Step 1: Create a small game or a minimum viable product (MVP)
The first step to earning money as an indie game developer is to create a game that people want to play. This could be a small game that you can create quickly and inexpensively, or a minimum viable product (MVP) that you can use to test the market and get feedback on your game before investing too much time and money. This can be a great way to test the waters and see if there is a market for your game before committing to a full-scale development. You can also send your game to game publishers to see if they are interested in it. A game publisher can fund both the development and the publishing of games, however if this is your first game, it’s unlikely since you don’t have a proven track record yet. I recommend creating a small game as your first game.
Step 2: How to marked your game.
No matter how good your game turns out, you need to market it. Experienced game developers will tell you to do this early, and while I do agree, I also think you need something decent before you start sharing it. It could be a screenshot of your game where you test out the art style or a short gameplay video showing off the hook in your game. If you are going to the route of having a publisher on your game, they will do most of the work for you, however before you get a publisher deal, the publisher also wants to see that there is an audience for this game, and in that sense, it’s a great idea to show some screenshots and gain traction on social media platforms.
Step 3: How to publish and sell your game
Once you have a finished game, the next step is to publish it on a digital distribution platform such as Steam, the App Store or consoles. Make sure to optimize your game’s store page, add screenshots, a trailer to showcase your game, and use tags/keywords to make it easier for players to find it. Each platform is different and has different algorithms that can work for your game. I created a video where I talk about how you can get noticed on Steam and get more sales.
A thing that most developers don’t consider is that you can sell your game to a publisher or platform, either before it’s released or after. Some publishers are interested in releasing your game for a specific region, or to get it in a bundle.
Step 4: Repeat the process
If you don’t succeed with your first game, don’t worry. It’s quite difficult and most developers first succeed with their second or third game. The more you go through the process of creating and publishing games the better you will become at it. The issues with developing games is that it takes a long time, and often developers lose motivation and stop midway, they will repeat this process and become really good at the initial phases of creating games, but never really experiencing releasing and distributing their game. For that reason, I also recommend making smaller games.
Competition on Steam is on the rise
With the rise of digital distribution platforms and the ease of access to game development tools, the number of games being released each year is increasing rapidly. According to SteamDB, 11,551 games were released in 2021 on Steam, and in 2022 the number increased to 12,949. However, after the COVID pandemic, sales in 2022 have been decreasing. This means that the competition among indie game developers is getting fierce. To stand out in this crowded market, it’s important to focus on creating unique and high-quality games that offer something different to players. This can be achieved by experimenting with new game mechanics, art styles, and storytelling methods. Additionally, make sure your game is well-polished and bug-free, and have a good marketing plan in place.
Did we learn to earn money in the gaming industry?
In conclusion, earning money as an indie game developer requires a combination of creating a game that people want to play, marketing your game, publishing it on a digital distribution platform, and repeating the process. I truly believe the indie game developer dream is achievable; it’s not based on luck but on experience, craftsmanship, and dedication. If you enjoyed this post, I urge you to share it on social media, sign up on this website, or follow me. You can read more about Imaginative Ones on this page, and learn what we are all about.