When I started my first indie game project, I had no idea how much I would learn—not just about coding and design, but about patience, creativity, and problem-solving. After months of trial, error, and a few late-night debugging sessions, here are the top 5 lessons I want to share with fellow game developers:
1. Start Small, Think Big
It’s easy to get carried away with a huge concept. I learned that completing a small, polished project is far more valuable than an unfinished ambitious idea.
2. Embrace Prototyping
Rapid prototyping saved me countless hours. Don’t be afraid to throw ideas away if they don’t work—it’s part of the process.
3. Art and Code Should Work Together
I initially treated design and coding as separate tasks. Integrating them early made the game feel cohesive and much more fun to play.
4. Playtest Early and Often
Feedback is gold. Even showing a rough prototype to friends gave insights I wouldn’t have noticed on my own.
5. Don’t Underestimate the Marketing
Making a game is only half the battle. Building a small community, posting dev logs, and sharing progress kept me motivated and gave the game life beyond my own screen.
Building games is challenging but incredibly rewarding. Every bug fixed, every animation tweaked, and every level completed teaches you something new. I’d love to hear from other developers: what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned while creating your games?