A Solo Game Dev’s Guide: How to Successfully Finish Your Indie Game Project

It’s difficult when you’re in a team of one, but by following a few simple rules, you can do the impossible!

Dusk Sharp
6 min readMay 14, 2023
What does it take for a solo developer to finish developing a game? A miracle? Photo by ELLA DON on Unsplash

Being a solo developer comes with its own set of pits and pearls. On the “pits” side of things, it’s definitely a daunting process. No one will hold you accountable for completing your dream game, and without a core team, you may lose track of the hundreds of tasks that need doing. On the “pearls” side of things, you get complete creative freedom! And overcoming this true test of perseverance and will is an incredibly fulfilling feeling.

The experience of being a solo developer is incredibly valuable, even if you are not a team-of-one. In this article, we will provide some straightforward and practical rules and tips that can help you succeed as a solo indie and finish your game projects.

Plan Everything

Step one: become a planning savant. Plan, schedule, organize, assess, and act — in that order! Don’t just jump into your project without a clear plan of attack.

Define your game’s core concepts, ideally in a Game Design Document or similar format. As a solo developer, it is easy to take on more than you can handle. Set realistic…

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