I’ll start discussion today, what are the most important steps / factors to achieve success in indie game development?
Personally i think that the biggest factor is chosing a niche, but what do you think?
EDIT: Some said there’s no objective measure, so just give your insight on this, ik it’s broad topic but still nice to hear your opinion
That’s not really a question that has a simple answer at least not one that is useful, it’s like asking “how to write a good book” or “how to cook a good meal”
that’s why i said factors / steps, in plural form, it’s obvious there’s no single step
Yes, that’s what I replied to still, by “simple answer” I mean “there are no simple set of rules or guidelines”, it depends so much on the specifics, the specific genre, the specific target audience, etc., etc.
Especially if the answer isn’t just going to be “how do I make my game end up specifically popular or get attention” as opposed to that users will enjoy it, or be retained, or interested in new content, dlc, etc.
Though to be fair there is a simple way to “having 1000+ reviews”, making a really bad game! /jk
maybe you’re right, but ig thx for answer - it’s an answer nontheless
I can give abstract answers but they’re not really answers, like “make a game that draws people in”, “make a game with a compelling story”, or “make a game that doesn’t suck”
But what it means to make a successful game is very variable and unfortunately a lot of the time it’s a question not about objective ways the game was made bug pure luck and timing and promotion
Games have lived and died on what date they were released on, and it’s something the big studios try to game as much as possible
My suggestion in general would be: try to make a game that’s good, that’s enjoyable, that sends a message, etc., and focus less on it being popular or “successful”, and try to avoid measuring success in amount of likes or such
That’s a weird metric IMO. I don’t believe having 1,000 bad reviews makes one successful. Nor do I think having 1,000 positive reviews is really that successful. Financially it could mean you made $5,000.
I think job satisfaction is a better way to measure success. Did you like making your game? Do you like playing it?
If you make a game that is good, that is enjoyable, a game that tells a story you want told, or explores a mechanic you think is interesting, etc., then there’s a good chance it’ll get popular
There’s also a good chance it won’t because it’s a roll of the dice
IMO the best way to make a game that flops is to try to make a game that is popular or profitable (as an indie dev, it’s different when you have a big team and especially marketing and extensive experience in the field)
Or for that matter trying to make a game you think others will like instead of what you might enjoy making or playing
meh maybe then i’ll close the topic? i though it would be nice to hear but now i realize it’s not so good topic to talk about :\
I think it’s a great and important topic! But maybe think about what to consider successful
i’ve changed the topic to broader question
I’ll second this. Caring what other people think is a surefire way to depress yourself.
I played games when I worked at EA that were fully functional, awesome games, and they got cancelled. No one outside the company ever played them. They never even got a chance to become successful in the marketplace. Some got killed because of deals with other companies. Some got killed because of internal politics. Some got killed because of changing business priorities. Some got killed because while fun, they would have been PR nightmares.
So I don’t think “successful” is a good metric, even if you could define it. Success means different things to different people. Paralives Studio said they made enough money on their game that they can afford to make free DLC for years. That seems like success to me.
Depends on you that what you mean by ‘success’
There isn’t a single formula, but the indie developers who consistently succeed tend to do several things well at the same time:
The biggest difference between aspiring and successful indie developers is often not talent—it’s shipping.
Many developers spend years restarting projects, adding features, or chasing new ideas. A completed small game teaches more than an unfinished ambitious one.
Key habits:
A technically impressive game can still fail commercially if few people want it.
Before building:
A common mistake is creating a game that is fun to develop but difficult to market.
Games that try to appeal to everyone often appeal strongly to no one.
Successful indies usually know exactly who they’re targeting:
The clearer the audience, the easier marketing becomes.
Many developers think marketing begins at launch. In reality, it often begins months or years earlier.
Effective approaches include:
A game with 10,000 interested people before launch is in a much stronger position than a great game nobody knows exists.
Players spend most of their time interacting with the core gameplay loop.
For example:
If the core loop isn’t enjoyable, additional content rarely fixes the problem.
Prototype and test this loop early.
Developers become blind to problems in their own games.
Playtesting helps reveal:
Watch people play without explaining things. Their behavior often tells you more than their comments.
Many indie projects fail because developers underestimate:
A project that takes three years instead of one can dramatically change its financial viability.
Indie game development is partly game design and partly entrepreneurship.
Useful skills include:
Even a solo developer benefits from understanding these areas.
Players cannot buy games they never see.
Think about:
Many successful indie games communicate their concept within seconds.
Very few developers succeed with their first commercial game.
Successful indies often:
The ability to iterate and continue after disappointing results is often more important than any individual technical skill.
For commercial success, I would roughly rank them:
A surprising lesson from many successful indie games is that a good, focused game that gets finished and marketed usually outperforms an ambitious masterpiece that never ships.
Ship the game is the one single thing that matters. Everything else is ancillary.
Make the game, ship the game.
Yeah, I have no idea what the factors are but I’m 100% certain of one essential prerequisite - the ability to produce the game and following through with it.
Which is far easier if you’re invested in the process of making it, not just having it be finished
And as Gaffer Gamgee says: it’s the task that’s never started that takes the longest to finish
Define shipping. I ship games to codeberg pages all the time. 
(just kidding, but seriously) .. I never finish anything.
What I mean is: building community around some game takes way too much time if you do everything solo next to a full time job and family responsibilities.
I’m still looking for a seriously mañana team with an actual idea person (though not actively), that does not work with deadlines.
Your game gets to fare on a ship that attracts the attention of pirates.
Doing a jam or two is a good remedy for that. Plus, you get a bonus two-week illusion of your game’s community. Maybe even longer if you manage to produce something interesting 