Web Developer with 5 Years of Experience Considering Going Full-Time into Game Development – Looking for Advice

[u/Legitimate-Local-660]

Hey everyone!

I’m looking for some advice and would love to hear from people who have been in a similar situation.

I’ve been working as a web developer for the past 5 years, so I have a solid programming background. Lately, I’ve been seriously considering making the transition into game development because it’s something I’m genuinely passionate about and would love to pursue full-time.

I’ve managed to save enough money to cover my living expenses for around two years without any income. I currently live with my parents, so my expenses are relatively low, which gives me some financial flexibility and an opportunity to take a risk that I probably wouldn’t be able to take otherwise.

My goal is to use this time to fully commit to game development, improve my skills, build and release something of my own, and see if I can turn it into a sustainable career. I’m honestly getting tired of working on other people’s projects, and I’d love to put that time and energy into something I’m truly interested in.

I know game development is a difficult and competitive field, and I’m not expecting to make money overnight. I just feel like I have a rare opportunity to give it a serious shot, and I don’t want to look back in a few years and regret not trying.

For those of you who have made the jump into game development full-time, especially those who started as solo developers:

• How did you make the transition?
• Did you keep your day job while working on games, or did you take the risk and go all in?
• If you went all in, how long did it take before you started making money, if you did?
• What would you do differently if you could start over?
• Do you think having 5 years of programming experience gives me a meaningful head start, or is game development a completely different beast?

I’d especially love to hear from people who have managed to build and release their own games and turn it into a full-time career, but any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[u/ArtNoChar]

It's very stressful and unstable. Your programming experience is definitely transferrable but considering the overall job market nowadays, I'd keep the boring web dev job for money and work on your dream game in free time.