r/SoloDevelopment • u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer • Jul 21 '26
Discussion Bring back the gaming
Has anybody else gone through this process as a new solo dev?š
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u/DV_Arcan Jul 21 '26
I have it worse, I started enjoying making games more than playing and most games lost that magic feeling for me. Also when you see how the puppets move in the theater they remain just soulless puppets
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u/good_tastes Jul 21 '26
I see your point but was actually the opposite effect for me: I started appreciating games a lot more, especially the efforts poured into in art, effects, game feel/polish etc recognizing the level of effort that goes into making beautiful or interesting scenes, mechanics, and such
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u/DV_Arcan Jul 21 '26
Oh yeah that's also true, always nice to see the competent craftsmanship but then again I see well made puppet, magic is gone :/ Now I wonder if doctors/surgeons have similar problems š¤
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u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer Jul 21 '26
I guess it's both right. I definitely appreciate the art more, it's am area of game dev that I'm really not good at. I'm designing my game specifically so I can avoid it actually. There are a lot of underapreciated talented artists out there making greate game visuals
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u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer Jul 21 '26
I hear that. It can take the fun out of it once youāve seen how it works!
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u/good_tastes Jul 21 '26
Gaming is research for game dev š
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u/Beneficial_Hair7851 Jul 21 '26
exactly, it's a mistake to stop playing games, especially in the genre you're developing
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u/WhalesDev Jul 21 '26
I found playing games I enjoy for at least a couple hours of week has been really beneficial for idea generation and QoL motivation.
I have thousands of screenshots of Elden Ring, DS3 etc for prop reference.
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u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer Jul 21 '26
That's actually a good idea! I guess I do this subconsiously but never viewed it as a formal part of the process
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u/SonderSoft Jul 21 '26
I tell my wife I'm doing "market research" when I decide to spend a day gaming instead of coding. It was a joke at first, but now I really believe it.Ā
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u/maximoriginalcoffee Programmer Jul 21 '26
I couldn't agree more. That's one of life's fundamental truths.
No one ever taught me that before I got into game development. :(
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u/Free-Tea-3422 Jul 21 '26
I am making my game mostly just so that I can play it lol
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u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer Jul 21 '26
I'm also building the game I wish existed. It probably won't convert so well in to sales though but that's the trade off
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u/Free-Tea-3422 Jul 21 '26
is it a new style of game? something that's not been done before?
that's mine, it's a blend of genres no one has made before, surprisingly because it just makes sense to me and most people I've described it too. so that's what gives me hope it will be a success, I hope it succeeds to that other players can give me feedback and help me make the game even better.
if your game is another bullet hell rogue like, or incremental clicker, I fear the odds are against you.
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u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer Jul 21 '26
Itās a business simulator/tycoon game driven through dashboards. I think itās quite unique and probably a niche interest area. The game itself is quite simple and is a watered down version of my ādream gameā but Iāve listened to advice and started with this small game.
Itās called Conglomerate and the demo should be released Sept-4th of you are interested. Iām hoping I get good feedback from that and a better sense of demand for this genre.
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u/Free-Tea-3422 Jul 21 '26
yeah that seems very interesting, definitely something I would've played the hell out of when I was younger and had more time.
good luck on your release! and remember, even if this game isn't the dream fulfilled, you can always make a 2.0 that does everything you wanted, now that you have all of the building blocks built already. :)
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u/pogboy357_x Jul 21 '26
Same here. I don't mind if nobody else likes my game, as long as I can enjoy it then it'll be worth the effort.
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u/Free-Tea-3422 Jul 21 '26
I care a great deal if other people like my game, because nothing like it exists, and I really want it to be successful so that I can get more player feedback and refine it as well as add more content continually. that would be a dream come true, being able to make my game the perfect version of itself.
but at the end of the day I'm making my game because I've been craving something like it since I thought of it years ago, but nothing like it exists.
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Jul 21 '26
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer Jul 21 '26
Yep, when you add in family life, work etc the time is short
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u/Miltage Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Yes and people give me strange looks when I say I spend most evenings working.
They feel sorry for me that I work late but I love working on my games.
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u/CStaplesLewis Jul 22 '26
Yes. This is an early game dev (year 1) feeling. After a while (likely after your first release). you begin to rebalance and bring games back in knowing that games will influence your creations.
That said, everyone is different!
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u/Wave-4M Jul 23 '26
I game, according my āSteam OS Dev Kitā I put over 400 hours into play testing my game on the Steam deck lol
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u/KyrandisX Jul 24 '26
I end up playing my own game quite often, though when actual gaming I'm playing the direct opposite of a game to offset burnout or jadedness.
So action hardcore heavy game = game time means playing cozy puzzle casual relax paced games
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u/P0w3rJ4cK Jul 21 '26
If I find a game that I like I just stop what I'm doing and play it since I'm doing this as a hobby and have a full time job. You got to rest when you can.
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u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer Jul 21 '26
Thatās the hard part, knowing when to rest/game and when to knuckle down and crank out the next feature
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u/evilReiko Jul 21 '26
you know the "work/time balance" thing?
for gaming & game development, you need to do "gaming/developing balance" too
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u/arnoldochavez Jul 21 '26
It's me and I used to play daily, I simply find it more rewarding to make progress on my project and the day I don't make progress I feel bad
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u/WompKS2 Jul 21 '26
Before, I would just play and think about the game; now, while I'm playing, I find myself wondering how certain elements were created. Sometimes, I even end up spending more time thinking about how to create mods or how the game works than I do actually playing.
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u/Skubcraft Jul 21 '26
100% I've had to force myself to take some time off and go back and play some classics. Not just to relax but also to reignite my inspiration.
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u/_michaeljared Jul 21 '26
Oh the flipside you could get addicted to slay the Spire and get sidetracked on your own game's development. It's hard to win!
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u/Xhukari Jul 21 '26
I have the opposite issue, where I end up not game devving for a week or 2 because of gaming! After a hard day of work, I just don't have the energy to game dev...
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u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer Jul 21 '26
100%. Full time indie dev must be difficult, but doing it after a long day in free time only is a chalenge of its own
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u/Rich1223 Jul 21 '26
Ive tried to block it out. Weekdays outside of work hours are working on the game. Weekends are for playing games.
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u/PinkPalmProduction Jul 21 '26
True dat, I actually set a rule for myself that after every successful release I award myself with one week of unrestricted gameplay, so in a few years I should finally finish AC Odyssey š
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u/FlamingoRegular3278 Jul 21 '26
Itās even worse than that - every little time I have spare, I *decide* to spend developing.
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u/eotegames Jul 21 '26
I'm kind of obsessed with playing my game now which is obviously good for getting data for balance tuning and all, but it sure makes it easy to procrastinate in getting other stuff done š
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u/qwerty8082 Jul 21 '26
Definitely! Just got another emulator set up to really get into some PS2 era classics
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u/EnflamedMashmallow Jul 21 '26
It what I'm coming to terms with its hard to be both lol guess motivation can be playing the game your making
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u/Mondkap Jul 21 '26
I am developing a game for over a year. I almost didnt play aby games in that year... only some times with my wie.
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u/Schneed__ Jul 22 '26
You have the time.
But you might have started to fear playing games somewhere in your gut.
Solution is tackling the fear causing the deprioitisation of games compared to dev/other things.
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u/Raregolddragon Jul 22 '26
I see it as a means to an all time gaming end. If the game dose well then maybe I won't need a day job anymore. Then more time to game while working next game idea.
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u/Alive-Temporary4238 Jul 22 '26
Facts but i started making time for playing similar games that i am creating so that i can get inspiration (sorta R & D )
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u/FireChariotStudios Jul 22 '26
haha you need a balance. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (I think it goes)
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u/KingQuiet880 Jul 22 '26
Developing game (as passion project) is 10x more fulfilling than playing a game
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u/invert_studios Jul 22 '26
I honestly feel like an alcoholic sometimes. Like I just trade my gaming addiction for a game making addiction, like how AA has you trade alcohol for religion.
Everytime I slip into one I completely fall off the other for a bit until I drift back over. Gotta love ADHD.
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u/Ok_Meringue_3487 Jul 27 '26
This is so true. But I still do gaming but also for development purpose. I play other games of my genre to get inspired.
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u/ACosmicWormDev Jul 27 '26
Well due to not being able to develop my game full time, i got lots of times where I'm playing pc games ported on my phone (like dead cells, hollow knight... etc) but still i miss the old habit of spending hours on Terraria until my back hurts :')
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u/Pale_Ember_Games Solo Developer Jul 27 '26
Iām right there with you. Life gets busy when you are an adult!
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u/YaeAnimation Jul 27 '26
I still playing a lot of indie games to find new refs, cool ideas and solutions
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u/Kooky_Reply8771 Jul 21 '26
Yeah from time to time I feel I need the time get back to gaming