Don’t let your anxiety stop you from finishing your indie game…
Back when I was working on SanctuaryRPG, I spent a lot of idle time worrying about failure.
In retrospect, that was a complete waste of time.
I know a lot of people who call themselves “game developers,” yet fail to actually make progress on any of their projects.
They’ll read article after article online.
They’ll watch YouTube tutorials.
They’ll worry excessively about how cluttered the Steam store is.
They’ll do anything except actually work on their indie game.
In game development, you need to be mindful of these three things:
1. Where you are
2. Where you want to be
3. The steps needed to get to where you want to be
To be more specific…
1. Where your game is at
2. Where you want your game to be
3. The steps needed to get your game to where you want it to be
Write these down if you have to — it helps.
If you’re nervous about any of the steps, write down the worst case scenario that could happen to you, and the best.
Then, visualize yourself in those situations.
This allows for a more prepared mind and a better attitude for action.
It also helps you become more aware from the obstacles that you must remove from your path.
For example, if you’re working on an RPG, actually make progress towards finishing the RPG in full.
Don’t spend one month reading up on dungeon generation algorithms.
Don’t spend two months trying to figure out how to make your shadows work perfectly.
Don’t spend three months looking for a pixel artist.
Do the thing that moves the needle the furthest given your current situation.
Stop dawdling, stop dreaming, and start doing.
In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing.
The next best? The wrong thing.
The worst thing you can do?
Take no action at all.
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About The Author
Daniel Doan is the Co-Founder & CGO of Black Shell Media and the developer of SanctuaryRPG and Overture, among dozens of unfinished game prototypes. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
