My Wife and I Made an Indie Game and it Made Millions!
Eastshade Studios・15 minutes read
A couple quit their jobs to develop the indie game "East Shade" over five years, facing financial risks and challenges, but eventually finding success and fulfillment. Despite the success, they realized the need to move on from constantly dreaming about the game's potential and are now self-funded, working on new projects and exploring new ideas without the pressure of constant content updates or investor expectations.
Insights
- The narrator and his wife dedicated five years of their lives and life savings to develop an indie game, "East Shade," which ultimately became a successful venture, showcasing the power of perseverance and passion in achieving creative goals.
- The success of "East Shade" not only brought financial stability but also a sense of completion and transition for the narrator, leading to a shift in perspective towards new creative endeavors, emphasizing the importance of recognizing milestones and moving forward to explore fresh ideas and opportunities.
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Recent questions
How did the narrator and his wife change their lives?
By quitting their jobs to work on an indie game for five years, investing their life savings and more, eventually releasing a successful game that brought fulfillment and a shift in perspective.
What key design elements were incorporated into "East Shade"?
The game featured a strong sense of place, initially focused on survival mechanics that evolved into a unique painting mechanic rewarding players for exploring and capturing the game's world, along with an inspiration mechanic tying all actions into the core loop.
What challenges did the team face during the launch of "East Shade"?
The team encountered financial constraints, had to move in with family, and faced a snowstorm that threatened the launch day, eventually resolved with a last-minute power return and a special pie made by Jacine.
How did the team focus on marketing efforts for "East Shade"?
The team created polished assets, hired a PR company, strategically timed trailer releases, engaged on social media, wrote articles, streamed development, and participated in conventions and interviews to promote the game.
What is the current status of East Shade Studios?
The studio is now self-funded, allowing them to work on their own projects without constant content updates for their released game, ahead financially and stockpiling revenue for their next game to explore new ideas and create a game surpassing their previous work.
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Summary
00:00
Indie game success after five-year journey.
- The narrator and his wife quit their jobs to work on an indie game for five years, investing their life savings and more, eventually releasing a successful game that changed their lives.
- The narrator had always wanted to create his own game, saving money to hire a team, but in 2013, inspired by successful indie developers, he decided to work on his game, "East Shade," alone.
- After quitting his job in 2013, the narrator focused on developing "East Shade," finding inspiration and commitment to continue despite financial risks.
- The narrator's partner, Jacine, joined the project, contributing significantly to design, writing, and art, shaping many key mechanics of the game.
- The team expanded over the years, with a composer, character artist, quest scriptors, and a programmer joining to help complete the game.
- Key design elements of "East Shade" included a strong sense of place, initially centered around survival mechanics that evolved into a unique painting mechanic rewarding players for exploring and capturing the game's world.
- The introduction of the inspiration mechanic, where experiences in the game world rewarded players with inspiration, tied all actions into the core loop, enhancing the game's thematic coherence.
- The team focused on marketing efforts, creating polished assets, hiring a PR company, timing trailer releases strategically, engaging on social media, writing articles, streaming development, and participating in conventions and interviews.
- The launch of "East Shade" faced challenges due to financial constraints, leading the team to move in with family and encountering a snowstorm that threatened the launch day, eventually resolved with a last-minute power return and a special pie made by Jacine.
- Despite the success of "East Shade," the narrator felt a sense of completion and fulfillment but also a shift in perspective, realizing the end of a long journey and the need to move on from constantly dreaming about the game's potential.
14:00
East Shade Studios Thrives with Self-Funding
- East Shade Studios is now self-funded, allowing them to work on their own projects without the need for constant content updates for their released game. They are ahead financially, stockpiling revenue for their next game rather than paying back investors, giving them the freedom to explore new ideas and create a game that surpasses their previous work in scope, polish, variety, coziness, wonder, and personality.
