Even for a group of industry veterans with decades of experience, going independent comes with an assortment of unique challenges. Whether it’s managing the creative process, penetrating today’s hyper-competitive market, or battling bouts of imposter syndrome, the path to release can be daunting.
Fortunately, this amazing industry is not without its share of supportive individuals, helpful online forums, well-vetted tools and assets and a wealth of motivational content to help you keep your head up while driving your most ambitious projects forward.
Below I’ve listed a few remarkable motivators for whom I have a ton of respect.
Humble, personable, and a true inspiration, Thomas somehow balances game development, video production, the teaching of multiple online courses, an aggressive fitness routine, AND film directing with the needs of his family and fans. Should you be tempted to compare your life to his, you'll be happy to find that--in spite of his outlandish accomplishments and constant content creation--he too has doubts, makes mistakes, and once struggled to find his way.
For evidence of his humor and humility, check out any one of the many dev streams for his new 3D game, Father, or investigate one of his courses like Full Time Game Dev. His YouTube channel is full of great content, featuring straight-talk you won't get from other developers, and some wildly entertaining explorations transforming popular 3D games into 2D.
Best known as the creator of the game design video series "Game Maker's Toolkit," Mark has recently embarked on a unique game development journey, diving into Unity to bring his magnetic puzzle platformer to life in a series called "Developing."
If his design deep-dives and excellent game reviews weren't enough to draw you in, his insightful approach to game development--and the potential pitfalls of over-extending one's self--are sure to win you over.
Whether you're looking for thoughtful design discussion, a supportive community of game makers and players, or some excellent recommendations as to what new games might be worth your time, you'll want to check out the channel.
And if you'd like to support Mark on Patreon (and get exclusive content like playable builds of his ongoing project), you'll find him right here.
If you've ever likened programmers to magicians or sat in awe of the universe and its intricate workings, you will undoubtedly find worth and motivation in Sebastian's ability to transform the most technical abstraction into game development gold.
With his calming voice, unwavering optimism, and gorgeous animations of highly technical concepts, Sebastian produces videos unlike anything else you're likely to find on the subject matter. Whether you know anything whatsoever about code or scripting, you can't help but absorb and appreciate the high-level concepts and mathematical miracles on display.
And if you happen to be a Unity developer, you can support Seb's efforts on Patreon to get access to full project files and really see how the proverbial sausage is made. Toying with the inner workings of his various projects is bound to inspire you, and could very well lead you down a new path for your own creations. It's a shame Mr. Lague is one-of-a-kind because the world could use more magicians these days.
There's undoubtedly someone amazing out there that inspires you. Write to us and tell us all about them.
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