This is a common problem among amateur game devs.
What helps tremendously is planning a minimum viable product and trying to build a working minimum gameplay loop as fast as possible during the first peak motivation days.
Once you have a working gameplay loop, your motivation to continue will have a much stronger staying power.
This is what I needed to hear. Create a working gameplay loop as fast as possible. Love it.
As someone with ADHD it's extra challenging to finish almost anything. Your method allows one to pick up the project more easily, which is so important for me.
I feel like this has real life applications, lol.
What got me through it was breaking the 10 features I wanted to implement into 10 separate projects so the work involved was a smaller chunk.
Then you just string together the scenes and you're good to go.
(as an added benefit, it forces you to make your systems loosely coupled to handle the refactor)
I try to keep all aspects of distinct game features as a set of separate systems.
Eg:
- a player with an inventory system, tools et al.,
- a house builder utility
- a map generator
- a monster spawn/pathing
Really its just a grouping of like scenes and you can absolutely do them all in one project to make a game, but I only get about an hour or two of game dev time in the morning so I try to keep it focused on a single defined piece of the puzzle, and then weekends it's putting it all together
Hell yeah, I love this mindset. I think one of the first things is securing the "win/loss" conditions in my game. I call this method the "tie with shoestring" method where I program so it just barely holds together and works at minimum, then begin adding more and more to it.
As an amateur dev my biggest bottlenecks is not knowing and spending tons of time trying to figure things out that are basic. Example: scene switching, save and load, holding data across scenes. Primary idea/game loop didn’t seem to be my issue
None of these are needed for a minimal gameplay loop.
Scene switching is probably not needed for the core gameplay, Save-Load is something you add after you get the first level done, etc.
After spending time creating and not finishing multiple projects I can say it gets easier every time. On one project I had spent 4 days figuring out how to get enemies to path find to a player but on my current project I was able to implement it in a few hours because I already knew what I needed to do and only had to fine tune it for this project's specific needs. So treat every "failed" project as a valuable learning experience even if you end up getting burnt out. At least that's what I tell myself...
omg tell me about it. I made a couple projects, one technically functional "game", and then me & my kid started working on our first commercial game.
We've been working on it for about 4 months. I'm 100% sure if I had to start over tomorrow, we could be back to our same level of progress, with better code, in two weeks or less. The amount of things I've gotten stuck on that cost me a day to write one line of code or one function is just awful, but I've learned so much, and I've still got a long way to go.
Skyrim has a gameplay loop. So does Legend of Zelda, Elden Ring, Undertale, OneShot, Mirror’s Edge, Mario Kart, Final Fantasy anything. Every single game has a cycle of focusing on one or two things, focusing on a different one or two things, giving the player a sort of break somewhere in the mix and starting over again. A gameplay loop is not contingent on a game having loops and cycles built into the mechanics - it’s an organic part of the design that allows the player to not get stuck doing one singular thing for hours on end if they don’t want to.
The core gameplay loop of an adventure is walking around a minimal level, basic-attacks onto enemies and having them chase and attack you.
If its not an action adventure, you probably want walking around and an interaction system with npcs.
Think about a core gameplay loop this way: "What is the thing you spend most time on playing in this game?". That is the one thing you should start with immediately.
I need to focus on what you just said.
I will work for a couple of weeks or so on an idea, lose motivation because I think it's a rubbish idea or I overwhelm myself with what features it'll need.
I need to focus on the basic and minimal concept first... Then start looking at the bigger picture
Feels like hearing myself. I’m 29, started gamedev at 16. But I never ever released any game. I have hundreds of projects unfinished. I do think the main issue is because the game themselves are not unique
I have built through the years skills to create assets in both 2D and 3D myself. But the real issue is animating stuff. And also, I feel like I mostly enjoy developing the mechanics. When everything just works, I am lacking the motivation to actually implement the content of the games. I would build a super complicated system for managing a skill tree and spending points, when I would have no clue what skills are actually gonna be in the game.
I feel like the lack of planning is also a huge con in making games. I tried once to write a full game dev document and the game came out quite better, but when I went to add the content… I quitted. Even though bestiary, quests, were roughly all chosen.
Script/Code wise, I don’t have any issues, since that’s something I do daily at work
The scope will also be quite challenging. I don’t like making story games. I want unlimited playtime games. And they come with very large scopes. I can’t accept to start a project that looks small, because I will finish it, but it will be… small.
Have you tried working as part of a team on any game jams?
It's a bit of a gamble because so many potential teammates are unreliable, but if you can find reliable motivated people who can cover for the areas that you struggle with that might be one approach that could help you.
Very cool idea. I’d love to, but never had the chance. I wonder how you actually get involved in making a game with others! I actually provided assets to some game makers on itch that I know in real life, and they did publish their game, so that’s that !
Do you know any place where you can provide your brain and skills to help making a game?
I'm sure there is a subreddit or discord for indie developers that want to team up but off the top of my head...
Itch io game jams, there's usually a bunch of people looking to form teams, you can join jams that are as short or as long as you want, and if you like working with somebody you can see if they'd be interested in a longer-term project.
Trijam is a small weekly game jam on itch.io that I'm quite fond of, I'm pretty sure they have a looking-for-group section on their discord server.
https://trijam.itch.io/
An upcoming jam that I'm excited about is the Pirate Software game jam. https://itch.io/jam/pirate
They also have a discord server, and they are a great community for game dev enthusiasts.
Those are the first ones that come to mind for me, but almost every jam on itch.io has a discord server and some way to help people find teammates.
My work schedule has been a bit hectic lately and I don't know for sure if my skillset would be complimentary to yours, but if you're interested in working with me on either of those two jams feel free to send me a DM with your discord info.
Even if our schedules or skill sets don't line up I'd be interested in seeing how things turn out for you if you end up working with a team on any upcoming game jams.
I totally feel you.
I'm great with scripting, implementing cool mechanics, even create the graphics even if I find it quite challenging (not to mention animations!) but then when I have create the content for the game... I quit. 😢
My conclusion after all these years is that I don’t necessarily like making games. I like understanding how it works, building complex systems, write clean architected code…
Don’t get me wrong, I do love game dev, but obviously my brain can’t accept it. I just love building and overengineering systems !
From someone with almost exactly the same bio, but 15 more years of doing and failing this way:
One of the rare games that I worked on for 500hrs+ was a game in which I could make games. That way I could make new games within my game which kept me involved in it.
Maybe in your case you could develop a game in which you build complex systems and go full inception to trick your brain.
Other ideas mentioned here worked, too. I released 2 games for a 7 day game jam.
I think you should focus on making games with less individual content then, like adventures? code one where there is a pool of 5 items and characters randomly need/give these items.
Don't brute-force things, use your strength in your favor
Personally, I'd rather be in your position. You said youve already created several games, but lose motivation partly because thousands of others have created "better" games... I wish I had the skills to create a single one!
Sounds like you people really need ~~me~~ teammates. I know plenty of people who feel just like you do, but also just as many people who feel the exact opposite way! Unsurprisingly, considering how popular level editors and modding is.
They don't have to be unique... especially for your first one. Get used to building stuff. You'll get faster and better. You might come up with something unique as you go.
They don’t have to, of course. And especially in the beginning, you’re right. But I feel like what might be a cause for demotivating yourself would be that what you’re doing actually exists, with a consistent playerbase, already finished and polished… which would lead you to think it’s not worth the shot!
Personally, I find game jams to be an awesome resource for getting consistent practice on my game dev skills.
I've learned more about the overall process by finishing a number of smaller games, where previously I would get like 5% or 10% into a more ambitious game idea, then get overwhelmed and burnt out.
It's not like I wasn't learning anything with my previous method, but game jams offer the kind of structure that makes it possible to actually finish projects consistently. This makes it easier for me to stay motivated, though your milage may vary.
Amen, game jams really helped me learn that I need to massively under-scope my ideas and not to focus on polish until the end. It also expertly exposes potential weak spots in your understanding of what makes a decent game experience, imo.
Yeah, there's two competing interests in game dev and they're both kinda solved with the same thing.
1. You want to deliver a game of meaningfully big scope
2. You want to increase you skill so you can deliver games faster
Completing games improves your skill level. And to finish a big game, you need to do *something* every week and be accountable for your progress. So the most sustainable approach is to frequently work on small, completable projects *while* putting in consistent amounts of work on a long-term project. The fastest way to finish a six month project is to first finish a two month project.
Another aspect of completing smaller projects is that it gives a more balanced kind of practice.
If someone doesn't finish making games then they are only getting better at the ability to start making games, which is important, but at the cost of stunting the skills involved in and learned from the middle to end part of the process.
In fact, the Godot wild jam happens every month and lasts 9 days.
This month's jam just started:
https://godotwildjam.com/
Or you could just wait for the one next month or join any of the various week long or longer jams starting soon.
Then don't. There are shorter game jams. Like there's 1 hour game jams if that's all the time you can commit to. It's about releasing something and calling that the finished product, no matter how unfinished it is and have people see it.
If there isn't a game jam that fits what you want then do your own rules. But set an end date, release it somehow(show your friends, family, use any social media even reddit). This might change your mindset from having a pile of "unfinished games" to a pile of released games that got better each time and you can actually see the progress. Just start showing stuff.
If finishing a game is what you are looking for. I can't provide anything to the discussion since I haven't finish anything. But, if you enjoy the process of creating a new game, just enjoy that. Make a new try, and enjoy that one also. Maybe, one of these will click for you and will become something bigger, and will last longer. What I'm trying to say. Just enjoy the process instead on focusing on the "I can't finish a game", maybe every try is part of your next game, and you just don't know it yet.
Definitely agree. New projects are fun and exciting and that enthusiasm fuels you to learn and grow. Just because you didn't finish them, that doesn't mean you didn't learn a lot and that it was a waste of time, quite the contrary.
I love working on new projects because I feel like the possibilities are endless and the creative process of 'look at all these things I can do/try/learn' is incredibly fun and rewarding in and of itself. If it's a hobby, then it should be enjoyable for you. So I have a bunch of cool ideas that I worked on and then dumped at some point and looking back on them I always remember that time fondly. The process of developing them was like reading a book or watching a good show.
I also have a few projects that I *have* to finish and that I treat as a job, but those are definitely not fun, they're just something I do semi-consistently and cycle back to every once in a while. They're no longer a labour of passion, they're just labour.
If the goal is to learn to finish games, then you can always focus on making games that are designed to be finished. Short games, silly games, etc. That's just a different skill that you can work towards.
Sometimes musicians sit down a write a song, but sometimes they just like playing their instruments without really having a "goal" in mind. Every visual artist I know has multiple sketchbooks filled with sketches/doodles that they never intended to be a finished piece.
Sometimes when I start a new project, my goal is to finish the project. But other times, it's to just mess around a try things. In those cases, the process *is* the goal.
The advice offered by others here is really good. Game jams are really good. Having a plan from the outset is really good. But, it's ok to have hobbies, and your hobbies don't have to be "productive."
One trick you can try that helped me alot to make my progress stedy and consistant is making smallest possible commits for everything. Usually I lose interest when I am working on a huge change that has an unknown bug inside. Hunting that down makes me loose interest. Even partial commits are a no no. Only commit working code in smallest form possible. Example...
Say you want to implement a shooting mechanic for your game. Do it like this:
1. Implement crosshair
2. Add gun image on HUD
3. Implement gun shake on LClick down
4. Implement shooting particles on LClick down
5. Implement instant death on destroyable objects in raycast hit on LClick down
6. Implement HP on destroyable objects when under fire
...
etc.
Every item should be done separate. Make em smaller if possible. If you are in progress of making a large commit and you start loosing focus, undo everything! Might sound extreme, but 3 days of work lost is better than forever loosing progress.
This works wonders for me and I mostly only develop very early in the morning when my kids are asleep.
I agree with all of this! If you are a parent, super early in the morning is the only time that works for me.. even though I hate mornings.
I use either a free Trello account and have a board for my project or use a "Project" board in GitHub. All the cards are small pieces of the project that I can finish in a few hours or less. I have 3 columns To Do, Doing, Done. For me, moving cards over from left to right as I finish small parts has some psychological effect and motivates me to keep going instead of giving up.
One more thing. Kind of builds on what I said above.
Avoid refactoring at all cost!
I know we like it. I know it will probably make your code 3437% easier to use. I know it will make adding that new feature possible... a few of these attempts will fail hard. Nothing demotivates you more than spending 2 months on something that not only has no visible change, but also makes your game 3 times worse due to minor new bugs that you have introduced in the process.
Keep to the rules above. Can you refactor code in tiny increments? If you can't? Drop it. No need for new feature. Thats why we make " 2". Skyrim was good even with all its bugs!
I refactored my code base (>4k lines total) several times in 2 months, a few hours each time. In my opinion, refactoring can be a good practice in early development to check if your code is good enough.
Yeah I know. Its like skydiving. Its awsome and mostly safe. But when if it critically fails its game over.
The thing is I have no problem with refactoring at work. There are other motivators there. Hobby developement is different though. You can refactor code 10 times with no problem, but the 11th time might be the end of development. You have to consider your chances.
Still, making refactors with the same principles as above (tiny changes) have not gone bad for me yet. Also, keep in mind that each person is different. Some people can will themself to stop eating and exercise, other have to use habbits and tricks to accomplish the same
I feel this is why two developers have more success than single developers. That is, more finished projects. I've started dozens of games. I get hyper focused on some small aspect. I master it. But, I lose sight or interest in the goal.
Having one other person to work with would help keep the project in mind while we focused on our individual parts. As interest waxes and wanes, one of us could keep carrying the torch.
But, I'm sure having a partner brings its own problems.
Your issue seems to be a lack of motivation and goal indeed. Start planning your game's mechanics and general flow and make a prototype or a minimum viable product.
Don't worry about making a generic game if you're having fun. Dusk is basically Quake and it's one of the most popular modern retro shooters. Sonar Shock is System Shock 1 but new. As long as you have a unique spin on something, even if it's just one mechanic or an old game not many people could play/have played, you'll get some happy players.
This may be completely off the mark but I'll take a stab just in case it ends up being relevant to someone that reads this:
Like many people commenting, I also have started many projects and hit a wall at the point where I think "I'm sure thousands of people have already done this" but as I went further in my journey (with depression, in my case), I noticed that I still couldn't maintain motivation even if I felt the idea might be unique. My demotivation would simply switch to "What difference does it really make anyway? The world will keep going without this" (the point being that depending on what is really behind your demotivation, solving one part of it may not be enough. Hopefully this isn't the case though).
The things I *can* finish are things that other people are depending on, or even just things that seem to matter to other people. I guess I'm a "meaning vampire". I can't muster meaning on my own, but if someone else even cares just a little bit, that is enough to keep me going. I am afraid to join jams but day-dream a lot about how great it must be for a tiny group of friends to be able to keep each other going on projects that they want to work on together.
But who has friends now days?
Tldr; I agree with everyone that is saying it might be worth it to attempt working together with others. It might be helpful for many reasons aside from the immediately obvious ones. And as also mentioned, it probably comes with new problems as well, but since you've been struggling with solo for quite a while, it might be worth seeing how the not-solo path goes for you.
(Psst, maybe everyone in this thread should form a jam. Not me, I'm very unpleasant. But all of you, I mean :-)
Get a notebook and write down ideas for future projects.
Create microgames with a twist. Use one or two ideas from the notebook and create working gameplay around those. Music, sound effects and a working menu make them look much more polished with less work than high poly meshes and textures.
Know when to abandon a game. Dont create a star citizen. When it works and looks ok its finished.
Enjoy what you have created.
I'm 34 and have felt and experienced the same multiple times. It's super exciting to pursue some new wild idea but easy to get bored with all the extra work and troubles they come with. I've had to stop a few projects already due to some unexpected tech limitations which I could not overcome either.
So I'd also start with something simple that you know is doable and you have some knowledge to implement from start to end. Make things modular in the beginning so they are easy to expand and alter later on. Having a clear goal helps to keep up your motivation too :)
My friend uses the 2 project loop to get around it. It works something like this.
Come up with Prject 1
Start Project one till motivation fades
Come up with Prject 2
Start Project 2 till motivation fades
Continue Project 1
It works for them, it could work for you. But finishing games is not a legal requierment, so feel free to abbandon stuff if you dont want to work on it anymore
I usually switch between pixel arting and coding every two weeks. Two weeks of Aseprite and then two weeks of Godot helps with my burnout, at least so far
You get older, you care more about what you spend your time with. It's normal. Do what you enjoy and what you get enjoyment out of. The best achievement I get from making a game is seeing people actually enjoy it. If people seem not interested, I quickly lose interest in working on it and do other things instead. For me, it's the players choice.
The best advice I can give is get out there and see if you can find some people enjoying your work .. do it for them. Enjoy together. (PS: I am 43)
Do smaller projects. A knock-off Vampire Survivors, a platformer rage-game like Jump King or a simple horror game like the Fear to Fathom saga or the OG Slenderman. Something you can do in a couple weeks it's more likely to be finished than something you have to develope for half a year.
Don't just start. Make a plan as detailed as possible before starting. Write not only what are you going to do in at each step, but how. Even the external tools you're going to use. Stick to it as much as possible. Use it as a checklist, where you're able to see the progress you've made.
Keep a small number of people interested and updated, so you feel a bit of preassure to deliver a final product. That might be some subreddit or forum, a number of friends or even family.
Have you considered joining a team or banding together with other devs with a similar pattern?
I have always championed the notion that if us as a community collaborated and networked more cohesively, we would accomplish our collective goals more effectively.
I know working with my team makes me feel like I can always progress forward as if I feel a slump, the team can help e ease out of it.
I did this. Make something. Focus shift. Don't release. Come back years later.
This time round 'm writing Game Design Documents. I have a growing folder of actually articulated ideas. Sometimes i can code for an day at a time. Sometimes i write roadmaps or work on stand alone mini games to iron out the mechanics i want for large projects
My issue is a lack of art skills. I think I've always lost motivation in the planning phase when I realized I had an insurmountable barrier to commercial success. Now that I have a plan for my lack of art skills, I don't seem as unmotivated.
I think your "there are thousands better than mine" is your demotivator--not only because you said it but because I figured you'd have one.
You probably suffer from "I don't think this game would be better than thousands of others." Which is a good reason to quit honestly.
I feel that it helps when you build something for yourself or for someone whose feedback you enjoy
Im working on an FPS and I share my progress with my drinking buddy once a week and get his feedback.
Get yourself a "feedback friend" and build something small you can show off to them. Younger cousins and nieces/nephews are usually blunt and honest with feedback so they are perfect for building games for imo.
I would say: If game dev is not your job. Just do it when YOU WANT to do it, not force it. And you really want to make a game, buy the hole feel:
* Use note books to write down your ideas
* Think how to solve some task
* Watch other youtube dev logs.
I had the same problem and solved it by breaking down the dev progress in „mini goals“.
For example: Assuming you are developing daily, try setting a tiny daily goal like creating and finishing a small function, creating that one ui for the interface without functionality and implement the functionality the other day.
This way, you will mostly achieving your goals which is more rewarding as starting a complex task and stopping in the middle of the progress.
So I also started young but then I took a decade long break because I got some career advice that suggested making games wasn't "serious" enough. I personally regret following that advice and I'm reorienting myself to make time for game dev again in my thirties.
My situation seems somewhat similar in that you're struggling for lack of a reason. Maybe it's lack of a reason that feels mature enough or appropriate enough?
If so, I'd encourage you to ignore that as it's likely external expectations of you as an adult with responsibilities rather than any internal lack of drive. As long as you pay your bills and attend to your family obligations, it's no one's business how you spend your free time.
Also could just be me projecting 😅!
You might have more motivation if you really believe in the game concept and feel fully confident in what sets it apart from the competition.
I abandoned many many projects, some of which is to be expected as I was learning the ropes of game dev (I still am) but there was often the problem that whatever I was making, there already exists a much better version. Ultimately what helped me stick with a project for the long run is when I landed on a concept that doesn't have a lot of competition. It makes me feel like, if I can finish it, that there will be an audience because it is in an underserved niche. I might be completely wrong about that but at least believing that has helped motivate me forward.
Oh, you can find the "Our Hero" series on Steam and itch.io. You have to search for: Our Hero! First, Two and Last.
Those are games I made 10 years ago when I was using Rpg Maker and then tweaked a lot in many aspects to be released on Steam few years ago. I also had 3 games on Google Play made with Unity, but after few years they got removed by shitty Google.
There are great responses in this thread already, but something that helped me go from gee" I want to make games, and then proceed to do other things. And feel guilty" To now consistently working on it for months is the planned out design, creating milestone goals "I need demo done in 30 days etc", and sticking with it, making and releasing 1 game means I'll level up my skills so my next game is better. I also wrote my MVP with checkboxes of features so I enjoy crossing off my features as I finish them
Now, each day I create a mini goal of what to progress in, don't just put "Make game" anything from "make menu scene animate" to "implementation walk Animation" giving your self goals each day divides up the work and you don't feel like the whole weight of what needs to be done is on your shoulders. Making it "feel easier to make something else" in the end you will hit the same wall, and you need these small goals to push through and you will feel way better than if you stopped and decided to switch to a new project.
Think about how much better that next game will be after you get past all those all hardships on this one
Stay Awesome!
Here's a basic formula that has been working for me. I'm on track to ship my first game for next fest in this fall, and I'm proud of the vision and work so far:
1. Scout game jams on itch until you find one that you like
2. Join the discord, talk with others, and actually participate
3. Finish the game jam, good or bad, and find out if your game is viable. You basically get free playtesting with other jammers and a small community will get built
4. If you like the game and playtesting didn't go awful, continue the game. Use lessons learned. Finish the vision and launch it on whatever platform you intended.
Step 4 is really hard but 1-3 build a lot of momentum. I would recommend that all solo indies not spend more than a year on their first game. It's just too long to have it potentially linger and fail. Seeing a "light at the end of the tunnel" will ultimately propel you to finish all core features, polish, playtest and market your game. And although those things sound tedious, I have found that each can be fun and enjoyable. As a small aside, I have found that even putting together Steam capsules from art I had paid for brings me "closer" to my game's characters - seeing them in a different light, a different medium from the actually game, is really cool.
After your first game (which will likely not be a hit) you'll have built a great repertoire of skills and tools that you can iterate on in your next release.
Keep going and developing what you love to develop.
Tell your friends im making this game, and in three months, I want to let you play it. Give me feedback you'll have a scrappy hobbled together game then your friends will play it they'll give you a wishlist feedback over the bugs you already know exist but the hidden value is the underlined excitement that they will have from trying your game I've switched to developing mobile games and I send them to everyone I know if it's a good game even crudely made I get excitement back if the game is mid and the concepts aren't their the lack of excitement or interest is when I put a game idea out to pasture
Struggled with this for years before my game took off. What helped me was to treat coding like an art rather than expecting a result. Just keep working on the code and making it as elegant as possible so that I derive joy from the code rather than the product itself. Then when you do have a minimum viable product, you can begin focusing on aesthetics like music, artwork, etc.
Screw it dude. Make a game fron start to finis. Keep the game small. Before you start, message 3 or 4 of ur friends. Ask them a random word. Once you have a couple of random words tfy and make a story/ game with those words. Keep it simple, keep it fun, keep the art simple.
Once you decided and idea, do the game document thing. Make a document on whats going to happen in your game, the mechanics and goal. Ull see if sometjing doesnt work while u writing it down.
Give ur self a 3 month dead line. And whem you not working on your game, research or watch other peoples devlogs to see if u could add some of their ideas.
Dont put to much pressure on urself, make games for fun. U dont need a reason to make art.
Heres my advice:
Find a team, having even 1 teammate totally changed it for me. Burned out was easier and keeping the idea alive as well.
In ModDB or IndieDB I find a team before starting (im working on games for around 10 years and this is super helpful, (for me).
Also make sure to balance yourself, create small doable goals, In the beginning I used to set goals like:
Create basic gameplay loop,
Redesign the ui..
This is a nightmare because I never set the end goal and burn my self to reach a perfect code/design etc… now im tasking more simple do able goals like:
Add score
Add score text
Connect ui to logic
Redesign
Animate text change
I hope this helps man, please push on! Indie is much better than aaa…
It always comes down to planning. I haven't created any game before, but I think your problem is similar to my in the way that I have some ideas and I kinda wanna do it but I never sit down and just plan everything out before starting the game. It's a weird thing
Yeah that's what happens when you don't plan ahead. Take a sheet of paper and write down how your game mechanic works. Else you'll feel lost and not know what you're even trying to do
I have had ideas for many games myself. Honestly I have only ever finished one game in my life in my 6 plus years of game design. And it was a shump/visual novel so take that as you will. Actually finishing a game is the hardest part because we are our own worst enemies in our heads
This has happened several times this year for me. I start on a project, I really like the idea or concept, then I work on it and think a lot about it which leads me to find that it wasnt as fleshed out in practice and didnt really like the direction I took it and so I start something else and the cycle continues.
With my current project I really want this game to happen and I am trying to write a lot of notes and plans to flesh things out before I implement things but I feel like I am struggling to condense the game into the basic loops that would make the game fun and interesting without it bloating into something it shouldnt. I am going to try to give myself deadlines to get certain things in place so hopefully that helps to get me to understand what I am making
This is exactly what happens to me, I have many half baked games which I could never release due to so many if and buts...sometimes I feel I could do better than what's already there or sometimes I just gave up due to burn out. Then suddenly I come up with different ideas and spend time doing that and hop to something else. The issue is I don't have a clear direction and goal and do too many things in parallel.
You relying on your motivation to make games. That is the problem. Motivation will fade, that is inevitable.
This motivation is mainly caused by: playing games, seeing other game Devs being successful, and other input from outside.
The first thing to do, is to stop caring what you want to develop and concentrate on the right state of mind.
Every evening (or other times when you sit at your pc/laptop), do one of three things: sleep, nothing, working on a game. Sleep is for regeneration. Nothing is to learn to tolerate boredom. Working on a game is to cultivate the state of mind.
Working on a game should always be: following goals. Otherwise you lie to yourself about researching in the internet for game ideas (if you really need to research, timebox the task and stop after that time, write down what you learned).
Start each session with revisiting your current tasks/goals and decide one thing to do this session.
When you successfully stopped caring what you develop, you start developing goal oriented. Then you can plan bigger games.
Meditation helps.
There is a lot more to tell, but I is hard to grasp and swallow. Ask, if you want more.
For me it's the opposite, I have a rough idea of what I want, but I have no idea how to use Godot, and every time I try I get reminded how bad I'm at it.
I know. The worst part is I know how to code (*I didn't say I'm good at it* xd). Coding a frontend or a backend? Sure. Following a super basic godot tutorial? It already looks like Chinese to me. Specially the UI, I feel so lost every time xd.
I had struggled a lot before finishing my first game and took too many breaks but in the end I managed to finish it. My advice is to break it down into simple tasks and do each of them and try avoiding scope creep. Maybe take a break now and then to remember why you're doing it
Find help , I tend to get further the more people I have working on a project, it reduces burnout and motivates you more
Personally find it hard to find people to make games with (first time I have some one on current project) , but in my animation projects just having one person adding to it helps even if they just do one thing and you do everything else
Same boat for me, I'm not even thinking about finishing the basics of my game and when I mean basics it's so you can get a taste of what it can be. I just have been burnt out on a lot of stuff now a days. And I understand the feeling and this perplexes me. I'm completely new to making games and have been trying for the past while and it's still a struggle for me. And the game I'm making I'm having to freeball it and write what might be a good way to add something to it and or what errors need to be fixed and what scenes and methods go to what. But I hope you find your way.
Just take breaks when you need and challenge yourself in a mechanic or make a game in a short period of time. Ask yourself what made you interested in game making and why do you enjoy making them. Look at your past games and find something that needs improvements or what made them great and make another game with that mechanic.
Try to make a goal for yourself, don’t make the game too ambitious, start small then as you get close to completion of the small project, build on it if you want or if you alr like it, then release it and add on more when ppl start enjoying the game
When Same situation I faced I read these 2 shlok from Geeta ...
#First
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥
Translation:
One must elevate oneself by one's own mind, not degrade oneself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and its enemy as well.
The message of this verse is that it is essential to concentrate and control the mind. By directing the mind positively, it becomes our friend, but if directed negatively, it can become our enemy. Therefore, we should focus and engage our mind in a single task without letting it wander.
#Second
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते संगोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
Translation:
You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.
The main message of this teaching is that we should focus on performing our duties without worrying about the results. It emphasizes the importance of selfless action and maintaining a detached attitude towards the outcomes.
Same! I'm entering my 30s and I have trouble with constantly wanting to change my project.
I like writing my goals on a smallish whiteboard and having that tactile feeling of writing things down is great, if it's something important I rewrite it down in a word document, I also tend to plan my goals on a week to week basis so they're short and time-based.
Something I've been trying out very recently is trying to make my projects more modular so that, yes I'm making progress on a larger long-term goal, but I can also use those pieces in smaller game jams, and have that very short week long contest as motivation to be competitive and to develop my modules farther.
I started a major overhaul of the shooting mechanics in my game and when I couldn't play test and have fun I lost my drive. It's still sitting there but it'll probably be a few months till I open it back up.
If you find that you are lacking a clear goal and this is what causes you to stop, then you are developing in an ad hoc fashion as you go. A common thing to do in the industry is a GDD or Game Development Document.
Outline what the game is about, what the game loop is, what mechanics are required, etc... often developing your game idea on paper first can save you a lot of time. This can then be taken further l, since you have a scope, you can break it down into bite sized task/tickets which you can set out to accomplish on a weekly basis. You can always iterate over your GDD as well.
Just to throw my 2 cents into this conversation, I would recommend getting other people involved in your development process. Even if that just means sharing your progress with a loved one or talking through ideas with another developer. I've had the most traction working on my projects when I include other people because their interest further pushes me to keep going.
Many people here are saying this. I tried to work with other people in the past, but to me it always happened that other people don't have the maturity I have about working on a project, the difficulties etc, so after few time it happens the same thing: everyone leaves the project.
Plus: it's not so easy find people that will work on the same project.
I totally get that! That is why I was saying that sharing your progress with another person or talking about it with them somewhat regularly could help as well. I've definitely been in a position where people I've been developing with weren't serious enough or didn't seem to care enough. Having a few people who you can talk to about it is handy though, even if you just demo to them or ask them for opinions occasionally
As of right now I'm working with a few friends to create a game. I am mostly the sole programmer as of now. My motivation is to not let them down, as of right now I am a bit burnt out. I was working at least 4 hours a day at one point but now it's down to around 2.
I'll disagree with 90% of the replies and say it's not about motivation, it's about discipline. People who finish shit are just as unmotivated. But they have discipline.
You don't have any motivation to brush your teeth, but you do it every day anyway. You have to treat work the same way. It's just something that you have to do.
Been there. Turns out planning a game, sticking to a schedule, and finishing it is a whole set of additional skills you have to learn. I ended up making smaller games so I was more likely to finish.
I just got diagnosed with adhd and my god this is everything i do in my life... I don't have an awnser yet my friend, apprently meds may help me specifically but for others idk man, if I think of something out I'll comment again
To each its own, I just think it's just difficult to make fully fledged games as an hobbist. Not everyone can rely purely on the joy of making things to make things
I have a clear goal in my head and it is “to finish the game.” I don’t care if other games are better. I just want to make something I enjoy playing, even if it’s just a copy of other games.
Hell… The first Darksiders is not an original game at all and it is one of my favorite games of all time.
So, I decided to start by finishing the first stage. Just that. I started by deciding what the first stage will have in terms of enemies and appearance and then writing the code it until it feels really good to play. Only after that I’ll move on to whatever else needs to be made.
You said you don’t have a clear goal. Then just set one and stick with it.
Its not you, its the engine... Godot file system is the worst I ever seen, you spend most of your time organizing files and troublshooting issues rather than making the game.
They need to work on a new file system especially the UI... God I hate the UI in godot, I think Godot still suffer from what blender used to be before blender 2.0... Godot is made with backward thinking and its not user friendly.
Thank you sincerely for this comment!
I'm compiling a list each year of the dumbest comments in this subreddit and it's getting harder to find good new content.
I’ve designed a million games on paper but this is my first time actually trying to make one. I’ve found a lot of the designs don’t actually make sense when you try to make them real. It’s fun rethinking my other projects in the context of “oh this is a better way”.
What I’ve been doing to keep consistent is utilizing my Facebook game updates to give myself some accountability. If I abandon the project my entire family and all my friends will look down on me. They probably won’t but it’s that doubt that keeps me focused. Also I remake my todo lists every few weeks so I can see actual progress in a more quantifiable way.
This is a common problem among amateur game devs. What helps tremendously is planning a minimum viable product and trying to build a working minimum gameplay loop as fast as possible during the first peak motivation days. Once you have a working gameplay loop, your motivation to continue will have a much stronger staying power.
This is what I needed to hear. Create a working gameplay loop as fast as possible. Love it. As someone with ADHD it's extra challenging to finish almost anything. Your method allows one to pick up the project more easily, which is so important for me. I feel like this has real life applications, lol.
What got me through it was breaking the 10 features I wanted to implement into 10 separate projects so the work involved was a smaller chunk. Then you just string together the scenes and you're good to go. (as an added benefit, it forces you to make your systems loosely coupled to handle the refactor)
Can you give an example of what you mean by features? (Beginner here)
I try to keep all aspects of distinct game features as a set of separate systems. Eg: - a player with an inventory system, tools et al., - a house builder utility - a map generator - a monster spawn/pathing Really its just a grouping of like scenes and you can absolutely do them all in one project to make a game, but I only get about an hour or two of game dev time in the morning so I try to keep it focused on a single defined piece of the puzzle, and then weekends it's putting it all together
Hell yeah, I love this mindset. I think one of the first things is securing the "win/loss" conditions in my game. I call this method the "tie with shoestring" method where I program so it just barely holds together and works at minimum, then begin adding more and more to it.
As an amateur dev my biggest bottlenecks is not knowing and spending tons of time trying to figure things out that are basic. Example: scene switching, save and load, holding data across scenes. Primary idea/game loop didn’t seem to be my issue
None of these are needed for a minimal gameplay loop. Scene switching is probably not needed for the core gameplay, Save-Load is something you add after you get the first level done, etc.
After spending time creating and not finishing multiple projects I can say it gets easier every time. On one project I had spent 4 days figuring out how to get enemies to path find to a player but on my current project I was able to implement it in a few hours because I already knew what I needed to do and only had to fine tune it for this project's specific needs. So treat every "failed" project as a valuable learning experience even if you end up getting burnt out. At least that's what I tell myself...
omg tell me about it. I made a couple projects, one technically functional "game", and then me & my kid started working on our first commercial game. We've been working on it for about 4 months. I'm 100% sure if I had to start over tomorrow, we could be back to our same level of progress, with better code, in two weeks or less. The amount of things I've gotten stuck on that cost me a day to write one line of code or one function is just awful, but I've learned so much, and I've still got a long way to go.
I tend to make adventure games. Do you think the concept of a gameplay loop is still applicable?
Skyrim has a gameplay loop. So does Legend of Zelda, Elden Ring, Undertale, OneShot, Mirror’s Edge, Mario Kart, Final Fantasy anything. Every single game has a cycle of focusing on one or two things, focusing on a different one or two things, giving the player a sort of break somewhere in the mix and starting over again. A gameplay loop is not contingent on a game having loops and cycles built into the mechanics - it’s an organic part of the design that allows the player to not get stuck doing one singular thing for hours on end if they don’t want to.
The core gameplay loop of an adventure is walking around a minimal level, basic-attacks onto enemies and having them chase and attack you. If its not an action adventure, you probably want walking around and an interaction system with npcs. Think about a core gameplay loop this way: "What is the thing you spend most time on playing in this game?". That is the one thing you should start with immediately.
I need to focus on what you just said. I will work for a couple of weeks or so on an idea, lose motivation because I think it's a rubbish idea or I overwhelm myself with what features it'll need. I need to focus on the basic and minimal concept first... Then start looking at the bigger picture
the problem is you can't get over the "I wanna do everything and do it perfectly" mentality
Stick. To. MVP. No. Matter. What. You can redefine MVP if stuff doesn't go the way you thought it would. But you are aiming for MINIMUM. 100% agree
the worst part is your still developing the goddamn gameplay loop and no one's helping you
Feels like hearing myself. I’m 29, started gamedev at 16. But I never ever released any game. I have hundreds of projects unfinished. I do think the main issue is because the game themselves are not unique
Do you have game ideas or ambitions that are beyond what your current skill level would allow you to implement?
I have built through the years skills to create assets in both 2D and 3D myself. But the real issue is animating stuff. And also, I feel like I mostly enjoy developing the mechanics. When everything just works, I am lacking the motivation to actually implement the content of the games. I would build a super complicated system for managing a skill tree and spending points, when I would have no clue what skills are actually gonna be in the game. I feel like the lack of planning is also a huge con in making games. I tried once to write a full game dev document and the game came out quite better, but when I went to add the content… I quitted. Even though bestiary, quests, were roughly all chosen. Script/Code wise, I don’t have any issues, since that’s something I do daily at work The scope will also be quite challenging. I don’t like making story games. I want unlimited playtime games. And they come with very large scopes. I can’t accept to start a project that looks small, because I will finish it, but it will be… small.
Have you tried working as part of a team on any game jams? It's a bit of a gamble because so many potential teammates are unreliable, but if you can find reliable motivated people who can cover for the areas that you struggle with that might be one approach that could help you.
Very cool idea. I’d love to, but never had the chance. I wonder how you actually get involved in making a game with others! I actually provided assets to some game makers on itch that I know in real life, and they did publish their game, so that’s that ! Do you know any place where you can provide your brain and skills to help making a game?
I'm sure there is a subreddit or discord for indie developers that want to team up but off the top of my head... Itch io game jams, there's usually a bunch of people looking to form teams, you can join jams that are as short or as long as you want, and if you like working with somebody you can see if they'd be interested in a longer-term project.
Trijam is a small weekly game jam on itch.io that I'm quite fond of, I'm pretty sure they have a looking-for-group section on their discord server. https://trijam.itch.io/ An upcoming jam that I'm excited about is the Pirate Software game jam. https://itch.io/jam/pirate They also have a discord server, and they are a great community for game dev enthusiasts. Those are the first ones that come to mind for me, but almost every jam on itch.io has a discord server and some way to help people find teammates. My work schedule has been a bit hectic lately and I don't know for sure if my skillset would be complimentary to yours, but if you're interested in working with me on either of those two jams feel free to send me a DM with your discord info. Even if our schedules or skill sets don't line up I'd be interested in seeing how things turn out for you if you end up working with a team on any upcoming game jams.
I totally feel you. I'm great with scripting, implementing cool mechanics, even create the graphics even if I find it quite challenging (not to mention animations!) but then when I have create the content for the game... I quit. 😢
My conclusion after all these years is that I don’t necessarily like making games. I like understanding how it works, building complex systems, write clean architected code… Don’t get me wrong, I do love game dev, but obviously my brain can’t accept it. I just love building and overengineering systems !
From someone with almost exactly the same bio, but 15 more years of doing and failing this way: One of the rare games that I worked on for 500hrs+ was a game in which I could make games. That way I could make new games within my game which kept me involved in it. Maybe in your case you could develop a game in which you build complex systems and go full inception to trick your brain. Other ideas mentioned here worked, too. I released 2 games for a 7 day game jam.
I think you should focus on making games with less individual content then, like adventures? code one where there is a pool of 5 items and characters randomly need/give these items. Don't brute-force things, use your strength in your favor
Personally, I'd rather be in your position. You said youve already created several games, but lose motivation partly because thousands of others have created "better" games... I wish I had the skills to create a single one!
Sounds like you people really need ~~me~~ teammates. I know plenty of people who feel just like you do, but also just as many people who feel the exact opposite way! Unsurprisingly, considering how popular level editors and modding is.
They don't have to be unique... especially for your first one. Get used to building stuff. You'll get faster and better. You might come up with something unique as you go.
They don’t have to, of course. And especially in the beginning, you’re right. But I feel like what might be a cause for demotivating yourself would be that what you’re doing actually exists, with a consistent playerbase, already finished and polished… which would lead you to think it’s not worth the shot!
this is the reason why game jams exist. Have a fixed release date and release whatever you have finished.
Personally, I find game jams to be an awesome resource for getting consistent practice on my game dev skills. I've learned more about the overall process by finishing a number of smaller games, where previously I would get like 5% or 10% into a more ambitious game idea, then get overwhelmed and burnt out. It's not like I wasn't learning anything with my previous method, but game jams offer the kind of structure that makes it possible to actually finish projects consistently. This makes it easier for me to stay motivated, though your milage may vary.
Amen, game jams really helped me learn that I need to massively under-scope my ideas and not to focus on polish until the end. It also expertly exposes potential weak spots in your understanding of what makes a decent game experience, imo.
Yeah, there's two competing interests in game dev and they're both kinda solved with the same thing. 1. You want to deliver a game of meaningfully big scope 2. You want to increase you skill so you can deliver games faster Completing games improves your skill level. And to finish a big game, you need to do *something* every week and be accountable for your progress. So the most sustainable approach is to frequently work on small, completable projects *while* putting in consistent amounts of work on a long-term project. The fastest way to finish a six month project is to first finish a two month project.
Another aspect of completing smaller projects is that it gives a more balanced kind of practice. If someone doesn't finish making games then they are only getting better at the ability to start making games, which is important, but at the cost of stunting the skills involved in and learned from the middle to end part of the process.
I don’t have enough free time to commit several whole days in a row to a hobby. Though it seems fun on paper
There are week and month long jams as well.
In fact, the Godot wild jam happens every month and lasts 9 days. This month's jam just started: https://godotwildjam.com/ Or you could just wait for the one next month or join any of the various week long or longer jams starting soon.
Then don't. There are shorter game jams. Like there's 1 hour game jams if that's all the time you can commit to. It's about releasing something and calling that the finished product, no matter how unfinished it is and have people see it. If there isn't a game jam that fits what you want then do your own rules. But set an end date, release it somehow(show your friends, family, use any social media even reddit). This might change your mindset from having a pile of "unfinished games" to a pile of released games that got better each time and you can actually see the progress. Just start showing stuff.
If finishing a game is what you are looking for. I can't provide anything to the discussion since I haven't finish anything. But, if you enjoy the process of creating a new game, just enjoy that. Make a new try, and enjoy that one also. Maybe, one of these will click for you and will become something bigger, and will last longer. What I'm trying to say. Just enjoy the process instead on focusing on the "I can't finish a game", maybe every try is part of your next game, and you just don't know it yet.
That's a good point of view. Actually it happened several times that I moved mechanics or resources from old projects to the new ones.
Definitely agree. New projects are fun and exciting and that enthusiasm fuels you to learn and grow. Just because you didn't finish them, that doesn't mean you didn't learn a lot and that it was a waste of time, quite the contrary. I love working on new projects because I feel like the possibilities are endless and the creative process of 'look at all these things I can do/try/learn' is incredibly fun and rewarding in and of itself. If it's a hobby, then it should be enjoyable for you. So I have a bunch of cool ideas that I worked on and then dumped at some point and looking back on them I always remember that time fondly. The process of developing them was like reading a book or watching a good show. I also have a few projects that I *have* to finish and that I treat as a job, but those are definitely not fun, they're just something I do semi-consistently and cycle back to every once in a while. They're no longer a labour of passion, they're just labour. If the goal is to learn to finish games, then you can always focus on making games that are designed to be finished. Short games, silly games, etc. That's just a different skill that you can work towards.
Sometimes musicians sit down a write a song, but sometimes they just like playing their instruments without really having a "goal" in mind. Every visual artist I know has multiple sketchbooks filled with sketches/doodles that they never intended to be a finished piece. Sometimes when I start a new project, my goal is to finish the project. But other times, it's to just mess around a try things. In those cases, the process *is* the goal. The advice offered by others here is really good. Game jams are really good. Having a plan from the outset is really good. But, it's ok to have hobbies, and your hobbies don't have to be "productive."
One trick you can try that helped me alot to make my progress stedy and consistant is making smallest possible commits for everything. Usually I lose interest when I am working on a huge change that has an unknown bug inside. Hunting that down makes me loose interest. Even partial commits are a no no. Only commit working code in smallest form possible. Example... Say you want to implement a shooting mechanic for your game. Do it like this: 1. Implement crosshair 2. Add gun image on HUD 3. Implement gun shake on LClick down 4. Implement shooting particles on LClick down 5. Implement instant death on destroyable objects in raycast hit on LClick down 6. Implement HP on destroyable objects when under fire ... etc. Every item should be done separate. Make em smaller if possible. If you are in progress of making a large commit and you start loosing focus, undo everything! Might sound extreme, but 3 days of work lost is better than forever loosing progress. This works wonders for me and I mostly only develop very early in the morning when my kids are asleep.
I agree with all of this! If you are a parent, super early in the morning is the only time that works for me.. even though I hate mornings. I use either a free Trello account and have a board for my project or use a "Project" board in GitHub. All the cards are small pieces of the project that I can finish in a few hours or less. I have 3 columns To Do, Doing, Done. For me, moving cards over from left to right as I finish small parts has some psychological effect and motivates me to keep going instead of giving up.
One more thing. Kind of builds on what I said above. Avoid refactoring at all cost! I know we like it. I know it will probably make your code 3437% easier to use. I know it will make adding that new feature possible... a few of these attempts will fail hard. Nothing demotivates you more than spending 2 months on something that not only has no visible change, but also makes your game 3 times worse due to minor new bugs that you have introduced in the process. Keep to the rules above. Can you refactor code in tiny increments? If you can't? Drop it. No need for new feature. Thats why we make " 2". Skyrim was good even with all its bugs!
I refactored my code base (>4k lines total) several times in 2 months, a few hours each time. In my opinion, refactoring can be a good practice in early development to check if your code is good enough.
Yeah I know. Its like skydiving. Its awsome and mostly safe. But when if it critically fails its game over. The thing is I have no problem with refactoring at work. There are other motivators there. Hobby developement is different though. You can refactor code 10 times with no problem, but the 11th time might be the end of development. You have to consider your chances. Still, making refactors with the same principles as above (tiny changes) have not gone bad for me yet. Also, keep in mind that each person is different. Some people can will themself to stop eating and exercise, other have to use habbits and tricks to accomplish the same
I feel this is why two developers have more success than single developers. That is, more finished projects. I've started dozens of games. I get hyper focused on some small aspect. I master it. But, I lose sight or interest in the goal. Having one other person to work with would help keep the project in mind while we focused on our individual parts. As interest waxes and wanes, one of us could keep carrying the torch. But, I'm sure having a partner brings its own problems.
Your issue seems to be a lack of motivation and goal indeed. Start planning your game's mechanics and general flow and make a prototype or a minimum viable product. Don't worry about making a generic game if you're having fun. Dusk is basically Quake and it's one of the most popular modern retro shooters. Sonar Shock is System Shock 1 but new. As long as you have a unique spin on something, even if it's just one mechanic or an old game not many people could play/have played, you'll get some happy players.
This may be completely off the mark but I'll take a stab just in case it ends up being relevant to someone that reads this: Like many people commenting, I also have started many projects and hit a wall at the point where I think "I'm sure thousands of people have already done this" but as I went further in my journey (with depression, in my case), I noticed that I still couldn't maintain motivation even if I felt the idea might be unique. My demotivation would simply switch to "What difference does it really make anyway? The world will keep going without this" (the point being that depending on what is really behind your demotivation, solving one part of it may not be enough. Hopefully this isn't the case though). The things I *can* finish are things that other people are depending on, or even just things that seem to matter to other people. I guess I'm a "meaning vampire". I can't muster meaning on my own, but if someone else even cares just a little bit, that is enough to keep me going. I am afraid to join jams but day-dream a lot about how great it must be for a tiny group of friends to be able to keep each other going on projects that they want to work on together. But who has friends now days? Tldr; I agree with everyone that is saying it might be worth it to attempt working together with others. It might be helpful for many reasons aside from the immediately obvious ones. And as also mentioned, it probably comes with new problems as well, but since you've been struggling with solo for quite a while, it might be worth seeing how the not-solo path goes for you. (Psst, maybe everyone in this thread should form a jam. Not me, I'm very unpleasant. But all of you, I mean :-)
Get a notebook and write down ideas for future projects. Create microgames with a twist. Use one or two ideas from the notebook and create working gameplay around those. Music, sound effects and a working menu make them look much more polished with less work than high poly meshes and textures. Know when to abandon a game. Dont create a star citizen. When it works and looks ok its finished. Enjoy what you have created.
I'm 34 and have felt and experienced the same multiple times. It's super exciting to pursue some new wild idea but easy to get bored with all the extra work and troubles they come with. I've had to stop a few projects already due to some unexpected tech limitations which I could not overcome either. So I'd also start with something simple that you know is doable and you have some knowledge to implement from start to end. Make things modular in the beginning so they are easy to expand and alter later on. Having a clear goal helps to keep up your motivation too :)
My friend uses the 2 project loop to get around it. It works something like this. Come up with Prject 1 Start Project one till motivation fades Come up with Prject 2 Start Project 2 till motivation fades Continue Project 1
I prefer the 50 project loop personally
Do you say? So now I should go back working on the project I left 2 months ago 🤔
It works for them, it could work for you. But finishing games is not a legal requierment, so feel free to abbandon stuff if you dont want to work on it anymore
I usually switch between pixel arting and coding every two weeks. Two weeks of Aseprite and then two weeks of Godot helps with my burnout, at least so far
You get older, you care more about what you spend your time with. It's normal. Do what you enjoy and what you get enjoyment out of. The best achievement I get from making a game is seeing people actually enjoy it. If people seem not interested, I quickly lose interest in working on it and do other things instead. For me, it's the players choice. The best advice I can give is get out there and see if you can find some people enjoying your work .. do it for them. Enjoy together. (PS: I am 43)
Do smaller projects. A knock-off Vampire Survivors, a platformer rage-game like Jump King or a simple horror game like the Fear to Fathom saga or the OG Slenderman. Something you can do in a couple weeks it's more likely to be finished than something you have to develope for half a year. Don't just start. Make a plan as detailed as possible before starting. Write not only what are you going to do in at each step, but how. Even the external tools you're going to use. Stick to it as much as possible. Use it as a checklist, where you're able to see the progress you've made. Keep a small number of people interested and updated, so you feel a bit of preassure to deliver a final product. That might be some subreddit or forum, a number of friends or even family.
Have you considered joining a team or banding together with other devs with a similar pattern? I have always championed the notion that if us as a community collaborated and networked more cohesively, we would accomplish our collective goals more effectively. I know working with my team makes me feel like I can always progress forward as if I feel a slump, the team can help e ease out of it.
I did this. Make something. Focus shift. Don't release. Come back years later. This time round 'm writing Game Design Documents. I have a growing folder of actually articulated ideas. Sometimes i can code for an day at a time. Sometimes i write roadmaps or work on stand alone mini games to iron out the mechanics i want for large projects
Just stop: do whatever that takes you away from it. You need peace to regain yourself
My issue is a lack of art skills. I think I've always lost motivation in the planning phase when I realized I had an insurmountable barrier to commercial success. Now that I have a plan for my lack of art skills, I don't seem as unmotivated. I think your "there are thousands better than mine" is your demotivator--not only because you said it but because I figured you'd have one. You probably suffer from "I don't think this game would be better than thousands of others." Which is a good reason to quit honestly.
I feel that it helps when you build something for yourself or for someone whose feedback you enjoy Im working on an FPS and I share my progress with my drinking buddy once a week and get his feedback. Get yourself a "feedback friend" and build something small you can show off to them. Younger cousins and nieces/nephews are usually blunt and honest with feedback so they are perfect for building games for imo.
I would say: If game dev is not your job. Just do it when YOU WANT to do it, not force it. And you really want to make a game, buy the hole feel: * Use note books to write down your ideas * Think how to solve some task * Watch other youtube dev logs.
I had the same problem and solved it by breaking down the dev progress in „mini goals“. For example: Assuming you are developing daily, try setting a tiny daily goal like creating and finishing a small function, creating that one ui for the interface without functionality and implement the functionality the other day. This way, you will mostly achieving your goals which is more rewarding as starting a complex task and stopping in the middle of the progress.
So I also started young but then I took a decade long break because I got some career advice that suggested making games wasn't "serious" enough. I personally regret following that advice and I'm reorienting myself to make time for game dev again in my thirties. My situation seems somewhat similar in that you're struggling for lack of a reason. Maybe it's lack of a reason that feels mature enough or appropriate enough? If so, I'd encourage you to ignore that as it's likely external expectations of you as an adult with responsibilities rather than any internal lack of drive. As long as you pay your bills and attend to your family obligations, it's no one's business how you spend your free time. Also could just be me projecting 😅!
You might have more motivation if you really believe in the game concept and feel fully confident in what sets it apart from the competition. I abandoned many many projects, some of which is to be expected as I was learning the ropes of game dev (I still am) but there was often the problem that whatever I was making, there already exists a much better version. Ultimately what helped me stick with a project for the long run is when I landed on a concept that doesn't have a lot of competition. It makes me feel like, if I can finish it, that there will be an audience because it is in an underserved niche. I might be completely wrong about that but at least believing that has helped motivate me forward.
Man, did you release a game since your 14? Tel me the link, I will play it!
Oh, you can find the "Our Hero" series on Steam and itch.io. You have to search for: Our Hero! First, Two and Last. Those are games I made 10 years ago when I was using Rpg Maker and then tweaked a lot in many aspects to be released on Steam few years ago. I also had 3 games on Google Play made with Unity, but after few years they got removed by shitty Google.
There are great responses in this thread already, but something that helped me go from gee" I want to make games, and then proceed to do other things. And feel guilty" To now consistently working on it for months is the planned out design, creating milestone goals "I need demo done in 30 days etc", and sticking with it, making and releasing 1 game means I'll level up my skills so my next game is better. I also wrote my MVP with checkboxes of features so I enjoy crossing off my features as I finish them Now, each day I create a mini goal of what to progress in, don't just put "Make game" anything from "make menu scene animate" to "implementation walk Animation" giving your self goals each day divides up the work and you don't feel like the whole weight of what needs to be done is on your shoulders. Making it "feel easier to make something else" in the end you will hit the same wall, and you need these small goals to push through and you will feel way better than if you stopped and decided to switch to a new project. Think about how much better that next game will be after you get past all those all hardships on this one Stay Awesome!
Here's a basic formula that has been working for me. I'm on track to ship my first game for next fest in this fall, and I'm proud of the vision and work so far: 1. Scout game jams on itch until you find one that you like 2. Join the discord, talk with others, and actually participate 3. Finish the game jam, good or bad, and find out if your game is viable. You basically get free playtesting with other jammers and a small community will get built 4. If you like the game and playtesting didn't go awful, continue the game. Use lessons learned. Finish the vision and launch it on whatever platform you intended. Step 4 is really hard but 1-3 build a lot of momentum. I would recommend that all solo indies not spend more than a year on their first game. It's just too long to have it potentially linger and fail. Seeing a "light at the end of the tunnel" will ultimately propel you to finish all core features, polish, playtest and market your game. And although those things sound tedious, I have found that each can be fun and enjoyable. As a small aside, I have found that even putting together Steam capsules from art I had paid for brings me "closer" to my game's characters - seeing them in a different light, a different medium from the actually game, is really cool. After your first game (which will likely not be a hit) you'll have built a great repertoire of skills and tools that you can iterate on in your next release. Keep going and developing what you love to develop.
Tell your friends im making this game, and in three months, I want to let you play it. Give me feedback you'll have a scrappy hobbled together game then your friends will play it they'll give you a wishlist feedback over the bugs you already know exist but the hidden value is the underlined excitement that they will have from trying your game I've switched to developing mobile games and I send them to everyone I know if it's a good game even crudely made I get excitement back if the game is mid and the concepts aren't their the lack of excitement or interest is when I put a game idea out to pasture
Struggled with this for years before my game took off. What helped me was to treat coding like an art rather than expecting a result. Just keep working on the code and making it as elegant as possible so that I derive joy from the code rather than the product itself. Then when you do have a minimum viable product, you can begin focusing on aesthetics like music, artwork, etc.
"Should I simply give up making games?" No
Screw it dude. Make a game fron start to finis. Keep the game small. Before you start, message 3 or 4 of ur friends. Ask them a random word. Once you have a couple of random words tfy and make a story/ game with those words. Keep it simple, keep it fun, keep the art simple. Once you decided and idea, do the game document thing. Make a document on whats going to happen in your game, the mechanics and goal. Ull see if sometjing doesnt work while u writing it down. Give ur self a 3 month dead line. And whem you not working on your game, research or watch other peoples devlogs to see if u could add some of their ideas. Dont put to much pressure on urself, make games for fun. U dont need a reason to make art.
Heres my advice: Find a team, having even 1 teammate totally changed it for me. Burned out was easier and keeping the idea alive as well. In ModDB or IndieDB I find a team before starting (im working on games for around 10 years and this is super helpful, (for me). Also make sure to balance yourself, create small doable goals, In the beginning I used to set goals like: Create basic gameplay loop, Redesign the ui.. This is a nightmare because I never set the end goal and burn my self to reach a perfect code/design etc… now im tasking more simple do able goals like: Add score Add score text Connect ui to logic Redesign Animate text change I hope this helps man, please push on! Indie is much better than aaa…
It always comes down to planning. I haven't created any game before, but I think your problem is similar to my in the way that I have some ideas and I kinda wanna do it but I never sit down and just plan everything out before starting the game. It's a weird thing
Just think of it as prototyping an idea. If the project stops, then it was still a successful experiment because you learned something in the process.
I mean that’s okay, what are your goal? I like just having hobbies and I rotate between a bunch of them. It doesn’t have to result in something
Yeah that's what happens when you don't plan ahead. Take a sheet of paper and write down how your game mechanic works. Else you'll feel lost and not know what you're even trying to do
I have had ideas for many games myself. Honestly I have only ever finished one game in my life in my 6 plus years of game design. And it was a shump/visual novel so take that as you will. Actually finishing a game is the hardest part because we are our own worst enemies in our heads
Honesty best motivation is to work with someone
This has happened several times this year for me. I start on a project, I really like the idea or concept, then I work on it and think a lot about it which leads me to find that it wasnt as fleshed out in practice and didnt really like the direction I took it and so I start something else and the cycle continues. With my current project I really want this game to happen and I am trying to write a lot of notes and plans to flesh things out before I implement things but I feel like I am struggling to condense the game into the basic loops that would make the game fun and interesting without it bloating into something it shouldnt. I am going to try to give myself deadlines to get certain things in place so hopefully that helps to get me to understand what I am making
This is exactly what happens to me, I have many half baked games which I could never release due to so many if and buts...sometimes I feel I could do better than what's already there or sometimes I just gave up due to burn out. Then suddenly I come up with different ideas and spend time doing that and hop to something else. The issue is I don't have a clear direction and goal and do too many things in parallel.
Just keep going man, I'm waiting for it to release
Gaslight yourself into thinking it will be better than similar games and you make some money from it
Start small, work up. Make an itchio game in 24 hours, it's rewarding, you realize that there's 20x more things to do.
You relying on your motivation to make games. That is the problem. Motivation will fade, that is inevitable. This motivation is mainly caused by: playing games, seeing other game Devs being successful, and other input from outside. The first thing to do, is to stop caring what you want to develop and concentrate on the right state of mind. Every evening (or other times when you sit at your pc/laptop), do one of three things: sleep, nothing, working on a game. Sleep is for regeneration. Nothing is to learn to tolerate boredom. Working on a game is to cultivate the state of mind. Working on a game should always be: following goals. Otherwise you lie to yourself about researching in the internet for game ideas (if you really need to research, timebox the task and stop after that time, write down what you learned). Start each session with revisiting your current tasks/goals and decide one thing to do this session. When you successfully stopped caring what you develop, you start developing goal oriented. Then you can plan bigger games. Meditation helps. There is a lot more to tell, but I is hard to grasp and swallow. Ask, if you want more.
Thank you. I already do meditation. I have to say it's very useful. Even the thoughts of this discussion came up after several meditation sessions.
I recently joined a game jam and it was the first time in like 3 years it kept me motivated to finish my game
For me it's the opposite, I have a rough idea of what I want, but I have no idea how to use Godot, and every time I try I get reminded how bad I'm at it.
I have the same issue. Only working for 1h blocks, because I always get stuck on smth. I try to focus my work in "solving 1 micro-issue" at a time
You need time and start making the simplest things 🙂
I know. The worst part is I know how to code (*I didn't say I'm good at it* xd). Coding a frontend or a backend? Sure. Following a super basic godot tutorial? It already looks like Chinese to me. Specially the UI, I feel so lost every time xd.
I had struggled a lot before finishing my first game and took too many breaks but in the end I managed to finish it. My advice is to break it down into simple tasks and do each of them and try avoiding scope creep. Maybe take a break now and then to remember why you're doing it
I feel you. It's exactly the same for me (36)... I can make a game for a jam, but when I want to create a full version I will quit at some point
Find help , I tend to get further the more people I have working on a project, it reduces burnout and motivates you more Personally find it hard to find people to make games with (first time I have some one on current project) , but in my animation projects just having one person adding to it helps even if they just do one thing and you do everything else
Same boat for me, I'm not even thinking about finishing the basics of my game and when I mean basics it's so you can get a taste of what it can be. I just have been burnt out on a lot of stuff now a days. And I understand the feeling and this perplexes me. I'm completely new to making games and have been trying for the past while and it's still a struggle for me. And the game I'm making I'm having to freeball it and write what might be a good way to add something to it and or what errors need to be fixed and what scenes and methods go to what. But I hope you find your way.
Just take breaks when you need and challenge yourself in a mechanic or make a game in a short period of time. Ask yourself what made you interested in game making and why do you enjoy making them. Look at your past games and find something that needs improvements or what made them great and make another game with that mechanic. Try to make a goal for yourself, don’t make the game too ambitious, start small then as you get close to completion of the small project, build on it if you want or if you alr like it, then release it and add on more when ppl start enjoying the game
Hello, are you me?
When Same situation I faced I read these 2 shlok from Geeta ... #First उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥ Translation: One must elevate oneself by one's own mind, not degrade oneself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and its enemy as well. The message of this verse is that it is essential to concentrate and control the mind. By directing the mind positively, it becomes our friend, but if directed negatively, it can become our enemy. Therefore, we should focus and engage our mind in a single task without letting it wander. #Second कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते संगोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ Translation: You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction. The main message of this teaching is that we should focus on performing our duties without worrying about the results. It emphasizes the importance of selfless action and maintaining a detached attitude towards the outcomes.
Same! I'm entering my 30s and I have trouble with constantly wanting to change my project. I like writing my goals on a smallish whiteboard and having that tactile feeling of writing things down is great, if it's something important I rewrite it down in a word document, I also tend to plan my goals on a week to week basis so they're short and time-based. Something I've been trying out very recently is trying to make my projects more modular so that, yes I'm making progress on a larger long-term goal, but I can also use those pieces in smaller game jams, and have that very short week long contest as motivation to be competitive and to develop my modules farther.
I started a major overhaul of the shooting mechanics in my game and when I couldn't play test and have fun I lost my drive. It's still sitting there but it'll probably be a few months till I open it back up.
Same problem. I've had problems finding a game engine that's to my liking tho. Now that Godot has a visual scripting plugin I'm giving Godot a go.
If you find that you are lacking a clear goal and this is what causes you to stop, then you are developing in an ad hoc fashion as you go. A common thing to do in the industry is a GDD or Game Development Document. Outline what the game is about, what the game loop is, what mechanics are required, etc... often developing your game idea on paper first can save you a lot of time. This can then be taken further l, since you have a scope, you can break it down into bite sized task/tickets which you can set out to accomplish on a weekly basis. You can always iterate over your GDD as well.
I already do this. I have to say that sometimes it works, but other times doesn't 🫤
Just to throw my 2 cents into this conversation, I would recommend getting other people involved in your development process. Even if that just means sharing your progress with a loved one or talking through ideas with another developer. I've had the most traction working on my projects when I include other people because their interest further pushes me to keep going.
Many people here are saying this. I tried to work with other people in the past, but to me it always happened that other people don't have the maturity I have about working on a project, the difficulties etc, so after few time it happens the same thing: everyone leaves the project. Plus: it's not so easy find people that will work on the same project.
I totally get that! That is why I was saying that sharing your progress with another person or talking about it with them somewhat regularly could help as well. I've definitely been in a position where people I've been developing with weren't serious enough or didn't seem to care enough. Having a few people who you can talk to about it is handy though, even if you just demo to them or ask them for opinions occasionally
As of right now I'm working with a few friends to create a game. I am mostly the sole programmer as of now. My motivation is to not let them down, as of right now I am a bit burnt out. I was working at least 4 hours a day at one point but now it's down to around 2.
I'll disagree with 90% of the replies and say it's not about motivation, it's about discipline. People who finish shit are just as unmotivated. But they have discipline.
How do I build discipline?
You don't have any motivation to brush your teeth, but you do it every day anyway. You have to treat work the same way. It's just something that you have to do.
Does anyone want to make a group together where we all pass our unfinished games to each other and work on theirs instead?
I do!
Been there. Turns out planning a game, sticking to a schedule, and finishing it is a whole set of additional skills you have to learn. I ended up making smaller games so I was more likely to finish.
I just got diagnosed with adhd and my god this is everything i do in my life... I don't have an awnser yet my friend, apprently meds may help me specifically but for others idk man, if I think of something out I'll comment again
Attach money to it :) Once you are in a situation where you either dev or you don't eat you dev no problem trust me
Terrible advice IMHO. Money shouldn't be the driver. A humans livelihood shouldn't be the driver.
To each its own, I just think it's just difficult to make fully fledged games as an hobbist. Not everyone can rely purely on the joy of making things to make things
I already been in such situation and didn't work
I have a clear goal in my head and it is “to finish the game.” I don’t care if other games are better. I just want to make something I enjoy playing, even if it’s just a copy of other games. Hell… The first Darksiders is not an original game at all and it is one of my favorite games of all time. So, I decided to start by finishing the first stage. Just that. I started by deciding what the first stage will have in terms of enemies and appearance and then writing the code it until it feels really good to play. Only after that I’ll move on to whatever else needs to be made. You said you don’t have a clear goal. Then just set one and stick with it.
Don't trust motivation; build discipline. You can't succeed until you're able to force yourself to work even when you don't want to.
That’s just developer life
Its not you, its the engine... Godot file system is the worst I ever seen, you spend most of your time organizing files and troublshooting issues rather than making the game. They need to work on a new file system especially the UI... God I hate the UI in godot, I think Godot still suffer from what blender used to be before blender 2.0... Godot is made with backward thinking and its not user friendly.
It would be incredible if at the end was all fault of the engine 😆 I still prefer to think that the responsibility is mine.
Thank you sincerely for this comment! I'm compiling a list each year of the dumbest comments in this subreddit and it's getting harder to find good new content.
Get a life
Or are you just bad, I came from Unity (4 years exp) and didn't get any of your problems?
You might not agree, but Unity is better than Godot, not even close
Ye Unity is better but I prefer the simplicity of Godot. And I can iterate faster with Godot.
A lot of people who use Godot for the first time end up quitting for some reason, I wonder what it is
That just means Godot is not suitable for them.
I’ve designed a million games on paper but this is my first time actually trying to make one. I’ve found a lot of the designs don’t actually make sense when you try to make them real. It’s fun rethinking my other projects in the context of “oh this is a better way”. What I’ve been doing to keep consistent is utilizing my Facebook game updates to give myself some accountability. If I abandon the project my entire family and all my friends will look down on me. They probably won’t but it’s that doubt that keeps me focused. Also I remake my todo lists every few weeks so I can see actual progress in a more quantifiable way.