Launching an Indie Game Studio

Hello, fellow space explorer – my name is Jordan. Welcome to the Lunar Lark Games website and the first entry in the Lunar Lark Quest Log. This is the place where I’ll document my adventure of developing and launching my debut game on Steam. I also have plans to explore various topics within the same star system as game development. And yes, you can expect a sprinkling of space puns along the way.

Why Launch an Indie Game Studio in 2024?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself pondering this question as I make the transition from learning about game design to actively practicing it. The answer, however, has remained constant: I pursue this path because it’s a dream that’s been etched into my mind since my early days, spent playing amidst the woods of Pennsylvania. It was there that I first conceived my game idea, inspired by the awe I felt while exploring virtual worlds in video games. My ambition was to create a realm where freedom reigned, unburdened by invisible barriers and confined levels.

Fast-forward to 2023, I’m now 31 years old and have spent the past decade designing and developing websites. It had been years since I had even explored the available tools or considered how my professional skills might translate to game development. It wasn’t until I started watching YouTube content, such as Mark Brown’s Gamer Maker’s Toolkit (GMTK) and CodeMonkey, that I realized I might just have the skills to pursue this dream. That’s when I decided to sign up for Unity and began delving into their beginner’s learning course.

Is Having Translatable Skills Enough?

Honestly, I don’t know. But what I do know is game development, especially indie game development requires a large number of elements to come together in a symphonic way that creates the larger experience that is an enjoyable video game. From art and music to world design and game logic, these skills run a gambit and really requires you switching between the left and right sides of your brain. While reading ‘The Art of Game Design’ by Jesse Schell, I delved even deeper into this topic. The book provides great examples of various professional skills and how they are applied in the field of game design. But Jesse also makes an important point to be considered, one that I really put to the test during 2023 as I spent every free minute I had diving deeper into game design. You have to love to the work.

Love the Work

Why exactly? Well, game design is challenging. I mean, really, really challenging. It pushes you in so many ways that it can often feel like a marathon. As Sasquatch B Studios discussed on their ‘The Indie Game Development Podcast,’ it’s akin to climbing a mountain. I believe the mountain analogy is more fitting because you continually encounter unexpected challenges, leaving you occasionally wondering if you’ve taken the wrong route. But when you’re passionate about the work, these challenges become exhilarating, and you learn from them to find a better path. To simplify, it’s like how people who summit Everest truly love the journey; it’s not something you do just because you enjoy the outdoors or hiking.

What’s the First Game Then?

I’m making the biggest, most open-world MMORPG you’ve ever played… just kidding. If you’ve spent 15 minutes in the indie dev world, you’ve probably heard the same advice repeatedly: start with something simple for your first game. So, being a good listener, I heeded this advice and created a basic one-scene Unity game with no story. Well, not really. In my misguided confidence, I thought I could bypass this advice and jump right into developing my dream game, only to falter a few months into the journey. No big deal, right? I decided to start over, but I fell into the same trap once more. My ‘simple idea’ gradually transformed into a roguelike game with numerous enemies, random generation, and more.

Yet again, I hit a roadblock, quickly burning out as I realized the enormity of the task and the nagging fear that nobody might play my creation. It turns out this is a common pattern that many indie developers find themselves ensnared in.

Seriously then, What is the first game

With all the lessons learned from my previous attempts and the wealth of knowledge gained in 2023, I decided to adjust my approach, drawing inspiration from the game design philosophy of ‘following the fun.’ This approach, elaborated upon in detail in the video below, turned out to be a perfect fit for my solo studio, considering I’m the sole developer and I maintain a stable 9-5 job to support my game development.

With the mantra ‘Follow the fun’ echoing in my mind, I eagerly delved into Unity, sifting through the numerous assets I had acquired during various Unity Asset Store sales. It felt like being a kid again, rifling through my toys in search of amusement. That’s when it clicked—I stumbled upon a 3D model of a forklift. In that moment, it all fell into place: I was going to create a physics-driven, delightfully chaotic puzzle game where players must skillfully operate a forklift to complete challenging tasks. To ensure this concept was genuinely enjoyable, I spent several days in Unity crafting a car controller and a center of gravity simulation system for the forklift. The result? It was an absolute blast! Every time I hit ‘play,’ I couldn’t help but smile and laugh. As I continued adding elements like ragdoll physics and destructible cargo, it only heightened the experience of frenzied fun. I had found the fun…

Let me know in the comments below or with a quick email on my contact page what you’re working on this year or if you had a similar experience on your indie game dev journey.