Surviving the Solo Game Developer Journey
summary
Solo developer builds a minimalist psychological‑horror prototype during a 2019 one‑input game jam: one-input camera-only prototype, one room, ~five‑minute playtime, then refines it into Staring Time for Steam. Development uses Unity and URP, records all foley on a Samsung Galaxy S20 + FL Studio (clock tick made from a pen click + bathtub plastic), loses project files in 2020–21, rebuilds from backups, rewrites AI seven times, focuses three years on audio training to raise immersion. Exhibits at ComicCon Africa, keeps two‑hour daily sprints.
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chapters (23)
- 0:00Solo dev journey intro
- 1:27Starting at age seven
- 3:15Job hunt after college
- 4:40Need for determination
- 5:46Mastering art/audio/code
- 9:52Learning audio/software
- 13:05Challenges in audio/software
- 15:12Audio ear training
- 20:58Game audio with your ears
- 24:08Audio production basics
- 28:46Recording game audio
- 32:16Music production basics
- 38:04In-game audio techniques
- 41:17Engine audio implementation
- 45:13Becoming a coder
- 45:58Researching solutions
- 48:07Documenting code
- 50:21Building solid systems
- 51:51Avoiding code holes
- 53:18Debugging performance
- 54:41Determination test
- 56:53Staying motivated
- 58:01Finding mentors
related talks
52mGameDev as a hobby
57mPassion, Paychecks & Parenthood: Balancing Life to Make Games
53mCONSCRIPT: 7 Years Solo in the Trenches
36mBeginner's guide - How to become a game developer
01h 13mThings I wish I knew before I started my own indie studio
01h 05mKeynote: Starting Over & Over: The Story of Hyper Light Drifter & OFK
51mThe Long Haul: A Fireside Chat
42mHow an Artist Got into Game Development: The Art & Process of Making Silt.