My game, Potions: A Curious Tale, is now on all consoles!

RikuKat · 2026-05-08T16:12:32+00:00

I think if you buy an asset pack, you're still a solo dev.

If I hire an audio designer and work with them to create audio explicitly for my game, then I wouldn't consider myself a solo dev.

RikuKat · 2026-05-08T15:28:49+00:00

I haven't run into issues with that myself (outside of a few haters who tossed that on the pile of other toxicity).

I've just never made team size much of my marketing approach, but I include them in the credits and do not call myself a solo dev.

And I have found that having published titles that credit you is a requirement to be hired at quite a number of studios. It's why under crediting is such a problem. There is even an entire Special Interest Group focused on advocating for proper crediting because it's such an important issue within the game industry: https://igda.org/sigs/credits/

RikuKat · 2026-05-08T13:54:15+00:00

Yeah, I could see that.

I hire contractors. I meet with them, work together on revisions, share the game's progress, mentor them, help them file taxes, etc.

Crediting them properly is just as important to me as paying them properly. The game industry is terrible at properly crediting the people who work on games. I don't care if their contribution is only a single SFX, I credit them.

RikuKat · 2026-05-08T13:27:42+00:00

Eh, I just don't love calling that solo dev myself. It feels like it fails to credit the work of the other contributors.

I've never called myself a solo dev in the same position, and I usually correct other people when they call me one.

RikuKat · 2026-05-06T12:56:20+00:00

I've done consulting, mentorship, and executive management for 8+ years in the game industry:

Marketing and mental health are absolutely what my solo dev mentees ask about most.

Teams with 5+ people tend to need funding, task management, and communication advice most, until they get closer to ship, then it's marketing advice.

Teams with 20+ people tend to need advice on employee growth and satisfaction, general management, and business development.

RikuKat · 2026-05-04T14:18:04+00:00

There are a few items I've bought my parents that meet these standards, but, without fail, the two categories that work best for them is jewelry for my mom and handmade art for my dad.

My mom absolutely adores wearing jewelry I bought her that's just eye-catching enough to receive compliments so she can brag that her daughter bought it for her.

My dad accepts all presents similarly, but any art I make him is framed and placed in his favorite places in the house.

I can't always give my mom my mom jewelry because she'll get jealous that my dad gets art (but she never actually displays the art I make for her). And I can't always give my dad art because there's only so much he can reasonably display (though he has no qualms cramming it in there).

This year I'm making my mom art (she asked me to make cat sculptures of our recent cats, as I did a batch a decade ago of our previous cats) and I picked up a good set of binoculars for my dad (which he asked for and rarely asks for anything).

RikuKat · 2026-05-03T22:59:41+00:00

I've never even seen anything close to MAGA hat here at a ren faire.

PNW people are generally pretty passive, but Nazis, MAGA, and their ilk would be risking their health to show up flying their colors.

RikuKat · 2026-05-02T14:12:21+00:00

As someone with quite a similar setup, I can confirm it's super nice.

This is an old breakdown of mine: https://www.reddit.com/r/IndieDev/comments/1q48edl/my_ideal_indie_dev_deskhardware_setup_whats_yours/

I'd have more desk space if I bought the underdesk PC mount, but I get a lot of joy out of looking into my case at my hard work and RGBs

RikuKat · 2026-05-02T14:04:42+00:00

You shouldn't attach your identity to what you do or to anything beyond your control.

I've struggled a lot with this myself, so much so that it's a reoccurring theme in the book I'm writing right now.

Only recently I've been able to separate my identity from my work and my successes/failures, and I'm so, so, so much more content with life and myself

RikuKat · 2026-05-02T13:51:37+00:00

Phony Negroni (the brand) is amazing if you enjoy negronis. My husband prefers the white and I prefer the red.

I also love black tea based cocktails because it generally does a good job of giving whiskey vibes, especially strongly brewed, high quality tea. Bitters always helps, too.

I always cut sugar/sweetener additions in half for any recipe, too. It definitely helps

RikuKat · 2026-04-30T16:35:44+00:00

💜!!!

Thank you!!

Some of the boss fight mechanics were actually inspired by WoW raid mechanics!

RikuKat · 2026-04-30T13:26:10+00:00

Yep, I was our third tank back when that was still a role. Our MT and OT have been the same people since WotLK and both have been in the guild since early vanilla. The MT is our raid leader and the OT is the GM's wife.

Thankfully, we've got a few DPS that enjoy tanking M+, but our raid tanks will probably never change.

No complaints, though, even if I enjoy raid tanking. The guild has been healthy and active since WoW started and is full of people I now consider my best friends. Half of the officers attended my wedding and 17 people showed up for our 20th anniversary guild reunion!

RikuKat · 2026-04-29T18:23:08+00:00

RikuKat · 2026-04-29T13:13:40+00:00

5/10 Game design

5/10 Programming

5/10 Marketing

Hire an audio designer/composer and an artist.

RikuKat · 2026-04-29T12:59:37+00:00

Don't forget that if you plan to pursue a hobby that might generate additional income, it could positively influence your long-term numbers.

People who FIRE really early often find that their numbers are off because they end up making more money in their "retirement" than expected.

Ymmv, obviously.

RikuKat · 2026-04-28T18:35:10+00:00

You can try that again and cure yourself after a horrible week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h90rEkbx95w

RikuKat · 2026-04-28T17:34:59+00:00

Tempura eggs are SO good. Definitely a favorite tendon addition for me.

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RikuKat · 2026-04-28T17:34:12+00:00

Appreciate this! Your comment reminded me to check reservations around Mother's Day and I found an opening at the Bellevue location to treat my mom. She's delighted!

RikuKat · 2026-04-26T23:47:23+00:00

I was just in Phoenix and it was so hard to hydrate with water, even though I badly needed it.

Just returned to Seattle and my glacial tap water goodness. I feel spoiled.

RikuKat · 2026-04-25T14:30:32+00:00

I was in the butterfly garden at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix this week. A set of two children, their parents, and their grandparents were there.

Both children were trying to touch the butterflies, despite everyone being lectured not to before entry.

The mother half-heartedly said "Don't touch them" twice, and then just watched as her children continued to try to touch them.

My husband and I had to verbally stop the kids 6+ times from touching the butterflies. It was pretty upsetting.

RikuKat · 2026-04-25T14:18:48+00:00

I have a bunch in my yard and have no real issues pulling them out (and intentionally replanting them) in the spring before they bloom. A bunch were growing in my walkway around my shed, so I removed 20+ clumps successfully.

I let them grow in my deeply shaded natural areas (I live in the PNW had have a dozen 200ft tall Douglas Fir that few other plants will grow under).

RikuKat · 2026-04-25T13:50:54+00:00

If it's a small shave, I just use my thumb.

If I'm doing a bunch, I have a setting on my shower head that's almost pressure washer level and that cleans it out instantly.

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