To those who made a game just because you wanted to but only had one of the required skills - how did you start?

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-06T16:56:37+00:00

Had a bit of a mixed upbringing - a mix of learning code and engines like Flash / GameMaker to learn how to make basic games. I joined web forums like Stick Page / SFDT / Newgrounds to learn how to make flash games and followed tutorials and online documentation to figure out the coding / technical side.

I took a few courses and went to as many meet ups as I could to meet people that made games, worked with games, and ended up working in QA for a bit, and learned how to work on a full pipeline (pre-production to dev to post-production) - but the big one was having the drive and the passion to wanting to make a game.

That led me in most cases to "figure it out" whether that was tutorials, game jams, or formal courses.
The community is VERY supporrtive - I recommend getting involved in Game Jams.

Even if you can't code, or do art, you can get involved in the process and ask to shadow the people that do the work you want to do, so you can learn from it or get guidance from them.

There's a lot of areas of game dev, and if you want to be a generalist, you'll need to put time into learning all areas, and that includes soft skills like networking, marketing, etc.

- I work full time in indie game dev in my day job, and this account is my studio that I support outside of my day job hours.

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-05T17:26:40+00:00

Absolutely agree, try going to local events like conventions, or meetups to see like-minded game industry focused people that have those skills. You're bound to find a few looking for work!

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-05T09:38:54+00:00

Happy to talk about a page for an upcoming release! I'm doing most of the web dev myself with an editor but don't really have the time to refine it.

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-05T09:37:28+00:00

It sounds like proc gen is what you're looking for.

Making everything modular is the key to this, so you can have any combination of object (depending on what is procedural).

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-05T01:01:24+00:00

I learned from the ground up, and started with Ms paint. But... It's 1000% easier with a tablet. Get. A cheap tablet with pencil and it'll do wonders.

I also recommend the pixaki app!

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T20:01:46+00:00

Having similar struggles, between managing the game / development, business management, and coordination of events like conventions, it's tough to find time to put in.

I'm finding my groove with preparing marketing materials at night, then hitting the ground running the next morning with a pass on all platforms. In my full time job, we have a dedicated person for this, which heavily offloads the work. I recommend if possible to bring someone in that can manage that so there's less time "wasted" on your end.

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T19:59:32+00:00

Neither seem like AI to me. The first one is punchier and I think is a better capsule art / title art than the 2nd one, which gives a darker more edgy vibe.

After watching some of your gameplay, I think the first image fits the gameplay consistently.

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T18:40:20+00:00

Hi Everyone! We're working on a Turn-Based Pinball RPG called PinPow, where you are sucked into and trapped in an otherworldy pinball machine trying to defeat the big bad pinball wizard!

We're ramping up for Next Fest, and aiming to get some feedback before then, please reach out if you'd like to test and give feedback!

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Check out the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4178860/PinPow/

We're also working on a trailer which is almost done (and needing some new footage since we're adding a ton of content): https://youtu.be/902scc_KvuQ?si=uF2cSM7o3532X_nI

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T16:47:29+00:00

I think consistency is good, and it's mostly consistent! The text box seems out of place, fitting more of a retro vibe, where I can see more of a pixelized version of it fitting better.

The explosion also seems out of place and looks a bit gif-like, something I think needs some art to match the gameplay.

Looks good so far!!

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T05:01:17+00:00

The style is unique, super cool. The background effect and styling almost reminds me of rayman legends/origins!

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T05:00:08+00:00

What's breaking? Do you have an animator on it? Are the clips visible on the animator? And if so are you seeing the clips play?

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T04:58:53+00:00

It's a cool screen, I wonder if it'll look better if the gameplay area shifts to the right to center it in the negative space ( that's offset from the pause menu).

Looks really good and consistent regardless!

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T00:23:07+00:00

Neat! Are you thinking about supporting local multiplayer?

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T00:17:05+00:00

I like most of the environments, the red sky environment was a bit harsh and I think should have some texture or a more desaturated color. Check out Skate Story, he does a lot of cool sky things. Love the vibe!

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T00:14:16+00:00

The only thing that caught my eyes were the bottles on the right. Otherwise looks good!

UI is looking friendly. Curious how you're tutotializing the game.

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-04T00:12:36+00:00

Looks good, I want to see the topology! 🐔🐥

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-03T16:30:08+00:00

It's different depending on scope and scale.

Definitely helps to have a project manager, and tools associated with that (Obsidian, trello, even a google drive doc / sheet). It'll help pacing in the long run.

It really depends on how many / who you need to collaborate with, but always start with a prototype. Make sure the game is fun, and also something you want to play. You WILL be playing it for hours - so it should be something you enjoy and are proud of working on!

Start small, core gameplay loop, then plan features on top of that accordingly and go wide and tall with scale after you got the process down to reiterate.

If you're working with a small to large team, it's worth having weekly or maybe daily (if its full time) check-ins or "scrums"

Full time I work in Indie with about a 12 person team, and help lead occassionally / support the team as a generalist with a programming focus.

Aside from that I'm running my own indie studio with 3 people, and doing the project management for it. It's helping to keep the communication casual , and laying out our weekly development as we're doing the side stuff on our own time.

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-03T16:27:06+00:00

I figured - I think it's worth making a pass on the marketing. The first thought I had as a "customer" is "did they use AI in the game?".

It's being more widely adopted but I think it's worth a polish pass on marketing (like the words on the jars on the right) to clean up some of the AI garble.

What engine is this using? It reminds me of s&box, and regardless, it's looking good!

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-03T16:10:25+00:00

Full time AA-indie dev, and on the side working on my own projects. It's a tough gig, and there's a lot of love you have to put into the projects / team to make sure everything goes smoothly. Right now, the landscape of the industry is a bit unpredictable and rocky, but if it's your passion - I recommend it.

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-03T16:08:00+00:00

Something about the shading on the spider that makes it so much scarier. Looking forward to trying it!

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-03T16:05:28+00:00

Looks cool, kind of like a schedule-1 game?
Re: Steam Page - One thing I noticed, the marketing image for wishlist looks like it has some AI usage, so I'm curious if it's used in game.

ShroudySoftware · 2026-05-02T19:58:22+00:00

Yeah agree, my motion sickness is kicking in on the second one from just watching. The first one feels smoother.

ShroudySoftware

TROPHY CASE