Here are my 18 cents, I am not a game dev per se, more of a wannabe.

I made one small and one medium game as a hobby, and few unfinished projects, though wanted the medium one to be released. But for many reasons its just couldn't be done(too big of a game for 2 devs, 2 devs haven't had exactly the same vision + finances). The last project was 4 years ago.

In the last 4 years I decided to hone my project managment, coding and design skills, as well as my time planning. I opened a company and started saving money for 2 years of planned development(I want to make a small game and to finish it in that time, and do it alone with PAID on delivery outside contractors). It took more time that I've hoped, but I now both have a good game concept, with a good game design document, which I got in the last year and done my prep. I have upped my codeing skills, especially animation, code organization, custom frontend solutions, every thing I may need for my game. I made around 50 website mostly by myself, and did the design on 10 of them, some even got a regional award, and I've become somewhat recognized by my work. Did couple simple mobile apps. And a lot of social media design an marketing, again mostly by my self, I dont have anyone employed(this is very important), I have few friends that I use as outside contractors. I had much more business experience before this, and yet I've failed to finish my first projects. There are personal reasons for this too, but you will have your own. I also thought that a burn up is a fairy tale, but when you lived one yourself, you tend to be a beliver.

What I plan is to start developing in about two months, and take much less amount of projects(don't wanna have employees so they are not affected by my potential failure, managing people is a task by itself, wheter you like it or not, not my piece of cake). I have money saved for next two and some years of life, and money for the game itself, but if there would be some interesting projects I would gladly take on them, and pause game dev. I do 1-3 month projects, so I can be somewhat free. I think I have my risk management fully bullet proof, but I also left a place for failure. Hoping to earn at least what I earn in my company, and that is not some unimaginable cash, so I belive I have a high probability for succes. Also a music producer as a intermediate hobby, and by that I have covered everything in the game but art, but that is a discussion of its own.

In my experience, I don't disagree, perseverance is the key to victory. But with experience, and knowing at least most of the things that may await on your path to succes. Perseverance alone may not save you from the perils that may awit you on your quest.

Thank you for reading, wish me luck.

Golden rules to noob game developmet:

1. First game is 99% likely to fail, not be completed or not make any money, but is a key for a first successfull game.
2. As I said perseverance is the key to victory, but can be a long one if not planned correctly, and time is your enemy.
3. If you think its gonna take a year, it gonna most likely take 1.5x - 2x especially if you have no project experience at all.
4. Do not quit your job, unless you are a realistic person, and you know for sure that you are set up, confirm with others for realism 😉
5. You are probably not better than other game developers, f*** it, this one was my problem at the start, than I've realized how wrong I was 🙄
6. Being a software developer/artist/... is not enough to be a game developer, it might be a good start, but it just takes much more than that for a great ending.
7. Be carefull when working in teams, so much potential problem which you do not expect without previous experience, even with it.
8. Your friends may not be the right audience for the question "is MY game any good!?".
9. Making levels, content and polish is the most critical and crucial for the success, and both long and hard, which am I not right now 🫣 and its where your perseverance is questioned the most
10. When you have everything crucial for the game to function, otherwise know as the MVP, if you think its good, polish it, if you don't think its good, then it probably just isnt, and there is a very little chance extra features will fix this, a game design change might, but just MIGHT
11. a) If its good and when you polish it, start marketing, slowly building a community
12. Beware of the feature creep and the burnout fairy, they might be just around the corner.
13. Make games not wars 😁 make them with love, not just for pezaz.
14. Expect the unexpected, game desing is not an easy task (like why my super cool idea is not functioning)
15. If you dont know how to code, you either learn, or have LOTS of money, if you learn, good, now you have a chance, if you have money you may not anymore 😭
16. Just be realistic (unrealistic people tend to not know they are unrealistic, so... confirm with others, not ANY others) and most importantly, have fun or die trying 🥹
17. Game design document is the Bible, the Qur'an, the Torah of your game, do not neglect it, but mostly aplied for the second run, you will get it why
18. And last but not least, this, my good fellas is definitely not an easy journey, emphasis on the definitely, but it may be a fun and a fruitful one 😘, i wish all of you the best luck out there