Side Quest: Game Development

These days, a lot of working professionals develop a taste for game development. But pursuing the dream of doing game development alongside a regular job comes with both fascinating opportunities and significant challenges. Right at the top of the list, alongside the perceived lack of time, is being overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations. It calls for a particular approach - especially if you're working as a solo game developer and have to juggle an enormous range of skills.

All of these problems can present major hurdles. Taken together, they can feel intimidating enough that your motivation gives out after just the first few attempts. That doesn't have to be the case. In this post, I want to share how I personally managed to sustainably fit game development into my packed everyday life - in the hope that these ideas will help you too.

The Driving Factor

First, we need to clear up a common misconception: a frequently given piece of advice for achieving goals and realizing dreams is to develop an iron will and absolute self-discipline. These traits are undoubtedly helpful for pushing through hard times - grit your teeth and get through it. But when we're talking about pursuing a passion alongside a job, that's often exactly the wrong approach. If the path to the goal isn't fun, is the goal even still worth it?

What's needed instead is something different: achievable milestones that slowly and sustainably lead toward integrating game development into everyday life - without any pressure or stress. These phases aren't a rigid path, but an adaptable guideline that can be adjusted to your own goals and circumstances. The most important factor in decisions along this journey is enjoying the work itself. The moment that enjoyment is gone, the surrounding conditions should be adjusted until it comes back. Enjoying the process is the prerequisite for investing time and energy after work as well.

Phase 1: Finding a Habit

In the first phase, the focus is on building a stable habit and discovering the fun in game development. This phase is the foundation for long-term success. It's not about immediately developing a finished game, but about approaching the field and the process playfully and without pressure - being curious and discovering new things.

One key can be trying out indie titles. Platforms like itch.io offer a wealth of creative, small games that often take completely different approaches than big AAA productions. These works are inspiring and show that there's room for fresh ideas, far away from conventional norms. Anyone who only plays AAA games often ends up holding themselves to AAA standards - a dangerous trap early on.

Just as valuable are local developer meetups and communities. Getting to know people in this space and their stories - what drives them or holds them back - can be enormously motivating. Getting insight into other developers' work quickly dissolves self-doubt, because you realize: everyone struggles with problems and blockers sometimes, and nobody has it all figured out.

Another aspect is building routine. That means deliberately carving out fixed blocks of time and defining small, manageable tasks that take no more than 30 minutes. That way, projects feel less overwhelming, and you get used to achieving small wins on a regular basis. That could mean: trying out a drawing program, testing an indie title, or sketching out a game mechanic. Bit by bit, this builds a productive, relaxed way of working that broadens your horizons.

Once you've gotten your bearings and built up an enjoyable routine, you can move on to the next phase with a clear conscience.

Phase 2: Releasing Within Your Personal Network

With the experience gained and the routine established, the goal now is to develop a small game and share it within your own circle. Friends, family, and close colleagues are valuable early critics who can give honest feedback. This isn't about a big release or a perfect game idea. The only goal is to carry a project from idea to completion, present it, and gather feedback. Everything beyond that can happen in the next phase. Creativity on a larger scale requires that you've first learned the craft and the routine.

In this phase, clear deadlines and realistic time limits are essential for moving projects forward despite having a job. Exchanging ideas within your personal circle is motivating and often brings new perspectives. At the same time, you train yourself to accept constructive criticism - an important skill for the bigger stages that come later.

It's also important to set priorities: focus on the essentials instead of getting lost in perfectionism. Originality isn't a requirement - it's completely fine to put your own spin on an existing idea (e.g., Space Invaders). This foundation acts like a safety net, letting you focus on the process without worrying that the game won't be fun after all that effort.

Phase 3: Commercial Release Without a Profit Focus

Once you've built confidence in your own process and your ability to finish projects, the door opens to the third phase: commercial release. This isn't about earning a lot of money, but about learning the whole pipeline - from marketing, through community feedback, to distribution on a common game platform such as Steam. There's far more riding on this entire process than you might initially expect.

Especially at this point, numbers like Steam wishlists or sales statistics can weigh on you mentally. The focus should therefore still remain on the process: What new tasks, challenges, and problems come up - and how can I handle them? Success is secondary. The top priority remains preserving passion and enjoyment. Marketing should be fun and fit smoothly into everyday life - not just chase the best numbers.

One rewarding option is participating in festivals or events. There you get honest feedback from complete strangers - a valuable outside perspective. It's important to see negative feedback as an opportunity to improve.

Phase 4: Development with Profit Intent

At this point, I want to stress that I personally am still in phase 3. I only venture into a new phase once I feel secure in the current one - even if that means I might only reach phase 4 many years from now, or never at all. In this phase, the focus shifts: game development is now meant to help cover part of your living expenses. That brings new challenges - the market is dynamic, the demands are high, and the pressure to succeed can severely limit creativity and motivation.

The goal is to draw up a solid project plan, work out a monetization strategy based on market analysis, and implement it as well as possible. To do that, it's essential to be so confident in your craft that complex tasks, tricky problems, and tight timelines don't overwhelm you.

Conclusion and Summary

Game development as a side pursuit requires a delicate balance between passion for the craft and daily obligations. The phases presented here offer a framework for fitting this creative journey into everyday life, step by step. The most important principle: preserve the enjoyment of the craft. Only then will the path be not just successful, but also worthwhile and fulfilling.