#aspiring indiedev

[lordofthenightfruitt]

Currently working on a game pitch, will update if it’s green-lit.

And by green-lit I mean if me and my fellow game dev friend decide on it over the other ideas.

I guess I’ll share what we chose either way.

[glitchpalantir]

** Exploring the Legacy of Jordan Mechner – Mastermind Behind *Prince of Persia***

As an aspiring game designer, narrative designer, or game writer, one figure you cannot ignore is *Jordan Mechner*, the mastermind behind the iconic *Prince of Persia*. His groundbreaking work in the 1980s and 1990s transformed how stories are told through gameplay, blending innovation, storytelling, and technical brilliance. Let’s dive into what makes Mechner's contributions so influential and how they can inspire your journey in game design.

Who is Jordan Mechner?

Mechner is best known as the creator of *Prince of Persia* (1989), a game that revolutionized the platformer genre. His use of rotoscoping to capture fluid, realistic movement brought a cinematic quality to games that was unheard of at the time. But more than his technical achievements, Mechner’s ability to craft compelling, emotionally resonant narratives within a gameplay structure is what sets him apart.

Key Innovations and Impact:

1. **Cinematic Storytelling in Games**:

Mechner approached games not just as a series of challenges, but as experiences with emotional depth. *Prince of Persia* was one of the first games to seamlessly integrate a cohesive, unfolding narrative with gameplay. The story of the Prince's quest to save the princess from an evil vizier might seem simple now, but its pacing, tension, and character development were groundbreaking for the time.

2. **The Balance of Story and Mechanics**:

Mechner’s work exemplifies how to harmonize gameplay and narrative. In *Prince of Persia*, the ticking clock (60 minutes to complete the game) creates urgency that serves both the plot and gameplay, showing how you can intertwine mechanics with storytelling to engage players on multiple levels.

3. **Innovative Animation Techniques**:

Using rotoscoping, Mechner brought unprecedented realism to the movements of characters. He filmed his brother performing the Prince's actions, then traced over the footage, ensuring that the animations felt fluid and lifelike. This technique laid the foundation for future games to emphasize fluid, realistic animation.

### What Can You Learn from Mechner’s Approach?

- **Prioritize Emotion**: Mechner crafted *Prince of Persia* with an emphasis on emotional stakes and a character-driven story. For narrative designers, this is a powerful reminder to focus on the "why" behind the player’s actions, not just the "how."

- **Experiment with Technology**: Mechner was always pushing the boundaries of what was technically possible in his time. As a game designer, staying curious about emerging technologies can help you innovate, just as he did with animation and storytelling techniques.

- **Story-Mechanic Integration**: Don’t just bolt a story onto gameplay—make them inseparable. Mechner's games show how weaving narrative into the very fabric of the game design can create a more immersive and meaningful experience for players.

### Final Thought

Jordan Mechner didn’t just create games; he crafted experiences that resonate with players on a narrative and emotional level. As you build your skills as a game writer, narrative designer, or game developer, study Mechner’s work closely. Look at how he used limitations as opportunities, how he created urgency through mechanics, and how his storytelling became a pillar of his design philosophy.

**Questions for you**:

What elements of Mechner’s storytelling or design do you find most inspiring? How do you plan to incorporate those lessons into your own game development projects?

#GameDesign #NarrativeDesign #PrinceOfPersia #GameWriting #JordanMechner #StoryDrivenGames #IndieDev #GameDevelopment

[soahcity]

Sonic Fan Games Direct April 2023 Announcement & Guidelines

Sonic Fan Games Direct April 2023 Announcement & Guidelines #gamedev #indiedev #SonicTheHedgehog #SonicNews

We are glad to announce our first mini event; Sonic Fan Games Direct. This will be an article and video presentation featured across our site and social media for aspiring game developers and modders. Your project will receive its own spotlight. Fan games, indie titles, frameworks, along with mods are all welcome. The article will feature screenshots and a description of your choosing, with any…

[brianaaea]

Welcome to our new Sacramento Developer Collective (previously known as IGDA Sacramento)!!! The purpose of this collective is simple: To create opportunity for developers & designers, both aspiring & veteran, to connect & empower one another within our up & coming Sacramento game industry! To have a place where they can come together and communicate with one another, share ideas, form friendships and to learn ways to get into the Indie Game, Film & Music Industries PLUS, more importantly, get that project finished! So, if you have both the drive & vision to create, this is definitely the place for you! We have experienced professionals currently in the industry who are making Web, PC, Mobile, Console, Board games, Film & Music! These professionals include Game Designers, Programmers, Web Developers, Animators, 3D Modelers, Voice Actors & more! All are welcome! We can help you get started! So what are you waiting for, join in on the fun! Game On, Sacramento! Cheers, The Sacramento Developer Collective • • • #SacTech #StartupSac #GameDev #IndieDev #916dev #ThePeopleofSacramento #IndieFilm #IndieMusic #SacDevCollective #SacArts (at Square One Clubs)

[oneangrygamer]

Pixel Game Maker MV Will Let You Make Metroidvania, Sonic-Style Side-Scrollers

Pixel Game Maker MV Will Let You Make Metroidvania, Sonic-Style Side-Scrollers | #GameDev #IndieDev #GameCreation #PixelDev

Kadokawa Games announced that a game creation suite called Pixel Game Maker MVwill be released this summer. The initial release will see it launching into Steam Early Access, but after all the core functionality is implemented and the official plugins are released, the full version will be available for aspiring game creators who don’t have any experience or knowledge when it comes to writing…

[indiehangover]

Low Cost GameMaker Studio 2 Creator Edition Now Available

Low Cost GameMaker Studio 2 Creator Edition Now Available from @YoYoGames #gamedev #indiedev

YoYo Games have released a new Creator Edition of GameMaker Studio 2 at an incredibly low cost that will probably interest current or aspiring devs who’ve been thinking of working with this engine.

The new Creator Edition is fully functional, and removes the design limitations that were in the trial version of GameMaker Studio 2.  This will give creators full access to the programs features…

[symbianosgames]

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

This is the first one of a series of articles I plan on posting about "the other side" of game development. Not just the "technical developer" things or the "look at my screenshots" awesomeness but more the behind the scenes stuff.  I noticed that a large portion of my followers and online friends are aspiring to be full time indie devs at some point and I often get questions related to the things I hope to cover in these blog posts.  

This post was originally posted on my Orangepixel blog, and I'll aim to do a post per week, at least for the next couple of weeks as I have some idea's written out. Also, if you have any suggestions/ideas for a topic like this, let me know in the comments ! This first in the series is a pretty basic one: walking you through my work rhythm and ethics.

It's fairly normal to me, but random people often asked me what I do all day, and it's a good question! So let's see.

I'm usually awake anywhere between 7:00 and 8:30. I don't use an alarm, and haven't used one for many many years, which is one of the pro's of being your own boss. Luckily Aline (the other half) is also in a position of not really having to set an alarm as she runs her own store. She does set one for 8:15 on some days in the week, but it's extremely rare for us to not be awake before it buzzes anyway.

Often I'll be doing social media, some forums and news feeds before I actually get out of bed. So it's also very rare for me to be out of bed before 9:30 (and more rare to not be out of bed at 9:30). I don't eat breakfast, never liked eating that early in the morning, and I eat a small lunch between 11am and 12am, so I go straight to work.

For me it's really important to stick to these times, I believe that not having any strict schedule will mess up your head and work-ethic. You eventually end up working at weird hours, not knowing when you took your last break, not in the mood to work, feeling tired all the time, etc.  It might work for others, but I prefer to have a few things on a set schedule to keep the rhythm in my work days. Also, I never, ever, work in my undies.. ! Outfits like that are for lazy days, and even on a lazy day I put on clothes like an adult ;)

I don't have an office! yay! I work downstairs in the "dining" area of the house at a big kitchen table (10 chairs to choose from) and the radio or spotify filling the room with music. We don't have kids, so there's very little distraction happening and if you ask Aline, I'm probably the biggest distraction in the house as I sing along with the radio and do a lot of hyper-active silly voices (especially when I'm in the creative zone, and one of the reasons I don't do streaming with webcams!).  

We do have 5 cats roaming around but they are mostly sleeping all day anyway, so no distractions there either. As for hardware, just a Macbook (no mouse, sometimes a gamepad or a phone/tablet to test on) which works for me!

The hours I put into work have changed over the years. When I just started Orangepixel, back in 2004, I worked a lot but I also had a different situation. I was single, I wasn't in a great place, and I was much younger. Also, starting a business is a lot of work, simple as that.

These days I do work fairly normal hours tho, sometimes I "crunch", not because a game has to be completed but because my brain is in "the zone" and I just have so much stuff that I want to add I end up working day and night and 7 days a week. This is fairly rare tho, and I still go to bed at midnight-ish. Due to Aline having a shop, she works Tuesday-Saturdays so we sort of shifted the weekend a bit. My work-week starts on Tuesday morning, and ends on Friday afternoon but usually I end up doing some tinkering and stuff on Saturday and Sunday while watching a movie or some tv shows.  

I work from 9:30ish to 4:30ish pm (then I go out for a walk/ride to Aline's store as she closes at 5pm). I read all my news feeds after dinner, and 80% of the days I don't work in the evening anymore, unless the creativity calls for it! In the couple of summer weeks I do change all that up, as I take more outdoor walks and such, but I often find my creativity improves by only working 4 hours a day in those weeks.  

Also, during the summer, I often relocate my work-space to the roof terrace and work in the sun - until my laptop fans start blowing, then I just enjoy the sun and stop the work. I don't believe "crunch" is a solution for any job, but I also don't think you can do "crunch" if you are self-employed because there is a very different feeling to all the work you do, it's all personal.

The main reason I started being self-employed is to dictate my own life, I decide what I do, when I do, and why I do it. That's the freedom I've always been searching for, so there is no point in forcing myself to work my ass off beyond what is healthy or required.

During work I try to not get distracted too much. I always keep my Feedly (news reader) closed until the day is done. I do enjoy some twitter and lately the indiedev slack as a healthy distraction, as I look at that as more the office-chatter that normal people have when working from an office.

Real world distractions aren't many, it took some years, but most people now understand I'm actually working and not just playing around on a computer all day. I usually read all emails that come in when they come in, and either answer them directly (if I think they are important or easy enough to reply to) or I leave it in my mailbox until a time where creativity isn't going very well and I could use a break.

One big footnote on all this is that of course:��this works for me, and might very well not work for anybody else. It's also something that grew organically in those last 12 years of being self-employed. I worked more hours when I started, and my main focus these days is just being a relaxed guy most of the time, as little stress as possible.

That said, I do hope it helps some of you out there with maybe some tips or idea's on how to get your work-flow going. Discipline is a requirement if you are self-employed, and crunch isn't a romantic thing it's really just crap and a waste of your time.

[soahcity]

Sonic Fan Games Direct April 2022 Announcement & Guidelines

Sonic Fan Games Direct April 2022 Announcement & Guidelines #gamdev #indiedev #SonicTheHedgehog #SonicNews

We are glad to announce our first mini event; Sonic Fan Games Direct. This will be an article and video presentation featured across our site and social media for aspiring game developers and modders. Your project will receive its own spotlight. Fan games, indie titles, frameworks, along with mods are all welcome. The article will feature screenshots and a description of your choosing, with any…

[indiehangover]

Understanding the Art of Hue

Understanding the Art of @huethegame #indiegame #indiedev @HenryHoffman @DanDaRocha

Danielle Mesa is a contributing writer to IndieHangvoer and an aspiring writer from Boston, whose essays consists of in-depth analysis on video games in a similar fashion to that of how books and film are discussed. Her other writings can be found here. 

As we know, color is subjective and our connection to a certain color varies by person to person and culture to culture. Pick any specific one…

[lordofthenightfruitt]

I was planning to make a game with this character and I’ve very much abandoned it at this point (not that I’ll never pick it back up) but I really love their design and haven’t ever really been able to draw her since.