How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself
Sure, it's never been easier to make games, but that comes with its own challenges.
- Free, powerful game engines are at your fingertips, but which one should you choose?
- You have the ability to make almost any game concept you can imagine, but which would be best?
- Finishing is the hardest part ... so how do you actually ship your game?
How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself is a lean, practical guide that helps you answer hard questions like these.
Written by games industry veteran Matt Hackett, this inspirational & motivational guide takes you through the process of discovering your passion, picking the right game engine, and finding the fun in your unique game.
Filled with advice, personal anecdotes, handmade illustrations, and quotes from renowned game developers, this book is the ultimate resource for creative folks looking to make their own video game. It’s a lean, practical guide that gives you the tough love and encouragement you need to ship your game! Let’s get started.
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You can make your own video game!
You are capable of making a video game all by yourself. The tools and information are out there, but it's common to get lost on basic questions like:
- What game do I want to make?
- What game engine should I use?
- How do I make this game fun?
This book will help guide you along the way. I've been making games all by myself for almost 30 years, from hobbyist toys for friends to world-class mobile games for big companies. I poured that experience into this book, distilled and simplified down to a lean, easily consumable format. It contains:
- 10 chapters
- 200 pages
- 27 inspiring quotes
- 33 hand-drawn illustrations
- A video game you made
Everything you need to make a video game is at your fingertips right now but it's obscured from you behind a thick layer of indecisiveness and self doubt. How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself guides you through the fearsome labyrinth of game development, all the way to the finish line.
Reviews
A concise, clear guide on how to make games without diving into any of the technical specifics. Sort of like an incredible pep talk. Comprehensive without being exhaustive. Big take aways: start small, cut excess, and ship games. Keep doing it and get better over time.
-Brett Chalupa
A Great Mentorship distilled into Paper and Ink
This is a really encouraging read for anyone having the trouble making the leap. If you read between the lines, it's applicable to nearly any artf-orm. An alternative title might be "Zen and the Art of Indy Game Dev," as it's less of a "how to" manual and more philosophical on the topic of getting started.
-Lee Dydo
A tiny package packed with tons of amazing advice and tips
This book has so much amazing practical advice for aspiring game developers, it's wonderfully illustrated and full of inspiring quotes and advice, would highly recommend for any one looking to get into game development
-Craig Fisk
This makes me want to make my game NOW! And I feel like I can do it!
This is a must have for anyone, like me, who has been on the sidelines *wanting* to make a game, but not knowing how/where to really start. It even got me to just pick an engine already...I've been spinning my wheels on that decision for literally years!
-James
There's Much More to Game Dev than the Tech, So Get This Book
This is the perfect book for someone just getting into game development -- or maybe they've been in it a while and feel they're flailing more than they should. This book can help you nail down some of those feelings and give you the confidence to keep working on your game.
-Jay Jennings
🛠 Buy your own paperback and get started!
Testimonials
-MikadoSC
-openarcade
-Christina-Antoinette Neofotistou
-Ｆａｉｓａｌ
-Graham Reid
-Rihards Valters
-Stormcloak Games
🎧 Listen to the audiobook
Matt Hackett
Get the audiobook on Audible, Spotify, and, uh, other places I think too!
⭐️ Buy your one-of-a-kind signed paperback
📺 Watch this review by Thomas Stewart
📺 Watch this review by BiteMe Games
🐦 Read what Twitter thinks
🚀 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚀
— Matt Hackett (@richtaur) February 15, 2022
How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself is a book I wrote for solo #gamedev #indiedev folks like me.
I wrote and illustrated it myself over the last 2 years. It's available NOW to preorder digitally, and a physical paperback launches March 15.
Spread the ❤️ pic.twitter.com/hwJ4CS6PdD
🎙 Hear all about the book in this podcast episode
Download Lostcast 249: Matt's new book How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself to hear all about the book in a fun, conversational way.
💾 Press Kit
📙❤️ Read the first 2 chapters for free right now
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