i made this indie game and it changed my life
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 พ.ย. 2023
- showing a once in a lifetime launch. or is it?...
➤ Get the game on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/97...
➤ NEWSLETTER: subscribe.jordylakiere.net/Ne...
➤ Join the community on Discord t.co/hkhp9MT1ZL
➤ Tik Tok: / wewhoareabouttodie
➤ Twitter / jordylakiere
THANK YOU to all the content creators and players for trying out the game and spreading the word & love. Its all I had, and you made all the difference.
➤ Used the game's music, by Marius Schlichting (intro) & Leonard Wolf (BG tune)
➤ And my boy Vivaldi • Vivaldi : The Four Sea... In
this video, I dissect the launch of my indie game We Who Are About To Die, starting from 1 year before launch till launch day itself. I went from a hobbyist game developer to a professional unreal engine 4 game dev and even have a game studio & team now. My game's release was life changing and this details why and how it happened, and why I quit my job a week after.
Please comment below what other video's or breakdowns you'd like to see!
For this video I took massive inspirations from these other amazing creators. If you don't know them I HIGHLY recommend you check them out.
@randyprime
@Danidev
@ThinMatrix
@SebastianLague
@savannahXYZ
@FlowStudio
@FoulballHangover
SUBSCRIBE & COMMENT
#indiegame #gamedev #indiedev #gamedevelopment #unrealengine #ue4 #unrealengine5 #unreal
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You were your own publisher. This shows how important planning and marketing is and you really understand it perfectly.Most people fail because they think "I make a good game and the internet will do the rest".
Marketing can do wonders for an ok, above average or bad game. But tell me one phenomenally good game that is out of the charts that did not succeed? I can't think of one.
@@abc-yg6tk False premise because if it didn't succeed I wouldn't know about it to tell you.
@@abc-yg6tkyou just answered your own question. A good game that didn’t succeed would be something you don’t know.
this is 100% fake, no big media like IGN will ever cover a game without receiving payment first, not even small media, 100% of streamers also only play games they get paid for, i am sick of those "small indie developer" stories, just be honest and tell us how much you paid
@@usuario2967 is there any context for this? Are other youtubers talking about this? I didn't know that was such a thing
It took 7 years? The size of devotion and hope is just...My deepest respect to you Jordy!
well 7 years but thats while holding a full time job and life for more than 6 of it. so keep that in mind....
not like he had daddys credit card in moms basement for 7 years the whole time.
he made a living and did this on the side. saved up enough money to be able to put everything aside and roll the dice on it for 6 months as he finished it, polished it etc for launch
Huge respect
@@user-xf1ur3hu4zIt is also a really well designed game too. Most solo developers don’t bother with these kinds of games until they’re already successful because they don’t want to risk it, they usually start off with 2d games that can be developed in a few days to weeks.
STILL NOT EASY@@user-xf1ur3hu4z
@@user-xf1ur3hu4z whether he did it full time or part time, not give up after several years is really amazing. He must have a strong conviction and believe into himself. He truly deserve this success
Congrats on the very difficult task of completing a game AND making it awesome AND finding massive success!
Thanks man!
@@LakierosJordy Maybe you could make a video discussing the time you behaved like a twat to Nerd of the Rings? That was a fun read. I'd delete those comments if you don't want people to see how annoying you actually are lol
I think what's important is the fact you found a popular but still niche genre. We all played Swords and Sandals as kids and your game is basically 3D Sword and Sandals. I believe nostalgia also played a role on why your game got popular! Congrats dude
I love swords and sandals! Is the game play legit like swords and sandals but 3d? Is it turn based?
@@amerikagaijin No it's not turn based but I think the premise is very clear.
bro ong my first thought was holy shit 3d swords and sandals. Fresh ideas always win. Indie devs on top fr @@kesorangutan6170
i have been looking for and buying different gladiator games on steam reminiscing about s&s, we who are about to die was among them, you are right. they all do the gameplay different and focus on different aspects, but they have that thrilled focus of surviving and climbing the ranks in an arena against supposed equals, as a lethal competitive sport. i dont know what it is, maybe a continuous ranked deathmatch on a grand scale that i cant get enough of. i remember i got a similar thrill out of doing team matches against ai with random characters in the rosters in the old tekken games, even though that had nothing to do with gladiator games. but it left that same wonder of who came out on top at the end of it all
There are multiple genres that would get massive sales, Western games are also underdeveloped. Recently that has been changing and Western games certainly are in a better state than gladiator games.
You had me in tears ffs, how I can be so happy for a strangers success idk
Hear me when I tell you that I know what went into what you accomplished. You have right to every ounce of pride you feel @@LakierosJordy
Same :)
Because stories like this give us hope.
BRUH SAME I LITERALLY CRIED im too emotional lmao
So cool to see the behind the scenes of your journey, especially the launch moment! Hoping your Full Launch goes great as well :D
wait what? what's full launch? I thought the game's released.
The game that is on early access is his new game that he has been working with his new team. The game he talked about was finished on launch day :)
@@justincase6387 he released his game on early access, There might be new features added, But it's not Fully Launched Yet. I mean it's showing early access on steam.
I bought your game on steam organically! It’s great! And just in case anyone hasn’t said it- you talk into the side of that mic, towards the blue light to get the full effect, I used to talk into the top of mine too lol
Please stay humble, you're a gem to the industry, and so is your game!
I'm developing a game after having it itch my brain for the last 6 years or more, and this story fills me with determination and joy for you. Thank you for sharing your story, I'm definitely gonna wishlist and buy. Keep making content and videos, I loved this story!
Do you have any page or discord server or something?
@@SkylerMaki I don't! The hard thing about it is that I think I'd like to stealth-release it😅 I know it kind of goes against a lot of the advice as well, but if I do decide to make it public beforehand, I can let you know, if you'd like.
@MistereXMachina If you have made any progress at all, I urge (encourage?) you to be bold and go for it. From my own time in the industry (big companies and an indy) if you are worried about discouraging feedback or negative reviews, then you don't ever want to release a game. Gamers, as a group, are passionate but can be quite critical (even whiny) at times, even of the best games. However, a handful of passionate fans can be a great sounding board and, ultimately, the greatest source of encouragement to help you stay motivated.
Don't stealth too much, gamers like to invest more in the person than the game sometimes.
@@MistereXMachina please be careful with stealth releases. alphas/betas/teasers/ or videos of not released game are needed to iterate and test how people react to your ideas, measuring what is more succesful to not flop. That's why it is important to do MVPs or prototypes. I recommend you to read the book The Lean Startup
Dude, I randomly got recommended your video. It's my first time watching your content, and I'm so happy to see you succeed. I can imagine how much work you've put into this game, how much stress and anxiety you've faced, and how many hours of your life have been dedicated to this project. It's truly, truly inspirational. Thanks for sharing. I got really emotional watching your video. Maybe someday one of my projects will also be a success...
Gotta love indie devs finding success. Congrats on being able to make this your living and being your own boss!
Curiosity saved the cat! Your video on your experience is so appreciated. I'm planning to release a game I've been working on for 2 years at the end of 24, and I am already feeling anxious about it.
Congratulations on your success. It sounds like you earned every little bit of it!
Goosebumps and tears bro. Your story is an absolute inspiration. I’d love to hear more about your journey through the development of the game… conception, design, tooling choices and all the technical stuff!
If Jordy seems like a really pleasant, humble and interesting dude, i can confirm he is that 150% when you meet him in person.
It was really cool to hear your story on that, and it's both scary and impressive to see how much work goes into making a successful game, as most of the time is put into learning and improving until you are in a spot to be able to make a really good game.
Your planning on the launch was amazing to see too! I think we had about 6 hours in the "popular upcoming" list because we had like 20 releases on the same day and 13 of them before us. So again it shows that it's sometimes good not to do what everyone does :)
hey! we are trying to do the same thing as both of you guys :)
Also, Dome keeper is great! its a really fun game
best of luck @@dreanki :)
And if you are the same dreanki as the one who playtested Dome a lot once upon a time, thank you so much!
@@bippinbits yeah that's me :) I'm so happy for you that your game did well! And thankful of the time I spent with you guys, if it wasn't for Dome keeper we wouldn't have switched to Godot instead of unity.
Awesome game, awesome dev, best of luck for the future of this game and all your future projects brother!
Thank you for sharing your game with us and Tiny Teams!
Dude, I am beyond happy about you! It can be seen in your teared tired eyes the immense work you have put to this game.
And I know this tends to game developers, but I would like to think that this can happen to TH-cam content creator as well.
Putting your soul into a video, while beforehand you have done all the research and preparations to maximize those views.
And just one quick swipe on your phone to see in Studio, that you have made it, the video is blowing the roof off and everyone in the comment section admire your work.
That`s what TH-cam is all about in my eyes :)
Congratulations once again.
I would buy your game, and enjoy it !
As a solo dev with a day job trying to make a game, you inspire me to keep going, not give up, and just keep grinding. I first saw your game via Splattercat, and I jumped in to see what a solo dev could do. I immediately recognized a labor of love. You made an incredible game, you already know this because of how it has done. But you also have become a lighthouse, a guiding light in the dark for those of us still out there to look up to and stay the course. Then you go and make a video like this... Thank you. Whenever I feel like I can't do it, all I have to do is click the play button, enter the arena for a few minutes, and see what you've accomplished, and that helps me believe in myself all over again.
Very glad to have that effect! I also looked towards other success stories very frequently to get me to keep going in those darker moments.
@@LakierosJordy As another solodev here I second this comment, would love to hear more of the behind the scenes of your journey or any solodev tips you can give us in future videos
Got anything I can look forward to ? :D or is it too soon to even ask.
@@karlazytzeen9226Way too early, but even if I was at that point, I feel it would be disrespectful to self-plug on a dev's channel that I respect and look up to. I appreciate you asking though.
It's well deserved man! And I'm happy you stuck with the original name. It's also good to see the game mechanics were improved a _lot_ since the humble beginnings. Respect!
Thank you!
The name was divisive haha but I stuck to my guns.
@@LakierosJordy The name is the thing that got me to take a look. So yea, it's better to have a divisive name than a boring name.
Well done Jordy! Thanks for sharing your passion. It shows in the game. Looking forward to playing anything you're working on.
This is awesome, Jordy. I've played your game since day one. I'm so happy the game has come as far as it has and I can't wait to see how you keep developing new things. Bravo!
I am a small indie dev on a similar path. Quit my job and went out on a limb to make a game I've been dreaming about for years.
I do not usually comment on videos like this, but I feel a strong need to do so on this one. I literally teared up - yes, your story made me shed tears. There are 2 reasons for this:
1. You said it with such a passion, an "exhausted but satisfied" tone, that it punched through and made me really empathize with your joy and success. I don't know you as a person, but my impression from this video alone is that you are truly passionate, and a genuinely nice guy. It made me simply happy for your success.
2. I watched it at 8am before going to bed after 15 hours working on my game and doubting all of the effort I'm putting into it. Seeing you doubt yourself until almost the very end made me deeply emotional, and I also resonated to my very core. I felt your victory, and lived through your storytelling as if it was my own. Now I pray for a 10th of your success. I'm about to finish my demo, and the goal is to produce a solid trailer and send those "1000 emails" to youtubers. I now know I'm likely to be ignored, but I also know that if that happens, it's not the end.
I really appreciate you made this. I really don't know how to thank you. It's quite right-difficult to even explain why something like this hit me so deeply.
Best of luck forward, man. You're set for life. You're living all our dreams. I hope we'll be joining you soon.
i wish you the utmost best and future sucess, goodluck!
can demo test if needed
@@kw0nksCS this is the third time I attempt a reply here. Let's see if this one gets deleted :D
I heard about the game, I even watched a youtube blogger played it. But I didn't know it was done by a single dev. As a guy who's chasing a dream to create a game one day, I want to show my respect to you. You deserved that success.
I'd love to see more of this story, this is the dream we chase. I'm so happy you made it
Absolutely inspiring. Gives a lot of us indies who are trudging through the waters of our most passionate projects for years realistic hope that is explained well all the way through, backed up by all of the things that actually happened to you throughout. I have been working on my indie rpg for around three years now, and although it has a long way to go before publicity can really start, this really gives me insight on so many things I needed to both hear and understand at this point in my development in order to keep myself on a path to success. Subbed, and thank you; for sharing your story.
You took a risk and your dedication made it what it is now, well played. Your game is dope from concept to gameplay and i'll gladly keep waiting for each update, thanks for your work
This game reinvigorated my love for Roguelikes and content creation- it is fully worth the money spent tenfold and I'll revisit it again and again.
Send it to ten people the 😜 (no but for real I’d take a copy lol)
All The Best to you brother!! Thanks for sharing your story...So Inspiring and exactly what was needed at exactly the right time!!
Super inspiring to see, I'm happy for your success! Thanks for all the hard work, will definitely try your game, it looks really cool!
This man is so sincere, wholesome, and passionate about his craft! I have no doubt that you deserve every ounce of success you've attained and you're an inspiration to myself and many others Jordy, I salute you (who are about to die).
I followed you through the entire dev process (and before!) and I just want to say I'm so happy for you man! As someone who also plans to one day launch an indie game, you've been a big inspiration.. grats Jordy!
thank you Jason!
I saw your game during demo launch. When splattercat and pixellated apollo started a wave and lot of TH-camrs start riding that.
I used to watch your game whole night, and was following every new streamer covering your game.
Watching people expertly handling the game and sharing tips and few struggling with basics of combat.
I downloaded and played it myself and wishlisted as well.
You have made a great unique game.
Thank you and Wishing you success.
Jordy you make me almost cry with your story ! It is once in a lifetime that feeling I think for a developer … its make me more motivated that I heard your story because I am also on a similar journey at the moment… I am studying mobile development on my 30s and I have also a family to care for . ! Keep up the good job man . From the deepest of my heart I wish you to reach all your dreams and further more !!
Mannnn...This video is super inspiring, I am getting goosebumps hearing you process it all on cam. I super appreciate this video, definetly filled with high spirits after this one
I got goosebumps watching this, it's really incredible what someone can do when they put their heart and soul into it. Huge respect from an aspiring indie developer, I'm excited to see what the future holds for you and your new studio!
As a dev who do not have the slightest interest in video games in general I still liked this video and found it REALLY inspiring.
Thank you to have shared this journey with us !
Must be a shitty dev😂
How can you be a dev and not have the slightest interest in video games?
@@pvpherthen2981 dev might be referring to programmer, which isn't limited to videogames
What an inspiring story. Thank you for sharing it with us. I haven't played the game yet, but saw streamers playing it. It definitely looks really fun.
Congrats on this massive success!
Really an inspiration for other solo devs like myself. Please keep posting. You the perfect kind of person we need to hear from when it comes to game dev & art.
keep up the hard work man, even when it seems it can't be done. I felt that way too hundreds if not thousands of times.
Way to go, so happy for your success! Well planned, well exectued, well deserved! Truly an inspiration for many indie devs, us included!
Congrats on the success!
I love stories like this. I wanted to make a game myself for a long time, but always got distracted by things. Your story is very inspiring!
This is so inspiring and full of insightful knowledge!! I'm currently working on a game that I plan to release next year and this video is exactly what I needed!! Congrats on the success from all that hard work! Your passion for the game paid off, what a beautiful thing to see!
Congratulations in your awesome success! It's so wonderful to hear these kinds of stories from Indie Devs!
You deserve the recognition. I truly appreciate your hard work. Thank you!!!
Great story Jordy! Congrats for your commitment and work and all you have achieved up until now. As an indie music producer, i completely understand the struggle of working your art without a publisher. Congrats again and hope the future will bring more and more success!
11:00
You are STRESSED!
Wow. I can feel it through the screen.
JORDY! I love this game. There's been no other rougelike or arena game that gets me as pumped as this has. NO EXAGGERATION. Glad to see that things are still going strong since launch!
Hey! I just got recommended this video, then realized it was you. Congrats again - goosebumps!
I had 32k wishlists on launch (World Turtles, my first game ever), spent 4 days on popular upcoming, and sold “very little”. The game itself has to carry that exposure forward, or it won’t mean a lot. And yours did! Well done!!
What a great little documentary. Thank you so much for sharing your story. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors
You aren't living the solo gamedev dream, you definitely worked for it, and you deserve it, what you accomplished is amazing.
Went straight to steam and put it in my cart, what a story and on top of that its a game i had looked at before just never pulled the trigger on it.
Jordy, thank you for this video. I had the same mentality for years, but unfortunately during the launch day, I failed (I'm not a game dev, but an entrepreneur). I put everything at risk and lost. But seeing this video something awaken inside me. Thanks. After years of recovery, I am ready to give it a shot again:D.
Thank you for your inspiration. I'm so excited to see indie devs make it big! You deserve it for all your hard work and passion for your game!
Had this game on my wishlist for a long time, this video just sealed it.. looking forward to playing tonight! We (i) salute you!
I had no idea about the game since i've seen the video. As a game developer i'm so glad for you man. And your success gave me a motivation to keep continue my own project.
What a great story this is, massive congrats man!
Dude you seem like an amazing dedicated developer. Just bought the game. I know how hard it is to make games and finishing them near them nearly impossible. Congrats on all your success and dedication to your passion.
Really happy for you. I hadn’t heard about your game till this video showed up. I’m a developer but not of video games but I have suffered quite a few failures in terms of releases not going over well for my software over the years. I’m glad you’re finding the success we all wish we could have. It means a lot that you could share this experience with us all.
Dude, you deserve all the recognition & success you've received! You're awesome, man, & so is We Who Are About to Die. This makes me so happy
Also, you & I are the same age lol
You deserve every bit of it Jordy. Keep at it!
Amazing! Great to see all the hardwork and dedication!
I've just started learning C# and i'm hoping to get in to game dev by the end of the year. I know there's a long road ahead, but I'm looking forward to it!
Inspiring man, I appreciate all the details and insight you gave from your journey. Glad you made it this far!
Crazy to think that you have been my teacher once in DAE... It was only a couple of lessons, because we had a teacher who was sick. But still, you made an impression those lessons.
You basically did a 180 about what school says you have to do, and told us what you should do. Thank you for that. I did nothing with that advice, since I stopped a year later... but still 😂.
I giggled at the "Its 3am face" 😂
Mate, I watched this entire video in one go. I had no idea of your game. You are a GREAT storyteller and I'm sure your game is even better.
> I watched this entire video in one go
dude, it is 15 minutes. you must be a zoomer. 🤦♂
As someone who has dabbled in game development, this story is inspiring. And as a fellow Belgian it's always amazing to see what gems come out of this little plot of land we call home. Great job, truly a case of a dream come true!
what an amazing and inspiring story! Congratulations, you made impossible things possible and you should be proud of yourself. Thank you for sharing, best of luck! 🙏
Huge respect for you Jordy!
As a fellow DAE alumni that had classes lead by you just 3 years ago: super proud of you!
So well done dude. That was really inspiring to watch. I'm not a game dev, just a lowly concept artist in training, but your story really gave me some hope. Congratulations. Sounds like you got exactly what you deserved for a lot of hard work paid up front 💪👍👍👏🌟🌟🌟
i randomly saw you post about this game on reddit like, two days before it launched. i never heard of the game until then and i’m so glad i did cause this game is a game i wanted for a long time. i love the idea of a gladiator game and there is a distinct lack of them so thanks for this
This actually makes me rethink going back to a project i started and shafted about 10 years ago.
Gratz on making it!
This is incredible & by solo publisher too, the quality is like a whole AAA team created it
Very cool!
Idk what you want your YT community to be like, but I would love technical videos on how you developed it. Architecture, optimizations, principles, surprises, fun moments, etc
This video had me crying happy tears by the end. I'm so happy for you. I hope one day I can share in the success of our great indie dream but for now I'd just like to make games for fun. Btw my brother wishlisted your game and he claims to not like indie games lol even though im an indie dev >:( so you're doing something right. Congrats! You have a whole future ahead of you, what you will do now couldn't possibly be anymore scary or exciting, there are infinite possibilities and you are free to experience a new one... I hope your next games do just as good if not better :D
I love seeing my old friends..... ZiggyD, Splattercat, Northernlion.... i am so happy they made your game a priority. It deserves it. I'm adding to cart now. I haven't played it. I haven't tried it at all, even in the earliest of days. But damnit, I respect these content creators so much. Well done Jordy! Well done!
I’m not a developer and I don’t know how to code at all but I wish more people knew how much hard work and dedication goes into making some games. Thank you for your sacrifice, I genuinely hope that the universe will pay you what you are worth to society, which is probably a lot. Bro, I hope you take some much needed time to rest and take care of yourself. Invest in eating healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, talk to a doctor and a therapist but make sure you take the time you need/want for yourself. Get outdoors, go to a beach, do whatever you want, you deserve it man.
Glad you made it work, it's amazing for indie development, thank you for sharing this, I'm going through this process too. I'm also working on a mount and blade-like game, which is really cool to me!!
Brother this is super inspiring. I am so proud of all the hard work that you put into the game, and telling us the story. I am buying your game. Thank you
I keep watching this video over and over and over again! I have the same dream and I'm following a similar path and planning like crazy every detail!
I also spent my last 8 years developing my skills from 0 to now working in Ubisoft as a programmer! I spend some of my free time planning my game and creating a demo.
I have 2 children and is not easy but I want this moment more than anything else!
Thanks 1 million times for sharing, this will be my motivation video for the next 2 years!
I Like that you talked about your story and not so much your game, but more so how this project changed you and how you were willing to take that leap of faith by basically quitting your job to follow your passions. its been very inspiring and i hope to make a video like this one day in the future :)
Good on ya bro... i dont play such games but nice to see someone live the dream and have that moment.
Well done man! Thank you for uploading this video and motivating so many ppl. Ill definitely try your game!
This is very inspiring. I wish you and ur family all luck and health. Thanks for sharing this journey for all the small game dev's ( like me). Im also working on a project for a couple of years but ive to start from scratch again because all my stuff is gone with my house..
Love this. Very happy for you! I will check out your game for sure
Been on my wish list for awhile now, will have to pull the trigger! Cool to see who created it and how, take note big game developers!
Great video, I’m looking forward to checking out the game and congratulations on pushing through and gaining the massive success on your game
Never heard of this game before, but this video was on my feed for some reason.
And i want to say i really enjoyed your story! Hope you have much more success! Youve inspired me!
As a solo dev myself this story of yours brings me hope. I am soo happy for you and for your hard work paying off ☺️
congrats man, i'm happy for you :) you made me cry of happiness...never heard of your game until this video, now maybe i'll check it out :) i love when people succeed
Big congrats man, you made it! Im on my own game dev journey. Its long, its hard but its so worth it. I wish you all the best in your future endevours!
Congratulations on your success. It proves that compassion, a lot of hard work and careful planning helps. Marketing early has the biggest impact. I’m very happy for you.
Wow this is so incredible to see. I'm currently about 3 years deep on my game project, and it is a struggle with no money. Just thousands of hours of hard work for something that might not ever be seen. I'm really happy it worked out for you brother! 🤜you deserve it!🙌
Your story is absolutely amazing my friend & the game is just as great.
I hope to one day be in the same position as I'm building a small game for around a year at night while also working a full time job. This story inspired me so much.
THANKS CHAMP 🏆
Lekker man! Leuk om te zien dat we als klein belge landje super games kunnen afleveren, keep going strong!
Gives me hope listening to your story, thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing!
Great story man, thanks for sharing! Congratulations! I WILL be checking out your game.
Good job bro you gave me goosebumps! Way to go good luck with the rest! All the respect in the world to your commitment that ain't easy to do!
I've seen a lot of these post mortems, and this is by far the best. The emotion is everything 👏
Good for you man! First time I heard of this as I am not in the know at all… But the title of the video grabbed me and I wanted to hear the story. Glad you told it the way you did and happy for you and yours for this awesome succes! I love it when creatives get to follow their bliss ❤
Jordy, I have had the game for months and it just keeps getting better. It is one of my most consistent games I play b/c i can play for a little at a time. You did great work. Maximus would be proud
Great job marketing the game! It is a good game, but not only did you develop the game, but you also showed it off to the world. You deserve all the success you earned!
this is really awesome man. Great storytelling in the video and amazing effort making your own game, people really underestimate how hard gamedev can be, so congrats on pushing to the end and actually releasing! well deserved success and good luck on your next projects!