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@Thomas Brush hi sir! please if you can help me! i start to make game like a puzzle game ( INSIDE ) but mine is 2D not 3D like INSIDE. my game is adventure puzzle game exactly like INSIDE. but theres my some problems if you can help me in tutorial video bcs my english its so bad. and you can help many people. ( i wish to help bcs i was asked many youtubers and no one care about my problems ) .. theres my problems : i dont know how exactly i make a smouth dynamic physicaly moves of player ( jump .., climb and hang ledges.., Climb and Swing on Ropes..) i saw a thousand of tutorials but all those just learn you how to make a simple code or not exactly what i want , bcz i need i movement like INSIDE .. and you know game is for puzzles so i need dynamic and physics in player movement.. this is one of my big problems. ( if you have a bonus of some physics puzzle to help me more ) game is fully 2D. please help me in tutorial video to make me understand and help me. i really 2 years and a thousand videos and no saw what i need. please help sir please!
I agree with what you said about "identity." This trend about what we identify as has gone too far. Everyone wants to "find themselves" now. You don't need to find yourself. You're right here. You're YOU! And when people get obsessed with these identities, they are limiting themselves. "I'm a night owl" then the person limits themselves to never wake up in the morning. Or "I'm not into sports" then that person limits themselves to never pick up a ball and try to move around. Hobbies and interests come and go, but what makes a person is their personality, their integrity, their faith. Traits that are more core to their foundation.
Agree with most except night owl thing, tried being a morning person for 2 years, I got used to it but when I went back to Night owl I realized I just got used to being tired before lol
I do think it is important to know yourself while many people say "find themselves" what they mean is understand themselves. For the longest time I struggled with what I wanted to do in life did I want to be an aerospace engineer, an astronomer, a solider, etc it wasn't until I failed my first semester that I sat myself down (metaphorically) and thought about what brought me joy and what I could be good at it was then I watched a Quill18 video on a tutorial for making a game in unity and aside from one minor computer science hiccup I've been on the track to game development ever since. My hobby isn't my only trait or personality but it is an important one to me.
Thanks Thomas, this one really hit me. Overthinking and overvalue my work really kills my creativity and joy. I've wasted a lot of time to think If I should be gamedev, environment artist, storyteller etc. Instead of just make things, share them and figure out what I really like without labeling myself. Btw, my first ever comment here and I watched many of your videos in the last couple years. All the best ;)
"Take a break" is the most important part of making games. Grinding on the same project for years on in will ALWAYS drive you insane. Taking a break, maybe just making a quick 2D game with no thrills or plans of profits, but do something other than work on the same exact project every single day. Or you will get sick of it.
I tried "just making a quick 2D game with no thrills or plans of profits" but the tutorials all sucked ass and gave me code that didn't even work or resulted in a janky unplayable mess of a "game". So yeah I've already been driven insane. Biggest waste of time in my entire life. I'm never going to get anywhere with this shit so there's no point in even trying anymore. I'd like to have a life outside the internet eventually and this sure as hell isn't the way to pull that off.
For anyone who decides they want to be a storyteller but doesn't want to make their own games, the path you're looking for is Narrative Design. And what that entails is helping other devs create the stories and other narrative elements for the games that fits the game design. If you want to do that, I recommend game jams along with making screenplays as well as game scripts using Excel, and branching narratives using Twine. (And yes, I know the idea of using Excel for writing game scripts is odd, but it's for ease of programming. Campo Santo actually built their writing software for Firewatch based on an Excel system, you can find a GDC talk on that.)
Great talk, Thomas, and great advice. Look, we all get burned out and tired of what we're doing - even a career we love! I've been a full time graphic artist for 20+ years and it gets BORING. I've written novels and I've made games. They all grow tiring. But it can't be your identity. What you're doing for a job can change. You have a long life and many passions. Keep evolving.
Damn damn damn this was good and needed! I’m a cinematographer and have been working at this profession for the last 10 years and it doesn’t get any easier! Covid pretty much ended my career overnight and I’m still working to bounce back. I bought a gaming laptop recently and have begun to learn Unity since making games was my original career choice. It’s definitely just a hobby and will continue to be until I see real potential. I think I need to approach filmmaking in the same light and simply enjoy it rather than worrying whether or not I can call myself something as if It defines my whole being!
This is such a great video, Thomas! You've put this really clearly and succinctly -- I love the idea "just embrace the fact that it's just a pebble" :D
I'm about 32 and I work at a gaming company. I can't agree more on all the v wisdom here. Thanks Thomas, I wish you were there when I was younger haha. I guess we were both young and had to learn that the hard way...
i used to be stuck in that mindset... "am i this? am i that? who am i?" i tried to stake my identity on something i considered a "rock" in my life but, coming to God, i realized that Christ is the only rock i need. i like the analogy of the river, it's true, we don't have to be one or the other, we can drift around a bit and see what we enjoy. i started as a game developer and through that, discovered i really enjoy sharing gamedev info, so i started teaching. it's incredible how one passion can lead you to another, but you might not find it unless you're willing to follow that pull. really enjoyed the video, :D subbed
Inspiring words man!. Thanks for that. I been 3D game artist for a decade and now i'm going into web development. I have that idea to create games since kiddo and i love the idea of wearing many hats. Life is so long to have just 1 passion. I'm not saying you don't have to, i'm saying you can try as much things you want.. and if those things that likes you can be mixed together.. you will get a cascade of ideas.
Great talk Thomas. Very thought provoking and a perspective I think a lot of people can benefit from hearing. I'll be sharing this one around for sure.
I completely agree with you thomas. Making games, or any kind of serious project, is very hard and it can quickly turn into obsession. It's very important to don't overcharge of importance your project.
Between writing a story and making a game. I get this question asked sometimes by people and for the easy way if they want to tell the story and have limited time not to make a game. I recommend writing the story and make it like a Players Guide / Strategy guide book. Write your story but also make 3D art of how you would of wanted your game and take screen shots. No coding required since your not making a real game. So Photoshop and blender will work. You get to make your novel plus get to show off images / 3D environments of what is happening in your story.
Thanks Thomas! Taking a little time away from game dev is huge! It really helps you reconfigure your priorities in and out of game dev. For devs with families, that's even more important. I've been kind of forced to take about three months away from game dev because I ran out of funding and had to start looking for a job, but it has also really opened me up to taking my toddler son swimming, hiking, biking, etc, spending more time with my wife and ultimately landed me a spot at Apple which I'm very thankful for. Game dev is always going to be a part of my life, but never my whole life. I believe a higher power fills that void much better as well :)
I'd argue as your self and "identity" change sometimes what you love changes when I was a kid I was obsessed with space and as I got older I realized I loved working on games and while I still enjoy space related content working on my game is what brings me joy after a day of work. I hope my son gets that same fulfillment when he is older I am content in my life it's not where I want to be in 10 years but I'd still be happy if I was.
This is genuinely a wakeup call, this is therapeutic in a sense. My overall take, your message I believe you were trying to get across about how everyone should realistically look at things is "spend your time in the river, it's ok to like one area better than others; just wade through and find peace where it's comfortable." Probably sounds a little dumb, but I'm sticking with that from now on. Many Thanks, Foss.
This is so motivational... thanks Thomas...😌....The video described my situation...I actually wanted to pursue being a medical doctor but since I discovered blender and unity softwares, I was amazed and obsessed so I ventured into them....But now I now know that I can do both if I don't attach too much to game Dev or even worship it
I'm absolutely thinking about giving up. It's too much time for one person who already has a job to do all the art, all the coding, all the story, etc. No one wants to collaborate, and especially not for long term gains. Everyone says "You don't have to be rich to make a game" but clearly you do.
I'd suggest to take a step back like Thomas says. You don't have to "give up" uninstall your software and never do it again. Take a break and get perspective. If you find you really miss making games, then keep doing it. But do it for the joy of creating.
My advice, and Thomas has said this so many times. Lower your scope. Cause I'm with you on having a job and making your own game takes sooooooo much time. Especially if you're like me and didn't go to school for it at all and just learned through tutorials. You either need to lower your scope or just realize the game may take 5+ years. Most of those indie developers that "make it" didn't do that in a short amount of time. Thomas has been making games 10+ years.
I think it also helps to lower your standards, not just your scope. I used to try making everything perfect, but I don't have the skills to do that, so I need to settle for what I have. I can always improve over time, or slowly save up money and outsource what I need.
@@Zodiacman16 Another great piece of advice. When I say scope I also mean this. For me I found an art style that's 2d but simplistic shapes, otherwise I'd take forever to create any art assets. My game is more about the pop of color, and gameplay design. Do what you're good at.
Really needed this, Thomas. Absolutely brilliant insights that so many of us need to hear. Very real and very inspiring! These and your podcasts with other developers are my favorites to watch. So much to learn from you and others.
Here's my process: 1. Complete the sentence: I lose track of time when... 2. Ask yourself if you're at the sweet spot of the 3 pillars: - What do I love doing? (passion) - What am I good at? (skill) - What does the market want? (need) That's it. Rinse and repeat until something clicks.
Exactly 1 person on the planet can pull off that cardigan, well done. Something that helped me in my journey was breaking down my projects into smaller ones, in each different genre. Also, dude keep up the Father story it's amazing, I saw that demo!
There is a book called "So Good They Can't Ignore You" In the book, he explains that you can love what you can be good at and be successful at, not the job you love, or you want to be part of.
Hey, man! Thanks for this video! I'm a 37 years-old philosophy lecturer, and, after a long process of introspection, I decided I'm not cut out for teaching, whereby I am going back to college to study programming and try to pursue game dev. Of course, the prospect towards the whole process fills me with terror. But testimonies like yours help me to figure out how far off or how far on point I stand regarding the kinds of attitudes I should adopt while approaching all these life choices and changes.
Awesome video. I sorta figured this out myself, the idea that game dev should be a hobby rather than a career path (for now), but I came to the conclusion that I should give up because I couldn't just sit down and enjoy game dev. Looking back after this video, I don't think that's true anymore, because even though I'm trying to distance myself from game dev, I keep getting game ideas and I keep wanting to get back to writing code and solving problems. So clearly the passion is still there, I just need a break and I need to find more hobbies.
I guess one might say Thomas, "easy for you to say, you have that financial freedom and passive income, you put in the work, but I am still stuck in my job - I HAVE to pick one thing, focus hard, grind, and not even know if that creative product will sell" - how do you explore and choose then?
I also questioned myself about what do I want to be. I could program but also enjoyed designing a lot. Then I was designing but also curious about marketing. Finally, I realized I like to know more about everything related to game-making. I think that's the fun about this field: There are tons of things to learn. But when I pressured myself to only focus on one part, I was burned out. I didn't want to open Unity anymore. After a month of relaxation, I found myself looking at development tutorials and checking tools on AssetStore :) So the problem wasn't because I was not a natural coder or not interested in development; I just needed to step back and realize what I wanted. Now I enjoy coding and designing because I know how to balance my life better. I enjoy the process instead of just the result. I hope my experience helps other people too.
I like your advice on combining professional viability with your passion when assessing how to spend your time. I’d also add that projects tend to grow non-linearly in effort. A project ten times the size may need more than ten times the people. It could be you love what you’re doing, but you don’t love the size project because it requires different skills and activities. You may like doing the detail work, but a big project requires management. Or you don’t like detail work but a small project requires you doing everything. If you work for someone else you can choose, but that is no longer indie and you need to follow other people’s vision.
Thank you. This is truly genuine content and I appreciate it. I’m a new indie and I’m getting stuck on my project and having time for it. This helps a lot!
great talk. Love the analogy of idols and worshipping. As a Christian man this really was relatable. Also having our identity in things other than Christ was a great point as well. Thanks for these kind of videos
Next-level content! Thank you! It's really valuable to hear the philosophies and mindsets of someone who's experienced in this realm that a lot of us dream with, and are working towards with a lot of passion. Time is a magical thing for sure.
Well said. I’m 38 and starting to learn game dev. I feel like its over my head, though I have non game dev experience. I feel like I started a bit too late here.
@@itsAJ819 Yeah. You got this! Just set your expectations. It will take a lot of time (years) depending on the size of projects you're trying to do. Any expectation you have for how long something will take. Make it double or more. I've been working on game dev since 2019, and I'm finally at a place where I've been doing solid work on 1 game I want to release someday for about 2 years now and I still have sooo long to go before release. But that's because I'm shooting for the moon on amount of content it'll have and I'm working on a mobile game which is its own set of challenges.
Im 47 i have One game on Android app store a few other from game jam and i try ti switch from my It work to a full gamedev career... You are not too old or too late. If you like It... DO IT
Stick with it bro! I was 28 when I downloaded Unity, I'm now 33, I'm still no expert but I finally actually created my own business this year and plan to go part time game dev while I still do my job. Game dev is the kinda job you can work from home, doesn't matter about your age or physical status, do it, or you might one day look back and wonder, what if?
I always call my work “my business” and my games specifically “my products” I try to avoid getting too emotionally attached to my projects. It allows me to work even when I don’t want to and avoid burnout
Well said Thomas! It's refreshing to hear someone speak about worldview, faith and its connection to our work and identity. It is easy to fall into a false sense of work identity or even identity politics, both of which are crumbling foundations if that's our hope.
I am working on a 3d game and although I need a full time job at the moment, I am going to finish it. Thanks for inspiring and motivating me… I doubt I could finish it otherwise!
Gonna ask a question to all of you who reads this, is it worth taking a bachelor degree at digital games and multimedia? I mean, here where I live is not that expensive and I can afford it, and the degree give a wide range of works inside game dev, like music, programming, game design, 3d modeling, 2d art and more.
That sounds fun and if it's affordable, why not? Education is something you take with you wherever you go. And I'll add that it becomes harder and harder to go back to school the older you get. Just saying.
What do you mean by "worth taking"? You may benefit from the structured pace of learning a degree provides, but if you are good at learning by yourself, you may go further faster on your own. Are you interested in meeting other people with similar interests? Perhaps the human contact and the key connections you make on the way are the most valuable part of getting a degree.
Definetely! You will meet people and learn things from them, it doesn't matter the grades and the degree itself, what it matters is what you take with you from that experience
Exactly this! Gamedev is my passion if the passion gain some money I did not work on it as job. I work as an ERP system developer but my passion still really making video games as a hobby 🤗
Hahaha Thomas!!!...... yesterday I was thinking if it was a good idea to continue making games or just quit... and you just made that video... I think i know my answer now :-D
Amazing points, only thing I would add is sometimes when you come back to gamedev, it's also good if you can find people to work with. Speaking of, that's exactly what I'm doing. So if anyone needs a Unity PC Competitive game project to work on let me know! ;) Great points Thomas. I love that it's not just regurgitated content but meaningful discussion from your point of view.
Omg!!!! Yesterday i felt exactly like this I study engennering but i alway loved making games and Currently working on somthing. And suddenly i felt like smo who hate making one and was dissapointed. But now my path is clearer Excellent video everyone must what this
"Take a break". Thomas is dead on. Everyone needs to do that. Spend some time in a cabin on a lake and everything you thought was so important, will seem pretty silly.
My dad always used the analogy of a restaurant, you order what you want. Would you go in and order fish if you hate fish? The trick to life is order what you want, choose who you want to be. You are what you eat and are what you choose.
To me, solo game-dev is attractive because you have full control over the whole experience. The problem is that it's just too intimidating. I feel like I cant's handle a task that big and I'm not good at eating an elephant one bite at a time. And I always get way too ambitious which doesn't help.
As an aspiring game dev currently working on my first indie game solo, this was much needed. Wonderful words from an individual not afraid to speak his mind. Your words show a glimpse of your experience and serve as a great fence when our minds wonder all these questions. As far as indie game devs go, your impact is one of a kind.
@@reneticsk This comment inspired me to make my very first devlog. Your question inspired me to take action and show the world what I have been working on. You are mentioned in the video. Thank you so much!
One thing that I do when I'm feeling burnt out with a specific project is to start another small side project. While that may sound counter intuitive, having another project for creative expression can be really helpful, and often times you learn a lot more about game design in general because you're not focusing on only one game. Every time I work on another project I learn so much more that I can bring back to my main one. My friend used to tell me this was a bad idea, but then I found this GDC talk about exactly this: th-cam.com/video/zfJ9LLZQ9jo/w-d-xo.html
This is generally good advice, but I do have to disagree about the whole identity thing. The stories I want to tell and works I want to create are and always have been such a massive part of my identity, and I wouldn't change that for the world. I couldn't stand to just look at it as a hobby, because I feel like that would take away so much of their importance. I know that's not something that will work or be a good idea for everyone, but I think it's okay for some people. Having that aspect of my identity just elevates me so much, and feeds the passion. I've always been such a visionary, and I think minimizing my projects as "just a hobby" would stifle that vision and creativity. That said, it is important to recognize that your identity is always in flux, and may change. You don't want to form your whole identity and self around one concept, because then if that falters, you'll fall apart. But as long as you're willing to accept that it may change, I don't think there's anything wrong with fully embracing something as a part of your identity.
Hey Thomas, I have discovered your channel recently. Very wonderful content, truly amazing you are able to produce videos that would cost thousands of dollars in a typical game dev. course. I come from an animation background, and while I was in college studying it, there was barely anything on TH-cam to help learn animating yourself, so it's great you can help people to start doing game dev without going to college. P.S. Would you be interested in trying our demo in the coming months? We have been working on it for a while now. Best
yeah thanks a lot for this i im 13 and when i was like 10/11 i grew this passion for game dev and programming in general but as i got 12 my dad found out that you can get a living out of it and started putting me to do it and grounding me if i didnt and what started a passion became a dispise i do like it but its not the first time the same thing happened with golf and graphics designer but still thanks
I love you my Teacher, Sir Thomas Brush, I am currently, working, on my Games, named, " Alumbus " and " Aerond "..... that is 2D Platformers and Metroidvania Games.....
I'm working on my game because it's what I love to do. No one buys it so I make nothing by putting time into it but it's what I love to do and so I keep at it. I'm not a failure as a person because no one buys my game. People don't even know that my game exists even less so that I exist so why should I measure my self worth in how well my game performs?
I'm working to be a graphic designer from scratch to be sustainable but in my corner of my mind I remembered that I wanted to be a game developer and it has came out of that corner and become the front end to everything, I want to make game just make something even it's small I have made up my mind to make it on Godot and the language I want to learn is python
Holy shit that identity discussion. You just distilled down a decade of wisdom to perfect clarity. You drive directly towards the Buddhist/Hindu concept of anicca - impermanence. In the East accepting anicca is considered to be the foundation of enlightenment.
Interesting perspective. I hear people mention who are programmers, you can’t do it all. But your take goes against what most say but I prefer your take on the subject.
This is kinda ironic because I feel like this a few times with what I'm trying to make. I have an idea for an indie game that when I first thought of it in my mind, it was much bigger than what I knew that I could actually make. I honestly hate that your brain can be deceptive with stuff like this. In your mind, you can think of something awesome and way above what you can do on your own, but then when you try to make it a reality, it may not be even close to what you saw in your mind and you end up being disappointed. So realizing that, I eventually thought of ways to try to make this game smaller and something simpler, but the problem I face now (as of making this comment) is me trying to think of ways to make the game actually fun. I'm focusing on the game's story (because I want the story to be one of the main selling points for this title) and the script, as well as the music, but it seems that I'm focusing more on that stuff and less about the actual gameplay aspect of it, which is honestly kinda annoying for me. I'm not trying to make this harder on myself, but I'm just want this game to really touch some folks, out there maybe even on a personal level while also being fun and enjoyable at the same time.
I agree with you about what you say, I use to be think that way too. Now I making what I am dream about what I like to do when I grow up but these thinks doesn't feel that great to me anymore but I love making 3d stylized games ( I know making 3d third person action RPG is not easy) but I making progress When I was young my ideas look big and epic right I see these ideas are most of them are simple but I am glade at there are simple because it's easy for me to make real because my story is simple not complex so I can work on it 😁
Dude! I had a legit crossroads a few months ago. I built a short game/vertical slice and sent it out to friends and family, but also some game dev contacts I'd met along the way. I ended up getting a job offer as a game artist! I was thrilled, but there were perks with my current job that the offer didn't match. It wwas still a very good offer and it made for an increadibly tough decision. I ultimately declined the offer and stayed where I was. About 2 months later, I really started to regret my decision and have been trying to get the offer back since. It sucks, because I felt like I was in a pretty good position to negotiate, now I feel desperate for them to ask me out again... How much do you weigh the financial stability of a project or job versus the passion itch that it scratches?
Play to your strengths. If you've never done something then you can't say you love it enough to make a career. If you are a great writer, focus on the story of the game. Make a point and click that is compelling. But you must find your WHY. That is what you need to drive you. And writing is in no way Simpler. Ask a real writer how easy it is. Anything you choose will have shit you hate about it. Challenges in the context of your passion. Your WHY puts it in perspective so you dont let your emotion control your ambition
writing is pretty easy or hard, depending on what you're going for. The Amazon algorithm is pretty tough I've heard from people. Way tougher than steam, I bet. I've never released a book on Amazon, but I've seen some authortubers (youtube authors) talk about it in the past. I used to write a lot of books, but soon got into games. I'm still learning about visual storytelling, because writing in games is very different from writing a book. So dip your tips in both and look at the the pros and cons of each. Don't overvalue them. Just enjoy them
I don't want to give up gamedev. But Unity's recent announcements, specially the one involving Gigaya's cancellation, does make me seriously consider that I might be forced to give Unity up soon
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Thanks for watching! Hope you learned a ton.
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@Thomas Brush
hi sir! please if you can help me! i start to make game like a puzzle game ( INSIDE ) but mine is 2D not 3D like INSIDE. my game is adventure puzzle game exactly like INSIDE.
but theres my some problems if you can help me in tutorial video bcs my english its so bad. and you can help many people. ( i wish to help bcs i was asked many youtubers and no one care about my problems ) .. theres my problems :
i dont know how exactly i make a smouth dynamic physicaly moves of player ( jump .., climb and hang ledges.., Climb and Swing on Ropes..) i saw a thousand of tutorials but all those just learn you how to make a simple code or not exactly what i want , bcz i need i movement like INSIDE .. and you know game is for puzzles so i need dynamic and physics in player movement.. this is one of my big problems. ( if you have a bonus of some physics puzzle to help me more )
game is fully 2D.
please help me in tutorial video to make me understand and help me. i really 2 years and a thousand videos and no saw what i need. please help sir please!
I agree with what you said about "identity." This trend about what we identify as has gone too far. Everyone wants to "find themselves" now. You don't need to find yourself. You're right here. You're YOU! And when people get obsessed with these identities, they are limiting themselves. "I'm a night owl" then the person limits themselves to never wake up in the morning. Or "I'm not into sports" then that person limits themselves to never pick up a ball and try to move around. Hobbies and interests come and go, but what makes a person is their personality, their integrity, their faith. Traits that are more core to their foundation.
Agree with most except night owl thing, tried being a morning person for 2 years, I got used to it but when I went back to Night owl I realized I just got used to being tired before lol
@@ArtofWEZ hahahaha same
I do think it is important to know yourself while many people say "find themselves" what they mean is understand themselves. For the longest time I struggled with what I wanted to do in life did I want to be an aerospace engineer, an astronomer, a solider, etc it wasn't until I failed my first semester that I sat myself down (metaphorically) and thought about what brought me joy and what I could be good at it was then I watched a Quill18 video on a tutorial for making a game in unity and aside from one minor computer science hiccup I've been on the track to game development ever since. My hobby isn't my only trait or personality but it is an important one to me.
Thanks Thomas, this one really hit me. Overthinking and overvalue my work really kills my creativity and joy. I've wasted a lot of time to think If I should be gamedev, environment artist, storyteller etc. Instead of just make things, share them and figure out what I really like without labeling myself.
Btw, my first ever comment here and I watched many of your videos in the last couple years. All the best ;)
"Take a break" is the most important part of making games. Grinding on the same project for years on in will ALWAYS drive you insane. Taking a break, maybe just making a quick 2D game with no thrills or plans of profits, but do something other than work on the same exact project every single day. Or you will get sick of it.
I tried "just making a quick 2D game with no thrills or plans of profits" but the tutorials all sucked ass and gave me code that didn't even work or resulted in a janky unplayable mess of a "game". So yeah I've already been driven insane. Biggest waste of time in my entire life. I'm never going to get anywhere with this shit so there's no point in even trying anymore. I'd like to have a life outside the internet eventually and this sure as hell isn't the way to pull that off.
Good luck wasting your time on shitty 2d game that would not sell.
For anyone who decides they want to be a storyteller but doesn't want to make their own games, the path you're looking for is Narrative Design. And what that entails is helping other devs create the stories and other narrative elements for the games that fits the game design. If you want to do that, I recommend game jams along with making screenplays as well as game scripts using Excel, and branching narratives using Twine.
(And yes, I know the idea of using Excel for writing game scripts is odd, but it's for ease of programming. Campo Santo actually built their writing software for Firewatch based on an Excel system, you can find a GDC talk on that.)
Thanks for the spiritual take on identity, definitely needed this reminder. ❤
Great talk, Thomas, and great advice.
Look, we all get burned out and tired of what we're doing - even a career we love!
I've been a full time graphic artist for 20+ years and it gets BORING. I've written novels and I've made games. They all grow tiring.
But it can't be your identity. What you're doing for a job can change. You have a long life and many passions. Keep evolving.
It’s amazing that videos like this are simply for free to watch.. What a source of encouragement!
Damn damn damn this was good and needed! I’m a cinematographer and have been working at this profession for the last 10 years and it doesn’t get any easier! Covid pretty much ended my career overnight and I’m still working to bounce back. I bought a gaming laptop recently and have begun to learn Unity since making games was my original career choice. It’s definitely just a hobby and will continue to be until I see real potential. I think I need to approach filmmaking in the same light and simply enjoy it rather than worrying whether or not I can call myself something as if It defines my whole being!
Love what you doing. The delivery, the pace, the lighting, the motion graphics - the quality. Good stuff.
This is such a great video, Thomas! You've put this really clearly and succinctly -- I love the idea "just embrace the fact that it's just a pebble" :D
miss ya brother! hope you're doing well, and im excited for whenever you get back to streaming!
I'm about 32 and I work at a gaming company. I can't agree more on all the v wisdom here. Thanks Thomas, I wish you were there when I was younger haha.
I guess we were both young and had to learn that the hard way...
i used to be stuck in that mindset... "am i this? am i that? who am i?" i tried to stake my identity on something i considered a "rock" in my life but, coming to God, i realized that Christ is the only rock i need. i like the analogy of the river, it's true, we don't have to be one or the other, we can drift around a bit and see what we enjoy. i started as a game developer and through that, discovered i really enjoy sharing gamedev info, so i started teaching. it's incredible how one passion can lead you to another, but you might not find it unless you're willing to follow that pull.
really enjoyed the video, :D subbed
Inspiring words man!. Thanks for that. I been 3D game artist for a decade and now i'm going into web development. I have that idea to create games since kiddo and i love the idea of wearing many hats. Life is so long to have just 1 passion. I'm not saying you don't have to, i'm saying you can try as much things you want.. and if those things that likes you can be mixed together.. you will get a cascade of ideas.
Great talk Thomas. Very thought provoking and a perspective I think a lot of people can benefit from hearing. I'll be sharing this one around for sure.
Thomas Brush, you literally unlock my gamer energy of creativity and i thank you sir. One day I will repay that favor❤️
I completely agree with you thomas. Making games, or any kind of serious project, is very hard and it can quickly turn into obsession. It's very important to don't overcharge of importance your project.
Between writing a story and making a game. I get this question asked sometimes by people and for the easy way if they want to tell the story and have limited time not to make a game. I recommend writing the story and make it like a Players Guide / Strategy guide book. Write your story but also make 3D art of how you would of wanted your game and take screen shots. No coding required since your not making a real game. So Photoshop and blender will work. You get to make your novel plus get to show off images / 3D environments of what is happening in your story.
I gave up and now I'm doing web dev. I must say, that it's far easier and less stressfull than game dev.
This was such an important video for me, I thought I was having an identity crisis, when in reality no hobby or job defines who I am as a person.
Thanks Thomas! Taking a little time away from game dev is huge! It really helps you reconfigure your priorities in and out of game dev. For devs with families, that's even more important. I've been kind of forced to take about three months away from game dev because I ran out of funding and had to start looking for a job, but it has also really opened me up to taking my toddler son swimming, hiking, biking, etc, spending more time with my wife and ultimately landed me a spot at Apple which I'm very thankful for. Game dev is always going to be a part of my life, but never my whole life. I believe a higher power fills that void much better as well :)
I'd argue as your self and "identity" change sometimes what you love changes when I was a kid I was obsessed with space and as I got older I realized I loved working on games and while I still enjoy space related content working on my game is what brings me joy after a day of work. I hope my son gets that same fulfillment when he is older I am content in my life it's not where I want to be in 10 years but I'd still be happy if I was.
This is genuinely a wakeup call, this is therapeutic in a sense. My overall take, your message I believe you were trying to get across about how everyone should realistically look at things is "spend your time in the river, it's ok to like one area better than others; just wade through and find peace where it's comfortable."
Probably sounds a little dumb, but I'm sticking with that from now on.
Many Thanks, Foss.
This is so motivational... thanks Thomas...😌....The video described my situation...I actually wanted to pursue being a medical doctor but since I discovered blender and unity softwares, I was amazed and obsessed so I ventured into them....But now I now know that I can do both if I don't attach too much to game Dev or even worship it
Awesome video as always! I definitely needed to hear this 💪🏾 God bless
Great advice Thomas, thanks for that. Definitely made me think it's time to do more, but not so intensely or with such a serious mentally! Thank you
Maaan. I really needed this. This and your previous video have been very inspirating for me. Thank you, love u
POWERFUL. Exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you so much. Practical but also extremely wise.
Excellent advice!
Wise words Thomas! Hope everyone can take something from this.
I'm absolutely thinking about giving up. It's too much time for one person who already has a job to do all the art, all the coding, all the story, etc. No one wants to collaborate, and especially not for long term gains. Everyone says "You don't have to be rich to make a game" but clearly you do.
I'd suggest to take a step back like Thomas says. You don't have to "give up" uninstall your software and never do it again.
Take a break and get perspective. If you find you really miss making games, then keep doing it. But do it for the joy of creating.
My advice, and Thomas has said this so many times. Lower your scope. Cause I'm with you on having a job and making your own game takes sooooooo much time. Especially if you're like me and didn't go to school for it at all and just learned through tutorials. You either need to lower your scope or just realize the game may take 5+ years. Most of those indie developers that "make it" didn't do that in a short amount of time. Thomas has been making games 10+ years.
I think it also helps to lower your standards, not just your scope. I used to try making everything perfect, but I don't have the skills to do that, so I need to settle for what I have. I can always improve over time, or slowly save up money and outsource what I need.
@@Zodiacman16 Another great piece of advice. When I say scope I also mean this. For me I found an art style that's 2d but simplistic shapes, otherwise I'd take forever to create any art assets. My game is more about the pop of color, and gameplay design. Do what you're good at.
Really needed this, Thomas. Absolutely brilliant insights that so many of us need to hear. Very real and very inspiring! These and your podcasts with other developers are my favorites to watch. So much to learn from you and others.
Here's my process:
1. Complete the sentence: I lose track of time when...
2. Ask yourself if you're at the sweet spot of the 3 pillars:
- What do I love doing? (passion)
- What am I good at? (skill)
- What does the market want? (need)
That's it. Rinse and repeat until something clicks.
Exactly 1 person on the planet can pull off that cardigan, well done. Something that helped me in my journey was breaking down my projects into smaller ones, in each different genre. Also, dude keep up the Father story it's amazing, I saw that demo!
There is a book called "So Good They Can't Ignore You" In the book, he explains that you can love what you can be good at and be successful at, not the job you love, or you want to be part of.
Hey, man! Thanks for this video! I'm a 37 years-old philosophy lecturer, and, after a long process of introspection, I decided I'm not cut out for teaching, whereby I am going back to college to study programming and try to pursue game dev. Of course, the prospect towards the whole process fills me with terror. But testimonies like yours help me to figure out how far off or how far on point I stand regarding the kinds of attitudes I should adopt while approaching all these life choices and changes.
Wow, this is surprisingly deep. Thank you so much for the wise words. Definitely something we all need more and more these days
Awesome video. I sorta figured this out myself, the idea that game dev should be a hobby rather than a career path (for now), but I came to the conclusion that I should give up because I couldn't just sit down and enjoy game dev. Looking back after this video, I don't think that's true anymore, because even though I'm trying to distance myself from game dev, I keep getting game ideas and I keep wanting to get back to writing code and solving problems. So clearly the passion is still there, I just need a break and I need to find more hobbies.
I guess one might say Thomas, "easy for you to say, you have that financial freedom and passive income, you put in the work, but I am still stuck in my job - I HAVE to pick one thing, focus hard, grind, and not even know if that creative product will sell" - how do you explore and choose then?
I also questioned myself about what do I want to be. I could program but also enjoyed designing a lot. Then I was designing but also curious about marketing. Finally, I realized I like to know more about everything related to game-making. I think that's the fun about this field: There are tons of things to learn. But when I pressured myself to only focus on one part, I was burned out. I didn't want to open Unity anymore. After a month of relaxation, I found myself looking at development tutorials and checking tools on AssetStore :) So the problem wasn't because I was not a natural coder or not interested in development; I just needed to step back and realize what I wanted. Now I enjoy coding and designing because I know how to balance my life better. I enjoy the process instead of just the result. I hope my experience helps other people too.
I like your advice on combining professional viability with your passion when assessing how to spend your time. I’d also add that projects tend to grow non-linearly in effort. A project ten times the size may need more than ten times the people. It could be you love what you’re doing, but you don’t love the size project because it requires different skills and activities. You may like doing the detail work, but a big project requires management. Or you don’t like detail work but a small project requires you doing everything. If you work for someone else you can choose, but that is no longer indie and you need to follow other people’s vision.
Thank you. This is truly genuine content and I appreciate it. I’m a new indie and I’m getting stuck on my project and having time for it. This helps a lot!
great talk. Love the analogy of idols and worshipping. As a Christian man this really was relatable. Also having our identity in things other than Christ was a great point as well. Thanks for these kind of videos
Thank you Thomas for this talk. It was very inspiring and comforting. Thanks!
Next-level content! Thank you! It's really valuable to hear the philosophies and mindsets of someone who's experienced in this realm that a lot of us dream with, and are working towards with a lot of passion. Time is a magical thing for sure.
Well said. I’m 38 and starting to learn game dev. I feel like its over my head, though I have non game dev experience. I feel like I started a bit too late here.
It's never too late. If you've gone to college you'll know people go in their 50's. So if they can do it. So can you.
@@draftierchase Thank your for that. It was definitely needed!
@@itsAJ819 Yeah. You got this! Just set your expectations. It will take a lot of time (years) depending on the size of projects you're trying to do. Any expectation you have for how long something will take. Make it double or more. I've been working on game dev since 2019, and I'm finally at a place where I've been doing solid work on 1 game I want to release someday for about 2 years now and I still have sooo long to go before release. But that's because I'm shooting for the moon on amount of content it'll have and I'm working on a mobile game which is its own set of challenges.
Im 47 i have One game on Android app store a few other from game jam and i try ti switch from my It work to a full gamedev career... You are not too old or too late. If you like It... DO IT
Stick with it bro! I was 28 when I downloaded Unity, I'm now 33, I'm still no expert but I finally actually created my own business this year and plan to go part time game dev while I still do my job. Game dev is the kinda job you can work from home, doesn't matter about your age or physical status, do it, or you might one day look back and wonder, what if?
Hey Thomas!
It's me, Dano from the camp.
Your channel is looking real good, and I'll make sure to check everything out!
Great advice and I personally always considered myself a story teller and artist which Is why I am pursuing game development
I always call my work “my business” and my games specifically “my products” I try to avoid getting too emotionally attached to my projects. It allows me to work even when I don’t want to and avoid burnout
Well said Thomas! It's refreshing to hear someone speak about worldview, faith and its connection to our work and identity. It is easy to fall into a false sense of work identity or even identity politics, both of which are crumbling foundations if that's our hope.
This was such a beautifully said video man I needed to hear this thank you
I am working on a 3d game and although I need a full time job at the moment, I am going to finish it. Thanks for inspiring and motivating me… I doubt I could finish it otherwise!
Gonna ask a question to all of you who reads this, is it worth taking a bachelor degree at digital games and multimedia? I mean, here where I live is not that expensive and I can afford it, and the degree give a wide range of works inside game dev, like music, programming, game design, 3d modeling, 2d art and more.
That sounds fun and if it's affordable, why not? Education is something you take with you wherever you go.
And I'll add that it becomes harder and harder to go back to school the older you get. Just saying.
It really depends on you and your current life situation. Can that be achievable without going to school? Yea definitely.
What do you mean by "worth taking"? You may benefit from the structured pace of learning a degree provides, but if you are good at learning by yourself, you may go further faster on your own.
Are you interested in meeting other people with similar interests? Perhaps the human contact and the key connections you make on the way are the most valuable part of getting a degree.
Definetely! You will meet people and learn things from them, it doesn't matter the grades and the degree itself, what it matters is what you take with you from that experience
@@foldupgames Yeah that's true! Thanks!
Thanks for this video, Thomas! I needed that. 🙂
Exactly this! Gamedev is my passion if the passion gain some money I did not work on it as job. I work as an ERP system developer but my passion still really making video games as a hobby 🤗
Hahaha Thomas!!!...... yesterday I was thinking if it was a good idea to continue making games or just quit... and you just made that video... I think i know my answer now :-D
Amazing points, only thing I would add is sometimes when you come back to gamedev, it's also good if you can find people to work with.
Speaking of, that's exactly what I'm doing. So if anyone needs a Unity PC Competitive game project to work on let me know! ;)
Great points Thomas. I love that it's not just regurgitated content but meaningful discussion from your point of view.
thank you thomas i am casually having burn outs everyday and this helps relieve me
Please taught us 3D game dev
Omg!!!!
Yesterday i felt exactly like this
I study engennering but i alway loved making games and Currently working on somthing.
And suddenly i felt like smo who hate making one and was dissapointed. But now my path is clearer
Excellent video everyone must what this
"Take a break". Thomas is dead on.
Everyone needs to do that. Spend some time in a cabin on a lake and everything you thought was so important, will seem pretty silly.
For some reason I was drawn to watch this video and it hit hard. Thank you Thomas
It's almost like you're saying "let go of your ego". How zen ^_^
I take a 1-2 week break every 3 months to make sure I don’t end up hating my projects and focus on apex legends or other stuff I like
I'm really enjoying your content lately, Thomas. Great stuff. Keep up the inspiring videos.
My dad always used the analogy of a restaurant, you order what you want. Would you go in and order fish if you hate fish? The trick to life is order what you want, choose who you want to be. You are what you eat and are what you choose.
3:57 Best line I've heard in a while. Thank you Thomas 🤍
Great video thomas! i totally agree with what you said!! Keep it up!
To me, solo game-dev is attractive because you have full control over the whole experience. The problem is that it's just too intimidating. I feel like I cant's handle a task that big and I'm not good at eating an elephant one bite at a time. And I always get way too ambitious which doesn't help.
What a great video brotha!! Great advice as always.
As an aspiring game dev currently working on my first indie game solo, this was much needed. Wonderful words from an individual not afraid to speak his mind. Your words show a glimpse of your experience and serve as a great fence when our minds wonder all these questions. As far as indie game devs go, your impact is one of a kind.
Devlog coming soon? :)
@@reneticsk This comment inspired me to make my very first devlog. Your question inspired me to take action and show the world what I have been working on. You are mentioned in the video. Thank you so much!
@@TheCaptlesPRO Oh wow, I bet you will learn a lot, I will follow :)
One thing that I do when I'm feeling burnt out with a specific project is to start another small side project. While that may sound counter intuitive, having another project for creative expression can be really helpful, and often times you learn a lot more about game design in general because you're not focusing on only one game. Every time I work on another project I learn so much more that I can bring back to my main one. My friend used to tell me this was a bad idea, but then I found this GDC talk about exactly this: th-cam.com/video/zfJ9LLZQ9jo/w-d-xo.html
"I belive in God so I think that shoul be your only identity".
Wise words...Thank you!
Thank you so much for giving those advices, it really helped alot
Never give up!!!
This is generally good advice, but I do have to disagree about the whole identity thing. The stories I want to tell and works I want to create are and always have been such a massive part of my identity, and I wouldn't change that for the world. I couldn't stand to just look at it as a hobby, because I feel like that would take away so much of their importance. I know that's not something that will work or be a good idea for everyone, but I think it's okay for some people. Having that aspect of my identity just elevates me so much, and feeds the passion. I've always been such a visionary, and I think minimizing my projects as "just a hobby" would stifle that vision and creativity.
That said, it is important to recognize that your identity is always in flux, and may change. You don't want to form your whole identity and self around one concept, because then if that falters, you'll fall apart. But as long as you're willing to accept that it may change, I don't think there's anything wrong with fully embracing something as a part of your identity.
Thank you. Great videos man, I relate to this a lot, twas very helpful.
Hey Thomas, I have discovered your channel recently. Very wonderful content, truly amazing you are able to produce videos that would cost thousands of dollars in a typical game dev. course. I come from an animation background, and while I was in college studying it, there was barely anything on TH-cam to help learn animating yourself, so it's great you can help people to start doing game dev without going to college.
P.S. Would you be interested in trying our demo in the coming months? We have been working on it for a while now.
Best
Off topic that is the greatest shade of purple.
yeah thanks a lot for this i im 13 and when i was like 10/11 i grew this passion for game dev
and programming in general but as i got 12 my dad found out that you can get a living out of it and started putting me to do it and grounding me if i didnt and what started a passion became a dispise i do like it but its not the first time the same thing happened with golf and graphics designer but still thanks
I love you my Teacher, Sir Thomas Brush,
I am currently, working, on my Games, named, " Alumbus " and " Aerond ".....
that is 2D Platformers and Metroidvania Games.....
I'm working on my game because it's what I love to do. No one buys it so I make nothing by putting time into it but it's what I love to do and so I keep at it.
I'm not a failure as a person because no one buys my game. People don't even know that my game exists even less so that I exist so why should I measure my self worth in how well my game performs?
You should persue passions - not identities
Such a great life advice!
I'm working to be a graphic designer from scratch to be sustainable but in my corner of my mind I remembered that I wanted to be a game developer and it has came out of that corner and become the front end to everything, I want to make game just make something even it's small
I have made up my mind to make it on Godot and the language I want to learn is python
Holy shit that identity discussion. You just distilled down a decade of wisdom to perfect clarity.
You drive directly towards the Buddhist/Hindu concept of anicca - impermanence. In the East accepting anicca is considered to be the foundation of enlightenment.
Interesting perspective. I hear people mention who are programmers, you can’t do it all. But your take goes against what most say but I prefer your take on the subject.
11:11 - helpful advice, ty
I've been on a identity journey and this helps me brings things into perspective
I refuse.
great video. Learned a lot from this
This is kinda ironic because I feel like this a few times with what I'm trying to make.
I have an idea for an indie game that when I first thought of it in my mind, it was much bigger than what I knew that I could actually make. I honestly hate that your brain can be deceptive with stuff like this. In your mind, you can think of something awesome and way above what you can do on your own, but then when you try to make it a reality, it may not be even close to what you saw in your mind and you end up being disappointed.
So realizing that, I eventually thought of ways to try to make this game smaller and something simpler, but the problem I face now (as of making this comment) is me trying to think of ways to make the game actually fun. I'm focusing on the game's story (because I want the story to be one of the main selling points for this title) and the script, as well as the music, but it seems that I'm focusing more on that stuff and less about the actual gameplay aspect of it, which is honestly kinda annoying for me.
I'm not trying to make this harder on myself, but I'm just want this game to really touch some folks, out there maybe even on a personal level while also being fun and enjoyable at the same time.
I agree with you about what you say, I use to be think that way too. Now I making what I am dream about what I like to do when I grow up but these thinks doesn't feel that great to me anymore but I love making 3d stylized games ( I know making 3d third person action RPG is not easy) but I making progress
When I was young my ideas look big and epic right I see these ideas are most of them are simple but I am glade at there are simple because it's easy for me to make real because my story is simple not complex so I can work on it 😁
What if you have a idea, but having problems building from it or make it grow?
This dude is like the church of gamedev and I needed to heat the word
Dude! I had a legit crossroads a few months ago. I built a short game/vertical slice and sent it out to friends and family, but also some game dev contacts I'd met along the way. I ended up getting a job offer as a game artist! I was thrilled, but there were perks with my current job that the offer didn't match. It wwas still a very good offer and it made for an increadibly tough decision. I ultimately declined the offer and stayed where I was. About 2 months later, I really started to regret my decision and have been trying to get the offer back since. It sucks, because I felt like I was in a pretty good position to negotiate, now I feel desperate for them to ask me out again... How much do you weigh the financial stability of a project or job versus the passion itch that it scratches?
Play to your strengths. If you've never done something then you can't say you love it enough to make a career. If you are a great writer, focus on the story of the game. Make a point and click that is compelling. But you must find your WHY. That is what you need to drive you. And writing is in no way Simpler. Ask a real writer how easy it is. Anything you choose will have shit you hate about it. Challenges in the context of your passion. Your WHY puts it in perspective so you dont let your emotion control your ambition
writing is pretty easy or hard, depending on what you're going for. The Amazon algorithm is pretty tough I've heard from people. Way tougher than steam, I bet. I've never released a book on Amazon, but I've seen some authortubers (youtube authors) talk about it in the past. I used to write a lot of books, but soon got into games. I'm still learning about visual storytelling, because writing in games is very different from writing a book. So dip your tips in both and look at the the pros and cons of each. Don't overvalue them. Just enjoy them
I don't want to give up gamedev. But Unity's recent announcements, specially the one involving Gigaya's cancellation, does make me seriously consider that I might be forced to give Unity up soon
Lot help full. Thanks
I love making video game!