Really enjoyed this different style of video, very cool story and very inspiring! I love your work and truly believe that Insignia will be great, love that you share your history! Also, as others asked, how did you live for 4 years without a full time job?
I may make a separate video about this, but for the most part it came down to having saved about $50k from working full time, as well as taking on contract jobs once or twice a year. They started as UX contracts and have shifted to more game related stuff. Very infrequent but they pay very well for the time. I spent about 6 weeks taking contract work last year. My burn rate is about $1k a month, and incidentals usually make up about $5k per year so my cost of living is about $17k/ year AUD. At this stage, content creation (TH-cam, Twitch, Patreon, Itch) almost has me covered for my cost of living. I work every day of the week, almost every week of the year. Content creation overlaps with almost everything I do. I should mention, I currently live in an apartment with my fiancee. She covers most of the rent while I cover food and do most of the house work.
@@AdamCYounis Sounds like me, I get paid to go to school (GI bill) and I have a kid, so I can't really work on my game while my wife is away. I have to cram in everything I can on the weekends and at nights. Worst part is that because I get most of my creative energy in the morning, I usually don't feel like working on it at night.
@@AdamCYounis Having a supportive spouse who believes in you and your ideas is more valuable than any amount of financial security or success. Just remember that as you get eyebrow-deep in Insignia's development! :) And thanks for sharing part of your story, I'm sure many people can relate to that sense of wasting your time on the wrong things but feeling your ideas suffocating in the back of your mind with no proper outlet.
absolutely love how aware and down to earth you are. first video I've seen by you but it won't be the last. really inspiring story! hope to make my own game one day, wishing you the best with your development and release!!
I agree with all of the comments, not to mention you make great tutorials, when me and my friend tried making games, in pixel art you were the one we liked to watch the most. KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK
Your character climbing the spiral staircase looked so incredible. The rest of what you showed looked great too, but the spiral staircase was gorgeous! Keep it up. You can do this.
That was a wow moment for me too. I love little things like that where the game delivers a little visual gem. Must be pretty satisfying as the dev to see players faces light up when they see it too :)
Love watching these kind of videos. I started my newest project when I was serving in the middle east as a peace keeper. Had a bit of spare time and a laptop in the evenings so I decided to learn a new skill. One thing led to another and now I'm thousands of lines of code deep into my recent project xD. I don't think I'm ever going to quit my day job to pursue game dev career. It does take a lot of my free time to code, but I've been making huge progress for the past 6 months.
Hey man, I found your channel a couple of days ago. The way you explain and teach your process is second to none. I'm 100% certain that no matter what you will achieve great things. Keep it up!
Thanks for this video, it's really nice to hear about people bringing their passion projects to life and the struggles they have. I'm working on an indie game and I know it's a large project that will probably take another 4 years to complete but it's special to me. It's a non-pixel art game that's story rather than gameplay driven, my strengths being story writing and art. I'm confident I will one day complete it, not so confident anyone will ever like it, I hope to get it to the stage soon where I can get some feedback on the look and feel of the game. Watching other people do the same for their projects is inspiring.
It's strange, I don't want to become a game developer (as a job), I just want to learn how to make an indie game and do it in my own time, using my own money etc., I wouldn't even care if nobody ever played it, I'd just like to have made my own video game, with all my own ideas, designs and creativity during my life.
The game really does look amazing!Thank you for sharing! Keep following your passion! Keep sharing and use the community your building. Use them for input and only listen to negativity if your using it as constructive criticism! Have faith in yourself. Your not trying to be a game dev. YOU ARE ONE! God bless you!
I became really interested in pixel art game design and found you. I've been following for a while and I just want to say your story and world building are a huge inspiration! I can't wait til the game comes out!
Wow this was really cool to learn more about your journey! You are unbelievably talented, im so happy that the internet has enabled creators like you to work on passion projects full time without compromise! I discovered you through your pixel art and aesprite tutorials. I loved making games but always sucked at art which was hugely limiting for my game making ambitions. I would borrow pixel art assets online for my personal games but obviously there's a limit to how many things you can mix and match and obviously you can never formally publish those games because of borrowed assets. Your tutorials are amazing can't wait to start implementing them into a game this summer!
I downloaded the itch.io version of Insignia because i wanted to observe all the mechanics, i'm trying to create a similar type of game, even tho the artstyle and setting is very different and my Pixelart is a bit more simplistic - but all my machanics like wallhopping, parcour, combat and hitfeedback didnt feel that great. Playing your title was a pure joy, and it helped me so much improving many of those little aspects in my own projects. You're truly an inspiring and very creative Developer, thanks for all your hard work, and thanks for sharing your story with us!
Bless you man, you look young and you radiate motivation...do keep in mind that in the long run, none of this will matter unless you have something to show for it. Enjoy the ride but don't let that come at the price of the goal.
This is actually something I really wanted to know. How it all began for you and how you can work on your game full time. Thanks for sharing your story!
Hey Adam, thanks so much for opening up in this video. I really appreciated your story and how you talked about failure. Sometimes, its hard to look failure in the face and continue to work hard instead of giving up. Massive respect. Really appreciate it, you inspire me.
Very satisfied with the length and depth of scope the project has undergone. I'm an artist, amateur coder, and enthusiast of games. I've often thought of this massive game with advanced mechanics that I wanted to implement but do not yet posses the skills. I would absolutely love to see the what your current mechanics are/ give advice to what potential could be added. I really hope you make daily or weekly content to the point where we can actively engage you to help with the product as an ip.
I enjoyed your video. It makes me very comfortable to continue my own gamedev story. Because I totaly understand you. I am nearly in the same situation like you right now as you were in 2016. About your game, the Tower-Run-Up sequenc looks lit! And your main character remainds me about Kote of The Kingkiller Chronicle.
Your story is very inspiring. In a way i am in the same position you were in 2016 but with the additional of having wife and a kid. Last week i started to teach game development to my son and all my old ideas started to grow again. I found your channel because i was drawing a pixel art character for a game jam and this video today made me realize i need to focus on my main project. thanks for sharing this.
I'll buy your game even if I don't like it. Your youtube video's are great and I really hope your game is a great success. And gives you enough to continue without burning out!
I’ve discovered your project by randomly watching your first video about building the Shoe Inn. I watched the second one right after, and eventually I watched this video. I love indie games and pixel art. Your work looks fantastic! I hope it all goes well for you!
Wanted to let you know that I really appreciate you, your channel, and your honesty about your process. You're doing amazing work. I'd love to see more examples and tutorials based on your Insignia project, definitely follow your gut. My personal struggle has always been coding, it hangs me up all the time. I get inundated with ideas for stories and images, write, make drawings and art, then get frustrated by the coding. I put everything down, and after a time I start the process over again with the next new shiny idea. It's reassuring to see so many devs go through their process, and even though each is unique many of them talk about imposter syndrome. It's nice to know I'm not the only one out there that struggles through this. Anyway, thank you for sharing your content.
Very inspiring story Adam, I came across your Aseprite tutorials since I finally came in terms of bringing the many ideas and scenes that I've had in my mind for years now, to life, slowly of course; and after getting to know your story, it sure gave me motivation! Thanks!
Generally, one of the most common mistakes of beginning developers is trying to make the game of their dreams while they are still learning, and dedicating months or even years of development without a defined time limit or goal. But, I think it is different if you have a community that grows with you along with the game. The community will not only be potential players, but will also keep you motivated and force you to finish the game, even when there are times you want to quit. So, stay motivated, set deadlines, set goals, and keep up the good work!
Hi Adam, I really enjoy you videos and channel. Just don't forget to have a clear scope for when the game is ready. it's something you should decide beforehand and you should not wait until it feels 100% done. There can always be another update to the game. By the way, I found your channel when I was failing my pixelart course on udemy and your pixel art class video series saved me. Maybe you can consider publishing your classes there. I can only imagine how hard is to work full time on your own project, maybe this way some extra money would come your way.
I've found your channel recently as I've decided to dive back into game development and go the pixel art route. Your channel has been a god send, thankyou for sharing your knowledge and passing it on ^^ It's also inspring to see other game developers really go for it, and your game has clearly shown much improvement over the years!
this was such a great video! Your dedication to a singular idea is very inspiring. I just started gamedev on the side around 6 months ago. I'm not sure how far I'll go with it - I have a family with two great young kids, so I can't really prioritize like I could have earlier in my life. But I really appreciate your channel!
REALLY enjoying your content. I'm a new Twitch streamer and recently have decided to take on learning game art, design and development. Your content has been super helpful and your story really inspiring.
I love your tutorials. I recommend you to every artist looking to learn. Take your time with everything you need to do. Insignia is looking phenomenal. I'd love to see an updated demo. But please, don't be afraid to start releasing dev logs, even small ones. So much of the community eats this stuff up because it's inspiring and we want to support you. Glimpses are always worth it. Really incredible stuff, Adam. Thank you always.
I found your channel when looking for pixel art tutorials and let me just say your content is amazing! I am on my own game dev journey (used to make little games in my teens, then life happened, and here I am a couple decades later finally working on a real game) and I realised I would need to learn some techniques if I was to get anywhere with my artwork. With the help of your channel and others I've been able to produce something that looks better than I thought I was capable of. Then I found this video, and it's just such an inspiration. I don't play many side-scrollers but I love the artwork and the story aspects. Insignia looks amazing and I really want to hear more about it and about your game dev journey with it. Awesome stuff.
Dude, just keep doing you. Your growths been impressive and journeys been inspiring. You got me into pixel art and I thank you for that. I never even figured I’d have as much fun with it as I do. I just wanted you to know a bit more of the impact you’ve made.
Well as one more person aspiring to become a Game Dev, i'm inspired by your story(thanks a lot for telling it to us!) and wishing the best for you and your journey. I'm also waiting to play your game when its been released!
It's Impressive really you commited yourself to the things you enjoy, and that allows you to give it your all, I'm glad to hear that you decided to confront things instead to only listen to the voice of critics sometimes that gets into your head (critics) and doesn't help unless you put the pieces assembled together in good spots to get the best ideas of it. Like cutting down a (big problem) in small parts to work around them each at a time and make progress. Congrats I will have a look on your game for you inspiring hard work.
I ran into your channel about a month ago. Having watched a lot of your videos I can say that you're an extremely thoughtful person and an incredible capable game dev. Seriously. I tried following other channels to learn more specific stuff, like small lines of code, but even at that your channel is better. I'm only saying this because I think whatever you make will be awesome, and I don't care waiting years for it. Do your thing. It will be ready when you think it's ready. (:
The beginning of this and talking about PAX reminds me of an anime arc. I just recently started following the channel and subbed on Twitch in the past week or two. I can't wait to buy the game when it comes out!
Hello Adam, i just found your channel when i was looking for pixel art tutorials and i have to say that Insignia is a really awesome project. I can imagine play this game on my pc, on a switch console, even play in my ps vita. I really hope you can release on every plataform possible cause you're a great developer and Insignia is for sure a great game. Congrats man.
I am extremely grateful for stumbling upon this video and your channel in general. I'm a second year game design student myself, and resonated greatly with your tale on a very emotional level. I'll be 30 this year, and game design is all I've ever wanted to do for as long as I could remember. After a rough year in 2019, I finally made the decision to further my education and learn the tools I would need to make my dream happen. Since then, I have been working hard to balance both school and a full time job, one that I had spent 6 years of my life at. Unfortunately I was recently let go due to company cuts. It's been hard to adjust, but everyday I try to remind myself that everything happens for a reason. Although money is still important, I finally feel free to wholeheartedly follow my dream. Thank you for sharing your story, and inspiring me even further to remain dedicated and diligent. I wish you the best in your career, and for the future of Insignia.
Thanks for sharing your story. I think it is a good thing to have an idea of all the work behind a full game as an indie developer. It's inspiring and frightening at the same time. Hope to see more of Insignia
I randomly found out about you earlier today on twitch. And after you gave a very insightful answer to my question on chat, I T1 subbed to support you even just a little bit. Based on how you answered my question, I can really see how passionate you are with what you do and you deserve our support. Keep it up man!
This is great Im at a similar place you were before you quit your job. This has really inspired me to keep going and pursue my game dev passion. Keep posting and would love to see some more dev vlogs the game looks fantastic!
I only found your channel recently. I have enjoyed all of your tutorials and I'm sure there is a lot left to do/improve in Insignia, but it looks wonderful and I can't wait to see and hear more of your progress.
I went down a similar kind of path in my game. I got made redundant as an artist in my advertising career and while I was just moping around a mate got me to join him in Global Game Jam in 2018. GGJ inspired to create my own game. I spent 6 months learning Gamemaker and made a demo prototype, did a few expos and won a few awards with my game demo. My mate who took me to GGJ now works with me as a coder (and rebuilt the entire game in a new engine) and over 2 years of further development, we finally got some funding through a arts grant program(in NZ). It's cool to see that documenting your journey on youtube / twitch has gone well for you. I personally still feel too self conscious to do so. Good luck with Insignia, It's looking great! I'm aiming to get my steam page up soon in time for the Steam festival (deadlines April 14th)
Thank you for sharing your story with us!. You are one of my inspirations in my game dev journey. I hope someday I'll create a game that is both memorable and fun!. I'll also wait for your game Insignia to be released and I will play it!.
I just discovered you today. Don’t worry man, you’ve got this! It’s gonna be great and you are aware of all the things that could negatively impact your goal. Can’t wait for the game! Also, looking forward to watching your channel. Subscribing now! Thank you!
This guy is doing exactly what I want to do, only he's got the skills XD. Two words.. Keep going, Just keep going. It looks great and I'm not generally a fan of pixel art, but I want to play your game. Accept positive criticism, they are gifts in the form of opportunity to grow. I and no doubt many others watching this want you to succeed, keep going!
thanks man was nice see this video. i'm in a similar position with a videogame i am creating in solo mode! and see you doing it its hope and loads of good data!
This is very inspiring! I'm also an aspiring game dev, I'm currently working on my first game while working full-time (I'm an architect). At first I wanted to make a game like yours (2D pixel RPG) but man, pixel art is not as easy as it looks! So I gave up on 2D and focused on 3D which I feel more comfortable with; it's been 2.5 years since I began learning, from programming to 3D modelling, Unity etc. and I'm more motivated than ever to keep on working every single day. Your game is looking fantastic, I'll definitely be following you from now on. Best of luck to you.
Hey Adam. I just wanted to say I love your work, and I've learned a lot from your videos and I've applied a couple of things to my solo-dev project. Though, I've still got a long way to go, but it's comforting seeing you progress so far and so close to home in Sydney. I look forward to seeing your progress on Insignia and other content.
Very inspiring! Working on my first game atm and as a solo developer as well with no coding background besides very basic HTML. Having fun but it's probably one of the most mentally taxing things I've ever tried.
I've only started learning programming and drawing. I decided to go with pixel art too. To my immense luck, this video was in the Recommended section. I'm really happy that you are able to be doing this and I can only hope to get to a fraction of the quality of your work. I wish you the best and will definitely buy the game when it comes out. Congrats!
Game looks pretty great from what I've seen. I hope you succeed. Not just for your own sake, but for the inspiration it will bring to others. Which could also have very positive effects on the industry as a whole. Keep at it.
Thank you for your video! I'm a father, husband, and in the US Military. My time is thin and have quite a bit to juggle, but your story and aspiration for Insignia has inspired me to push harder on a game that has been brewing in my heart and mind for some time. Keep on keeping on! I look forward to playing Insignia when its out. Much love from California! 🤟🤙
As someone who met you at one of those in-person events and got to play Insignia a year or two ago, you are a huge inspiration to me. I was just starting out as a game dev student, and getting to see your amazing work first hand was so cool and really showed me what hard work and determination can achieve. I can't wait to buy Insignia the moment it comes out!
~40 failed projects later I was pretty much ready to give up, but it's stories like this that give me hope. Maybe one day I'll find my Insignia. Best of luck with the game Adam, and thank you for all your content so far which has helped a lot of aspiring pixel artists, including myself.
Its lovely seeing the growth thanks for being vulnerable and sharing you story. Insignia looks great some of those improvements you showed were awesome, it would be see to see a bit of a bigger focus on those particulars. The combat looked much more alive in the latest footage (not that the originals were bad).
Yo, what a win man! Honesty hurts dude but It pushes you to work thew flaws out. I dont know jack shit about game dev but I have felt the same way about music. Attending raves and being salty about wanting to be on the stage playing, but going home and doing nothing. Then putting the work in to play a show and being happy that people are there, but there's always that one thing that shows its face. I hate doing live shows now because I am always worried that there's someone there that is going to say, "this isn't as good as *insert A class producer/DJ" but that all part of the territory. Sucks and I might never appease them but you better believe you get better at it! My pixel art has improved a ton because of your channel so thank you M8!
Genuine and honest and earned my sub. most people on youtube have obvious self awareness issues and its refreshing to see someone just speak honestly and from the heart. Looking forward to the final game!!
Damn you are like me. I preffer tough honesty than to be happy with praises that are not 100% useful. Its very self destructive and we cant change it, and in the internet there is alwaaaaays someone more talented than us.But remember that in most games they set up a team, with people who are specialist in what they do, and you did all by yourself. All games receive critics, but the feeling you get when playing is what really matters. Anyway, you are helping people achieve their dreams, tks for that, love from Brazil.
Saw this video and reminded me how my journey of being a game developer has being so far. I’m still yet to release something since all I have done are prototypes but seeing this reminded me that it wasn’t for nothing, thanks to this back and forward has teach me a lot through out this journey. Amazing video my dude you have a new subscriber here!!!
Really enjoyed this different style of video, very cool story and very inspiring! I love your work and truly believe that Insignia will be great, love that you share your history!
Also, as others asked, how did you live for 4 years without a full time job?
I may make a separate video about this, but for the most part it came down to having saved about $50k from working full time, as well as taking on contract jobs once or twice a year. They started as UX contracts and have shifted to more game related stuff. Very infrequent but they pay very well for the time. I spent about 6 weeks taking contract work last year. My burn rate is about $1k a month, and incidentals usually make up about $5k per year so my cost of living is about $17k/ year AUD. At this stage, content creation (TH-cam, Twitch, Patreon, Itch) almost has me covered for my cost of living. I work every day of the week, almost every week of the year. Content creation overlaps with almost everything I do.
I should mention, I currently live in an apartment with my fiancee. She covers most of the rent while I cover food and do most of the house work.
@@AdamCYounis Oh ok, thanks for the insight!
@@AdamCYounis Sounds like me, I get paid to go to school (GI bill) and I have a kid, so I can't really work on my game while my wife is away. I have to cram in everything I can on the weekends and at nights. Worst part is that because I get most of my creative energy in the morning, I usually don't feel like working on it at night.
You are very inspiring. Your pixel arts are really good. Hope u will be very successful soon. Stay strong!
@@AdamCYounis Having a supportive spouse who believes in you and your ideas is more valuable than any amount of financial security or success. Just remember that as you get eyebrow-deep in Insignia's development! :)
And thanks for sharing part of your story, I'm sure many people can relate to that sense of wasting your time on the wrong things but feeling your ideas suffocating in the back of your mind with no proper outlet.
absolutely love how aware and down to earth you are. first video I've seen by you but it won't be the last. really inspiring story! hope to make my own game one day, wishing you the best with your development and release!!
The world is small
What a surreal moment to see you here. :heart:
Are you gonna make a surreal game?
B A Z I N G A
Hot damn it’s been 3 years since I’ve seen this channel
I agree with all of the comments, not to mention you make great tutorials, when me and my friend tried making games, in pixel art you were the one we liked to watch the most. KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK
Extremely Inspiring, looking forward to everything you'd do
Your character climbing the spiral staircase looked so incredible. The rest of what you showed looked great too, but the spiral staircase was gorgeous! Keep it up. You can do this.
That was a wow moment for me too. I love little things like that where the game delivers a little visual gem. Must be pretty satisfying as the dev to see players faces light up when they see it too :)
Love watching these kind of videos. I started my newest project when I was serving in the middle east as a peace keeper. Had a bit of spare time and a laptop in the evenings so I decided to learn a new skill. One thing led to another and now I'm thousands of lines of code deep into my recent project xD. I don't think I'm ever going to quit my day job to pursue game dev career. It does take a lot of my free time to code, but I've been making huge progress for the past 6 months.
Hey man, I found your channel a couple of days ago.
The way you explain and teach your process is second to none. I'm 100% certain that no matter what you will achieve great things. Keep it up!
Thanks for this video, it's really nice to hear about people bringing their passion projects to life and the struggles they have.
I'm working on an indie game and I know it's a large project that will probably take another 4 years to complete but it's special to me. It's a non-pixel art game that's story rather than gameplay driven, my strengths being story writing and art. I'm confident I will one day complete it, not so confident anyone will ever like it, I hope to get it to the stage soon where I can get some feedback on the look and feel of the game. Watching other people do the same for their projects is inspiring.
It's strange, I don't want to become a game developer (as a job), I just want to learn how to make an indie game and do it in my own time, using my own money etc., I wouldn't even care if nobody ever played it, I'd just like to have made my own video game, with all my own ideas, designs and creativity during my life.
Get to it!
Well... You say in your own time, own money etc...
I feel like in essence that makes you a passionate game dev.
Yeah! Get to it! I feel the same way.
same. sometimes I just want to find some sugarmommy and become a NEET gamedev.
@@makkusu3866 now that's the american dream
The game really does look amazing!Thank you for sharing! Keep following your passion! Keep sharing and use the community your building. Use them for input and only listen to negativity if your using it as constructive criticism! Have faith in yourself. Your not trying to be a game dev. YOU ARE ONE! God bless you!
Thanks for sharing your story. Very neat to see your path. The game looks great. Going to go check out the demo now!
I love it!!! And I am so proud of you!!!! Thanks for sharing.... :-)
Thanks for sharing - especially that bit at 6:00 resonated with me.
I became really interested in pixel art game design and found you. I've been following for a while and I just want to say your story and world building are a huge inspiration! I can't wait til the game comes out!
Wow this was really cool to learn more about your journey! You are unbelievably talented, im so happy that the internet has enabled creators like you to work on passion projects full time without compromise! I discovered you through your pixel art and aesprite tutorials. I loved making games but always sucked at art which was hugely limiting for my game making ambitions. I would borrow pixel art assets online for my personal games but obviously there's a limit to how many things you can mix and match and obviously you can never formally publish those games because of borrowed assets. Your tutorials are amazing can't wait to start implementing them into a game this summer!
I downloaded the itch.io version of Insignia because i wanted to observe all the mechanics, i'm trying to create a similar type of game, even tho the artstyle and setting is very different and my Pixelart is a bit more simplistic - but all my machanics like wallhopping, parcour, combat and hitfeedback didnt feel that great. Playing your title was a pure joy, and it helped me so much improving many of those little aspects in my own projects. You're truly an inspiring and very creative Developer, thanks for all your hard work, and thanks for sharing your story with us!
Bless you man, you look young and you radiate motivation...do keep in mind that in the long run, none of this will matter unless you have something to show for it. Enjoy the ride but don't let that come at the price of the goal.
A very inspiring story. Looking forward to seeing and playing Insignia once its completed. I have started my own indie dev journey
I don't know why this got recommended, but goddamn I'm glad. I believe in you and your project!
This is actually something I really wanted to know. How it all began for you and how you can work on your game full time. Thanks for sharing your story!
I'm going to dissect ALL of this. Thank you much.
Very nice to know about your story.
All the best for you and Insignia!
Hey Adam, thanks so much for opening up in this video. I really appreciated your story and how you talked about failure. Sometimes, its hard to look failure in the face and continue to work hard instead of giving up. Massive respect. Really appreciate it, you inspire me.
It's great to hear your story and I'm glad you've managed to make a game you want. Good luck releasing it!
Very satisfied with the length and depth of scope the project has undergone. I'm an artist, amateur coder, and enthusiast of games. I've often thought of this massive game with advanced mechanics that I wanted to implement but do not yet posses the skills.
I would absolutely love to see the what your current mechanics are/ give advice to what potential could be added.
I really hope you make daily or weekly content to the point where we can actively engage you to help with the product as an ip.
I enjoyed your video. It makes me very comfortable to continue my own gamedev story. Because I totaly understand you. I am nearly in the same situation like you right now as you were in 2016.
About your game, the Tower-Run-Up sequenc looks lit! And your main character remainds me about Kote of The Kingkiller Chronicle.
Your story is very inspiring. In a way i am in the same position you were in 2016 but with the additional of having wife and a kid. Last week i started to teach game development to my son and all my old ideas started to grow again. I found your channel because i was drawing a pixel art character for a game jam and this video today made me realize i need to focus on my main project. thanks for sharing this.
This is the way
Very excited to see your progress! Keep up the great work!
I'll buy your game even if I don't like it. Your youtube video's are great and I really hope your game is a great success. And gives you enough to continue without burning out!
Some of the pixel art in the game looks incredible! (Like the spiral staircase or the hammer at the forge)
I’ve discovered your project by randomly watching your first video about building the Shoe Inn. I watched the second one right after, and eventually I watched this video. I love indie games and pixel art. Your work looks fantastic! I hope it all goes well for you!
Very nice, looking foward to play the finish game. And thx for the tutorials.
Wanted to let you know that I really appreciate you, your channel, and your honesty about your process. You're doing amazing work. I'd love to see more examples and tutorials based on your Insignia project, definitely follow your gut. My personal struggle has always been coding, it hangs me up all the time. I get inundated with ideas for stories and images, write, make drawings and art, then get frustrated by the coding. I put everything down, and after a time I start the process over again with the next new shiny idea. It's reassuring to see so many devs go through their process, and even though each is unique many of them talk about imposter syndrome. It's nice to know I'm not the only one out there that struggles through this. Anyway, thank you for sharing your content.
Very inspiring story Adam, I came across your Aseprite tutorials since I finally came in terms of bringing the many ideas and scenes that I've had in my mind for years now, to life, slowly of course; and after getting to know your story, it sure gave me motivation! Thanks!
Generally, one of the most common mistakes of beginning developers is trying to make the game of their dreams while they are still learning, and dedicating months or even years of development without a defined time limit or goal.
But, I think it is different if you have a community that grows with you along with the game. The community will not only be potential players, but will also keep you motivated and force you to finish the game, even when there are times you want to quit.
So, stay motivated, set deadlines, set goals, and keep up the good work!
Hi Adam, I really enjoy you videos and channel. Just don't forget to have a clear scope for when the game is ready. it's something you should decide beforehand and you should not wait until it feels 100% done. There can always be another update to the game. By the way, I found your channel when I was failing my pixelart course on udemy and your pixel art class video series saved me. Maybe you can consider publishing your classes there. I can only imagine how hard is to work full time on your own project, maybe this way some extra money would come your way.
looks really nice, please keep up your motivation...looking forward to playing it
I've found your channel recently as I've decided to dive back into game development and go the pixel art route. Your channel has been a god send, thankyou for sharing your knowledge and passing it on ^^ It's also inspring to see other game developers really go for it, and your game has clearly shown much improvement over the years!
this story is awesome! you are definetly the person I leanred dthe most about!
this was such a great video! Your dedication to a singular idea is very inspiring. I just started gamedev on the side around 6 months ago. I'm not sure how far I'll go with it - I have a family with two great young kids, so I can't really prioritize like I could have earlier in my life. But I really appreciate your channel!
REALLY enjoying your content. I'm a new Twitch streamer and recently have decided to take on learning game art, design and development. Your content has been super helpful and your story really inspiring.
I love your tutorials. I recommend you to every artist looking to learn. Take your time with everything you need to do. Insignia is looking phenomenal. I'd love to see an updated demo. But please, don't be afraid to start releasing dev logs, even small ones. So much of the community eats this stuff up because it's inspiring and we want to support you. Glimpses are always worth it.
Really incredible stuff, Adam. Thank you always.
Now things are getting way more excited!!! Can't wait for the next videos and the published game 😀
I found your channel when looking for pixel art tutorials and let me just say your content is amazing! I am on my own game dev journey (used to make little games in my teens, then life happened, and here I am a couple decades later finally working on a real game) and I realised I would need to learn some techniques if I was to get anywhere with my artwork. With the help of your channel and others I've been able to produce something that looks better than I thought I was capable of. Then I found this video, and it's just such an inspiration. I don't play many side-scrollers but I love the artwork and the story aspects. Insignia looks amazing and I really want to hear more about it and about your game dev journey with it. Awesome stuff.
I love all your content and will fully support your game when it releases. Keep it up man
Awesome video man! Very inspiring. I Enjoy catching your twitch streams whenever I can and seeing the progress on Insignia!
Dude, just keep doing you. Your growths been impressive and journeys been inspiring. You got me into pixel art and I thank you for that. I never even figured I’d have as much fun with it as I do. I just wanted you to know a bit more of the impact you’ve made.
Thanks for the inspiration Adam. Just got into game development and watching this was very interesting.
This is the first video of this kind, that influenced me in good way. Your story feels naturally inspiring. Thank you for that! :)
Well as one more person aspiring to become a Game Dev, i'm inspired by your story(thanks a lot for telling it to us!) and wishing the best for you and your journey. I'm also waiting to play your game when its been released!
It's Impressive really you commited yourself to the things you enjoy, and that allows you to give it your all, I'm glad to hear that you decided to confront things instead to only listen to the voice of critics sometimes that gets into your head (critics) and doesn't help unless you put the pieces assembled together in good spots to get the best ideas of it. Like cutting down a (big problem) in small parts to work around them each at a time and make progress.
Congrats I will have a look on your game for you inspiring hard work.
Thanks for sharing this part of your journey. It's inspiring.
I ran into your channel about a month ago. Having watched a lot of your videos I can say that you're an extremely thoughtful person and an incredible capable game dev. Seriously. I tried following other channels to learn more specific stuff, like small lines of code, but even at that your channel is better.
I'm only saying this because I think whatever you make will be awesome, and I don't care waiting years for it. Do your thing. It will be ready when you think it's ready. (:
The beginning of this and talking about PAX reminds me of an anime arc. I just recently started following the channel and subbed on Twitch in the past week or two. I can't wait to buy the game when it comes out!
Commenting for yee old algorithm, but also to say I was hoping you would make a video like this, really awesome to hear your story!
Hello Adam, i just found your channel when i was looking for pixel art tutorials and i have to say that Insignia is a really awesome project. I can imagine play this game on my pc, on a switch console, even play in my ps vita. I really hope you can release on every plataform possible cause you're a great developer and Insignia is for sure a great game. Congrats man.
I am extremely grateful for stumbling upon this video and your channel in general. I'm a second year game design student myself, and resonated greatly with your tale on a very emotional level. I'll be 30 this year, and game design is all I've ever wanted to do for as long as I could remember. After a rough year in 2019, I finally made the decision to further my education and learn the tools I would need to make my dream happen. Since then, I have been working hard to balance both school and a full time job, one that I had spent 6 years of my life at. Unfortunately I was recently let go due to company cuts. It's been hard to adjust, but everyday I try to remind myself that everything happens for a reason. Although money is still important, I finally feel free to wholeheartedly follow my dream. Thank you for sharing your story, and inspiring me even further to remain dedicated and diligent. I wish you the best in your career, and for the future of Insignia.
Looking forward for more devlogs! I love your story and hope it all goes well for you!
it looks lovely dude well done, hats off to ya, inspirational
Only started watching you recently and you're already my favourite game's developer. And your advice is priceless! Viva la Insignia!
Wholeheartedly wish you good luck!
"it's a love letter to the games i grew up playing"
felt this line in my heart
Nintendo :. 🔫🔫 Lawsuits
Really Inspiring, thanks for sharing your story !
Great story Adam. Can't wait to see where you take your channel 🙂
Thanks for sharing your story. I think it is a good thing to have an idea of all the work behind a full game as an indie developer. It's inspiring and frightening at the same time. Hope to see more of Insignia
Those updated attack animations in that short clip are absolutely gorgeous!
Congratulations for the whole thing you ve been through. Nice story! I wish you success! The game looks amazing!
I randomly found out about you earlier today on twitch. And after you gave a very insightful answer to my question on chat, I T1 subbed to support you even just a little bit. Based on how you answered my question, I can really see how passionate you are with what you do and you deserve our support. Keep it up man!
This is great Im at a similar place you were before you quit your job. This has really inspired me to keep going and pursue my game dev passion. Keep posting and would love to see some more dev vlogs the game looks fantastic!
I only found your channel recently. I have enjoyed all of your tutorials and I'm sure there is a lot left to do/improve in Insignia, but it looks wonderful and I can't wait to see and hear more of your progress.
I went down a similar kind of path in my game.
I got made redundant as an artist in my advertising career and while I was just moping around a mate got me to join him in Global Game Jam in 2018. GGJ inspired to create my own game. I spent 6 months learning Gamemaker and made a demo prototype, did a few expos and won a few awards with my game demo. My mate who took me to GGJ now works with me as a coder (and rebuilt the entire game in a new engine) and over 2 years of further development, we finally got some funding through a arts grant program(in NZ). It's cool to see that documenting your journey on youtube / twitch has gone well for you. I personally still feel too self conscious to do so.
Good luck with Insignia, It's looking great! I'm aiming to get my steam page up soon in time for the Steam festival (deadlines April 14th)
Thank you for sharing your story with us!. You are one of my inspirations in my game dev journey. I hope someday I'll create a game that is both memorable and fun!. I'll also wait for your game Insignia to be released and I will play it!.
Good luck man! Thanks for sharing
You're awesome, you've inspired me to continue with a game I've been struggling with for ages, thanks man, I appreciate it : )
You have no idea how close this hits to home. Thank you so much for sharing
I just discovered you today. Don’t worry man, you’ve got this! It’s gonna be great and you are aware of all the things that could negatively impact your goal. Can’t wait for the game! Also, looking forward to watching your channel. Subscribing now! Thank you!
This guy is doing exactly what I want to do, only he's got the skills XD.
Two words.. Keep going, Just keep going. It looks great and I'm not generally a fan of pixel art, but I want to play your game.
Accept positive criticism, they are gifts in the form of opportunity to grow.
I and no doubt many others watching this want you to succeed, keep going!
Great job. Love to see how much you improved in recent years
Awesome! :) Very inspiring! Keep at it, and I hope you find your next "project of a lifetime" when you finish this one successfully!!! Subbed.
Dude, I admire you. Thank you for the honesty and inspiration.
The game is looking awesome!! The style, the graphics and the feel look super clean! Amazing job!
thanks man was nice see this video. i'm in a similar position with a videogame i am creating in solo mode! and see you doing it its hope and loads of good data!
This is very inspiring! I'm also an aspiring game dev, I'm currently working on my first game while working full-time (I'm an architect). At first I wanted to make a game like yours (2D pixel RPG) but man, pixel art is not as easy as it looks! So I gave up on 2D and focused on 3D which I feel more comfortable with; it's been 2.5 years since I began learning, from programming to 3D modelling, Unity etc. and I'm more motivated than ever to keep on working every single day.
Your game is looking fantastic, I'll definitely be following you from now on. Best of luck to you.
Hey Adam. I just wanted to say I love your work, and I've learned a lot from your videos and I've applied a couple of things to my solo-dev project. Though, I've still got a long way to go, but it's comforting seeing you progress so far and so close to home in Sydney. I look forward to seeing your progress on Insignia and other content.
I came across your channel while trying to learn pixel art, and your story surely inspired me, thanks! Can't wait to see your full game!
Very inspiring! Working on my first game atm and as a solo developer as well with no coding background besides very basic HTML. Having fun but it's probably one of the most mentally taxing things I've ever tried.
I've only started learning programming and drawing. I decided to go with pixel art too. To my immense luck, this video was in the Recommended section. I'm really happy that you are able to be doing this and I can only hope to get to a fraction of the quality of your work. I wish you the best and will definitely buy the game when it comes out.
Congrats!
such wholesome video, go for it man! plenty of people to support you here
Game looks pretty great from what I've seen. I hope you succeed. Not just for your own sake, but for the inspiration it will bring to others. Which could also have very positive effects on the industry as a whole. Keep at it.
Thank you for your video! I'm a father, husband, and in the US Military. My time is thin and have quite a bit to juggle, but your story and aspiration for Insignia has inspired me to push harder on a game that has been brewing in my heart and mind for some time.
Keep on keeping on! I look forward to playing Insignia when its out. Much love from California! 🤟🤙
As someone who met you at one of those in-person events and got to play Insignia a year or two ago, you are a huge inspiration to me. I was just starting out as a game dev student, and getting to see your amazing work first hand was so cool and really showed me what hard work and determination can achieve. I can't wait to buy Insignia the moment it comes out!
~40 failed projects later I was pretty much ready to give up, but it's stories like this that give me hope. Maybe one day I'll find my Insignia. Best of luck with the game Adam, and thank you for all your content so far which has helped a lot of aspiring pixel artists, including myself.
Its lovely seeing the growth thanks for being vulnerable and sharing you story. Insignia looks great some of those improvements you showed were awesome, it would be see to see a bit of a bigger focus on those particulars. The combat looked much more alive in the latest footage (not that the originals were bad).
Yo, what a win man! Honesty hurts dude but It pushes you to work thew flaws out. I dont know jack shit about game dev but I have felt the same way about music. Attending raves and being salty about wanting to be on the stage playing, but going home and doing nothing. Then putting the work in to play a show and being happy that people are there, but there's always that one thing that shows its face. I hate doing live shows now because I am always worried that there's someone there that is going to say, "this isn't as good as *insert A class producer/DJ" but that all part of the territory. Sucks and I might never appease them but you better believe you get better at it! My pixel art has improved a ton because of your channel so thank you M8!
Genuine and honest and earned my sub. most people on youtube have obvious self awareness issues and its refreshing to see someone just speak honestly and from the heart. Looking forward to the final game!!
Damn you are like me. I preffer tough honesty than to be happy with praises that are not 100% useful. Its very self destructive and we cant change it, and in the internet there is alwaaaaays someone more talented than us.But remember that in most games they set up a team, with people who are specialist in what they do, and you did all by yourself. All games receive critics, but the feeling you get when playing is what really matters. Anyway, you are helping people achieve their dreams, tks for that, love from Brazil.
Very open hearthed story. Thumbs up! Never give up 💪
Seeing the journey you took throughout is really inspiring for someone who is starting out
cheers for sharing man, looks like things are going well for you!
Saw this video and reminded me how my journey of being a game developer has being so far. I’m still yet to release something since all I have done are prototypes but seeing this reminded me that it wasn’t for nothing, thanks to this back and forward has teach me a lot through out this journey. Amazing video my dude you have a new subscriber here!!!