My game commitment crisis 😓

[takratzer]

This is an issue of mine that has haunted me since I started making games.

Making games has always been a passion of mine. I love coming up with ideas for games, and bringing that idea to life. If I come up with an idea I REALLY like, Than I’d start making a game based around that idea.

Unfortunately, I have a VERY hard time staying committed to developing that game.

I always have new ideas popping in my head for different games, ones that I like more than the one I’m making a game around. All the sudden, I want to make a game based around that idea instead, and I get all excited. Because of this, I tend to lose a lot of motivation for the game I’m working on.

I’ve been having headaches due to a conflict in my mind, fighting over sticking to the current game, and starting a new one. It feels like I’m climbing a mountain with arms trying to grab me from every angle.

I’ve tried documenting my ideas thinking I could come back to them later, but my impulses kick in, and I feel like I must make the game NOW.

What am I gonna do? I love making games, but mind can’t decide what to stick to.

[schumpeter]

I relate to this very much. I start working on a project, and the “first steps” - the first “materialization” of your idea, maybe some sprites, movements and tilesets - are just the best, specially when you are trying new features etc. But then a new idea or feature that would be more fit into a new game pops in my head and I begin working on another project simultaneously to try that out, which is never a good idea, I think. I’m afraid there’s no “exact answer” or advice for that… I’ve read somewhere that the final strech of a game development (10-20%; polishing and finishing all the stuff) is the hardest part, and consumes the most time of a game development process. That’s true, in my opinion. As you said, staying committed is crucial, but very hard indeed - specially if you’re a solo dev and have low/no budget (not sure if this is your case). I’m currently working on three projects and I’m basically stuck in all of them because of this. I think the best thing is to stick to one idea of a time and put all your effort into it…but unfortunately I can’t do this either

[MrMen]

It’s what referred to as shiny object syndrome. And that link is to the Gamedev Underground video, where he explains it and offers some ideas on how to avoid or deal with it.

Another way is to use an agile board (also referred to as scrum board or a kanban board). Simply put, you get a game feature, and break it down into really small steps or tasks that would take a few hours to a day to complete. You put each step onto a sticky note (or virtual one) and work on them one at a time. until the whole lot are done.

For example, say you want a main menu. You could break that down into background, music, play button, exit button, settings button. And break those tasks down even more. So for music into start music on scene start, and silence music upon play button pressed.

GDevelop uses Trello for to keep track of ideas for upcoming and current work among other things.

[RbetterKids]

It’s normal and great that you keep getting ideas. I experienced the same when I was in film school and the best advice I got from one of my screenwriting teachers, Brad Saunders, was to write those ideas down and save them.

Some ideas, I’d end up writing an entire story.

Now, over a decade later, I have at least a dozen stories drafted down that I will eventually turn into games and movies.

However, if you look at successful people in general, they all finished something they started. Else, you’ll keep hoping around and may not finish a game.

I may be wrong; however, I think before developing your game in GDevelop, you need to plan out how your game is from start to finish, how many levels, characters, etc. Then dive into making the game.

If your game has X amount of levels, then what will each level look like? Also, can you apply SixSigma on your game? Meaning can you create your game efficiently that you save lots of time in development?

For example, a game I’m developing for our kids has 26 levels that all look different, but all function the same. So I was relieved that I could duplicate a level, make some visual tweaks, and name it as another new level.

The excellent GDevelp community like @Gruk create methods for you that make things easier for you, which is a huge difference and asset.

Best of luck and I wish your game becomes successful.

[arthuro555]

So relatable, i have the same issue with GDevelop contributions.

[ddabrahim]

@takratzer

What am I gonna do? I love making games, but mind can’t decide what to stick to.

@arthuro555

So relatable, i have the same issue with GDevelop contributions.

It is because you have no passion about what you doing. You maybe having fun, find game dev interesting, hoping it is going to be useful to others, to your self but you are not passionate about it.

MrMen and RbetterKids did give you great advice how to force your self to stay focused, motivated and finish it piece by piece, 1 step at the time but without passion it won’t bring you happiness. Deep inside you know this, you are in doubt and this is why you are jumping project to project and never finish anything because it does not make you happy.

My advice is to give your self time and find your passion, don’t force it just to make money, or just to show friends hey I am making games, especially not to help others because other people don’t give a dam about you and your project.

If you force it without passion, you only risk to burn out and when that happens it is HELL because even if you find passion later, you know what is it that you want and you are focused, you know you want it, but you are going to lack motivation and energy. You hope you may be able to recharge by taking a few days break but it won’t help. Days becomes weeks which becomes months and years and you still want it, but you don’t have the energy and motivation. Especially if you are a solo dev and there is nobody around you to motivate you, to cheer you up it is going to be very difficult to recover from burn out.

Ba careful, do not burn out, you may never be able to recover from that.

[takratzer]

Thank you so much. You’ve helped me wake up. I’ll take that advice to heart.

[arthuro555]

@ddabrahim

you are not passionate about it.

I’m pretty sure i am though, i spend almost every day reading up documentations for libraries and algorithms, thinking about if and how it could be added to GDevelop, reading the forums trying to help people that use GDevelop, doing GDevelop related side projects… While i do have trouble getting myself to start working, i really do enjoy it really much once I enter “hyperfocus”/“the flow” I really really enjoy programming multiple times more than anything else on earth. Maybe I am in denial and delusional, but if that is not passion for GDevelop and programming i honestly don’t know what is.

@ddabrahim

don’t force it just to make money, or just to show friends hey I am making games

I’m not in just for the “fame” or money, hence i didn’t really even talk about what I do with GDevelop to people around me, nor did i paywall anything i have made. I really do enjoy contributing to GDevelop and GDevelop itself.

[ddabrahim]

@arthuro555

I’m pretty sure i am though, i spend almost every day reading up documentations for libraries and algorithms, thinking about if and how it could be added to GDevelop

You are passionate about programming, GDevelop and game development in general, but not about the actual project you are working on. At least this is my experience, but I don’t want to tell you how you feel. You need to look deep inside yourself.

@arthuro555

I’m not in just for the “fame” or money, hence i didn’t really even talk about what I do

I did not say you are, but to not force it because of that.

[BWPanda]

@takratzer I just had this happen myself - I’m in the middle of making a game (which I started in 2019, then left dormant for a few years, now am trying to finish it), but I just had an idea for a new game which I’m excited about. For me personally though, I know if I don’t finish my current game now, I likely never will. So I’ve noted down my ideas for the new game and will hopefully get to it one day.

For you though, if this is a constant thing that happens, perhaps you shouldn’t force yourself to finish what you’re working on now. Nor should you guilt yourself for that. As others above said, find your passion - do what you love. If you get the most joy and purpose from trying out new ideas, do that!

If you think it’s likely you’ll get back to your older games one day, then just keep them around for that time. If not, consider open-sourcing them and letting someone else (or the community) take it on to finish the game for you. Then not only will you have gained enjoyment from the initial idea and testing phase, but others can then enjoy it ongoing as well.