The Indie Dev Journey: Creating Your First Game at 35 with GameMaker
Many dream of creating their own game, but only a few ever see a release. This article is a detailed account of Vladimir's journey, who, at 35, without formal education or prior experience, released his first game on Steam. He shares his insights, from his first steps in Python programming, choosing the GameMaker engine, overcoming challenges and failed prototypes, all the way to developing a full-fledged project. This is a story of persistence, learning from mistakes, and the importance of seeing things through, designed for those seeking inspiration and practical lessons in game development.
From Gamer to Developer: First Steps and Dreams
The dream of creating one's own game often begins in childhood, fueled by hours spent on consoles and PCs. For many, it remains just a dream, but for Vladimir, whose story starts with the Dendy in the 90s and PlayStation 1 in the early 2000s, this desire became a guiding star. Back when games were just beginning to move beyond a niche hobby, he already envisioned himself as a world-builder, where "elves, villains, and grand adventures" would come to digital life. However, the realities of rural life without a PC and subsequent university studies pushed these ambitions to the background. Even the arrival of a personal computer in 2014 initially led to a two-year gaming marathon, catching up on missed new releases, before the old dream resurfaced.
His first attempts to enter game development proved discouraging. In 2016, faced with the need to learn programming for Unity, Vladimir quickly pivoted to RPG Maker, which also failed to meet expectations due to its limitations for implementing his envisioned mechanics. This period served as a crucial lesson: without fundamental programming knowledge and a clear understanding of the tools, even strong desire alone wouldn't lead to results. Recognizing this gap became the catalyst for a more systematic approach to learning.
A Deliberate Choice: Python and GameMaker
By 2024, after several unsuccessful attempts, it became clear that targeted learning was essential to achieve his goal. He opted for Python courses, which, despite subsequent issues with the organizers, provided Vladimir with foundational programming knowledge. This experience underscored the importance of a structured approach to mastering new skills, even if the path proved thorny. During this period, he experimented with various game libraries and engines, such as PyGame and RenPy, but he was looking for something more scalable and flexible.
The search for a suitable game engine was driven by both ambition and technical constraints. A modest laptop ruled out Unreal Engine, and Unity and Godot also didn't run stably enough. Ultimately, the choice narrowed down to GameMaker and Construct. GameMaker was preferred due to its more traditional programming approach (unlike Construct's visual scripting) and its GML (GameMaker Language), which proved quite forgiving for a beginner with a Python background. GML, similar to JavaScript, offered flexibility and allowed him to focus on game logic without getting bogged down by overly strict syntax.
Learning GameMaker began with analyzing existing projects and attempting modifications. This stage was fraught with constant difficulties and the urge to quit, but it was here that the foundations for understanding the engine's architecture and game loop principles were laid. A key takeaway was the realization that the game development learning process wouldn't be easy, but enthusiasm and discipline could overcome the most challenging barriers.
Prototyping Lessons: From Shooter to Tycoon
His first projects in GameMaker became a testing ground for refining basic mechanics and understanding the engine's capabilities. Vladimir approached them as a series of experiments, each providing valuable lessons:
- Galaxy Invaders by Me (shooter): This project, based on pre-installed assets, allowed him to master the basics of player and object movement, enemy spawning, and UI implementation (menus, scores, health). The main conclusion: even the simplest mechanics require careful execution, and the apparent ease of creating a "shmup" is deceptive. This laid the groundwork for basic skills in working with
stepanddrawevents, as well as understanding the coordinate system. - Need For Speed 2025 (runner): His second attempt, this time with self-sourced graphics, focused on adding new gameplay elements like time slowdown and power-up collection. The primary lesson: the complexity of debugging and mechanic interaction. Bugs, such as spawn disruptions during time slowdown, highlighted the importance of a systematic approach to designing and testing game systems. This project also demonstrated that not all ideas are easily implemented, and sometimes they need to be shelved until more experience is gained.
- Tycoon Clicker (economic strategy): After action games, Vladimir tried his hand at a genre requiring more logic and mathematics. However, this project revealed one of the key mistakes of novice developers: excessive focus on visuals in the early stages, before the core gameplay is fleshed out. The project was abandoned, but it made him realize that even "simple" genres hide many logical connections and pitfalls, and it also confirmed that working on an uninteresting project quickly leads to burnout.
Creating "The One" Game: Focus on Completion
The prototyping experience led to a conscious decision: the next project had to be completed and released on Steam. The goal wasn't commercial success, but rather to complete the development cycle, gain real experience, and find satisfaction in a realized dream. Vladimir abandoned the idea of blindly following market trends, instead choosing a genre he personally enjoyed – a 2D top-down action-RPG, inspired by mobile games from the mid-2000s.
The title "Koschei the Immortal" served as the starting point for the concept. Despite using free assets and facing constant difficulties, working on this project brought him joy. Crucially, the author genuinely enjoyed playing his unfinished game, which sustained his motivation. Mechanics were gradually added: movement, basic attacks, a health system, and then more complex elements like quests (though the initial quest system was later simplified). This development stage demonstrates that for an indie developer, the key isn't the perfection of every element, but the ability to bring a project to a playable state and, ultimately, to release.
Key Takeaways:
- Start with the Fundamentals: Fundamental programming knowledge is critically important for any serious game development project, even if it seems you can do without it.
- Choose Your Engine Wisely: Evaluate your technical capabilities and goals. The most popular engine isn't always the best choice for an indie developer with limited resources.
- Value of Prototyping: Unsuccessful projects aren't failures; they are valuable lessons. Each prototype helps you master new mechanics, tools, and avoid future mistakes.
- Focus on Completion: For an indie developer, it's more important to bring a project to a playable state and release it than to chase an ideal that will never be achieved.
- Personal Interest: Create games in genres you genuinely enjoy. This significantly boosts motivation and helps overcome challenges.
— Editorial Team
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