Before I discuss something about me being an indie game developer, let's talk about the meaning of it.

## What is an indie game developer?

An indie game developer is a person or group of people who develop games independently on a very tight budget using their heart and soul.

Pretty definition, isn't it?

But it's actually true.

You know, when you are an indie game developer, you only have a few resources at your disposal, but you have to give them all to meet the players expectations as well as your own, obviously.

## So, how did I became an indie game developer?

It started when I was working as a Software Engineer for a certain company. That company is not related to the gaming industry or anything. It's a company that works on automotive products and services.

I was very happy that I got the job at that company because It's been my dream to finally be able to work there.

Anyway, days go by, and my enthusiasm has fairly declined. I began to despise working in a close environment like an office.

I wanted to work, but not in a stationary environment. I wanted to do my job but, at the same time, go to places wherever I wanted to go.

That's when I accidentally watched a YouTube video about an indie game developer who loves what he does and earns a good amount of money.

I thought to myself, "That is what I really want to do!".

After days of thinking about it, I finally took a leap of faith and left a good-paying job to pursue indie game development.

## The road to indie game development.

At that time, I really had no idea how to become an indie game developer.

There are a ton of tutorials online on how to build a game, but there is no standard way to become one.

For instance, there are many game engines to choose from, like Unreal Engine, Unity, Godot, RPG Maker, PyGame, libGDX, and a lot more!

How the hell would you know which is the best among all of this so you can start building a game?

Well, for me, I chose one and started building a game using it.

## My first game

At that time, I didn't have a computer. I was broke. I only have a mobile phone. But that didn't stop me from learning how to build a game.

First, I started learning the Java programming language. I was able to easily learn the language because I already knew the C and C++ programming languages from my previous work.

I built a game using libGDX on my phone and posted about it on a Reddit forum for indie game developers.

![A screenshot of my post on a forum about my game built using a phone](https://pub-9c57eec207bf46e8acf2f916d8ea29e7.r2.dev/solodevhub/i-am-an-indie-game-developer/game-using-phone.webp) 

Spoiler alert! It's not great or mind-blowing compared to games published today, but I was very happy with the outcome of my first game. 😁

## I found Brackeys Youtube Channel

I don't recommend building a game using just your phone. You need a decent computer to build a decent game.

That is why, using the earnings I had from my previous job, I bought a second-hand laptop from an online store to quench my hunger to build games.

That is when I found a great YouTube channel called Brackeys that teaches game development using the Unity game engine.

[![Brackeys Youtube Channel](https://markdown-videos-api.jorgenkh.no/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dj48LtUkZRjU)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j48LtUkZRjU)

His approach to learning game development was so good that I was able to comprehend even the complex stuff.

I was able to deploy a game on the Google Play Store thanks to him.

## I began building my own game

When I felt that I had enough learning tutorials, I began to build my own game using Unity.

I wanted to build a game that reflected who I am. I carefully planned and designed what I was going to build before implementing it.

My ultimate goal was to publish it on Steam.

I am not good at drawing but I love to code. Therefore, I used some free assets available online to make up for it. I gathered assets from [itch.io](https://itch.io/) and the [Unity Asset Store](https://assetstore.unity.com/). 

It took me almost nine months to finally complete the game and publish it on Steam. I thought I could build it in four months, but I was totally mistaken.

![My own game published on Steam](https://pub-9c57eec207bf46e8acf2f916d8ea29e7.r2.dev/solodevhub/mygame/labot_steam.webp)

To be honest, It's not good compared to AAA games released today, and there are some bugs to fix. But I was very happy and content, and I learned a ton building that game; therefore, it was totally worth it.

Thus began my journey as an indie game developer.

## The road ahead

Publishing the game on Steam was just the beginning.

The road to indie game development is definitely very hard, but it's totally worth it as long as I enjoy doing it.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed and learned something from my story. Cheers!