[mmccomb]

I'm not actively developing any more, but I've actually just released my first indie game so I speak from experience.

- What is the concept of your game? It's an asteroids clone with a bit of a twist. The asteroids can be one of a number of colors and the player has to switch bullet colors to match their target asteroid. Hit an asteroid with the wrong color bullet and it spawns more.

- How far are you in development? Complete - you can check out some pics and download (it's free) from the official site... http://www.mattmccomb.com/Coloroids/index.html

As for the trials and tribulations...

+ Use frameworks - I handcrafted my engine from scratch. My maths/geometry isn't bad but implementing the physics and rendering took me much longer than any other aspect of the development. And for what gain? I learnt a bit about maths/physics but it's not useful to me. I would have been better off using a library (cocs2d, unity, etc.) and pouring my time into gameplay.

+ Finishing is the hardest part - Adding features and tweaking control systems, that's fun! Coding menus, creating icons and writing app descriptions, not so much. I left all the dull stuff to end. I spent my last week of development writing emails to app review sites and creating promo images/videos. I suggest that you plan ahead and do some of the dog work as you go. It'll make completing much easier.

+ Feedback is Critical - find a diverse range of testers, old, young, gamers, non-gamers and let them play your game from day 1. They are the most vital source of feedback you will find. NEVER rely on your own judgement - you're your own worst critic.

+ Enjoy the process - build a game you enjoy playing and believe in.

[JonLim]

Thanks for the awesome post!

A few questions:

- Were you not aware of Cocos2d / Unity when you started? Or did you think you could do it better?

- What sort of feedback did you get and how did you go about getting it?

- Are you not planning to develop any more games? (Based on your first sentence.)

[mmccomb]

- Were you not aware of Cocos2d / Unity when you started? Or did you think you could do it better?

I was aware of it, although not to the extent that I am now. Awareness wasn't the reason for the decision however. The decision was a mix of naivety and a desire to learn as much as possible about game design/development. Writing my own engine was therefore a bit of a self-learning process. It certainly was beneficial but not a process I would repeat or recommend for a commercial/releasable game - especially for indie devs.

- What sort of feedback did you get and how did you go about getting it? Prior to release I pestered friends, family and strangers. I would make a concerted effort to mention what the game in conversations (if the other person reciprocated with interest). This often led to a description of the concept, mechanics and a short demo/play test. I did this from day one - when there was literally a ship on screen with a control pad. Immediately I was told that the controls were too sensitive - but as I alluded to you become blind to these things when you spend your days play testing your own game.

- Are you not planning to develop any more games? (Based on your first sentence.) For me the process was about two things - 1. the challenge and 2. the experience. Games are difficult and they involve some fairly complex design/coding problems, that was the attraction for me. I don't have a particular affinity/interest in games development - so I'm not sure I would jump into another game immediately.

I would however love to remake the game using a framework and with some more polished graphics. I actually really enjoy playing it and think the concept works well. Unfortunately my own decision to custom design the engine has potentially hindered the enjoyability and limited the functionality.