Making Side Money In Game Dev

 

Making side money in game dev sounds enticing. Perhaps it also sounds impossible. We’ll it’s not quite impossible, but it can be quite hard. Today I’m going to discuss how you could make side money in game dev, and more importantly, why you shouldn’t be focused on that.

The things you own end up owning you – Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), Fight Club

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What is a Game Dev Side Hustle?

As stated on the about-me page, the term side hustle can mean different things to different people. Here I’m meaning a side-project you take seriously. Let me unpack that. The “side-project” part is important because this is an entirely different conversation if we’re talking about how to land or succeed-in a game industry job.

The “seriously” part is also important. In my view, the key difference between a side hustle and a hobby is the clear intention and focus on finishing something. Actually getting a released product out in the world.

Realistically, there are two main avenues for a game dev side project: creating a game, or creating content to help others (such as assets or tools to the Unity Asset Store). Beyond those there are less fun options like being a coder-for-hire, but I’ll largely ignore those.

Game Maker vs Content Creator

So which of the two main avenues sounds right for you? Most people tend to choose “game maker”. My suggestion almost always is to either choose “content creator” or “both”. Both is actually the best answer.

There are a few reasons I suggest this. One big one is that asset store content is generally smaller and easier to actually finish than a game. And if you chose “both” as your answer, then you have a very good opportunity. You are able to make the content you actually need. There’s no better way to understand your customer, than to actually be your customer. So while creating a game, pay attention to which parts could be spun off as tools or content for the asset store.

How to make money in game dev

Yes you can make money, but it’s hard and takes a good bit of luck.  The space for online games is very crowded right now. According to my brief Google search, over 2500 new Android apps hit the store every day.  Not all are a games, but many are. How do you stand out in a space like this? It’s not easy.

One good technique to help your game standout without having to burn a lot of money on marketing is to develop it out in the open. Be on twitter and reddit throughout your time working on the game. Post screenshots. Post articles or short videos on how you did things. Or how the mechanics are evolving. If you can stay active, you can start to build a following. If you can also share your knowledge, you get the added bonus of helping the game dev community.

Outside of making a game, is the asset store route. This is actually far more likely to make money, but still requires some leg work. The develop-in-the-open strategy also works here, but can benefit even more from post-release instruction. If your content fits it, having videos or articles explaining how to use it, or showing it off, can help get you some visibility.

Why you shouldn’t focus on the income

Frankly, if your only motivation is to make money, you probably shouldn’t be trying for a game dev side hustle. There are two key reasons for this.

First, it likely won’t work. It’s hard to make money in this space with so many games, tools, and assets out there already. It’s definitely doable on a smaller scale. But to really make a dent in your overall finances definitely requires some luck.

Secondly, it will likely ruin your game. Games are a creative endeavor. Focusing on features and mechanics that can drive revenue will probably make it less fun for your users, and almost certainly make it less fun for you.

Do you need to be able to code?

I throw this in at the end, because it’s a question I’ve seen a lot. Can I still make side money here without being able to code?

Well, it would help, but no, you don’t.  If you can’t code at all, you have three main choices: learn just enough, befriend someone who can, or focus on selling stand alone content.  All three are quite viable. There are plenty of places online to learn game coding from scratch, such as Udemy.com. On the friend front, that’s often a win-win as there are many coders out there with no artistic ability that may need you.  And on the content front, this option is great as I’ve already mentioned it’s the most likely way to actually make some money.

The funnest of fun hustles

So what’s the point of all this?  The point is, game dev is fun. It can be profitable, but most importantly, it’s fun. There’s no side hustle quite like it.

Do something. Make progress. Have fun.