Dev Dream Pod with Blake Gocey

エピソード

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  You're Not Ready To Make Your Dream Game 14.09.2026 1時間 16分

  What if the smartest way to make your dream game is to wait 10 years before making it?Yahya Danboos spent more than a decade learning game development before taking on Luminous Knights, his Kingdom Hearts-inspired indie action RPG. Now, after four years of development, he’s also built an audience around the game and grown it to more than 20,000 Steam wishlists, with over 10,000 coming largely through Twitter/X.In this episode of Dev Dream Pod, Yahya breaks down what he learned from taking the long road to his dream game and how indie developers can actually get people to notice what they're building.We talk about why your first game probably shouldn’t be your dream game, how to control scope when making an ambitious RPG, designing satisfying action combat and boss fights, building reusable systems for future games, and deciding which player feedback is actually worth listening to.Then we get deep into indie game marketing.Yahya explains why developers should start marketing from day one, why he believes you should launch your Steam page as early as possible, what happened when his game went viral, how Twitter/X helped generate thousands of Steam wishlists, and why TikTok, YouTube Shorts, devlogs, Reddit, and other platforms each present different opportunities for indie developers.We also talk about Kickstarter and crowdfunding for indie games, why Kickstarter is harder than it was a decade ago, building an audience before launching a campaign, working without a publisher, and Yahya’s ultimate goal of becoming a full-time independent game developer.If you're making an indie game, trying to grow your Steam wishlists, learning how to market your game, building an action RPG, or wondering when you're finally ready to make your dream game, this conversation is packed with lessons from a developer who has spent more than a decade figuring it out.Topics include: indie game development, solo game development, Luminous Knights, Yahya Danboos, Kingdom Hearts, Heartslike games, action RPG development, Unreal Engine, game design, combat design, boss design, Steam wishlists, Steam marketing, indie game marketing, Twitter/X marketing, TikTok, YouTube devlogs, Kickstarter, crowdfunding, community building, player feedback, game scope, and becoming a full-time indie developer.Dev Dream Pod is hosted by Blake Gocey and features conversations with indie game developers about making games, marketing games, Steam, game design, building an audience, and pursuing the dream of becoming a game developer.
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  Why Wishlists Are Overrated 31.08.2026 1時間 5分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJClick and Conquer: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3267900/Click_and_Conquer/Mining and Dwarves: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3987230/Mining_and_Dwarves/Can an indie game succeed on Steam without 7,000 wishlists?Stefan, the developer of Click and Conquer and co-developer of Mining and Dwarves, did exactly that. Click and Conquer launched with only around 2,600 Steam wishlists and went on to sell more than 60,000 copies in a little over a year.In this episode of the Dev Dream Podcast, Blake Gocey talks with Stefan about how Click and Conquer succeeded despite its low wishlist count, the 300-hour game development experiment behind the project, and what he learned from making a commercially successful indie game in roughly 300 hours of development time.Stefan explains why he now thinks of Steam wishlists more as validation than a guaranteed predictor of success, how Click and Conquer was priced and marketed, why a 40% launch discount made sense for their situation, and what role YouTube creators and Reddit played in the game's launch.We also discuss the philosophy behind making small indie games quickly. After spending roughly three years developing his first game, Barricade, Stefan changed his approach dramatically for Click and Conquer. His goal became reducing scope, reducing financial risk, making faster decisions, using existing asset packs, and avoiding unnecessary perfectionism.The conversation then turns to Mining and Dwarves, Stefan and Thornity's newest incremental game. Unlike Click and Conquer, Mining and Dwarves has taken much longer to develop. Stefan explains why trying to create something more original without a clear "North Star" dramatically increased development time, why they removed or redesigned numerous mechanics, how NPCs complicated development, and why the game avoids a traditional prestige system.We also discuss the current state of incremental games on Steam. Are incremental games becoming oversaturated? Are YouTubers and content creators getting tired of covering them? What even qualifies as an incremental game anymore? Stefan shares why he believes the genre is becoming more competitive, how incremental mechanics are spreading into genres like tower defense and roguelites, and why strong games can still stand out.Finally, Stefan explains why he plans to return to the 300-hour development model for his next game — and why he may keep that game's idea secret until much closer to release because of concerns about oversaturation, AI-assisted development, and other developers beating promising concepts to market.Topics include:• Click and Conquer sales and Steam launch• Launching with 2,600 Steam wishlists• The 7,000 wishlist rule• The 300-hour game development challenge• Making small indie games• Steam wishlist conversion• Indie game pricing and launch discounts• Marketing indie games on YouTube and Reddit• Reducing scope and development risk• Using asset packs for indie games• Mining and Dwarves development• Designing incremental and idle games• NPC systems and game design• Prestige mechanics in incremental games• Incremental game saturation on Steam• Marketing games to content creators• AI and indie game development• Protecting game ideas• Becoming a full-time indie developerDev Dream Podcast is a game development podcast hosted by Blake Gocey featuring conversations with indie game developers about making games, launching on Steam, game marketing, commercial indie development, and the journey toward becoming a full-time game developer.
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  First Time Dev Drops Marketing Secrets 18.08.2026 1時間 13分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJSensory Overload: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4403510/Sensory_Overload/Tim's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCuSU9XS2Shqt-nakLMxaNyw
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  How A First Time Game Dev Went Viral 03.08.2026 1時間 6分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJEye of the Match: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3799530/Eye_of_the_Match_The_VAR_Game/Andre Cardoso shares his journey from a weekend prototype to a full-time game developer, revealing strategies for marketing, game design, and balancing polish with release. Discover how early Steam pages, community feedback, and understanding game feel can accelerate your development process.
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  How To Make It As A Full Time Indie Dev 27.07.2026 1時間 7分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJEggcelerate: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1535490/Eggcelerate/In this episode, Tim Beaudet shares his journey as an indie game developer, focusing on his game Accelerate, the challenges of designing racing games, and his insights on market trends, risk management, and pursuing passion in game development.
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  You Will Never Think About Game Dev The Same Way Again 21.07.2026 1時間 13分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJIn this episode, Lasse shares his journey from professional gaming to indie game development, discussing lessons learned, game design insights, and future ambitions. Discover how perseverance, self-reliance, and strategic planning can lead to success in the indie game industry.Mage and Monsters: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1950440/Mage_and_Monsters/Mage and Monsters 2: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2481640/Mage_and_Monsters_II/
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  A Random Discord DM Changed His Life 21.07.2026 1時間 5分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJGoblins for Good: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4500800/Goblins_for_Good/
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  Broke, Discouraged, and Terrified - He Hit Publish 06.07.2026 56分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJAll Hail The Orb: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4262310/_All_Hail_the_Orb/
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  The Truth About A.I. in Game Development 05.07.2026 1時間 5分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@dev.dream.podcast/subscribeTodays Guest: Cai WangwiltOvertrick: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4101290/Overtrick/
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  Next Fest Is Not For Indies Anymore: What To Do Instead 22.06.2026 1時間 1分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJ
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  I Followed An Indie Dev For His Entire Marketing Campaign 15.06.2026 47分

  Play The Demo Today: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2600970/Flawed_Tactics/
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  This Game Determines His Future 12.06.2026 59分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJ
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  Thomas Stewart 01.06.2026 1時間 14分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/aD5tJ38XUChapters:00:00 Intro & Guest Welcome00:36 Childhood & Creativity03:17 Childhood Video Games05:13 Discovering Game Development07:56 Quarter Life Crisis09:32 Current Game Dev Dream12:36 Living the Dream?14:58 Breaking Into Industry17:14 Console Porting Strategy20:24 Why Consoles?24:50 Bridges and Docks27:03 Console vs Steam Sales28:50 Console Advice31:32 Just Keep Fishing Team33:51 Working With Friends36:08 Building Dev Network40:14 What Makes JKF Special44:00 Jank as a Feature47:21 Game Ideation Process50:52 When to Pivot Projects55:13 Expectations for JKF57:39 Is YouTube Worth It?1:02:24 YouTube's Real Value1:03:34 Being a Game Dev Dad1:05:38 How Fatherhood Changed Him1:07:49 Kids & Video Games1:10:15 Bad Game Dev Advice1:13:04 Key Lesson: Playtesting
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  Don't Let Your Game Go Viral 01.06.2026 1時間 19分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/qG3EA8fuERollin Ravioli: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4287100/Rollin_Ravioli/Chapters:00:00 Intro & Welcome03:52 From Streamer to Gamedev07:46 Remote Partnership Story11:58 Squawky Origin Story15:36 Squawky Development Drama20:20 DMCA Launch Disaster26:48 Lessons From Failure32:08 Roland Ravioli Reveal36:55 Game Design Philosophy43:55 Unreal Engine Workflow49:09 Viral Trailer Story56:05 Virality & Marketing1:03:58 Wishlist Results1:06:35 Demo Feedback & Updates1:10:47 Indie Dev Reality1:16:58 Gamedev Advice Takeaways1:18:45 Odai's Big Dream
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  Why You Shouldn’t Mix 3 Genres (He Tried) 18.05.2026 1時間 6分

  Join The Discord: https://discord.gg/qG3EA8fuEWilliam of Studio Kunic returns to the Dev Dream Pod to discuss his wild gamedev journey — building a custom raycasting engine in Godot for Lair Keeper, pivoting from Dungeon Keeper ideas to a Slay the Spire-style dungeon crawler, and his new addictive arcade-inspired game.From game jam chaos to protecting ideas in the AI era, this is packed with honest solo dev insights.⏱️ Chapters:00:00 - Welcome Back William01:27 - Lair Keeper Origins03:08 - Why He Pivoted07:35 - Lair Keeper Draw & Brawl10:16 - Custom Render Engine13:29 - Raycasting in Godot19:48 - Playdate Influence20:04 - Engine Time Investment23:03 - When to Build Engines26:04 - Lair Keeper Future34:20 - New Pop the Lock Game37:46 - Balatro Inspired Mechanics41:36 - Design Challenges44:42 - Board Game Inspiration50:24 - YouTube Strategy Struggles57:56 - Dev Dream & GoalsIf you're into Godot, roguelikes, game jams, custom engines, or solo game development, this episode is gold.---#Godot #IndieDev #GameJam #LairKeeper #SoloDev #CustomEngine #Roguelike #GameDev
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  The Design Conflict That Almost Broke His Game 11.05.2026 1時間 10分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/qG3EA8fuEJeremy from Jeremy Makes Games shares his honest indie dev journey — abandoning Merchants of the Stars, building his roguelike Get in the Hole, and key lessons on Steam marketing, design tension, and YouTube devlogs.Get In The Hole: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4174950/Get_in_the_Hole/Jeremy's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JSMakesGames🎮 Roguelike vs Incremental, solo dev life, Steam Next Fest strategy & more.⏱️ Chapters:00:00 - Cursed Game Design01:15 - Abandoning First Game03:22 - Google to Indie Dev08:48 - Making Toggle App14:04 - Mobile Monetization Lessons19:05 - Merchants on Steam20:56 - Get in the Hole21:10 - Roguelike vs Incremental24:06 - Design Tension Explained26:59 - Steam Demo Results28:36 - Retention Improvements31:48 - Scaling with Items34:06 - Roguelike Builds36:06 - Killing Darlings38:47 - Marketing Challenges40:24 - Name Problems43:34 - Next Fest Plans44:41 - Luck vs Skill49:47 - Content Creator Outreach54:54 - YouTube DevlogsIf you're into indie game development, roguelikes, or Steam marketing, this is full of real talk and practical lessons.#IndieDev #GameDev #Roguelike #SoloDev #SteamNextFest
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  He Made One Million Check Boxes 04.05.2026 1時間 1分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJNolen's website: https://eieio.games/In this episode, we dive into the mind of Nolan, a developer known for creating wildly unconventional multiplayer experiences like 1 Million Checkboxes and 1 Million Chessboards. Instead of following traditional game dev paths, Nolan explores strange, experimental ideas that bring thousands of players together in unexpected ways.We talk about how he got started, why weird ideas often outperform polished ones, and what it takes to design multiplayer systems that encourage fun instead of chaos. From viral internet experiments to deep thoughts on creativity, constraints, and player behavior—this conversation is packed with insights for indie devs and curious creators alike.This podcast explores experimental game development, indie game design, and viral multiplayer experiences with developer Nolan. Learn how games like 1 Million Checkboxes and 1 Million Chessboards became internet sensations, and discover insights on creative coding, unconventional game mechanics, and building engaging online interactions. Perfect for indie developers, programmers, and anyone interested in unique game design, multiplayer systems, and creative experimentation in game development.Chapters00:00 Intro & Overview03:00 Early Experiments06:15 Creative Signals09:00 Solving Hard Problems12:02 Recurse Center Insights15:07 Solo Dev Reality18:00 Checkbox Virality00:21:01 Anti-Troll Design24:10 Stranger Video Game27:04 Learning Process30:18 Chessboards Explained33:03 Emergent Gameplay36:01 Ending Experiences39:06 Game Length Debate42:10 Future Projects45:03 Dev IdentityHashtags#gamedev #indiedev #gameprogramming #indiegames #multiplayergames #creativecoding #webdev #gamedevelopment #indiegame #programming #gamepodcast #gamedevlife #experimentalgames
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  SamYam is A Game Dev YouTube Icon - Next Step, Solo Dev 27.04.2026 1時間 14分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJSamYam opens up about her journey as a 120K+ sub Unity YouTuber turned indie game dev. She shares why her second Steam game Bus Buddies flopped after Desktop Cat Cafe succeeded, brutal multiplayer lessons with SDF sculpting, hackathon wins, YouTube burnout, and her big gamedev dream.In this honest conversation, she breaks down playtesting mistakes, marketing realities, team vs solo development, and how she makes game dev more fun and accessible for “TikTok brains.”SamYam on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@UCCkLMimnKzKbOQYxPDSYXFw Desktop Cat Cafe: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978180/Desktop_Cat_Cafe/Bust Buddies: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3768810/Bust_Buddies/Chapters:0:00 Intro & Discord Announcement2:38 Why Make Gamedev Fun6:02 Growing Up a Gamer9:04 Hackathons & Web3 Days13:43 Bus Buddies Game Idea15:40 Multiplayer Development Hell20:03 Teamwork vs Solo Dev22:06 Why Bus Buddies Flopped25:32 Playtesting & Prototyping Tips33:50 Desktop Cat Cafe Story38:10 Branching Into New Genres39:00 Marketing & Wishlist Lessons42:50 YouTube Channel Origin44:33 YouTube Burnout & Evolution50:47 YouTube Advice for Game Devs55:03 Business & Brand Plans1:01:38 Steam Marketing Meta1:08:30 Viewer Questions1:09:11 Handling Hate as Female Dev1:13:22 Sam's Gamedev DreamIf you're building games in Unity, launching on Steam, or growing a game dev YouTube channel, this episode is full of real talk and actionable lessons from someone who's done both successfully. Subscribe for more indie dev interviews, Unity tips, and Steam launch stories!#Unity #GameDev #IndieGame #Steam #BusBuddies #DesktopCatCafe #samyam #MultiplayerGame #IndieDev #YouTubeTips #GameDevelopment #UnityTutorial #SoloDev
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  You're Missing The Best Time Ever To Make A Video Game 26.04.2026 1時間 26分

  Inside Conference: https://howtomarketagame.com/insideChris's Free Blog: https://www.howtomarketagame.com/freeJoin The Dev Dream Discord: https://discord.gg/qG3EA8fuEThis episode with Chris Zukowski of How To Market A Game dives deep into the reality of indie game development, breaking down what it actually takes to succeed on Steam in today’s so-called “golden age” of small, fast-to-make games. We explore why genres like incremental games, roguelites, and management sims are dominating, how to validate your game idea using demos and itch.io, and why most indie games fail—even when developers follow all the “right” marketing strategies. From building wishlists and leveraging Steam Next Fest to working with content creators and understanding what makes a game “have it,” this podcast is packed with actionable insights for beginner and experienced indie devs alike. If you're trying to grow your game, launch successfully, or avoid wasting years on the wrong project, this is a must-listen conversation about indie game marketing, game design strategy, and how to actually make money as a solo developer.Chapters:00:00 Intro04:45 Conference Origins 09:30 Small Games Thesis 15:10 Industry Misconceptions 20:40 Why Small Wins 26:15 Speed Advantage 31:50 Scope Discipline 37:20 Dev Reality Check 42:55 Marketing Mindset 48:30 Finding Players 54:05 Platform Strategy 59:40 Algorithm Leverage 1:05:10 Viral Mechanics 1:10:45 Monetization Truth 1:16:20 Real Examples 1:21:30 Final Advice 1:26:00 Closing Thoughts #IndieGameDev #GameDevelopment #SteamGames #IndieDev #GameMarketing #SoloDev #GamedevTips #IndieGames #SteamNextFest #ItchIO #GameDesign #Roguelike #IncrementalGames #GameDevPodcast #MakeGames
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  The Real Reason Small Teams Crush At Game Dev 20.04.2026 48分

  Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJTired of wearing every hat as a solo indie game dev? Backward Studio shares honest insights on the benefits of working in a small 3-person team versus going solo. They reveal how trust, focus, and playtesting help them learn faster, make better decisions, and avoid burnout while building toward their first commercial release. From in-person workflows and revenue share talks to client projects and procedural sound design, this episode is packed with practical advice for indie developers considering teamwork or struggling with solo development. Dev Dream PodcastChapters:00:00 - Small Team vs Solo03:30 - Trust the Process07:00 - Data Driven Prototyping11:00 - In Person Workflow15:00 - Revenue Share Reality19:00 - Client Project Lessons24:00 - Deadlines That Work28:00 - Programmer on a Team32:00 - Artist Workflow Tips37:00 - Procedural Sound Design42:00 - Studio Future Dreams#IndieGameDev #SmallTeam #SoloDev #GameDevelopment #IndieDev #Godot #Unity #GameDevTips #IndieStudio #ProceduralAudio #DevDreamPod