Shows
Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyYou're Missing The Best Time Ever To Make A Video GameInside 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 st...
2026-04-261h 26Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyThe Real Reason Small Teams Crush At Game DevJoin 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 Podcast...
2026-04-2048 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyCode Monkey Loves LLMs for Learning How To ProgramJoin the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJ In this in-depth Dev Dream Podcast interview, Code Monkey (Ugo) shares his 20+ years of game development experience and reveals how he shifted from short Unity tutorials to creating massive 10–12 hour free courses like Kitchen Chaos. We discuss whether AI tools like ChatGPT and Grok are killing the tutorial industry, how to use LLMs effectively without blindly copy-pasting code, and why “vibe coding” can actually hurt your skills.Hugo also opens up about building a sustainable indie career, the challenges of balancing game development with YouTube education, why game dev audien...
2026-04-131h 08Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyWhat To Do When Every Steam Festival REJECTS YouJoin the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJ Cian (developer of Puppy Park) got tired of being rejected from Steam festivals, so he did something most indies never consider — he ran his own. In this episode he reveals exactly how to create a Steam festival, why 750 games was a huge mistake, and the surprising visibility rules Valve uses.We also dive into his real-time cozy dog hotel game Puppy Park, the nostalgia behind it, commissioning art from Instagram, NextFest wishlist drama, and why even “successful” launches often just break even after a year.If you’re an indie de...
2026-04-061h 00Dev Dream Pod with Blake Gocey46 With Kids & A Day Job: The Indie Dev With A Different DreamJoin the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJ Flawed Tactics on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2600970/Flawed_Tactics/In this episode of Dev Dream, I sit down with Charlie — a 46-year-old dad, husband, full-time corporate worker, and solo dev building Flawed Tactics, a clever PvP autobattler. We dive deep into why he wakes up at 4 AM to make games, how he solved the “dead multiplayer lobby” problem with async PvP, and the wild stock market meta that dynamically prices minions and spells to kill net-decking forever.Charlie also shares why even a $500,000 game probably wouldn’t let him...
2026-03-301h 05Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyThe UNBELIEVABLE Journey of Tim RuswickFor even more insights join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoH🚀 Tim Ruswick FULL INTERVIEW: Game Dev Breakdowns, Phyophobia Secrets, Mental Health, Finish a Damn Game, DevPods Collab, Murder Bunnies TCG, Indie Launches & MORE! 🎮💔Join the Dev Dream Podcast as Tim Ruswick (legendary indie game dev YouTuber, Phyophobia creator, Finish a Damn Game founder) spills EVERYTHING: 2015 psychotic road trip collapse, selling company & losing it all (car repossessed, license suspended), YouTube channel going dark after 3 years, full-time indie burnout, art heals mental health, embracing failure, no more full-time indie (wife + kid now!), Phyophobia (fear of love, 5 stages of grief, su...
2026-03-2353 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyABANDON Your 9-5 To Do Game DevGet Help From Jackson: https://jacksonnexhip.gumroad.com/ Jackson's discord server: https://discord.com/invite/VFSdVKyFWeSlightly Esoteric Game Dev: https://www.youtube.com/@esotericgamedev🚀 Jackson Nexip FULL INTERVIEW: Ex-Chemist Harvard Competitor & Extreme Athlete → Indie Dev, Countercultural Thinking, Creativity for Mental Health, Community/Mentoring Power, Overcoming Stuckness, Following Tools Not Dreams, Weekly Playtests, Rotating Director Studio Dream, Void Tender Wildlife Photography Game & MORE! 🎮🧪Jackson Nexip (Slightly Esoteric Games) opens up on his wild path: chemistry training (Harvard competitions) + extreme sports → indie gamedev pivot (seeking creative freedom), why systems felt constricting, blending science/math with art/music, countercultural mindset ("think outside the matrix"...
2026-03-2335 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHe Started Making Games As A COMPLETE BEGINNERCheck out Skies of Aevium:https://store.steampowered.com/app/3209000/Skies_of_Aevium/The Shelfman YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/TheShelfman/videos🚀 Jordie Vanderplank (The Shelf Man) FULL INTERVIEW: Skies of Aviuum Dream (Greek Mythology + Full Automation), Lehatau 100% Reviews, Dance Assembly Viral, Imposter Syndrome, Tweening Game Feel, Sheepville Community Experiment, Revshare Art Partnership, Unity Return, AI Coding Balance, YouTube + Gamedev Burnout & MORE! 🎮📚Jordie Vanderplank (The Shelf Man) shares his inspiring journey: massive passion project Skies of Aviuum (Greek mythology survival-crafting with unlimited automation, Factorio + Minecraft vibes), combining two lifelong obsessions, scope creep reality, working with an artist on revsha...
2026-03-231h 02Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyWhy Indie Game Devs Have To Do Everything Differently NowWishlist Ben's Upcoming Game:https://store.steampowered.com/app/3974620/Wrangle_Ranch/View Ben Bonk YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@UCLO_c9nyLCwohHqovjlmpDw🚀 Ben Bonk FULL INTERVIEW: Slime Keep Relaunch (Very Positive on Steam!), 5-Year Dev Lessons, Mono-Green Palette Obsession, YouTube Gamedev 2025 Viability, Scope Creep Pitfalls, Ludum Dare to Commercial Path, Wrangler Ranch Jam-to-Release, AI Vibe Coding, Unity Runtime Fee Fears, Small Projects Dream & MORE! 🎮🟢Ben Bonk (prolific gamedev YouTuber) breaks down Slime Keep relaunch success (20k wishlists Very Positive 98 reviews, first commercial launch after 5+ years), mono-green limited palette origin (Ludum Dare 46 jam → YouTube traction), biggest challenges (no early plan, spagh...
2026-03-2352 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyThe Man Who Quit YouTube and Become A Game DevCheck out Nathan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCRqidbTzLS8tNSl-q0UEMEw🚀 Nathan Roner FULL INTERVIEW: ShadowVers 1.65M Subs YouTube Editor → Indie Dev Cocoa Loco, Gamedev YouTube 2025 Viability, Cozy Cafe Game Demo Challenges, Unreal Switch Mastery, Crowdfunding vs Publishers, Scope Creep, Steam Playtest, Algorithm Black Hole, Shorts Marketing & MORE! 🎮☕Ex-ShadowVers full-time manager/editor (1.65M subs) Nathan Roner dives deep on pivoting to indie gamedev: Cocoa Loco origins (Animal Crossing/Club Penguin inspo, 4yr "6-month" project, winter hot drinks theme, 3hr short story + arcade modes), Unity runtime fee → Unreal mastery (save systems, blueprints inheritance), Steam playtest (usability feedback, live sessions forms), cozy...
2026-03-2355 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyScrew Your Passion and Make GamesCheck out Dryden's channel:https://www.youtube.com/@UCId6dSaE77w7C6y910enyng 🚀 Dryden Thomas (Light Hoof Dryen) FULL INTERVIEW: Blackthorn Prod Controversy (Lost 70/30 But Community Voted #1!), Disinherited Roguelike Devlog, Scope Creep Lessons, Music Composer Roots, Perpetual Stew Inspiration, Silksong Pricing Debate, Publisher Pitches SXSW Sydney, Contract NDA Work, Hades/Dead Cells Vibes & MORE! 🎮🎼Light Hoof Dryen (Dryden Thomas) shares his explosive gamedev YouTube journey: Blackthorn Prod Challenge stress (3 weeks, 12-18hr days, 2nd place but top 9 comments say he should've won!), Disinherited roguelike (Dead Cells gameplay + Hades story, catacombs demo, Gon the Gravedigger boss, light/reaper mechanics), scope cre...
2026-03-2355 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow To ANNIHILATE Game Dev BurnoutCheck out Jesse's channel:https://www.youtube.com/@codernunk🚀 Jesse (CoderNunk) FULL INTERVIEW: Burnout Recovery, Autism in Game Dev, Quitting Job to Go Indie, Returning to Corporate, Godot RPG Dream Since High School, Blender Tutorials, YouTube Growth Struggles, JRPG Rankings & MORE! 🎮💻In this heartfelt Dev Dream Podcast episode, Jesse (CoderNunk) opens up about his 30K+ subscriber YouTube journey teaching Blender-to-Godot workflows, thorough tutorials, viral shorts strategy, evergreen content advantage, and fighting the algorithm as a generalist gamedev channel. He shares raw experiences with autism spectrum disorder (early Asperger’s diagnosis), masking in corporate software engineering, unresolved trauma, family losses, severe burn...
2026-03-2351 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow Brainless Solved GameDev YouTubeCheck out brainlesshttps://www.youtube.com/@UCJmAuKzz_VHa3Yb7v19KIvQ🎮 Brainless FULL INTERVIEW: 330k Views & 15k Subs in 3 Months with ONLY 5 Videos! How to Make Games When You're Bad at Everything, Finding Art Style in 40 Days, Music Struggles, Quitting 9-Month Game, Game Jam Lessons, Perfectionism, Scope Creep & More! 🚀In this inspiring Dev Dream Podcast episode, Brainless (fast-rising gamedev YouTuber & animator) shares how he exploded to 330,000+ views and 15,000+ subscribers in just 3 months with only 5 videos (1 trailer). We dive deep into his journey: starting gamedev with zero experience, embracing being "bad at everything," finding an art style in 40 days of daily...
2026-03-2349 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyAn Innovative New Vision For Indie Game DevsFor even more insights join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHInterviewing Cory Darby about Game Dev, working with Aarimous, and a new vision for how game devs make money.🚀 Corey Darby (Thornity) FULL INTERVIEW: Min-Maxing Indie Game Dev Success, Steam Algo Secrets, Sales Velocity, Wishlist Engineering, Click & Conquer $100k+, A Game About Feeding a Black Hole, No Publisher Model, Rev Share, Pricing Strategy & MORE! 🎮💰In this raw Dev Dream Podcast episode, Corey Darby (aka Thornity) — professional min-maxer, data-driven gamedev analyst, marketer & co-creator of Click & Conquer (40k+ copies, $100k revenue on ~400 hours) — breaks down how to engineer luck on Steam. We...
2026-03-231h 25Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow Edmund McMillan Broke The Tactics GenreJoin the Discord https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJIn this episode of the Dev Dream podcast, I sit down with legendary indie game developer Edmund McMillen, creator of The Binding of Isaac and Super Meat Boy, to talk about the design philosophy behind his newest game, Mewgenics.We dive deep into **indie game development, tactical game design, roguelike mechanics, and the creative mindset required to build genre-defining games**. Edmund explains how he approaches complexity in game systems, why most tactics games are actually shallow, and how randomness can create deeper strategy—similar to systems fo...
2026-03-2344 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow Aarimous Solved SteamWant my unfiltered thoughts? Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHDive into raw indie gamedev success with Aramus on Dev Dream podcast: A Game About Feeding a Black Hole explodes to 30K+ Steam wishlists in weeks, 10K in one week via NextFest demo, GrayStillPlays/I'm Cade coverage (500K+ views), and minmaxed marketing—delayed release to polish pacing, concurrent users, Steam algorithm levers. From solo Hexagod/Chess Survivors struggles ($8/hr) to partnering with Corey (Thornity) for 300-hour profitable incremental roguelike, learn escaping prototype hell, ditching scope creep, validating fun fast, balancing feel vs analytics, and why success mixes pr...
2026-03-231h 06Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyMake Games At HYPER SPEEDWant my unfiltered thoughts? Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHDive into indie gamedev acceleration with Edward (Fast Forward My Game): craft Steam hits like Dodge King in 90 days via rock-bottom-to-success blueprint, dodging scope creep/feature creep by locking 90% design early, MVP minimum viable product prototyping, and self-denial for unchanged mechanics. Overcome burnout, shiny object syndrome, imposter syndrome—harness habits like ditching screen time addictions, aggressive playtesting, deadlines for flow state, and market research to guarantee wishlists/sales. Tackle "small games aren't cool" pushback: recycle assets, evolve from $22 flops to profitable Deluxe editions, demo deadlines breed creativity. Ma...
2026-03-231h 17Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHe ABANDONED YouTube and GameDev and then EXPLODEDWant my unfiltered thoughts? Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHDive into indie gamedev inspiration with Jerb (JerBob) on Dev Dream podcast: from storytime animation roots (Odd Ones Out style) to quitting dream game Coco the Last Leaf after 2 years, rediscovering passion via Blackthornprod competition & goofy stealth-puzzle Vampy's Big Day (sun-shadow mechanics, vampire vs fairy duality, multiple endings). Overcome burnout, imposter syndrome, massive scope creep—learn why beginners tackle huge Metroidvanias, benefits of small games/game jams, Construct 3 visual scripting, YouTube Shorts vs long-form for community growth (millions of views), Instagram trial reels strategy, balancing college/family/ch...
2026-03-2354 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow Beginner Game Devs Actually SucceedJoin the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHDive into inspiring indie gamedev with Madars (Mad R Games) on the Dev Dream podcast: from overwhelmed beginner dreading massive Metroidvania time-travel projects to 15+ completed game jams, Godot mastery, and building a roguelike Legends Reloaded with procedural rooms, drunkard's walk generation, spawner vulnerability bars, and Enter the Gungeon/Brotato vibes. Overcome imposter syndrome, scope creep, level design struggles, and burnout—learn why beginners tackle huge games, MVP minimum viable product strategies, tight deadlines that boost productivity, and why small scoped prototypes beat unfinished epics. Discover YouTube growth secrets with personality-packed devlogs (da...
2026-03-2352 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyMiziziziz's Passive Income BlueprintJoin the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHDive into indie game dev mastery with Miziziziz: full-time gamedev since 2019 via small games backlog yielding $1K+/month passive Steam revenue (Endoparasitic $6K, Voyager 19 $1.4K last 31 days). Unlock mechanics-first prototyping for 130-hour releases like Camelot 10,000 CE typing roguelite, Lurking Fear Lovecraft horror, and Endoparasitic one-arm survival horror smash. Dominate Godot tutorials-to-devlogs YouTube evolution, Four Devs One Artkit series, horror genre hacks for easy Steam marketing/scares/atmosphere. Nail sustainable strategy: courses bootstrap income, strict contracts over rev-share, 3-hour $10 playtimes, avoid big-game burnout for creative freedom. Get full-time playbook—I Make Games po...
2026-03-2355 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow To Launch A Wildly Successful Game On SteamJoin the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHCory Darby returns to talk game dev success after releasing A Game About Feeding A Black Hole. We discuss how the game was so successful on steam. The marketing strategies he used to achieve it and what's next in his indie game development journey.Explode your indie game dev dreams with Corey Darby's A Game About Feeding a Black Hole smashing 110K Steam copies and $440K+ gross revenue in under a month via short 800-hour dev cycle and killer NextFest demo. Unpack 3-for-3 success secrets: scrap 12 mechanics, A/B test ruthlessly...
2026-03-231h 23Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyYou CAN Succeed With A UNIQUE Game On Steam!Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHDive into indie game dev success with Brano's Healed to Death, a groundbreaking roguelike healer game inspired by World of Warcraft MMO healing mechanics and frustrating raid fails. Learn solo dev tips, Godot tutorials, game jam prototypes, and balancing challenging healing spells in roguelites without number-go-up boredom. Unpack controversial Hades healing critique, feedback loop fixes, and why 10 years of MMO healing expertise is essential for fun healer gameplay design. Discover Steam revenue secrets—$96K gross from 6K+ sales—tail sales strategies, marketing to roguelike YouTubers, and avoiding mono-gamers for better indie Stea...
2026-03-231h 12Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyIf Jonas Tyroller Had To Start Over...Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJJonas Tyroller (creator of Thronefall, Will You Snail, and co-creator of Islanders — both million+ sellers) shares his complete indie game dev blueprint for 2026, prototyping advice, business strategy, and brutally honest lessons from huge successes and near-misses.In this Dev Dream Podcast interview, Jonas reveals:- How he & Grizzly Games sold **over 1 million copies** of Thronefall (and Islanders too)- Why he now starts every project with **fantasy & feel** instead of mechanics- His exact step-by-step plan if he had to restart game dev from scratch today (solo → small team → passion projec...
2026-03-231h 28Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow One Solo Dev Turned a Small Game Into a Cult ClassicWant to hear my behind the scenes thoughts? Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHExecute by solo dev Payne Robinson sold 20,000+ copies on Steam and paid off student loans — but it didn't feel like "success" at first. In this Dev Dream Podcast episode, Payne shares raw insights on indie game development, incremental games, realistic expectations, marketing on Steam, cutting features for focus, prestige systems, balancing "big numbers go up," Godot tips, Pico-8 learning path, wishlist strategies, Next Fest mistakes, and the artist vs bisdev mindset.Whether you're a hobbyist gamedev, aspiring full-time indie developer, or fan of da...
2026-03-231h 28Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow This Dev Made $150,000 in Early AccessWant to hear my behind the scenes thoughts? Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHDive into an inspiring indie game dev interview with Connagh (co-creator of Dice with Death) on the Dev Dream Podcast! Discover how this unique dicebuilding roguelike — inspired by Farkle / Farle from Kingdom Come: Deliverance and The Seventh Seal — launched successfully into Steam Early Access against conventional wisdom.Connagh shares his journey from Jagex (RuneScape), professional Magic: The Gathering, YouTube D&D & card game content creation, to building Sea Glass Games' breakout roguelite. Topics include roguelike scope control, balancing without spreadsheets, art style mixed-media chal...
2026-03-231h 32Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow Pontypants Became Game Devs Rising StarWant to hear my behind the scenes thoughts? Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHIn this in-depth Dev Dream podcast interview, Ponty Pants (creator of Punch a Bunch and the viral hit A Difficult Game About Climbing) opens up about his journey from VFX artist to full-time indie developer, the massive role YouTube devlogs played in finishing his first game, why he skipped heavy prototyping on both titles, the philosophy behind “FODian” games vs rage games, design choices for unique controls and streamer appeal, dealing with corporate burnout, music creation as a solo dev, and much more. Whet...
2026-03-231h 32Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHe Followed EVERY Piece of Game Dev AdviceWant to learn more about game dev? Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHJoin us on the Dev Dream Podcast for an inspiring conversation with Kai from Ink Ribbon, a passionate YouTuber and indie game developer. Kai shares his journey from being a horror game enthusiast to releasing his first commercial Steam game, "Hundred Doors." We dive into his experiences with game design education, building a successful Resident Evil-focused YouTube channel, practical game dev advice, using AI as a tool, post-release emotions, and tips for aspiring devs. Whether you're a beginner game developer or a horror fan...
2026-03-231h 08Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyThey Stopped Following Because He Has Not Made A HitWant more insights into the devs you love? Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHIn this in-depth Dev Dream podcast interview, Marnix from BiteMe Games reveals how a 3-person indie studio has survived 4+ years without a massive viral hit. We dive deep into their transparent journey: quitting high-paying jobs, funding through YouTube + Patreon + game sales, the surprise success of Unicycle Pizza Time ($30k+ gross), lessons from Forge Industry, horror titles like Kyoto Anomaly & Overtime Anomaly, and the explosive Steam Next Fest performance of their upcoming incremental game **MMO 98** (thousands of wishlists, top charts in idler/incremental category...
2026-03-231h 43Dev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow To Make A Roguelike FunWant more insights into the devs you love? Join the Dev Dream Newsletter: http://bit.ly/4rzrgoHDiscover Landon's epic indie gamedev journey: 7 years from Scratch to Unity solo dev success! Dive deep into Pizza Cafe VR (passive $20-50/month on Meta Quest), Unity asset tips ($25 earned), and Vault of the Vanquished – coin-flipping roguelike masterpiece blending Balatro synergies + Slay the Spire deckbuilding! Steam Next Fest demo secrets, 550+ wishlists via YouTube Shorts/TikTok, early access roadmap, busted infinite combos, playtesting hacks, lore-building passion, D&D inspirations, and why ANYONE can go full-time gamedev. Essential roguelike design, marketing, & motivation for aspiring devs!Wi...
2026-03-2356 minDev Dream Pod with Blake GoceyHow To Win A Game JamJoin the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJCheck out the Studio Kunic channel.https://www.youtube.com/@studiokunic🚀 William Bunick (Kunik) FULL INTERVIEW: 17-Year Unity Vet → Godot Switch, Playdate Lua Mastery, Engine Tier List (Godot #1 for Indies!), Game Jams for Finishing, AI Coding/Debug (NOT Art), Tutorial Hell Escape, 3 Solo Steam Games, RPG Maker → Beyond Engine History & MORE! 🎮🔧William Bunick (Studio Kunic/Critical Kunic) shares 25+ years gamedev wisdom: Unity → Godot (5-day jam, faster compiles, scenes prefabs), Playdate Lua (100% code, procedural dungeons, faux 3D at 20-30fps), engine recs (Godot #1 indies, Unreal AAA path, avoid...
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