Developing an indie game can be an incredibly time consuming and stressful experience. You need to find some way of balancing your workload with family and leisure time.
When you’re in your teens or twenties it’s actually much easier to do. Typically you won’t have a partner or kids, and at work you’ll likely have less responsibilities and fewer worries. As you get older though, finding any time at all to make a game or pursue some other creative outlet can seem almost impossible. When you do have free time you’ll probably just want to chill and recharge the batteries.
Being married with a kid, I’ve found finding the time to work on my game extremely challenging. I’ve had to work really hard to push things forward, which has left me completely burned out on more than one occasion. It’s important to know when to relax, which is something I’m learning to do more often. Knowing when to relax is especially important when you hit a snag or problem. Sometimes stepping back and taking a break can help to present a solution.
One thing’s for sure though, an undertaking like this would simply be impossible without the love and support of my family and friends. If you’re going to have any chance of delivering a finished game you’ll need to be surrounded by people who understand and appreciated what you’re trying to do. You’ll need their help and encouragement along the way. Especially when times are tough.
I’m incredibly lucky. I have the full support of my wife who always makes sacrifices to ensure I get that little bit of extra time each day to either work on my game or simply unwind. Without her support and constant encouragement, it just would not have been possible to make Dare the Monkey.
Finding a good balance between developing the game, and spending time with family and friends is critical to success.