This course helps you treat your first indie game as a real business. You will go from game concept and market research through legal structure, development planning, marketing, and launch so you are ready to publish and grow.
By the end of this course you will have:
This course has 16 lessons in 4 phases:
Start with Lesson 1: Game Concept & Market Research to define your game and audience.
Follow these lessons in order to complete the course
Define your game concept, target audience, and success criteria. Research the market and successful indie games so your first project has a clear direction.
Choose how your indie game will make money. Compare premium, free-to-play, DLC, and hybrid models so your revenue strategy matches your scope and audience.
Plan a realistic budget and allocate time and money for your indie game. Learn what to budget for, how to trade time vs money, and how to document it in one page.
Choose a business structure and protect your game's IP. Learn the basics of incorporation, contracts, copyright, and trademarks so your indie studio is set up correctly from the start.
Turn your concept, budget, and legal setup into a clear project plan and timeline so you can move from planning to production.
Turn your art style and scope into a concrete asset list and pipeline so art supports your timeline instead of blocking it.
Turn your design and art into a stable, maintainable codebase with clear architecture, version control, and a repeatable build pipeline.
Plan and implement sound design and music for your indie game so it feels polished and supports the experience without blowing the budget.
Turn your playable build into a testable product with test plans, bug tracking, and a focused QA pass so you ship with fewer surprises.
Define your game's brand, visual identity, and key messages so your marketing and store presence feel consistent and professional.
Plan your social channels, content calendar, and early community so you have an audience when you launch your indie game.
Build a press kit and reach out to press and content creators so your indie game launch gets coverage and visibility.
Build a launch checklist, release timeline, and day-one plan so your indie game launch runs smoothly and you can respond to issues quickly.
Plan the first weeks and months after launch: updates, community, and how to keep your indie game visible and growing.
Use data to understand sales, wishlists, and retention so you can make informed decisions about pricing, discounts, and future projects.
Plan your next steps after your first launch - stay solo, grow a tiny team, or start your next game with clarity on what worked and what to change.
