Creating a video game can be a very complicated and difficult task. It usually takes a lot of people, time and money, as there are so many elements and components that you need to worry about, such as game mechanics, characters, art design, programming, animation, audio, soundtrack, UI/UX and more.
now, Imagine doing everything yourself…and nail it completely! Sounds very impossible, but some independent developers have already proven that the idea of a “one-man studio” is actually possible, and have overcome many obstacles along the way.
Certainly, development takes more time to do it on its own, but these solo developers are well worth waiting for the masterpieces that smashed the gaming industry, and somehow they have built up the legacy that is prevalent today. So why not take a look at some of them?
Bestselling Games in History
You can’t talk about solo development without mentioning the bestselling games in history, right? Many people don’t know that Minecraft began as the creation of a one-man army, a Swedish programmer called Marcus Person, widely known by the pseudonym “Notch.”
It was developed solo by Notch between 2009 and 2010until he quit his job, hired other developers and designers to earn enough money until he joined the staff at his game studio, Mojang. Then there were a lot of people developing it, but it all started with notches alone. Less than a year later, the game was released and quickly became a global phenomenon.
As it is one of the most successful franchises in the industry, it was impossible to ignore the origins of Minecraft regarding solo development. So I saved this ranking spot, but I’m behind other powerful containers on the issue.
9
Joakim Sandberg (Iconoclasts)
Self-study is a thing
Before we can complement Iconoclasts’ stunning pixel art, engaging stories and creative sound effects, we need to highlight the history of the Swedish developers behind it.
Joakim is self-taught and just wanted to create a full game from start to finish. He began to get inspired by combining some of his favorite games. This led to Metroid Fusion-influenced gameplay and art that sparked the atmosphere of Monster World 4. These ideas are wrapped in a gorgeous platformer that took seven years (some with a Metroidvania touch).
When it came out, the game was praised for its originality and depth, but some people found the story and combat a bit uneven. Still, time has transformed it into a modern classic. I have to confess that up until this day, I can’t believe that only one person has created the designs and battles of those insane bosses. They are some of the best I’ve ever seen in 2D.
8
Eric Cha-hee (another world)
Surreal classic world
It has been several years since Eric Chahi began working at Delphine Software, one of France’s most well-known development studios in the late 1980s, and learned to acquire the abilities of graphics, animation and coding. He then had an idea. What happens if he creates his own game?
The love of fantasy and sci-fi has been blended with inspiration from classics such as Dune, John Carpenter and Richard Corben’s art, creating another world. This gave us a platformer about physicists lost on alien planets after the experiments went wrong and created a space-time rift. He had developed the game almost entirely on his own over two years, hoping for the help of the soundtrack.
Another world has been critically acclaimed for its surreal atmosphere and minimalism, becoming a cult classic, and certainly left a mark in the later games. It’s strange that even after more than 20 years since its release, the creativity of the title has not dimmed with age. If you’re a freaky sci-fi fan like me, that’s definitely a must-see.
7
Billy Basso (Animal Well)
It was well built for 7 years
Billy Basso is an experienced Seattle developer who has worked on several mobile games over the past decade, many of whom work for medical startups. But he was eager to make something bigger, so he began working on this little game you might have heard of: Animal Well.
It all began as an experimental project that took several months, but Basso went on to do another job to pay the bill. However, the project grew and grew over time until it was decided to focus entirely on the game. Finally, it took seven years to create it.
As soon as it was released, Animal Well became a hit. It is an ambitious metropolitan city, with interconnected mazes and non-linear exploration, and occurs in a mysterious well filled with strange (to say the least) animals.
For me, this game is a breath of fresh air for the genre. Discovering that secret was one of the most surprising experiences I had in a while. Seriously, you’re going to see the sausage dog in a completely different way after playing it.
6
LocalThunk (Baratoro)
One Development for Many Jokers
The Balatro developers and artists, known simply as “Local Thunk,” were hoping to sell around ten copies of the game before returning to normal daily work. However, it sold over a million copies and continued to conquer the hearts of card game fans around the world.
Starting development in 2021, Baratoro is a poker-themed game, Hypnosis (and incredibly satisfying, I might add). Here, the goal is to build a deck that allows you to achieve ridiculous combos and create your hands with enough scores to break the boss blinds. It sounds a little quirky… because that’s because! And that’s its main appeal.
The game began as a very small project that only meant friends. However, they were unable to ignore the enormous potential and encouraged “local hanking” to launch it into the world. That made Baratoro acclaimed many popularity, award-winning, and one of the most acclaimed card games to date. And yes, I realized that Baratoro has more time than The Witcher 3.
5
Lucas Pope (paper, please)
Glory to Arstotzka
I love the conversation that video games don’t necessarily have to be fun. It’s a work of art like a movie, a book, or a TV show. So why can’t we do something different and play a game that stimulates players with unexpected emotions? I went a little philosophical there, but the culprit is one of my favorite indie papers.
It’s a game about destroying your expectations and turning your daily bureaucracy into a mechanic of the game in a great way. You need to play as a border inspector of the fictional Arstotzka country and check people’s documents to approve who is allowed (or enter) to leave.
It sounds like work, but it’s a very unique experience as players are always faced with moral and political dilemmas, such as whether an immigrant couple decides to or refuse to bring more money and food for your family by the end of the day.
Lucas Pope, a veteran developer who pursued his dream of leaving Naughty Dog and creating games independently, was responsible for all of that. After working on Uncharted, he felt he didn’t want to follow a clear formula and instead continued to simply create what came to his heart.
That led to the paper, which achieved critical and commercial success, dominated the Game Awards season in 2014, conquering many fans around the world.
4
Derek Yu (Spelunky)
Dissemination tools
Derek Yu was unfamiliar with game development when he began working on Spelunky, a dungeon crawler that combines simple core interactions to create a simple and vast experience.
Matches the fun of pickup and playing 2D platformer and the playability of Roguelike. And boy, when I first played it, I certainly got addicted. I hope my boss wasn’t looking at my desk at the time.
But that’s what’s very unique about this history Spelunky is a free engine for creating open source games, 2D games developed with GameMaker, and the creation of Yu helped spread the tool. So it highlights how important democratization of game development engines is and opens up space for indie developers to create great games.
It’s no wonder Spelunky is considered one of the best indie games. All gamers should try it before they die. So, what are you waiting for? The original Spelunky is still free to use on your PC. Check it out (after reading our article, of course).
3
Eric Barone (Stardew Valley)
I’d like to do farming
Now Eric Barone (also known as Incernetape) is one of the most successful solo developers, but his journey to today took him five years, having given up on challenges, doubts and even many times. But he did not, and now we can all dream of harvesting the crop happily and marrying Penny.
Joke aside, Barone began programming games for games until he got the ambitious idea of creating farming sims. Even without any professional experience in the gaming industry, it was inspired by the classic Harvest Moon. There he was locked in his room and focused completely on developing the game that became one of the industry’s most beloved indie characters.
And it’s funny to only get it when you play Stardew Valley. It’s an incredibly addictive and hypnotizing experience, and players don’t get enough. I mean, I’ve lost about 7 hours of unplanned time playing on a really busy weekend. And I don’t regret it.
2
Toby Fox (undertail)
A unique timeless story
If you haven’t lived under the rocks in the last decade, you’ve heard of Undertail, perhaps one of the most acclaimed indie games of all time. It was developed entirely by a solo developer known as Toby Fox. I’m still amazed at the idea that he created all the elements of it (including story, art, coding, soundtrack, etc.) completely himself.
But let’s rewind a bit to get a better idea of his history. Undertale began as a crowdfunding project and exceeded its original target by around 1022%. Despite some artwork, Fox didn’t want his creativity to be influenced by others, so he decided to become a lonely wolf on this journey.
As a result, a game about a human child who fell into the underground, where there are many mystical monsters. Naturally, the goal is to escape and go home, but you must face many different situations that overturn the player’s expectations and the archetype of the game in a great way. Seriously go and play it. If you already have it, please play it again.
1
Alexey Pajitnov (Tetris)
I love the Tetris effect
Tetris is one of the most famous and successful franchises in gaming history and was created by Russian solo developer Alexey Pajitnov. He was a software engineer working at a computing centre in Moscow, and in the mid-’80s he had the idea of creating a game inspired by the Pentomino puzzle, but there was a 4-block Tetromino.
He didn’t create it for money or anything like that. His goal was not only to have fun with family and friends, but also to allow free distribution of floppy disk copies around town. This has caused Tetris to become a hot topic among gamers and attracted the attention of international executives. It was only a matter of time before the game became a global phenomenon.
But it takes a little time to thank Tetris. We’re talking about super smart video games that use simple mechanics to create an incredibly addictive and enjoyable experience for literally everyone, including non-gamers. It can even inspire our critical thinking. That being said, I simply love going back to this masterpiece from time to time.
