This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest René Habermann who is behind games such as Domekeeper and PVKK (Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant), running a games studio called Bippinbits together with his wive. In this conversation we dive into how to validate your game ideas early.
Links to my Guest
➤ Wishlist PVKK on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/PVKK_Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant/
➤ Play Domekeeper on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637320/Dome_Keeper/
➤ Bippinbits Website: https://bippinbits.com/
0:00 - Introduction
0:50 - Why Indie Games Fail
2:05 - The Minimalist Approach to Game Development
3:09 - Using Validation Points to Succeed
4:10 - Fun vs. Appeal: What's More Important?
8:00 - The Crucial Role of "Fantasy" in a Game's Success
12:21 - How YouTubers Can Spark a Game's Success
17:10 - Can a Game Succeed Without Appealing Visuals?
19:39 - Why Did Dome Keeper Work So Well on YouTube?
23:08 - Designing for Yourself vs. The Market
26:26 - "Make a Game You Enjoy": Good or Bad Advice?
32:03 - Using Itch.io and Game Jams to Test Ideas
39:05 - Is it Possible to Enjoy the "Tryhard" Approach to Game Dev?
43:27 - From a 3-Day Prototype to a Full Game
47:37 - The Demo vs. The Announcement: What to Do First?
59:10 - What to Do When a Validation Point Fails
01:06:17 - The Growth of Bippinbits Studio
01:17:30 - Rene's Role in a Growing Studio
01:23:18 - The "Mini-Teams" Approach to Scaling
01:30:21 - Sharing Profits With The Team
01:40:43 - Why Bippinbits Prefers the Godot Engine
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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