Indie app development is a challenging business. While success stories exist, most indie apps don't achieve significant financial success. Marketing, discoverability, and competition from larger companies are substantial hurdles. Furthermore, the continuous need for updates and platform changes necessitates ongoing development effort, even without guaranteed returns. Despite the difficulties, some developers find the pursuit rewarding for the creative freedom and potential, albeit small, for financial independence. Ultimately, passion for the project is crucial for persevering through the demanding and often unprofitable reality of indie app development.
The original poster is seeking resources that have proven helpful for others in their game development journeys. They are specifically interested in recommendations beyond the typical beginner tutorials, hoping to find resources that have helped people move from intermediate to advanced skill levels. They're open to any type of resource, including books, courses, articles, communities, or tools, and are particularly interested in areas like game design, shaders/graphics programming, and AI.
The Hacker News comments on this "Ask HN" post offer a variety of resources for aspiring game developers. Several commenters emphasized the importance of starting small and finishing projects, recommending simple game jams and focusing on core mechanics before adding complexity. Specific resources mentioned include "Game Programming Patterns" by Robert Nystrom, Handmade Hero, and the Unity and Godot engines. A few suggested learning through decompilation or recreating classic games. Several cautioned against getting bogged down in engine choice or overly ambitious projects. The consensus seemed to be that practical experience, combined with targeted learning of core concepts, is the most effective path.
Ren'Py is a free and open-source engine designed for creating visual novels, a genre of interactive storytelling that blends text, images, and sound. It simplifies development with a Python-based scripting language, allowing creators to easily manage dialogue, branching narratives, and character interactions. Ren'Py supports a wide range of features including animated sprites, movie playback, and various transition effects, making it accessible to both novice and experienced developers. It’s cross-platform, meaning games created with Ren'Py can be deployed on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and web browsers, reaching a broad audience. The engine prioritizes ease of use and provides comprehensive documentation and a supportive community, enabling creators to focus on crafting compelling stories.
Hacker News users discuss Ren'Py's ease of use, especially for non-programmers, enabling them to create visual novels with minimal coding. Several commenters praise its accessibility and the large community supporting it. Some note its limitations, especially regarding more complex game mechanics beyond the visual novel genre, though acknowledge its suitability for its intended purpose. The scripting language is described as simple yet powerful enough for narrative-focused games. A few users mention its popularity for adult visual novels, though also highlight its use in more mainstream and non-adult projects. The engine's cross-platform compatibility and active development are also seen as positive aspects.
Summary of Comments ( 8 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43201251
HN commenters generally agreed with the author's points about the difficulty of the indie app market. Several shared their own struggles with discoverability and monetization, emphasizing the importance of marketing and a unique value proposition. Some suggested alternative business models like subscriptions or focusing on niche markets. A few commenters pointed out the inherent luck involved in succeeding, while others questioned the sustainability of a purely indie approach, suggesting exploring contract work or other income streams for stability. The importance of managing expectations and enjoying the process was also highlighted.
The Hacker News post titled "A few words about indie app business" (linking to charliemonroe.net) generated a moderate discussion with a few interesting points raised in the comments section.
Several commenters focused on the challenges of marketing and discovery, echoing the author's concerns. One commenter highlighted the difficulty of competing with large companies that can afford extensive marketing campaigns, effectively drowning out smaller independent developers. They pointed out that even a truly great app can languish in obscurity without significant marketing efforts, a disheartening reality for many indie developers.
Another commenter discussed the shift in the app landscape, noting that the initial gold rush of the App Store has subsided. They suggested that the current market is much more mature and competitive, requiring a more sophisticated approach to both development and marketing than simply building a good app. This commenter also emphasized the importance of identifying a niche and catering specifically to its needs, rather than trying to appeal to a broad audience.
A further discussion thread delved into the specifics of marketing strategies for indie developers. One suggestion was to leverage content marketing by creating valuable resources related to the app's functionality, thus attracting potential users organically. Another commenter proposed exploring alternative app stores, although acknowledging that these often have smaller user bases and potentially less lucrative monetization options.
The practicality of relying solely on indie app development as a primary income source was also debated. Skepticism was expressed, with some commenters arguing that the odds of achieving significant financial success are slim. They suggested treating app development as a side project or hobby, rather than betting one's livelihood on it.
Finally, a few commenters shared their personal experiences, some recounting successes with niche apps, while others described the frustration of pouring effort into projects that ultimately failed to gain traction. These anecdotal accounts served to illustrate the realities of the indie app market, both the potential rewards and the significant challenges.
While not a highly active discussion, the comments on the Hacker News post offer valuable insights into the current state of indie app development, particularly the crucial role of marketing and the increasingly competitive nature of the market. They paint a picture of a landscape where passion and creativity alone are often insufficient, and a strong business strategy is essential for survival.