I Made $300K Making Video Games. Here’s What I Learned…

Рет қаралды 35,915

Күн бұрын

My Newest Game On Steam! store.steampowered.com/app/16...
In this video, I discuss my experience making #money in the games industry. I talk about the different ways game developers monetize their skills including overnight #indieDev success stories, KZfaqrs, course & asset creators, and more.
I also share my number 1 success tip that helped me get a full-time job as a #gameDeveloper
❤️ Patreon: / thomasstewart
➤ Buy Tanks But No Tanks: store.steampowered.com/app/16...
💬 Discord: / discord

Пікірлер: 133

@dmon1088 3 ай бұрын

Haven't been clickbaited this hard in years, totally unexpected. "I made 300k with my day job, I learned that having a job pays"

@BlakeGoGameDev 2 ай бұрын

Lol he got us

@revehaut Ай бұрын

he didnt like the comment also

@tfozo Ай бұрын

Thats why I read the comments first to learn from guys like you.

@h.k654 Ай бұрын

thanks for commenting so i dont have to watch the entire vid.

@rickraydubs Ай бұрын

It's actually not clickbait. He literally told you HOW he makes money making games lol

@CodeMonkeyUnity 6 ай бұрын

Great video on a different perspective! The indie dev dream is indeed great but some people really undervalue just how good a regular job can be. You get paid, you do just a few tasks, you get some stability and hopefully you learn a ton from other people.

@ThomasStewartDev 6 ай бұрын

Absolutely! I’m grateful for my time working at a studio, but I’m hoping I’ve acquired enough skills to make a living solo now. I’m trying to play the long con and get my career where I want it over the course of a handful of years

@BlakeGoGameDev 2 ай бұрын

Dang you really are everywhere Mr code monkey

@britainvanderbush9194 Ай бұрын

Please point me to this stability you speak of in the game industry. Sincerely, A very successful AAA game dev who still has yet to see it.

@Dailyfiver 4 ай бұрын

I absolutely agree with your tactics. I was job hunting for 8 months with 3.5 years of experience (CAD Designer/Engineer) and I had no luck. all of the sudden I knew a guy who knew a guy (who knew a guy) and I was hired in two business days. Connections go SO far.

@Aarimous 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing this perspective. One of my worries about going this route is working for a studio that would treat me like shit. I'm sure there are plenty of great studios, but it seems the industry has a pretty poor reputation. I'd love to hear others perspective.

@ThomasStewartDev 10 ай бұрын

For sure. I was fortunate to work for a great studio where everyone was respected. My perception is that game studios tend to care less about their employees the bigger they grow - so I like the smaller/indie side of the industry. It was pretty obvious to me during the interview process that they care about people.

@Aarimous 10 ай бұрын

@@ThomasStewartDev Which is pretty consistent with my experience for "normal" companies. I'm skeptical that this is a game dev industry problem. My arm chair expert thought is that we only know about this since players have a vested interest in the studio and when devs are treated poorly we hear about it since players are paying attention. Whereas I rarely hear about some tiny company in the middle Ohio that didn't treat their works well.

@ScroseOfficial 5 ай бұрын

This was a fantastic realist approach, very enjoyable!

@Nicklefritz 10 ай бұрын

This sounds like exactly how I got a job in Web Development. Wanted to learn Game Development, but that seemed more risky; went into Web Development and Software Engineering through the same means. Finally got a job and have been using my job experience to hone my programming skills. Considering trying to get a game development job next. Thanks for the advice!

@ThomasStewartDev 9 ай бұрын

It's fun! And my game dev skills grew so quickly!

@artmosphereID 2 ай бұрын

Im also working in web dev as a frontend engineer for about 4 years now, i think i have skilled enough in programming. Now i want fulfill my passion on game dev

@JoeTheis 7 ай бұрын

Kinda tough that lots of studios just did big layoffs. Not only are fewer hiring, but also there's tons of talented people competing for fewer seats now.

@ThomasStewartDev 7 ай бұрын

Yeeeeaaahh it's a rough time in the industry... Hopefully things will recover soon

@wr41thx29 3 ай бұрын

@@ThomasStewartDev Until then, I'm grinding my skill sets more and more and move to a big city to improve my odds. :)

@bumstudios8817 3 ай бұрын

@@wr41thx29 idk if a big city helps at all tbh

@ConernicusRex 4 күн бұрын

In my long experience in all facets of software development the people who make the argument "there are so many talented devs not being hired," are almost always beginners who don't realize they're beginners who are living in a bubble where the most talented people they know don't actually meet the bar for talented. When it comes down to it, talented developers and engineers get hired no matter what the industry-wide meta looks like.

@il35215 4 ай бұрын

Same numbers and same approach, I making the games for almost 15 years now and best way to get 100-300k per year it’s just make games for someone else.

@bootmanmstz 9 ай бұрын

Great vid man. I'm currently learning game dev and plan on making some indie games but not trying to become "the next big thing". I just want to use it as a launchpad into a job somewhere. I just can't imagine working on a game for years and it flopping lol. I'd rather have someone pay me to help

@ThomasStewartDev 8 ай бұрын

Haha for sure! 💯 I’m aiming for minimum wage with my games, then try to grow from there 😅

@Meaningfulcausesstudio 9 ай бұрын

I did Java as well! So tough! This video is amazing! So much great advice.

@ThomasStewartDev 9 ай бұрын

Thanks! Yeah it's definitely not the only path to take, but it worked for me and I'm enjoying the ride!

@akeonnstock8359 3 ай бұрын

great video man, just start the journey .....your video is very informative. keep it up!

@Chubakabrah1 10 сағат бұрын

Loved this video bro, wished i watched it sooner.

@Skeffles 10 ай бұрын

Clearly working for a successful game is easier than making your own. I think this is why I like software dev. It's adjacent to games and pays better 😂

@phoenixghost2466 7 ай бұрын

What dev stack do you use?

@felipesuarez4820 9 ай бұрын

I appreciate so much you sharing this info 👍

@ashleycchan 10 ай бұрын

No interest in game development but long time fan ! Informative video Tom!

@SpaceMyName 10 ай бұрын

Great video Thomas! I never considered using Twitter as a way to job hunt, looking forward to playing Tanks but no tanks :)

@ThomasStewartDev 10 ай бұрын

Awesome, thank you! It was definitely a game changer for me. Now I view Twitter as the LinkedIn of the game dev world.

@Ricys Ай бұрын

yea i followed this idea and havent found anyone hiring for a 3d artist role. at least recently. i found some posts from last year which i doubt are still open. what am i doing wrong? or should i just forget the years of 3ds max experiance i have and go work at mcdonalds?

@dynamicdingus7003 Ай бұрын

I'm currently learning game dev. A simple puzzle mobile game with my art style. I'm drawing all the assets and programming it. I have some programming experience, I'm a semester away from getting my AS in CS. I've been watching tutorials for specific things I want to do. So far, I have a main menu, and I'm currently working on the level selection screen. I have a very small following on Instagram where I showcase my regular art stuff, so it's gonna be super hard to get people to play it, aside from my friends. But, it will be a great learning experience, and something I can be proud of. Cus in the end, my reason for wanting to make a video game since I was a child, was to bring my art to life, and to have people interact with it. Also, it will serve as a start to my portfolio building so that I can also get a job in this field if all else fails

@fille.imgnry Ай бұрын

I love that ”download unity” is part of your game dev journey.

@trys10studios65 Ай бұрын

I have been in this boat for quite some time. Gonna have to give this a shot lol. I'm finishing my comp sci degree by this time next year 2025. I went back to check off that box to be more employable, and I've learned things I would not have on my own. Despite being autodidactic, when you're doing your own projects, you only learn what you need to get it done and sort of skip things that could be of use. So, there value in a comp sci degree imo.

@ZeeWolfed 2 ай бұрын

really nice video you make some light because I'm just starting to learn game dev. I'm complete beginner so it's scared me when I see many inde game dev in a trouble.

@Cowwy 5 ай бұрын

Stop Starting, Start Finishing. I love this quote. 😂

@cariyaputta 2 ай бұрын

I love the perspective, at the end of the day a buck is a buck.

@AndrewKramerenko 5 ай бұрын

Thanks dude, that's inspiring!

@VeHarmse 2 ай бұрын

Well done - Great video.

@yku9ted849 6 ай бұрын

Hello sir Please can you put me through how i can become a game app developer

@idle.observer 6 ай бұрын

Great video but the question is how long it took for you to make 300k?

@ThomasStewartDev 6 ай бұрын

Thanks! It was over the course of a few years

@ghabrielF 10 ай бұрын

Right now I'm stuck in this hell of applying to linkedin jobs and never hearing back, recently I heard back and they sent me a test, unfortunately I didn't pass. I was almost loosing my hopes, but this video came in a good time, thanks Thomas. I wish you luck in this new journey! Btw, this job you landed, was it remote? I live in a place with no studios nearby, so I'm mainly seeking remote opportunities.

@ThomasStewartDev 10 ай бұрын

Yup, I worked remotely! I know how difficult it can be - but you only need one! One interviewer I chatted with asked for a code sample, so I sent him one of my personal projects, and he emailed back with "Your code readability doesn't meets our expectations" - then sent an Amazon link to a book for how to write clean code 😂 (Ironically, that studio just started following me on Twitter) I think the best advice for getting job is having a polished looking portfolio - so definitely focus on that if you can!

@guilhermeholz1606 10 ай бұрын

Cool too see another Brazilian! I'm getting into Unity too, I recommend you to join his discord channel, we could share some experiences and I can point you to devs I know in the area

@ghabrielF 10 ай бұрын

@@ThomasStewartDev Thanks for the advice!

@ghabrielF 10 ай бұрын

@@guilhermeholz1606 I'm gonna do that, thanks

@ahm4642 10 ай бұрын

what is the name of book?@@ThomasStewartDev

@Uhfgood 2 ай бұрын

At least you're not selling me a product.

@ArabGameDev 10 ай бұрын

bro i started gamedev years ago and the total money i made is 95$ sometimes i think i should give up is not worth it at all

@ThomasStewartDev 10 ай бұрын

Nah man, keep up the good work! You got this 💪🏼

@ArabGameDev 10 ай бұрын

@@ThomasStewartDev what if i fail and waste my life chasing something doesn't work

@ThomasStewartDev 10 ай бұрын

@@ArabGameDev Life would be boring if there wasn't any risk. Maybe indie game dev won't work out for me - I dunno. But life is about more than jobs and money anyway. KZfaq and game dev come after my first priorities.

@ArabGameDev 10 ай бұрын

@@ThomasStewartDev because you are good financially when you are poor you will only think about jobs and money life is relative not absolute

@ThomasStewartDev 10 ай бұрын

@@ArabGameDev Hey man, that's fair. I hope things turn out great for you 👍

@arctiformgames 7 ай бұрын

Personally, im not pursuing the indie dev dream of becoming a massive success, but rather, i just really enjoy making games and want to do it as my career. The biggest reasons i dont want to do that for a company is because i want to work for myself. Ive been in the workforce for a decade now, so not a huge amount of time, but ive worked for many companies. Not all of them are bad, but i appreciate my own hard work when im doing it to grow my own visions and ideas more than doing it for a paycheck. So even if i make just enough to get by in the indie dev world ill be content and happy.

@ThomasStewartDev 7 ай бұрын

This is exactly how I feel too! I'm glad I got a game dev job, though, because it accelerated my learning and skillset tremendously. But my end goal is to make my own games while self-employed. And I'm right in the middle of that process, hoping it will work out. I don't want to make a ton of money, I just want to earn enough to justify continuing to make my own games.

@goroakechi8577 10 ай бұрын

Happy you got your dream job

@TYNEPUNK 4 ай бұрын

really elongated way to say get a job lol :) true though, I freelance as a unity game dev, been doing so for about 5 yrs, its made me around £25K, games that I have released myself even on switch and pc, has made me about £300. The truth is you are better off being hired to make other peoples games, so yeah, spot on mate.

@TheSpiritForceGD 5 ай бұрын

Very informative.

@Arab_GameDev 10 ай бұрын

Thanks that what am looking for , a place where i can learn the actual game dev on a game studio , am working on unity for a 3+ year and feel hungry 😅 to now how studios work

@ThomasStewartDev 10 ай бұрын

Awesome, glad you enjoyed it!

@swamipawar1803 10 ай бұрын

What would be your advice to a new comer how wants to be financialy successful as a game developer and how much time due you think a 18 year old new comer will need to make some descent money of game development

@ThomasStewartDev 10 ай бұрын

I think making money independently as a game dev is extremely difficult, and an enormous amount of the work is front loaded. My advice would be to learn the technical skills, create a couple small projects, put together an online portfolio, and apply to get a job in the industry. Your growth will be exponential, and you'll have a steady paycheck.

@swamipawar1803 10 ай бұрын

Thanku for the reply do you think a gamedev job and college can be done at same or no it requires time and is work from home option available and can my age(18) be a problem in getting job

@vast634 Ай бұрын

Build portfolio, apply for job. Realistic advice for many in the industry.

@dymardo_ 4 ай бұрын

The outcome of this video was unexpected. I'm used to the typical "you can be anyone you want if you work hard and university doesn't matter" and here it's the opposite: become a professional and find a job. I think having a coding degree is the biggest shortcut to success. You can buy sprites, you can buy music and you write the code yourself. Someone coming from visual art or music is going to have a bad time.

@flamart9703 4 ай бұрын

Yeah, unfortunately, game development, and especially making money from it, is much more than code, art and music, and therefore very insecure path. It requires a lot more effort than a regular job.

@veljkoradovanovic1130 8 ай бұрын

Here b4 this guy gets big on youtube

@ThomasStewartDev 8 ай бұрын

Bro you're gonna make me cry 😭

@abhisheksen8907 Ай бұрын

In job can someone earn in 300 k in game devloper

@Prfct_GM 4 ай бұрын

great. finally a realistic video

@tpvgg 3 ай бұрын

i wanted to make video game based on to tell & experience its dynamic storyline, with advanced physics, smooth motion matching locomotion system.

@CitizenCoder Ай бұрын

Ok, i had a good laugh at this. Honestly im glad you didnt say "i quit my job to make my dream game" 😂

@bonon_69 7 ай бұрын

You do deserve a subscribe. Here you go .

@ThomasStewartDev 7 ай бұрын

Well thank you very much! I hope to not disappoint.

@thesomantics 4 ай бұрын

10,000 layoffs in 2023, 6000 layoffs in 2023. Might be harder than it used to be to get into the game industry

@ThomasStewartDev 4 ай бұрын

Yeahhhh...that's one of the reasons I left my day job. Even the safe route isn't necessarily safe

@gamereactz 5 күн бұрын

Yet I broke through in December 2023.. if I would of followed the trend I'd still be in my old day job.

@nobody-zz8gp 2 ай бұрын

Great vdo🎉

@In-Airguns 7 ай бұрын

Ive had a mobile game idea for years i just keep adding shit to but have no idea where to start in bringing it to life so it shall forever live in limbo with my hopes and dreams

@achorjustin9807 Ай бұрын

I advise you to bring it to life. Start with a basic playable demo. Don't go beyond your scope. To cut it short, have a finished project. You must not implement all the ideas at first. With time you can add them as updates for instance; customisation section and all what not. Just start! You got this.

@In-Airguns Ай бұрын

@achorjustin9807 thanks for the motivation I needed that shit

@achorjustin9807 Ай бұрын

@@In-Airguns My pleasure😎

@Gawko 8 ай бұрын

Did you actually earn 300k? Or the company you worked for?

@ThomasStewartDev 7 ай бұрын

I did make over 300k - it was over the course of a few years

@tobinrysenga1894 3 ай бұрын

Although true in many ways, the current layoff trend makes this a very sad story for many.

@Lous_taunau 2 ай бұрын

11:50 me.

@abhisheksen8907 Ай бұрын

Can some can earn 300k to 500 k in game devlopee by doing job in united states

@JohnnyCashOriginal 9 ай бұрын

Why would you want a job. Thats the reason most people want to do this. They hate working for someone else. You didnt even show people what you did to advertise. I don't mean to be harsh, but that's the failure. There are so many shitty games that get millions of downloads. Clearly the issue is marketing! Its like building a kick ass website but never paying any attention to seo. This video is very discouraging

@ThomasStewartDev 9 ай бұрын

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not saying this is what everyone's path looks like, but I want to be realistic. Too many people on KZfaq make game development look easy and very lucrative. And I think that's misleading - but still possible.

@JohnnyCashOriginal 9 ай бұрын

@@ThomasStewartDev I understand, but I find far fewer people making videos claiming its easy, and many more talking about specific challenges. I just think we should be encouraging people, most people understand that being a solo game dev is hard.

@jakeyhiebert9384 4 ай бұрын

How many years were you working in game dev till you reached $300,000?

@soulure 6 ай бұрын

hahahaha I'm so happy to see this vid, as a 25+ yr game dev (not years old, that's how long I've been in the industry and you've probably played a game I've made) I'm somewhere around 3mil from income and options from employment, never made anything significant from any personal project lol. sad but true. Yet I'm still here working on personal projects in my free time. it's a way of life I guess

@__Rizzler__ 6 ай бұрын

monehhhhhhhhh boaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

@RelaxVoy 6 ай бұрын

11:50😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@Johan-rm6ec 3 ай бұрын

You like GameDev do it. CCan you get a job get that over solodev because of experience and when ripe start on your own. Or mix. Development is a highly valuable skill, way better then swipe tiktok X youtube vids.

@darrylwolfe7359 13 күн бұрын

im 37 and im still a begginner.. Im a slow learner and I fear that I will not reach my dream of becoming a game developer.

@alejandrosuarez5893 6 күн бұрын

You can do it, bro! Big things take time and start small. Believe in yourself! You will rock it one day! 🌟

@darrylwolfe7359 3 күн бұрын

@@alejandrosuarez5893 thank you for your confidence in me.

@jarenagra2804 10 күн бұрын

how is someone paying you 300k a year as a newbie developer? especially now, theres a lot of talented people looking for jobs

@ArazStudio-op4cg 20 күн бұрын

I'm the get reviewed game dev 😅

@ludomancerstudio 3 ай бұрын

Well this video didn't aged very well, with all the layoffs going around I would say it is RISKIER to work in a game company than to run your own indie/solo game studio now.

@ryanze26 5 ай бұрын

TLDR: Get a Job

@jorcoco5300 Ай бұрын

plot twist. 1 month later he quit his job to become a indie game dev. The hypocrisy of that...

@redthunder6183 5 ай бұрын

0:45, felt like Minecraft should have also been mentioned

@full_throttle 3 ай бұрын

you lose at the indie game, the best part is not being a tool for soeone else. The best part its the freedom you get by working for yourself.

@wolnekolamosina 2 ай бұрын

This is a good video.... BUT! Why did you gave up man! You have done more than 99% of people who dream about financial freedom and at the end you agreed to get back in a cell of employment. What I only hope for is that you keep your day job to learn and make more games. The idea here is to make a conscious decision to keep trying to achieve the highest goal you can conceive off untill you make it... Or you die! Yes... You set a goal, 10 milions, 100 milions a billion, whatever crank your gears! And then do it for the rest of your life.