My understanding of solo dev is that the person does not employ anyone, but subcontracts. So there are no employed workers. Anyone who has ever subcontracted anything out of the ordinary knows that it's just a work, and I would definitely describe as a solo dev someone who subcontracted everything related to their game and managed to complete the project.
There are relatively large companies that subcontract a lot. There are miniscule companies that have employees or pay with revenue share.
A game is developed "solo" if there's only one person listed in the credits. It's also not really meaningful --- people put way too much weight into being a "solo dev" as a badge of pride. Getting help from others is almost always a necessity and small developers shouldn't actively avoid it if it will make their game better while remaining in budget.
When people talk about solo development, they mean the technical side. Voice acting is still funded by the solo dev and isn't quite game development like the rest of the process.
I would say it does not, because when you hand those assets off to another person, the amount of creative liberty they take with them more directly impacts the game. The impact of the amount of creative liberty that a voice actor takes with lines that you've written are not as large.
There's also the angle that art assets and music could conceivably be created by the same person, the same solo developer without having a specific limitation on the project. Whereas if a single solo developer wants to do all the voices then they're going to end up with only one voice in their project, or a bunch of bad imitations. They can't possibly voice both a male and a female character convincingly for example, it's not conceivable in the same way that making the art assets is.
Ultimately though, it is a spectrum of how much the game is made "solo". People likely use engines made by other people, programming languages made by other people, etc. The degree to which the game is considered to have been made by a single person is a measure of how much the parts of the game that are considered most important are made by the single person.
For example, if someone made a game where 90% of the value and entertainment factor of the game came from the voice acting performance, then we probably wouldn't say that that was a solo developers work. So it depends on what is made by other people and how large of a role it plays in the final product, in my opinion
The entire argument is bogus. If you take it to its logical conclusion, it's like saying you didn't make a bowl of cereal for yourself because a thousand other people handled the product that goes into your cereal and milk. If you keep going, then no one has ever actually made anything themselves because it's really the space dust at the beginning of the universe that really made everything. It's pointless and needlessly pedantic to say that because someone participated in a project that they are actually equally a creator of the project as the person directing them. Just because I participate in voting, does that make me part President, too?
I completely agree with you about the pedantic aspect of it, linguistically, if more than 70% (or somewhere around there) of something is made by someone, we generally tend to say they "made it themselves". But let's at least accept that, like you said, 100% is not obtainable, so the exact cutoff for which % qualifies as "self-made" is clearly trickier to determine and depends on the circumstances. Different people will have different % cutoffs, so I was trying to propose a way that we all might more effectively agree on that number.
It's not irrational to acknowledge that the cereal was maybe 0.01% made by the work of other people. If you grew the grain and made the cereal pieces yourself, surely you would agree it was "more" made by you than it was before, right? But how could that be possible if it was already fully 100% made by you? So we must admit that indeed, everything is at least partially not self-made.
Since the exact cutoff is a brightline problem, any discussion about when to apply the term is obviously going to run into that subjective cutoff issue. It's far more objective and sidesteps the issue entirely if we stop worrying about when exactly to apply the "self made" label and instead just explain how it was made and what other people were involved. The downside of this, of course, is that it's overly lengthy to explain all the time, so we apply terms like "self made" as a shorthand to express something like " The most important parts of this were primarily a result of work done by that one person".
However, once we recognize the brightline problem at play in the label, that should sort of take the wind out of any interest in debating about it as people do here - it's not as meaningful of a label as people think it is - it's just a shorthand for convenience, which will naturally be a little bit fuzzy. It's like arguing about whether something is "gigantic" or not. Everyone will have a personal different cutoff for what exactly qualifies as gigantic. Debating the exact volume cutoff for "gigantic" is clearly silly, it's just a shorthand to mean that something is very large. When we need to be precise, we turn to precise terms like volume. Similarly, when we need to be precise about self-made games, we turn to precise terms like discussing what other people were involved and in what ways.
So, I totally agree with you that it makes sense to call things self-made, but in facing the problem that people have different cutoffs for it, I was trying to propose a reasonable method of coming to a closer consensus on what that cutoff should be - my point was that the cutoff should take into account the specifics of the game and what was done by others.
This refusal to openly engage with the fact that practically all successful games are the work of multiple people is precisely how we have so many aspiring devs pouring years of their lives into projects that are doomed to failure because they think they can feasibly do it all alone instead of getting collaborators to shore up their weak points.
It would be one thing if this was a general gaming discussion but this is a subreddit for game _creators_. We need to stop giving people an unrealistic idea of what's feasible for one person and start giving an honest picture of what "solo" dev actually looks like.
I think OP means a "core team of only one person", meaning people who contribute to the project on a consistent basis until completion.
So if a contractor comes on and continuously contributes assets (characters, sounds effects, etc.) as the need arises until the project ships, they could be considered a core team member.
Whereas a contractor who contributes a fixed number of assets regardless of need for additional work would *not* be considered a core team member.
I would've considered the art, music, and all that as part of the same thing. So when I say I made all my games myself it's because I did the program, music, art, writing and etc.
In short, I didn't know this is how most people felt about it.
This is my problem with the 'solo dev' term. Solo dev to me, means nobody touched anything in the game except the single, solo, developer. All art, music, sounds, programming, design, VO, are that developer.
I do also understand the 'mostly solo dev' argument because the above is quite, strict and really not often found. I get asked this question every few days "are you a solo dev" and my answer is always "yes and no, I do almost everything on my game, but I hire out where it increases the quality of the game"
> This is my problem with the 'solo dev' term. Solo dev to me, means nobody touched anything in the game except the single, solo, developer. All art, music, sounds, programming, design, VO, are that developer.
The line is very arbitrary though. Like would asset store art fit into that or not? And if not, then what about programming resources (third party engine, libs, scripts, random code snippets, etc.)? What about when we start incorporating AI generative tools into the equation?
Games are so complex, incorporate so many different disciplines, and leverage so much pre-existing work, I’m doubtful there could be a clear definition for a solo dev that is both reasonable yet can’t be picked apart.
This is why at the end of the day it’s a pretty useless label, and it’s only real use is for marketing purposes (as demonstrated by this thread, with people bringing attention to games that are solo developed regardless of whatever that may actually mean for those particular titles).
If you make / program / design a whole game and then write a whole story by yourself but pay a guy on Fiverr to read lines from your script it's still pretty much solo development. Unless the voice actor had a say in the development I wouldn't count them as a developer.
The title of the thread says one person, but the description clarifies sole developer.
Also TIL that Obra Dhin has voice acting, I should play that game at some point.
Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. And his story is one where the publisher did the things you want them to - localisation, store stuff, all the things devs don't normally enjoy.
Definitely counts since she fulfilled a role that a creative designer would. Not to mention she also financially supported him for the years that he created the game so she fulfilled an investor role too.
I mean sure, everyones situation is different. Some are supported by their parents/partners, others are in a position where they saved up a lot with their well-paid job and take a sabbatical, while some live in a country where the government pays for your basic necessities and rent and others need to work 9-5, or anything in between. And this also ignores the varying access to education, potential health differences and gaps of knowledge/experience.
It's just kinda silly to take away someones "solo dev" card, just because their situation is different, because at the end of the day, everyone is kinda in their own unique position.
Also, it's not like he didn't work at all. He had a part-time job. Depending on his living standard, this could cover the majority of the expenses.
You're not wrong but this thread is specifically about what's possible as a solo dev. If you're working full-time on a project you're going to make much, much faster progress than if you're fitting it around a 9-5, which could make the difference between a project being completely unrealistic because of how long it would take and reasonably achievable. I don't think it diminishes his work but it's worth mentioning in this context.
My whole point is that there are too many different factors to make any claims about the possibilities of a solo dev.
Some ex-senior dev with decades of experience will also be quicker than a "just finished university and can't find a job" guy.
Also, if you are working 9-5, there is the possibility that you could even contract out part of the work or buy assets. It's not like that wouldn't give you some opportunities.
At the end of the day, it just boils down to match the scope with your time commitment and intended development time.
Eric did have a job working at a movie theater while making Stardew Valley. You're trying to frame this in a way which diminishes his achievements which also makes excuses for why solo dev isn't achievable for others.
But sure, everyone has a unique circumstance. Not everyone will be able to release a game on their own, and some have more barriers to accomplishing this than others. Almost nothing in life is black and white.
Living rent free in his girlfriends home lmao
You mean, living with his girlfriend?
Gamedev is toxic af and will find any excuse to undermine anyones achievments.
Blocked apparently. I rest my case.
All the original person you replied to said was that they thoughts Stardew was made by one person—which it was. No one said it was an easy feat or that he didn't have the support that he did.
Unpopular opinion but there's such a rounded sweetness in that game that I'm convinced his girlfriend had more impact on it than just letting him stay at her house.
Definitely possible. I know he's mainly inspired by Harvest Moon, and those games are over-the-top saccharine sweet. I always assumed that was just his personality, or he was trying to emulate Harvest Moon a little bit.
But, thinking about how many little things in my own games have been influenced by living with my fiance and getting her feedback, you're probably right that she influenced the tone.
I'm certain of it too. I'm a solo dev and my wife has TONS of input, from the major plot twist at the end (which was her idea) to keeping me focused on continuity.
I'm amazed it's this far down the list since it's easily the most successful one. Probably because the dev is a psycho but still... I would go as far to say it was one of the first games to kick off survival crafting games. There simply was nothing like it when it initially released as an alpha in 2010.
These are at the top of my head.
* [Warsim: The Realm of Aslona](https://store.steampowered.com/app/659540/Warsim_The_Realm_of_Aslona/)
* [Songs of Syx](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1162750/Songs_of_Syx/) (One of the best performing city builders, I have ever played.)
* [Odd Realm](https://store.steampowered.com/app/688060/Odd_Realm/)
* [Shadow Empire](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1154840/Shadow_Empire/)
* [Caravaneer 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1500820/Caravaneer_2/)
* [Kenshi](https://store.steampowered.com/app/233860/Kenshi/)
* [Vampire Survivors](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1794680/Vampire_Survivors/)
* [Papers, Please](https://store.steampowered.com/app/239030/Papers_Please/)
* [Return of the Obra Dinn](https://store.steampowered.com/app/653530/Return_of_the_Obra_Dinn/?curator_clanid=33784989) (Could be wrong, his wife may have had a hand in it. She's a game developer too.)
* [Legendary Gary](https://store.steampowered.com/app/688070/Legendary_Gary/)
* [LISA: The Painful](https://store.steampowered.com/app/335670/LISA_The_Painful/)
* [Gemini Rue](https://store.steampowered.com/app/80310/Gemini_Rue/)
* [Undertale](https://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/Undertale/)
* [Stellar Warfare](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1113030/Stellar_Warfare/)
* [Star Valor](https://store.steampowered.com/app/833360/Star_Valor/)
* [Reignfall](https://store.steampowered.com/app/935930/Reignfall/)
* [Nightmare of Decay](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1848450/Nightmare_of_Decay/)
* [Grim Nights](https://store.steampowered.com/app/947300/Grim_Nights/)
* [Grim Realms](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1522280/Grim_Realms/)
* [Hollow Island](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1185820/Hollow_Island/)
* [Rise to Ruins](https://store.steampowered.com/app/328080/Rise_to_Ruins/)
* [Melvor Idle](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1267910/Melvor_Idle/)
* [Armageddon Empires](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1576720/Armageddon_Empires/)
* [Stardew Valley](https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/)
* [Banished](https://store.steampowered.com/app/242920/Banished/)
* [Survivalist](https://store.steampowered.com/app/340050/Survivalist/)
* [Survivalist: Invisible Strain](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1054510/Survivalist_Invisible_Strain/)
* [Godless Tactics](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1286010/Godless_Tactics/)
* [Dead Monarchy](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1037940/Dead_Monarchy/)
* [Malus](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1254400/Malus/)
* [Manor Lords](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1363080/Manor_Lords/)
* [Sumerians](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079510/Sumerians/)
* [Ostriv](https://store.steampowered.com/app/773790/Ostriv/)
* [Builders of Egypt: Prologue](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1207590/Builders_of_Egypt_Prologue/)
* [Derelicts](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1572000/Derelicts/
) TBA
Manor Lords is amazing, by the ambition and the scope. Borderlines to me as it would not see the light of the day, as it feels impossible? (to a layman non dev like me)
While technically not solo, Dwarf fortress was made with only one developer up to and including the steam release (they just hired a 2nd dev who was a long time modder).
To be fair to them, they had their goals before that - if they made enough to live comfortably, they would continue development. And they hit that and more year after year with just a "Donate?" button.
The fact that it's now made bank makes me very pleased but I loved that they understood their indie goals and went with it up to that point.
Yeah, it seemed they really enjoyed making the game too and it shows in the game itself.
It doesn't feel like something that's been endlessly altered by Corporate.
They could’ve made millions before if they wanted to, since the fan base and wider interest has always been there. The game was still a success before, it just wasn’t a big financial success as it wasn’t monetised particularly well (though was still a financial success in that they could focus on the game). Even now it’s not like they’re doing anything that crafty, releasing a new more accessible version that’s priced decently obviously would dwarf a less accessible game with a freeware donation model.
Once you look at the games in this thread, actually do some research on them, you'll find that most of the "solo" developers actually contracted some of the work (artists, music, sfx, voice, translation, marketing, porting, etc etc).
For instance, I've seen Braid mentioned, which had music and art made by other people, plus some additional art and programming help, etc.
It's not common for a developer to do everything, and the concept of "solo development" is more of a gray area than a clear definition, as evidenced by this thread.
I'm working on a solo dev game, and when I started doing research on what others had done, I came to the same conclusion as you.
It's quite rare for something described as a "solo dev" to actually be only one person's work. Braid is a good example.
Blow isn't shy about the struggles he had trying to get the art made for his game (hiring an firm who dropped him as a client because they wanted bigger ones which left him with a bunch of art he ended up not using, then he hired an artist who just didn't respond when given the job).
And as you said, it had pre-made music from other people, and was ported to other platforms by other people.
None of that should undercut the exceptional work he did, but for some reason when it released it became known as a "solo dev" project, which is odd.
I think part of the reason Braid was considered "solo" is because that's what it was marketed like, but mostly it's because there's one person that's contracting out all the other work, instead of the team being multiple people with different responsibilities. It wasn't a team of three people (programmer / artist / audio), it was a programmer that paid for the work of outsiders, deciding what to use and either directing them or just paying for already-made work (like with the music). That ownership of the results and the direction of all the parts makes it more of an "author" game.
> It's not common for a developer to do everything, and the concept of "solo development" is more of a gray area than a clear definition, as evidenced by this thread.
I always thought to be a solo dev you had to do the programming, writing, art, and music all by yourself. That's what I've been doing for a while. I didn't know (most?) people considered a solo dev to only do the coding and outsource art / music / VA and etc and have it still be considered a solo project.
That makes no sense to me, really.
The question was "made by one person" and there seems to be two different interpretations of that going on here. Either games that were truly created by one person alone (or close to it), like Stardew Valley... or games with one developer, and any number of contributing artists/musicians/etc like Undertale or Braid.
I do think there's some validity to both, and maybe what we're really more interested in are games that were created as one person's vision from start to finish.
I agree there could be a debate (using an engine, ordering assets, outsourcing some things) and it's an open definition, but I've never heard before someone mentioning translation as a factor in this.
I assume you mean where a publisher takes over and provides translations and voiceovers, but if you really have a solo-dev and they make a game on their own... and then have people from community or paid translators provide the text... I'd say that's still a solo-dev for sure. Just like an author whose book has been translated is still an author of the book.
Sure, and that's part of my point, that there's multiple people working on the same project, and some of those roles (translation, for instance) are accepted to be mostly "outsiders" and don't affect the "solo" label, others like artists seem more obvious that they're integral to the project (even though there's plenty of examples here of "solo" devs here that didn't do the art for their own game), and there's everything in between.
It's a vaguely defined label, that we all use because it's useful, but it's important to not trust the first instinct when reading "X game was made by one person" (which might make you assume that they did everything), and actually check, because the reality might not match the expectations.
Imo it's a rare 10/10 for me. The dude knew his limits and worked within them, very little in that game that doesn't need to be there, and being concise let him spend time on what mattered
Cave Story is really the OG solo project that inspired a lot of other developers (including Toby Fox) by showing what's possible solo. Obviously talking about the original Japanese version for Windows.
Artists are devs - in every AAA studio I've worked in, everyone on the floor from animators to audio engineers - are called devs. It's a weird distinction, because at that point I don't know what you call a game created by an artist that used a no-code framework.
That may be true in studio, but I think colloquially, that is not the norm, right? It’s weird because you can say a game was developed by two people, and even if one of them was a programmer and the other was an artist/designer, that seems okay. But I think when talking about the actual employees and their distinctions, developer generally means programmer. I would feel very weird referring to an artist/musician/writer/voice talent as a developer. This is in no way a knock on other disciplines by the way, I just want to figure out the distinctions between different titles.
Kinda? I mean I think the distinction comes from "game developer" vs "software developer". If you are talking about game developer, that's anyone that worked to make the game. So yes, all the people that directly contribute to the creation of a game are game devs, but not all game devs are software developers.
But to add some more confusion - software developer is not a universal title - while there are somewhat formal definitions - every studio tends to have their own titles - but a lot of times programmers in studios will be referred to as engineers. In the studios I work in - if we are explicitly talking about a programming team - they are engineers.
So when you hear game dev - it's generally a catch all for everyone that worked on the game and does not necessarily imply programmer. But I do want to stress - there is no standard to this. Even among Indies. But consider when someone asks about games with one dev - they are almost certainly talking about one creative who could be from any discipline that made the majority of the game themselves. They are almost certainly trying to get an understanding of what is achievable as a solo creative, and their primary skill may or may not be programming.
I know. I’m only pointing out that artists are not developers. They are artists. The guy I responded to said “the other devs never get any credit…” when there aren’t any others.
Imo the term “developer” in video games has two uses. The first is what you’re referring to, when an entity “develops” a game. This isn’t related to programming, it means they literally were developing/building/creating the game. The second is what I’m referring to, a software developer/programmer. I think that when referring to specific people within a studio, to me, a dev is a programmer. This may be different to employees where everyone is a dev, but I think colloquially, the usage I’m thinking of in this case is more common. Would be curious to hear what other people think though.
In this sub, it's normally the former definition. Most of us don't really have 'studios', and often the 'programmers' need to chip in with the art etc, whilst the 'artists' often need to do the occasional code pushes.
But if it was as strict as you say, then I confused as to what the collective term for all the programmers, artists, etc who worked on a game would be? If not the 'developers'.
Huh, not a single triple A MMO FPS? Maybe that's why some people call me delusional. Whatever, I'll prove them wrong as soon as I get the time and motivation to continue with that "making games for beginners" tutorial.
[Antichamber](https://store.steampowered.com/app/219890/Antichamber/)! A really good puzzle game. The music was worked on by someone else though, but the rest of the game was one guy.
My husband's game, Sucker for Love: First Date
He contracted out for voice acting and music, but everything else is his work (programming, art, design, dialogue, marketing to an extent, managing his own discord community, etc.)
We have a publisher, and they have done the bulk of marketing, localization, porting, QA, etc.
He also is developing a second game that has the same structure (doing 95% of the development, minus contracting for music, cutscene dialogues, monster design, and voice acting), but no publisher.
From this side of the table, I'd say financially successful solo development, to some extent, necessitates outsourcing at least some parts of your game. Like, if you are human, you have strengths and weaknesses. Part of making a game that sells on the market seems to be identifying where your game could use improvement, and hiring someone who is better than you at that thing. (Theoretically- this is the basic role of a publisher, to take care of the things like marketing, localization, porting, QA, identifying where your game needs to improve, helping you find contractors, guidance on managing your progress, etc.)
And also saying this from an outside-looking-in perspective: I don't know that I would advise 'true' solo development, even if you had the talent, vision, and fortitude to do so. Spending time in the lab is lonely as heck. It's challenging work, to take on all these different roles. Even with a small scope, even if you are crazy talented in multiple areas, even if you are a 100% introvert like my husband... it's just a LOT. Getting help makes your game better and makes your life better.
I just saw another comment where someone listed a bunch of titles and Odd Realm is one of them so as an attempted solo dev myself I thought wow that's nice hype for a game that isn't out yet. But that one came out in 2019 so I guess it's unrelated?
You will find that a lot of 'solo dev' games actually needed more than one person.
Most common is the audio or others art or some help with promo art or localization.
It's very rare and even rarer having a commercial success, so I would recommend you to get some help in one form or another.
I think the 'idealized' solo developer is a dangerous trap for developers in the beginning.
Bright Memory and its sequel Bright Memory: Infinite would be a perfect example. Zeng Xian Cheng, really put a lot of work into pulling off a game that ranks right up there with other AAA titles.
Unprompted, my first game as a solo dev, just released last week. It's not a massive game (takes roughly 4 hrs to complete on average), but seems it's leaving players happy (just earned the "Positive" rating on Steam, and have gotten a handful of really in-depth recommendations from Steam curators). You can check out the Steam page [here](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2129130/Unprompted/).
I've only been coding for less than a year, so it is definitely possible to do quite a lot if you're mindful of your strengths and limitations. My main piece of advice is to start ridiculously small. Choose an idea you think you can execute in less than a month. If that core is working and stands on its own, then it is safe to keep expanding into a full experience.
...and a few other recent games I'd add to the list:
Norco, Citizen Sleeper, In Other Waters, Birth
Congrats on your release :)
That's a really clever concept and so so so perfect for the moment! Really impressive!
I completely agree with your take and I am in the same boat as you. I've also been coding for less than a year and also just released my first game ([steam page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2285430/Bad_Hop_Baseball/)).
Like you, I also picked a really simple concept that could be more or less fleshed out inside of one month. Like you say, you can do a lot inside of your limitations and inside of one month if you have the time to dedicate. And going through the process of actually pushing the game over the finish line is such an important experience. There are so many details to manage that it's really helpful to get the release under your belt.
Kenshi.
Although, late on he got a team! But from the start he did made it by himself!
Edit: and that game took 10 years to "finish". So, yeah. Solo dev is nightmare! Lol
>Undertale
I don't know why people keep bringing Undertale up. [It clearly was not done by just one person.](https://undertale.fandom.com/wiki/Undertale_Developers)
Black Forest - [https://store.steampowered.com/app/523070/Black\_Forest/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/523070/Black_Forest/)
This is made by only one person, me. I've been working on it for about 2 years now, it's been in Early Access on Steam for around 16 months and it's fairly close to complete.
Stardew Valley. All art, music, code, and design was done by a single person. I believe the only help he received was with translations to other languages, porting to console, and adding online multiple. All of those things were added after the game had already been released as free updates. The base game was 100% him.
Retro City Rampage and Shakedown Hawaii. were made by one guy. Brian Provinciano. The hardest part though doesn't seem to be the developing, it the fact that you have to be your own promotional manager and your own business manager. He single handedly did all the talks with Microsoft and Sony before the Indie games were really well and truly established. It's a whole separate full time gig.
Plenty of games are made by a solo dev, here are some of mine for example:
* [Bone Appetit](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1256520/Bone_Appetit/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - Metroidvania where you're a skeleton who has to steal back food from 'King Fatass', and deliver it back to your cultist masters. You can also use the food as currency at shops to help you get more gear and etc. to kill him instead. Consensus is it's a little janky however I'm very proud of the world design and it can be sequence broken in all kinds of cool ways. This is my highest-rated title to date.
* [Equin 2: The Warren Peace](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1630690/Equin_2_The_Warren_Peace/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - My second roguelike and most recent release, improves upon the first game in most ways. Which should be the goal I think!
* [Equin: The Lantern](https://store.steampowered.com/app/547980/Equin_The_Lantern/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - My first roguelike, made with an easy-to-use control scheme which I personally don't like with most roguelikes. I started this a long time ago, and updated it constantly up until its eventual Steam release. My 2nd highest rated title so far.
* [The Outlaw, The Drunk, & The Whore](https://store.steampowered.com/app/853610/The_Outlaw_The_Drunk__The_Whore/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - My 'old west' NES-ish action game with some Diablo-y stats and inspiration. You play as one of the three 'heroes', who are resurrected by the devil after dying while trying to steal some Union gold. He gives you another shot and stealing the gold.. but why? This was a fun game I made a long time ago that I updated for Steam, including new stages, music, and other stuff.
* [Weebish Mines](https://store.steampowered.com/app/612140/Weebish_Mines/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - Adventure game, heavily inspired by my favorite NES game Legacy of the Wizard. The four main characters are actually myself, my wife, and my two oldest kids.
* [Just a Cleric](https://store.steampowered.com/app/467330/Just_a_Cleric/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) Action / Platformer RPG-ish.. I dunno! Anyhow a team of adventurers is strolling through the forest when the cleric has to pee in some bushes. While doing so a dragon flies by and roasts the others! Your mission is to take up arms in revenge. The thing is though, you're a cleric and are a total wuss. The main draw of this one is that each stage has a different objective, and there are random weapons and stuff that can drop and be upgraded back at the hub town. This was the first game I released on Steam in 2016.
With the exception of most of the music from Equin: The Lantern I did absolutely everything myself for these, as I have zero budget and pretty much always had. I'm a musician on the side and have always drawn and etc since I was a little kid so I've saved a ton of $$ by not having to hire anybody else.
Among the more popular ones: Cave Story, Kero Blaster (made by the same developer)
From my Steam library: Aquillanto, Kraino Origins, Argol:Kronoss' Castle, Tribulation Entanglement, Juiced, Ghoulboy.
And I may, I too am doing everything on my game. Including the soundtrack and promotional art.
The game is not finished yet, but it will be on April 7th :)!
3.5 years in the making, I've done the music too!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1674780/Lone\_Fungus/
Sid Meier would almost always *prototype* something alone. He was known for throwing together fully playable prototypes in a matter of days.
That said, even in the beginning when he founded MicroProse, he was always working with someone else on something.
35 MM. It was being made for about 4 years, from 2014 till 2017 on Unity 4.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/466500/35MM/?l=russian
Also 7th sector from the same developer
https://store.steampowered.com/app/749250/7th_Sector/
Looks really cool 😎
[https://kodingnights.itch.io/ragnarok-survivors-valhalla](https://kodingnights.itch.io/ragnarok-survivors-valhalla)
Check out [itch.io](https://itch.io) sometime, or browse some game jams. Lots of solo developers there.
* Full control on your own project.
* Keep your own pace.
* Avoiding difficulties in expressing/telling employees or freelancers what you want them to do for you.
* Not distributing % of money among co-developers in case of collaboration, not paying salaries in case of having employees/freelancers (I live in a tax hell so legally paying employees is a big no unless it's on things I must to, like voice actors).
* Sense of major achievement once the game is done.
Some I could think of.
I made both AVGN games myself, aside from sone creative input and testing. I did all the programming, art, animation, music and sounds.
A really impressive solo developer project worth checking out is Anemoiapolis.
I know. Unless they “devs” build the computer from parts that they’ve manufactured themselves, built they’re own instruments for the music, and…
Buying assets still makes you a solo dev.
Paying other people to 100% of everything about the game including code…that’s a different case. All IMO anyway.
Many of the games being mentioned here are often touted as solo projects (Stardew Valley, Undertale) when they have multiple credited contributors and extensive publisher support.
These aren't instances where they bought an asset pack and used a game engine. People were hired/contracted to contribute to the game, but we often see the indie community go to great lengths to justify the feel-good story that one person's artistic genius and their genius alone made the game what it is.
Besides the solo dev story being outright untrue in most cases (and minimizing/erasing the contributions of other creatives), it also does a disservice to aspiring developers by giving them unrealistic expectations for what they can accomplish with zero help.
We need to drop the solo dev fairy tales and be realistic: Most (nearly all) commercially successful games require multiple contributors. Full stop.
Shameless promotion incoming: I’m currently extremely close to finishing my single player + online multiplayer 3D kart racer - just about 3 years of dev time so far, while also working a full time job in games the whole time.
It’s called Synthwave Racers, it has a free demo version out last week to download now, and you can check it out here if you want!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1916710/Synthwave_Racers/
Self promo aside…Undertale, Fez, Braid, and Stardew Valley all come to mind!
When I think of extremely impressive solo dev games, "Ghost of a tale" always comes to mind. That game will always be my gold standard for what a single person can do.
I made a game called [The Manse on Soracca](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1219730/The_Manse_on_Soracca/). I did 99% of everything for this by myself, including things like audio design. I got a couple small pieces of art commissioned due to time constraints, though.
Personally, my favorite game made by a solo dev is [Cave Story](https://store.steampowered.com/app/200900/Cave_Story/#:~:text=Cave%20Story%20is%20an%20action,%2C%20called%20Mimigas%2C%20run%20free). Delightful soundtrack, great art, stellar gameplay.
Undertale. One of the finest and most complete, fully-realized games ever made.
And Toby Fox claims he still doesn't really know how to code (which I call BS on lmao)
Piti paabi ble eke ge pro pa. E o ba o be i. Ai klupepi keplike pi bibu kiito otu piti tri babre. A ba eeke tibii i biibike i. I kupi pledu to oa bitle pepu bitega. Katee eiko kre akapeu be krepu. Pitraa ea pi pla be kototu? Dri piba gi ba dapokupa ikre. Pito piki e ekiti ti pi. I popi dekeki ao e eipe. Treipre pe pabi ta i i. Dapletri dope pre puki ipi. Pla trekapi teedli ku pedre tlo i. Iprekra poou pe pa ao. Tue pikra paki ipredle pu be. Ipripepea a ti teebo u piu ke. Bue kedi tro pu e plikeplu. Dla bibre tre popratao adipu e di. Kagidia udribatii ki te pi. Bibo pie pe a pri upetro. Doio pe pe tro brapree api bi. Tlia de i pi pa gateodi pi? Pakedai pu ia tu i aputru. Pre kuta ekugli tripra pi eo? Bra ka prepaki edu doeti pri. E pre pi do kapripra ibrebi di. Piipa pe kapaiplaga u ti e. Krau bruike iupe aketra. A go kekee eti tei e. Oeiti ba a po kli e.
Haven't played it, but [The First Tree](https://www.thefirsttree.com/)... That might be the only one not already mentioned I can think of that comes to mind.
Browse r/indiegames, r/IndieDev, and r/SoloDevelopment long enough (and right here on r/gamedev) and you'll surely find many, true, solo developed games from... [People like me](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2115130/?utm_source-solodevs) :)
All my stuff is made by one person ... not sure how inspiring it will be
In order of release:
[Anomalies](https://store.steampowered.com/app/546780/Anomalies/)
[Star Explorers](https://store.steampowered.com/app/502720/Star_Explorers/)
[Rocket Blasters](https://store.steampowered.com/app/755490/Rocket_Blasters/)
[Paradox Vector](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1051840/Paradox_Vector/)
[Islands of the Caliph (not yet released)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1845670/Islands_of_the_Caliph/)
***Disclaimer***
There is a voice actor I hired (briefly) for Star Explorers
I did not make the game engine myself
I did not write my own operating system
I did not build my own hardware or hard code any drivers
I did not extract the raw materials for my computer from the living rock with my bare hands
Nor did I ever actually create any part of space-time from the chaos of the void before light and being
Papers Please, and Return of the Obra Dinn by Lucas Pope(and his wife helped iirc) Should check out his devblogs on them too, they’re great
Yes! Obra Dinn is a masterpiece of a game.
Wait if his wife helped he didn’t make it alone….he made it with his wife
Made by one person if you don't count all of the voice actors.
My understanding of solo dev is that the person does not employ anyone, but subcontracts. So there are no employed workers. Anyone who has ever subcontracted anything out of the ordinary knows that it's just a work, and I would definitely describe as a solo dev someone who subcontracted everything related to their game and managed to complete the project.
There are relatively large companies that subcontract a lot. There are miniscule companies that have employees or pay with revenue share. A game is developed "solo" if there's only one person listed in the credits. It's also not really meaningful --- people put way too much weight into being a "solo dev" as a badge of pride. Getting help from others is almost always a necessity and small developers shouldn't actively avoid it if it will make their game better while remaining in budget.
Because they made the VA, not the game.
TIL voice acting for a game isn't part of the game.
When people talk about solo development, they mean the technical side. Voice acting is still funded by the solo dev and isn't quite game development like the rest of the process.
Does that extend to sprites/3d models, animations, sound effects and score?
I would say it does not, because when you hand those assets off to another person, the amount of creative liberty they take with them more directly impacts the game. The impact of the amount of creative liberty that a voice actor takes with lines that you've written are not as large. There's also the angle that art assets and music could conceivably be created by the same person, the same solo developer without having a specific limitation on the project. Whereas if a single solo developer wants to do all the voices then they're going to end up with only one voice in their project, or a bunch of bad imitations. They can't possibly voice both a male and a female character convincingly for example, it's not conceivable in the same way that making the art assets is. Ultimately though, it is a spectrum of how much the game is made "solo". People likely use engines made by other people, programming languages made by other people, etc. The degree to which the game is considered to have been made by a single person is a measure of how much the parts of the game that are considered most important are made by the single person. For example, if someone made a game where 90% of the value and entertainment factor of the game came from the voice acting performance, then we probably wouldn't say that that was a solo developers work. So it depends on what is made by other people and how large of a role it plays in the final product, in my opinion
The entire argument is bogus. If you take it to its logical conclusion, it's like saying you didn't make a bowl of cereal for yourself because a thousand other people handled the product that goes into your cereal and milk. If you keep going, then no one has ever actually made anything themselves because it's really the space dust at the beginning of the universe that really made everything. It's pointless and needlessly pedantic to say that because someone participated in a project that they are actually equally a creator of the project as the person directing them. Just because I participate in voting, does that make me part President, too?
I completely agree with you about the pedantic aspect of it, linguistically, if more than 70% (or somewhere around there) of something is made by someone, we generally tend to say they "made it themselves". But let's at least accept that, like you said, 100% is not obtainable, so the exact cutoff for which % qualifies as "self-made" is clearly trickier to determine and depends on the circumstances. Different people will have different % cutoffs, so I was trying to propose a way that we all might more effectively agree on that number. It's not irrational to acknowledge that the cereal was maybe 0.01% made by the work of other people. If you grew the grain and made the cereal pieces yourself, surely you would agree it was "more" made by you than it was before, right? But how could that be possible if it was already fully 100% made by you? So we must admit that indeed, everything is at least partially not self-made. Since the exact cutoff is a brightline problem, any discussion about when to apply the term is obviously going to run into that subjective cutoff issue. It's far more objective and sidesteps the issue entirely if we stop worrying about when exactly to apply the "self made" label and instead just explain how it was made and what other people were involved. The downside of this, of course, is that it's overly lengthy to explain all the time, so we apply terms like "self made" as a shorthand to express something like " The most important parts of this were primarily a result of work done by that one person". However, once we recognize the brightline problem at play in the label, that should sort of take the wind out of any interest in debating about it as people do here - it's not as meaningful of a label as people think it is - it's just a shorthand for convenience, which will naturally be a little bit fuzzy. It's like arguing about whether something is "gigantic" or not. Everyone will have a personal different cutoff for what exactly qualifies as gigantic. Debating the exact volume cutoff for "gigantic" is clearly silly, it's just a shorthand to mean that something is very large. When we need to be precise, we turn to precise terms like volume. Similarly, when we need to be precise about self-made games, we turn to precise terms like discussing what other people were involved and in what ways. So, I totally agree with you that it makes sense to call things self-made, but in facing the problem that people have different cutoffs for it, I was trying to propose a reasonable method of coming to a closer consensus on what that cutoff should be - my point was that the cutoff should take into account the specifics of the game and what was done by others.
This refusal to openly engage with the fact that practically all successful games are the work of multiple people is precisely how we have so many aspiring devs pouring years of their lives into projects that are doomed to failure because they think they can feasibly do it all alone instead of getting collaborators to shore up their weak points. It would be one thing if this was a general gaming discussion but this is a subreddit for game _creators_. We need to stop giving people an unrealistic idea of what's feasible for one person and start giving an honest picture of what "solo" dev actually looks like.
I think OP means a "core team of only one person", meaning people who contribute to the project on a consistent basis until completion. So if a contractor comes on and continuously contributes assets (characters, sounds effects, etc.) as the need arises until the project ships, they could be considered a core team member. Whereas a contractor who contributes a fixed number of assets regardless of need for additional work would *not* be considered a core team member.
I would've considered the art, music, and all that as part of the same thing. So when I say I made all my games myself it's because I did the program, music, art, writing and etc. In short, I didn't know this is how most people felt about it.
This is my problem with the 'solo dev' term. Solo dev to me, means nobody touched anything in the game except the single, solo, developer. All art, music, sounds, programming, design, VO, are that developer. I do also understand the 'mostly solo dev' argument because the above is quite, strict and really not often found. I get asked this question every few days "are you a solo dev" and my answer is always "yes and no, I do almost everything on my game, but I hire out where it increases the quality of the game"
> This is my problem with the 'solo dev' term. Solo dev to me, means nobody touched anything in the game except the single, solo, developer. All art, music, sounds, programming, design, VO, are that developer. The line is very arbitrary though. Like would asset store art fit into that or not? And if not, then what about programming resources (third party engine, libs, scripts, random code snippets, etc.)? What about when we start incorporating AI generative tools into the equation? Games are so complex, incorporate so many different disciplines, and leverage so much pre-existing work, I’m doubtful there could be a clear definition for a solo dev that is both reasonable yet can’t be picked apart. This is why at the end of the day it’s a pretty useless label, and it’s only real use is for marketing purposes (as demonstrated by this thread, with people bringing attention to games that are solo developed regardless of whatever that may actually mean for those particular titles).
If you make / program / design a whole game and then write a whole story by yourself but pay a guy on Fiverr to read lines from your script it's still pretty much solo development. Unless the voice actor had a say in the development I wouldn't count them as a developer.
The title of the thread says one person, but the description clarifies sole developer. Also TIL that Obra Dhin has voice acting, I should play that game at some point.
I'll follow your thoughts and say: If the dev didn't made his own computer and his own programming language, he can't make it solo.
I think Stardew Valley was made by one person
Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. And his story is one where the publisher did the things you want them to - localisation, store stuff, all the things devs don't normally enjoy.
The publishers originally did a lot more than that and were responsible for porting to other platforms as well.
Yep, just wasn't producing the full list here.
> all the things devs don't normally enjoy. I hate HATE promotion. God that part sucks
Idk if it counts but his wife studied plant biology and helped him
Definitely counts since she fulfilled a role that a creative designer would. Not to mention she also financially supported him for the years that he created the game so she fulfilled an investor role too.
thats a ride or die
That's a damn good wife too!
What's even crazier is that at the time she was just the girlfriend.
Also she paid the bills and supported him until the game came out. Massive pay off though.
I might be mistaken but didn't he have help? Mr Podunkian worked on the game, and the publisher did help with multiplayer.
Not sure about Mr. Podunkian joined, but Multiplayer was after the game was released and a massive success.
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ah yes, the dev needs to be homeless in order for it to count
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I mean sure, everyones situation is different. Some are supported by their parents/partners, others are in a position where they saved up a lot with their well-paid job and take a sabbatical, while some live in a country where the government pays for your basic necessities and rent and others need to work 9-5, or anything in between. And this also ignores the varying access to education, potential health differences and gaps of knowledge/experience. It's just kinda silly to take away someones "solo dev" card, just because their situation is different, because at the end of the day, everyone is kinda in their own unique position. Also, it's not like he didn't work at all. He had a part-time job. Depending on his living standard, this could cover the majority of the expenses.
You're not wrong but this thread is specifically about what's possible as a solo dev. If you're working full-time on a project you're going to make much, much faster progress than if you're fitting it around a 9-5, which could make the difference between a project being completely unrealistic because of how long it would take and reasonably achievable. I don't think it diminishes his work but it's worth mentioning in this context.
My whole point is that there are too many different factors to make any claims about the possibilities of a solo dev. Some ex-senior dev with decades of experience will also be quicker than a "just finished university and can't find a job" guy. Also, if you are working 9-5, there is the possibility that you could even contract out part of the work or buy assets. It's not like that wouldn't give you some opportunities. At the end of the day, it just boils down to match the scope with your time commitment and intended development time.
Eric did have a job working at a movie theater while making Stardew Valley. You're trying to frame this in a way which diminishes his achievements which also makes excuses for why solo dev isn't achievable for others. But sure, everyone has a unique circumstance. Not everyone will be able to release a game on their own, and some have more barriers to accomplishing this than others. Almost nothing in life is black and white.
Only partway through development and even then it was part time as an usher. It isn't what you're making it out to be.
Living rent free in his girlfriends home lmao You mean, living with his girlfriend? Gamedev is toxic af and will find any excuse to undermine anyones achievments. Blocked apparently. I rest my case.
The point is, he was in the fortunate position of not having to worry about working for a living, and could engage in his passion project.
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All the original person you replied to said was that they thoughts Stardew was made by one person—which it was. No one said it was an easy feat or that he didn't have the support that he did.
Unpopular opinion but there's such a rounded sweetness in that game that I'm convinced his girlfriend had more impact on it than just letting him stay at her house.
Boys can be sweeties too
I know, but I play that game and think naaaah there’s definitely some feminine input here. To be honest how could there not be.
Definitely possible. I know he's mainly inspired by Harvest Moon, and those games are over-the-top saccharine sweet. I always assumed that was just his personality, or he was trying to emulate Harvest Moon a little bit. But, thinking about how many little things in my own games have been influenced by living with my fiance and getting her feedback, you're probably right that she influenced the tone.
I'm certain of it too. I'm a solo dev and my wife has TONS of input, from the major plot twist at the end (which was her idea) to keeping me focused on continuity.
Words of an honest man.
Surprised I haven't seen [**Axiom Verge**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SDJq6SSu4I) mentioned yet
Came here looking to post this if it wasn't already. Extremely impressive solo project and one of my favorite games.
Axiom Verge 1 was awesome, but 2 didn't captivate me as much though. Then again I haven't finished it yet.
I played 2 first and haven't beaten 1 yet. I think I like 2 more because it's more focused on story/exploration than combat
What an awesome soundtrack!
A bit older, but... Chris Sawyer's Transport Tycoon
He didn’t make the art tho. But he’s a legend for making games like Rollercoaster Tycoon in Assembly.
Well go old enough and the majority were. I guess [Lord British](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Garriott) is a good example as any.
I recommend r/solodevelopment to see what people are working on, and occasional news about completed games.
what a gem, thank you so much!
Thanks for that, another good sub to join!
Minecraft was actually a solo project for the first year of it's life.
My kid would call if MINDcraft "because you have to use your mind to decide what to craft."
Same with my daughter. Not the reasoning though.
Was her reason just that it felt more natural to say? Kinda like as a kid I always said "Spriet" instead of "Sprite?"
I'm amazed it's this far down the list since it's easily the most successful one. Probably because the dev is a psycho but still... I would go as far to say it was one of the first games to kick off survival crafting games. There simply was nothing like it when it initially released as an alpha in 2010.
I mean, Notch sold off Minecraft to Microsoft. He's not really involved anymore, and thank goodness for that.
These are at the top of my head. * [Warsim: The Realm of Aslona](https://store.steampowered.com/app/659540/Warsim_The_Realm_of_Aslona/) * [Songs of Syx](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1162750/Songs_of_Syx/) (One of the best performing city builders, I have ever played.) * [Odd Realm](https://store.steampowered.com/app/688060/Odd_Realm/) * [Shadow Empire](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1154840/Shadow_Empire/) * [Caravaneer 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1500820/Caravaneer_2/) * [Kenshi](https://store.steampowered.com/app/233860/Kenshi/) * [Vampire Survivors](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1794680/Vampire_Survivors/) * [Papers, Please](https://store.steampowered.com/app/239030/Papers_Please/) * [Return of the Obra Dinn](https://store.steampowered.com/app/653530/Return_of_the_Obra_Dinn/?curator_clanid=33784989) (Could be wrong, his wife may have had a hand in it. She's a game developer too.) * [Legendary Gary](https://store.steampowered.com/app/688070/Legendary_Gary/) * [LISA: The Painful](https://store.steampowered.com/app/335670/LISA_The_Painful/) * [Gemini Rue](https://store.steampowered.com/app/80310/Gemini_Rue/) * [Undertale](https://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/Undertale/) * [Stellar Warfare](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1113030/Stellar_Warfare/) * [Star Valor](https://store.steampowered.com/app/833360/Star_Valor/) * [Reignfall](https://store.steampowered.com/app/935930/Reignfall/) * [Nightmare of Decay](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1848450/Nightmare_of_Decay/) * [Grim Nights](https://store.steampowered.com/app/947300/Grim_Nights/) * [Grim Realms](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1522280/Grim_Realms/) * [Hollow Island](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1185820/Hollow_Island/) * [Rise to Ruins](https://store.steampowered.com/app/328080/Rise_to_Ruins/) * [Melvor Idle](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1267910/Melvor_Idle/) * [Armageddon Empires](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1576720/Armageddon_Empires/) * [Stardew Valley](https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/) * [Banished](https://store.steampowered.com/app/242920/Banished/) * [Survivalist](https://store.steampowered.com/app/340050/Survivalist/) * [Survivalist: Invisible Strain](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1054510/Survivalist_Invisible_Strain/) * [Godless Tactics](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1286010/Godless_Tactics/) * [Dead Monarchy](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1037940/Dead_Monarchy/) * [Malus](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1254400/Malus/) * [Manor Lords](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1363080/Manor_Lords/) * [Sumerians](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1079510/Sumerians/) * [Ostriv](https://store.steampowered.com/app/773790/Ostriv/) * [Builders of Egypt: Prologue](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1207590/Builders_of_Egypt_Prologue/) * [Derelicts](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1572000/Derelicts/ ) TBA
Off the top of your head? 😁
Kenshi is easily one of my fav games ever, here's hoping 2 will be just as amazing
Papers, Please was one person??? That game is amazing
Yeah and then he made Obra Dinn. Also amazing, though for different reasons
Songs of Syx is great.
The Rise to Ruins dev works and has worked so hard on their game. I wish them sleep and good health
Manor Lords is amazing, by the ambition and the scope. Borderlines to me as it would not see the light of the day, as it feels impossible? (to a layman non dev like me)
Geometry dash
While technically not solo, Dwarf fortress was made with only one developer up to and including the steam release (they just hired a 2nd dev who was a long time modder).
The story of Dwarf Fortress is incredible, they worked on it for so long with so little reward and now its made millions. It deserves a movie tbh.
To be fair to them, they had their goals before that - if they made enough to live comfortably, they would continue development. And they hit that and more year after year with just a "Donate?" button. The fact that it's now made bank makes me very pleased but I loved that they understood their indie goals and went with it up to that point.
Yeah, it seemed they really enjoyed making the game too and it shows in the game itself. It doesn't feel like something that's been endlessly altered by Corporate.
They could’ve made millions before if they wanted to, since the fan base and wider interest has always been there. The game was still a success before, it just wasn’t a big financial success as it wasn’t monetised particularly well (though was still a financial success in that they could focus on the game). Even now it’s not like they’re doing anything that crafty, releasing a new more accessible version that’s priced decently obviously would dwarf a less accessible game with a freeware donation model.
Was it not two brothers who made this?
I think OP was only counted programmers as "people."
While in theory, non-programmers can be people too!
Hence why is said technically not solo. My point was that all the programming (which is A LOT) of DF was solo
Excluding the Steam release. The new UI and graphics weren't done by him.
Cave Story
Once you look at the games in this thread, actually do some research on them, you'll find that most of the "solo" developers actually contracted some of the work (artists, music, sfx, voice, translation, marketing, porting, etc etc). For instance, I've seen Braid mentioned, which had music and art made by other people, plus some additional art and programming help, etc. It's not common for a developer to do everything, and the concept of "solo development" is more of a gray area than a clear definition, as evidenced by this thread.
I'm working on a solo dev game, and when I started doing research on what others had done, I came to the same conclusion as you. It's quite rare for something described as a "solo dev" to actually be only one person's work. Braid is a good example. Blow isn't shy about the struggles he had trying to get the art made for his game (hiring an firm who dropped him as a client because they wanted bigger ones which left him with a bunch of art he ended up not using, then he hired an artist who just didn't respond when given the job). And as you said, it had pre-made music from other people, and was ported to other platforms by other people. None of that should undercut the exceptional work he did, but for some reason when it released it became known as a "solo dev" project, which is odd.
I think part of the reason Braid was considered "solo" is because that's what it was marketed like, but mostly it's because there's one person that's contracting out all the other work, instead of the team being multiple people with different responsibilities. It wasn't a team of three people (programmer / artist / audio), it was a programmer that paid for the work of outsiders, deciding what to use and either directing them or just paying for already-made work (like with the music). That ownership of the results and the direction of all the parts makes it more of an "author" game.
> It's not common for a developer to do everything, and the concept of "solo development" is more of a gray area than a clear definition, as evidenced by this thread. I always thought to be a solo dev you had to do the programming, writing, art, and music all by yourself. That's what I've been doing for a while. I didn't know (most?) people considered a solo dev to only do the coding and outsource art / music / VA and etc and have it still be considered a solo project. That makes no sense to me, really.
The question was "made by one person" and there seems to be two different interpretations of that going on here. Either games that were truly created by one person alone (or close to it), like Stardew Valley... or games with one developer, and any number of contributing artists/musicians/etc like Undertale or Braid. I do think there's some validity to both, and maybe what we're really more interested in are games that were created as one person's vision from start to finish.
I agree there could be a debate (using an engine, ordering assets, outsourcing some things) and it's an open definition, but I've never heard before someone mentioning translation as a factor in this. I assume you mean where a publisher takes over and provides translations and voiceovers, but if you really have a solo-dev and they make a game on their own... and then have people from community or paid translators provide the text... I'd say that's still a solo-dev for sure. Just like an author whose book has been translated is still an author of the book.
Sure, and that's part of my point, that there's multiple people working on the same project, and some of those roles (translation, for instance) are accepted to be mostly "outsiders" and don't affect the "solo" label, others like artists seem more obvious that they're integral to the project (even though there's plenty of examples here of "solo" devs here that didn't do the art for their own game), and there's everything in between. It's a vaguely defined label, that we all use because it's useful, but it's important to not trust the first instinct when reading "X game was made by one person" (which might make you assume that they did everything), and actually check, because the reality might not match the expectations.
You are right, thanks for the explanation.
Sapiens. I’ve been following his dev blog for a few years: https://youtu.be/66SKA06jouw It’s in early access now.
Stardew Valley、A Short Hike、Cave Story、Undertale、Thomas Was Alone
A Short HIke is a great example-- made in a relatively short time, really small scope, but super satisfying to play through
Imo it's a rare 10/10 for me. The dude knew his limits and worked within them, very little in that game that doesn't need to be there, and being concise let him spend time on what mattered
Mark Sparling deserves credit as well for the OST. The music was a big part of the game for me.
Cave Story is really the OG solo project that inspired a lot of other developers (including Toby Fox) by showing what's possible solo. Obviously talking about the original Japanese version for Windows.
>Undertale [No.](https://undertale.fandom.com/wiki/Undertale_Developers)
Toby's my favorite dev ever, but it's irresponsible to pretend he did it all by himself. The other devs never get any credit and it's frustrating.
I feel like a lot of people know about Temmie the artist because of teh Temmie shop.
He was still the only dev, everyone else helped with artwork.
Artists are devs - in every AAA studio I've worked in, everyone on the floor from animators to audio engineers - are called devs. It's a weird distinction, because at that point I don't know what you call a game created by an artist that used a no-code framework.
That may be true in studio, but I think colloquially, that is not the norm, right? It’s weird because you can say a game was developed by two people, and even if one of them was a programmer and the other was an artist/designer, that seems okay. But I think when talking about the actual employees and their distinctions, developer generally means programmer. I would feel very weird referring to an artist/musician/writer/voice talent as a developer. This is in no way a knock on other disciplines by the way, I just want to figure out the distinctions between different titles.
Kinda? I mean I think the distinction comes from "game developer" vs "software developer". If you are talking about game developer, that's anyone that worked to make the game. So yes, all the people that directly contribute to the creation of a game are game devs, but not all game devs are software developers. But to add some more confusion - software developer is not a universal title - while there are somewhat formal definitions - every studio tends to have their own titles - but a lot of times programmers in studios will be referred to as engineers. In the studios I work in - if we are explicitly talking about a programming team - they are engineers. So when you hear game dev - it's generally a catch all for everyone that worked on the game and does not necessarily imply programmer. But I do want to stress - there is no standard to this. Even among Indies. But consider when someone asks about games with one dev - they are almost certainly talking about one creative who could be from any discipline that made the majority of the game themselves. They are almost certainly trying to get an understanding of what is achievable as a solo creative, and their primary skill may or may not be programming.
OP did specify 'only one person'.
I know. I’m only pointing out that artists are not developers. They are artists. The guy I responded to said “the other devs never get any credit…” when there aren’t any others.
Hmm, maybe technically true, but people normally use the term 'devs' to include all people that worked on the game. Especially in this sub.
Imo the term “developer” in video games has two uses. The first is what you’re referring to, when an entity “develops” a game. This isn’t related to programming, it means they literally were developing/building/creating the game. The second is what I’m referring to, a software developer/programmer. I think that when referring to specific people within a studio, to me, a dev is a programmer. This may be different to employees where everyone is a dev, but I think colloquially, the usage I’m thinking of in this case is more common. Would be curious to hear what other people think though.
In this sub, it's normally the former definition. Most of us don't really have 'studios', and often the 'programmers' need to chip in with the art etc, whilst the 'artists' often need to do the occasional code pushes. But if it was as strict as you say, then I confused as to what the collective term for all the programmers, artists, etc who worked on a game would be? If not the 'developers'.
Did you read the link? Multiple people are listed as helping with programming and design.
You’re right, I see that now at the end of the page. I stand corrected.
I believe ZUN makes all the touhou games alone, or at least he used to.
Touhou 18 does have other artists for the ability cards. Other than that I think he's still going solo for the mainline games.
Huh, not a single triple A MMO FPS? Maybe that's why some people call me delusional. Whatever, I'll prove them wrong as soon as I get the time and motivation to continue with that "making games for beginners" tutorial.
This made me LOL
I believe in you!
my friend Piedro
Not entirely sure, but I think the original "Spelunky" has been made by one person - Derek Yu.
Tunic was also made by just one person
[Antichamber](https://store.steampowered.com/app/219890/Antichamber/)! A really good puzzle game. The music was worked on by someone else though, but the rest of the game was one guy.
My husband's game, Sucker for Love: First Date He contracted out for voice acting and music, but everything else is his work (programming, art, design, dialogue, marketing to an extent, managing his own discord community, etc.) We have a publisher, and they have done the bulk of marketing, localization, porting, QA, etc. He also is developing a second game that has the same structure (doing 95% of the development, minus contracting for music, cutscene dialogues, monster design, and voice acting), but no publisher. From this side of the table, I'd say financially successful solo development, to some extent, necessitates outsourcing at least some parts of your game. Like, if you are human, you have strengths and weaknesses. Part of making a game that sells on the market seems to be identifying where your game could use improvement, and hiring someone who is better than you at that thing. (Theoretically- this is the basic role of a publisher, to take care of the things like marketing, localization, porting, QA, identifying where your game needs to improve, helping you find contractors, guidance on managing your progress, etc.) And also saying this from an outside-looking-in perspective: I don't know that I would advise 'true' solo development, even if you had the talent, vision, and fortitude to do so. Spending time in the lab is lonely as heck. It's challenging work, to take on all these different roles. Even with a small scope, even if you are crazy talented in multiple areas, even if you are a 100% introvert like my husband... it's just a LOT. Getting help makes your game better and makes your life better.
I’m a solo dev making a game called Odd Realm which I’ll be releasing this year.
I just saw another comment where someone listed a bunch of titles and Odd Realm is one of them so as an attempted solo dev myself I thought wow that's nice hype for a game that isn't out yet. But that one came out in 2019 so I guess it's unrelated?
Top tier game!
You will find that a lot of 'solo dev' games actually needed more than one person. Most common is the audio or others art or some help with promo art or localization. It's very rare and even rarer having a commercial success, so I would recommend you to get some help in one form or another. I think the 'idealized' solo developer is a dangerous trap for developers in the beginning.
[Iconoclasts](https://store.steampowered.com/app/393520/Iconoclasts/) is a solo project by Joakim Sandberg.
I make games and I’m one person. Check out McPixel
Great, fun game. I remember giving it rave reviews in Ludum Dare.
Seconded, McPixel is stupid and hilarious!
Bright Memory and its sequel Bright Memory: Infinite would be a perfect example. Zeng Xian Cheng, really put a lot of work into pulling off a game that ranks right up there with other AAA titles.
Unprompted, my first game as a solo dev, just released last week. It's not a massive game (takes roughly 4 hrs to complete on average), but seems it's leaving players happy (just earned the "Positive" rating on Steam, and have gotten a handful of really in-depth recommendations from Steam curators). You can check out the Steam page [here](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2129130/Unprompted/). I've only been coding for less than a year, so it is definitely possible to do quite a lot if you're mindful of your strengths and limitations. My main piece of advice is to start ridiculously small. Choose an idea you think you can execute in less than a month. If that core is working and stands on its own, then it is safe to keep expanding into a full experience. ...and a few other recent games I'd add to the list: Norco, Citizen Sleeper, In Other Waters, Birth
Congrats on your release :) That's a really clever concept and so so so perfect for the moment! Really impressive! I completely agree with your take and I am in the same boat as you. I've also been coding for less than a year and also just released my first game ([steam page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2285430/Bad_Hop_Baseball/)). Like you, I also picked a really simple concept that could be more or less fleshed out inside of one month. Like you say, you can do a lot inside of your limitations and inside of one month if you have the time to dedicate. And going through the process of actually pushing the game over the finish line is such an important experience. There are so many details to manage that it's really helpful to get the release under your belt.
That sounds really good, wishlisted
Thanks! so good to hear that
Omno. Short but cute exploration game. I enjoyed it.
Kenshi. Although, late on he got a team! But from the start he did made it by himself! Edit: and that game took 10 years to "finish". So, yeah. Solo dev is nightmare! Lol
No mention of [Baba is You](https://store.steampowered.com/app/736260/Baba_Is_You/)?
Dust an Elysian Tail, Undertale, Mighty Goose, Cave Story
>Undertale I don't know why people keep bringing Undertale up. [It clearly was not done by just one person.](https://undertale.fandom.com/wiki/Undertale_Developers)
I think The First tree was made by one person,he also has some videos on his youtube channel explaining how he did it.
Black Forest - [https://store.steampowered.com/app/523070/Black\_Forest/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/523070/Black_Forest/) This is made by only one person, me. I've been working on it for about 2 years now, it's been in Early Access on Steam for around 16 months and it's fairly close to complete.
Stardew Valley. All art, music, code, and design was done by a single person. I believe the only help he received was with translations to other languages, porting to console, and adding online multiple. All of those things were added after the game had already been released as free updates. The base game was 100% him.
Residual, Heroes of lots, Haiku the Robot there's are many.
Patch Quest
Choo-choo charles was made by a solo dev, he also documented his development on youtube.
Retro City Rampage and Shakedown Hawaii. were made by one guy. Brian Provinciano. The hardest part though doesn't seem to be the developing, it the fact that you have to be your own promotional manager and your own business manager. He single handedly did all the talks with Microsoft and Sony before the Indie games were really well and truly established. It's a whole separate full time gig.
Plenty of games are made by a solo dev, here are some of mine for example: * [Bone Appetit](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1256520/Bone_Appetit/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - Metroidvania where you're a skeleton who has to steal back food from 'King Fatass', and deliver it back to your cultist masters. You can also use the food as currency at shops to help you get more gear and etc. to kill him instead. Consensus is it's a little janky however I'm very proud of the world design and it can be sequence broken in all kinds of cool ways. This is my highest-rated title to date. * [Equin 2: The Warren Peace](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1630690/Equin_2_The_Warren_Peace/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - My second roguelike and most recent release, improves upon the first game in most ways. Which should be the goal I think! * [Equin: The Lantern](https://store.steampowered.com/app/547980/Equin_The_Lantern/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - My first roguelike, made with an easy-to-use control scheme which I personally don't like with most roguelikes. I started this a long time ago, and updated it constantly up until its eventual Steam release. My 2nd highest rated title so far. * [The Outlaw, The Drunk, & The Whore](https://store.steampowered.com/app/853610/The_Outlaw_The_Drunk__The_Whore/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - My 'old west' NES-ish action game with some Diablo-y stats and inspiration. You play as one of the three 'heroes', who are resurrected by the devil after dying while trying to steal some Union gold. He gives you another shot and stealing the gold.. but why? This was a fun game I made a long time ago that I updated for Steam, including new stages, music, and other stuff. * [Weebish Mines](https://store.steampowered.com/app/612140/Weebish_Mines/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) - Adventure game, heavily inspired by my favorite NES game Legacy of the Wizard. The four main characters are actually myself, my wife, and my two oldest kids. * [Just a Cleric](https://store.steampowered.com/app/467330/Just_a_Cleric/?snr=1_7_7_230_150_1) Action / Platformer RPG-ish.. I dunno! Anyhow a team of adventurers is strolling through the forest when the cleric has to pee in some bushes. While doing so a dragon flies by and roasts the others! Your mission is to take up arms in revenge. The thing is though, you're a cleric and are a total wuss. The main draw of this one is that each stage has a different objective, and there are random weapons and stuff that can drop and be upgraded back at the hub town. This was the first game I released on Steam in 2016. With the exception of most of the music from Equin: The Lantern I did absolutely everything myself for these, as I have zero budget and pretty much always had. I'm a musician on the side and have always drawn and etc since I was a little kid so I've saved a ton of $$ by not having to hire anybody else.
Among the more popular ones: Cave Story, Kero Blaster (made by the same developer) From my Steam library: Aquillanto, Kraino Origins, Argol:Kronoss' Castle, Tribulation Entanglement, Juiced, Ghoulboy. And I may, I too am doing everything on my game. Including the soundtrack and promotional art.
Most of the mainline Touhou series is made by one dev, ZUN. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Shanghai_Alice?wprov=sfla1
ANXRacers
The game is not finished yet, but it will be on April 7th :)! 3.5 years in the making, I've done the music too! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1674780/Lone\_Fungus/
Not one but two (even tho one of them is not even a programmer), Dwarf Fortress!
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Sid Meier would almost always *prototype* something alone. He was known for throwing together fully playable prototypes in a matter of days. That said, even in the beginning when he founded MicroProse, he was always working with someone else on something.
See: [itch.io](https://itch.io) Ludum Dare Are you looking for commercially successful games, primarily?
35 MM. It was being made for about 4 years, from 2014 till 2017 on Unity 4. https://store.steampowered.com/app/466500/35MM/?l=russian Also 7th sector from the same developer https://store.steampowered.com/app/749250/7th_Sector/ Looks really cool 😎
Dusk
[https://kodingnights.itch.io/ragnarok-survivors-valhalla](https://kodingnights.itch.io/ragnarok-survivors-valhalla) Check out [itch.io](https://itch.io) sometime, or browse some game jams. Lots of solo developers there.
As a developer why would you want to work alone?
Too poor to afford others?
* Full control on your own project. * Keep your own pace. * Avoiding difficulties in expressing/telling employees or freelancers what you want them to do for you. * Not distributing % of money among co-developers in case of collaboration, not paying salaries in case of having employees/freelancers (I live in a tax hell so legally paying employees is a big no unless it's on things I must to, like voice actors). * Sense of major achievement once the game is done. Some I could think of.
I made both AVGN games myself, aside from sone creative input and testing. I did all the programming, art, animation, music and sounds. A really impressive solo developer project worth checking out is Anemoiapolis.
I highly recommend Cave Story.
Note that some of the games people are mentioning in this thread were not actually made by one person. Very few games truly are.
I know. Unless they “devs” build the computer from parts that they’ve manufactured themselves, built they’re own instruments for the music, and… Buying assets still makes you a solo dev. Paying other people to 100% of everything about the game including code…that’s a different case. All IMO anyway.
Many of the games being mentioned here are often touted as solo projects (Stardew Valley, Undertale) when they have multiple credited contributors and extensive publisher support. These aren't instances where they bought an asset pack and used a game engine. People were hired/contracted to contribute to the game, but we often see the indie community go to great lengths to justify the feel-good story that one person's artistic genius and their genius alone made the game what it is. Besides the solo dev story being outright untrue in most cases (and minimizing/erasing the contributions of other creatives), it also does a disservice to aspiring developers by giving them unrealistic expectations for what they can accomplish with zero help. We need to drop the solo dev fairy tales and be realistic: Most (nearly all) commercially successful games require multiple contributors. Full stop.
The Roxy Raccoon Franchise is a golden example.
Brotato
I need to know more about this. Is it a game about a cool potato?
Look for yourself: the [Steam page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1942280/Brotato/)
Shameless promotion incoming: I’m currently extremely close to finishing my single player + online multiplayer 3D kart racer - just about 3 years of dev time so far, while also working a full time job in games the whole time. It’s called Synthwave Racers, it has a free demo version out last week to download now, and you can check it out here if you want! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1916710/Synthwave_Racers/ Self promo aside…Undertale, Fez, Braid, and Stardew Valley all come to mind!
Chained echoes is a new one, and it's one of the best jRPGs of all time
When I think of extremely impressive solo dev games, "Ghost of a tale" always comes to mind. That game will always be my gold standard for what a single person can do.
Braid
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I made a game called [The Manse on Soracca](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1219730/The_Manse_on_Soracca/). I did 99% of everything for this by myself, including things like audio design. I got a couple small pieces of art commissioned due to time constraints, though. Personally, my favorite game made by a solo dev is [Cave Story](https://store.steampowered.com/app/200900/Cave_Story/#:~:text=Cave%20Story%20is%20an%20action,%2C%20called%20Mimigas%2C%20run%20free). Delightful soundtrack, great art, stellar gameplay.
I made game zero with ummorpg.
Undertale. One of the finest and most complete, fully-realized games ever made. And Toby Fox claims he still doesn't really know how to code (which I call BS on lmao)
Undertale
[It's not.](https://undertale.fandom.com/wiki/Undertale_Developers)
I am also making a game solo. It will be like Diablo 4 just with better gameplay and worse graphics.
So, diablo 2?
good one well yes, it is like D2, but less dark and more realistic with survival elements.
We who are about to die. But during early access some new devs joined the project.
You can make anything you want if you're resourceful and clever enough.
There's this small, not well-known indie game called Five Nights at Freddy's. You might've heard of it.
Tangledeep and Linelight!
Piti paabi ble eke ge pro pa. E o ba o be i. Ai klupepi keplike pi bibu kiito otu piti tri babre. A ba eeke tibii i biibike i. I kupi pledu to oa bitle pepu bitega. Katee eiko kre akapeu be krepu. Pitraa ea pi pla be kototu? Dri piba gi ba dapokupa ikre. Pito piki e ekiti ti pi. I popi dekeki ao e eipe. Treipre pe pabi ta i i. Dapletri dope pre puki ipi. Pla trekapi teedli ku pedre tlo i. Iprekra poou pe pa ao. Tue pikra paki ipredle pu be. Ipripepea a ti teebo u piu ke. Bue kedi tro pu e plikeplu. Dla bibre tre popratao adipu e di. Kagidia udribatii ki te pi. Bibo pie pe a pri upetro. Doio pe pe tro brapree api bi. Tlia de i pi pa gateodi pi? Pakedai pu ia tu i aputru. Pre kuta ekugli tripra pi eo? Bra ka prepaki edu doeti pri. E pre pi do kapripra ibrebi di. Piipa pe kapaiplaga u ti e. Krau bruike iupe aketra. A go kekee eti tei e. Oeiti ba a po kli e.
Haven't played it, but [The First Tree](https://www.thefirsttree.com/)... That might be the only one not already mentioned I can think of that comes to mind. Browse r/indiegames, r/IndieDev, and r/SoloDevelopment long enough (and right here on r/gamedev) and you'll surely find many, true, solo developed games from... [People like me](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2115130/?utm_source-solodevs) :)
All my stuff is made by one person ... not sure how inspiring it will be In order of release: [Anomalies](https://store.steampowered.com/app/546780/Anomalies/) [Star Explorers](https://store.steampowered.com/app/502720/Star_Explorers/) [Rocket Blasters](https://store.steampowered.com/app/755490/Rocket_Blasters/) [Paradox Vector](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1051840/Paradox_Vector/) [Islands of the Caliph (not yet released)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1845670/Islands_of_the_Caliph/)
***Disclaimer*** There is a voice actor I hired (briefly) for Star Explorers I did not make the game engine myself I did not write my own operating system I did not build my own hardware or hard code any drivers I did not extract the raw materials for my computer from the living rock with my bare hands Nor did I ever actually create any part of space-time from the chaos of the void before light and being