How to become an indie game developer and why It’s worth It
How to become an indie game developer and why It’s worth It. Indie game development has become, after several years, one of the most popular professional activities within the video game industry. Toby Fox, Notch at his start, and some of the big names in indie game development are anchored in a lot of people’s minds. Today, I invite you to discover how anyone could become an indie game developer without paying a single cent and why it is worth it in 2025. From learning the fundamentals of coding, choosing your tools, understanding the basics, to discovering the value of this choice, you will quickly understand why this activity is no longer niche in 2025. It is precisely this huge development in the market that forms one of the advantages of becoming part of this professional community.
Why Creative Freedom Makes Indie Game Developers Stand Out
Becoming an indie game developer is not an easy choice. You need to think about all the impacts this might have on your future. However, the year 2025 gives us a great idea of what this work really is and why it’s becoming more and more important. Indeed, becoming an indie game developer has a lot of advantages, the first one being independence. Obviously, without any CEO directing you, you will be able to configure everything in your work: schedule, project ideas, organization, anything. This sole reason is so important that a large part of the indie game community decided to follow that path just because of it. That’s how big this is in the bigger picture.
Free and Powerful Tools Available for Indie Game Developers in 2025
Additionally, in 2025, there are tons of free or at least cheap useful tools to create your own games. The first one that comes to mind is often Unreal Engine 5, with its huge variety of available content, adaptability, and its visual type of coding (Blueprint).
Nonetheless, let’s not limit ourselves to that single option, as game assets or even AI-assisted tools might sometimes be just as important, especially for beginners. Currently, a lot of new tools are even coming out, helping indie developers even more. More natural voice synthesis, animation assistants, and more importantly, AI tools that are becoming teachers for many motivated people.
Learning to Code as a Future Indie Game Developer
As you might have guessed, learning to code is obviously the first step to creating various indie games. As much diversity as there is (C#, Python, Java…), you can decide which type of coding you will try to learn based on both your goals and your own interest. For instance, C++ is considered to be really difficult to engage with for a beginner, so it might not be suitable at first. That’s why you need to trace your own path while staying realistic about your skills. Some programmers even advise starting with easier coding languages such as Python. Not to directly code games but, more importantly, to cultivate your coding skills. Take your time and, in the end, you will feel more and more confident and capable of creating any type of project.
Building Projects and Picking the Right Tools
Therefore, after creating your plan for your future in programming, you will need to focus on one main thing: practice and creation. This is a general consensus in video game development. After taking some time to roughly learn theoretical lessons about programming, you should focus most of your available time on creating small projects. At first, it will surely be in a single programming language. Nonetheless, your potential will really start to grow when you become capable of linking various themes and concepts from different programming languages. “Giraffe Academy,” “Bro Code,” or “Learn Code Academy” are just a few of the dozens of really helpful YouTubers who can motivate you and support your development. Tools like Aseprite (for pixel art) or Blender (for 3D) are also good to consider depending on your style of game.
How Game Developers Publish and Promote Their Games
After taking the time to code different projects in various programming languages, you might consider how you will publish your first games and gain some visibility. For a start, I would personally advise you to use itch.io, a beginner-friendly and free option to publish your games. Moreover, it has the advantage of being visited by approximately 115 million people per month, which is an incredibly high level of traffic. On the other hand, do not forget about platforms like Steam or the Epic Games Store. While they are slightly more complicated to work with, they are a great choice if you think your game has strong potential, which should always be the case. Confidence is key to performing over the long term. Lastly, creating your online image through X, Reddit, and other social media platforms is another priority you should take into account.
Conclusion: Becoming an Indie Game Developer in 2025 Is a Smart Choice
At the end, creating indie games is now becoming a very relevant activity. It’s profoundly personal and rewarding, yet professionally impressive and often a strong demonstration of capability. If you are hesitant about becoming an indie game developer, that is not surprising at all. It isn’t an easy choice. However, don’t forget that everyone has their own way of dealing with work. Sometimes, and for some people, working alone is better for both their mental health and professional development. Let’s not forget that it would take too long to present every key feature linked to becoming an indie game developer. That’s why I advise you to do your own research on our specialized indie game site: Playglio.com.
Don’t hesitate to check out our reviews of other indie games:
