Why Every Studio Needs Prototyping (Especially Small Indies)
Game development is exciting, but it’s also risky. Many indie studios dive straight into production, believing their “cool idea” will naturally turn into a fun, successful game. But without prototyping, you’re basically building blind. A prototype is your first safety net. It’s not about making something pretty, it’s about proving that your mechanics are engaging, […]
What Is Technical Production in Games (And Why It Matters)
Production in game development is often invisible. Producers don’t write code or paint textures, yet they are the force multipliers who make sure the work gets done, done well, and done on time. Ironically, they’re also among the first roles cut when studios downsize, just after QA. But removing production doesn’t remove the need for […]
Why Indie & AA Studios Need a Fractional CTO
Every game that ships is a miracle. Art, code, design, audio, all have to align perfectly to create a playable experience. But when the technical side is left unchecked, even well-funded teams with brilliant ideas can waste years heading in the wrong direction. That’s where a CTO comes in. What Does a CTO Do in […]
What Does a Game Producer Do? Role, Types & Benefits
When game developers talk about the roles needed to ship a game, “Producer” often gets overlooked or misunderstood. Some teams try to go without one, assuming production is just “paperwork” or “scheduling.” Others hand the role to someone without enough context, and then wonder why the project keeps slipping. The truth? A producer is a […]
Why Technical Expertise Can Make or Break Your Game
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, recently blamed developers, not Unreal Engine 5, for poor performance in shipped games. His point was blunt: “The main cause is the order of development. Many studios build for top-tier hardware first and leave optimization and low-spec testing for the end. Ideally, optimization should begin early, before full content […]
Game Project Management: Blending Design and Planning
You and your team have been working late nights, pushing through endless weeks of crunch. The game is finally ready. You’ve poured your heart into every line of code, every asset, every level. And then, release day comes, and players don’t connect. Reviews say “unpolished”, “frustrating”, or worst of all, “forgettable.” It’s a gut punch […]
How to Start Small Without Killing Your Big Idea
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been answering questions on Reddit from developers working on roguelikes, horror games, survival sims, story-driven adventures, and base-builders. No matter the genre, the same challenge kept showing up: Scope kills projects It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you try to build your entire game at once. The secret isn’t […]
Mobile Game Production Consulting | Scale, Retain & Deliver Updates on Time
Mobile games generate nearly half of the global gaming revenue, but they also carry the most unforgiving production cycles. Players expect constant updates, app stores punish delays, and even small bugs can tank reviews overnight. For indie and AA studios, keeping up isn’t just hard, it’s overwhelming. That’s where production consulting comes in: helping teams […]
Scrum in Game Development: Explained for Game Teams
Scrum in game development is an Agile framework that organizes work into short sprints, with defined roles, ceremonies, and backlogs. It helps teams forecast timelines, manage scope creep, and deliver playable builds more predictably. But here’s the catch: “Scrum is not easy.” At first glance, Scrum looks straightforward: sprints, stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives. Many teams […]
Playtesting: The Most Underrated Skill Every Indie Dev Needs
Over the last 15 days, I’ve been active on Reddit, reading, answering, and discussing questions from indie developers. No matter the genre, narrative games, strategy AIs, cozy sims, idle games, the same theme kept surfacing again and again: playtest, take notes, watch reactions, iterate. In fact, I first touched on this idea last year in […]