Your Roadmap to Doing More #

Heathen guides are here to help no matter where you are on your game development journey. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, we have you covered.

Defining Your Goals #

Understanding your goals as a developer is the first step toward success. While these categories often overlap, recognising where you are helps you choose the right tools and strategies.

• Enthusiast: Passionate about tech and learning more.
• Hobbyist: Developing for fun, not profit.
• Amateur: Developing for the love of the craft without the pressure of a full-time job.
• Professional: Developing as a business and earning a living from the industry.

If you are serious about turning game development into a business, you must ground your expectations in reality. The idea of building a professional game with zero resources or “zero budget” is a myth. Every game has expenses, whether in time, tools, or professional services.

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The Professional Indie Checklist #

This checklist covers the core pillars of a commercially viable project. Use these as a roadmap to ensure your project is built on a stable foundation.

Phase 1: The Business Foundation #

Before writing code, protect your intellectual property and your personal assets.

• Legal Identity: Register your business or incorporate. Platforms like Steam require a legal entity and tax ID to pay you.
• Accounting: Establish a relationship with a professional accountant to handle company registration and tax obligations.
• Intellectual Property: Ensure you have the legal right to every asset, name, and trademark you use.

Phase 2: Platform and Strategy #

Decide where your game lives and how people will find it.

• Primary Platform: We recommend Steam as your core platform. It is the most native environment for PC development and offers the best developer tooling via Steamworks.
• Exclusivity Check: Avoid exclusivity deals that may alienate your audience. PC gamers generally prefer open access across platforms.
• Marketing Strategy: Develop your marketing plan before you start production. This includes market assessment and audience targeting.

Phase 3: Production Standards #

A professional game is defined by the quality of its execution across all disciplines.

• Design: Move beyond the “great idea.” Document the mechanics and systems that create a repeatable, sellable experience.
• Engineering: Prioritize modular, decoupled logic. Whether using code or visual scripting, the underlying engineering must be robust.
• DevOps: Implement version control, backups, and automated testing. Do not rely on manual saves.
• Asset Quality: Use marketplace assets as placeholders or “ingredients.” Custom art and audio are required to make a professional product stand out.
• Testing: Move beyond community testing. Professional QA is required to ensure the game meets the stricter standards of a commercial release.

Phase 4: Operations and The Long Game #

Plan for the day after launch and the years that follow.

• LiveOps: Establish the tools you need to manage your game post-release, such as servers, patches, and announcements.
• Community Management: Treat community engagement as a core business function, not a side task for a single person.
• Support: Have a plan to handle user support requests and technical troubleshooting.
• Sunset Plan: Design your game so it remains playable even if you eventually have to disable live services.