1. The short checklist
| You need | Free option | When to pay |
|---|---|---|
| A computer | Any PC or laptop from the last several years | When your scenes stutter in the editor |
| A game engine | Godot, or the free tiers of Unity and Unreal | Check each engine's current terms before you ship |
| A code editor | Visual Studio Code, or your engine's editor | Rarely |
| 3D or 2D art tools | Blender, Krita, GIMP | Never required |
| Art and sound assets | Free libraries, jam packs | When you want a consistent look quickly |
| A place to publish | itch.io | Steam has a one-time app fee; check the current amount |
Prices and licences change, so read the current terms of each tool before you rely on it.
2. The four skills
- Programming or visual scripting. You do not need to be an expert, but you need to read and change simple logic. See how to make a game without coding.
- Game design. Knowing what makes a loop fun. Play, note what works and rebuild it small.
- Art and sound. Make it, buy it or use free assets. Consistency beats quality.
- Finishing. The rare skill. It means cutting scope and shipping.
3. What you can skip at the start
- A team. Many great first games are solo.
- A company or a studio name.
- A big budget. Most of the cost is your time.
- A perfect plan. A one-page design is enough, and our game design document generator makes one in minutes.
4. A realistic budget
Your largest cost is time. Cash costs for a small first game can be close to nothing. Where you do spend, spend on things that save weeks: finished systems and consistent assets. A save and load system or an inventory costs less than an evening of your time.
To plan the cost of art, use the asset budget planner. To see how many hours your idea will take, try the time estimator.
Questions
A computer, a game engine, time, a basic grasp of programming or visual scripting, and art and sound from free or paid sources.
Yes. Godot and Blender are free, and the free tiers of other engines work for learning. Read each licence before you ship.
No. Many successful indie games began as solo projects. A team helps with larger scope.
Cash cost can be near zero for a small game. Time is the main cost, plus optional assets, tools and store fees.
Who wrote this
Imersa Studios builds the Unity systems, low poly packs and field guides sold on itch.io. The code and techniques here come from shipping those products. More about the studio.