Creative Roadmap for 2023
Tags: gamedev, creativity
Published: 2023-01-03 22:16:35

As I look forward to the year ahead, I’d like to approach it with a fierce determination to finish my personal creative projects. I’m pleased with what I accomplished in 2022, and I’d like to keep that momentum.

My primary focus is going to be making games because I’m enamored with the art form and love how it combines visuals, audio, design, and player interaction.

Here’s what I’m setting out to accomplish in the new year:

1. Release at least 6 small freeware games
2. Be competent and confident with the game engine (the code that powers my games) I’ve chosen
3. Release at least 1 of those games widely on places like the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Steam, GOG, etc. to get experience with that process
4. Share my process and projects via [my blog](https://www.brettchalupa.com/blog) and [newsletter](https://buttondown.email/brettchalupa)

My goal is to eventually earn money from making games. That was my dream when I was young, and I’ve never fully given up on it, even 15 years later. The difference between me today and me as a young adult is that I’ve got a lot more experience with finishing complex software projects (from my day job) and a lot more time spent on various creative skills (from my artistic pursuits). I want to combine my technical skills and creative skills.

Why would I aim to release 6 freeware games if I want to try to make money from my projects? I’m being intentional with this decision. I have no illusions that my games will be very good and worth buying from the start. I also want to reduce the pressure on myself and instead focus on getting good at finishing games. Instead of spending three years toiling away on a project and hoping it's successful, what if I spent three months on a free game and see how it goes?

I’m viewing 2023 as a year for establishing myself. If my freeware games are enjoyed by people, maybe they’ll follow along and become fans. To me, that’s a form of marketing and investment. Like what I made? There’s plenty more to come! I also need to establish my tools, game engine, and workflow when it comes to making games. There’s a real trap I could fall into where I evaluate a half-dozen different technological solutions for a year and don’t actually make anything substantial. I’d much rather have a game engine I know like the back of my hand and can work efficiently in. I’d rather leverage my work from game to game rather than starting fresh with a new game engine each time.

I believe in myself, but I’m also grounded in reality. I can’t work on one game for years right now—I don’t have the fortitude for it. I need to pace myself and think long-term and be intentional with my decisions. I’m okay with taking some risks, but they need to be measured and not a pipe dream.

I’m not at a loss for game ideas, but I also know new ideas will float on by for me to catch. I’m not committed to any projects except those I’ve already started. Finishing things is my main priority!

That’s my plan for 2023. Make and finish at least six small games. Try to distribute one widely. Solidify the tools I use to make games. Share what I learn along the way.

I’m having a blast with my projects so far, and I’m looking forward to sharing them and what I learn.

Thank you _so_ much for following along with my creative journey. Sharing what I've been working on can be a bit scary at times, so I'm grateful to be able to share this with ya'!

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Follow along with my progress this year by [subscribing to my newsletter](https://buttondown.email/brettchalupa).