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tags: tldw, motivation, time management, development
---
# DevDuck

## The Tools I Use for Inde Game Dev

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://youtu.be/jfS58k6H7o8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

* Aseprite for pixel art
* Steam 15$
* github for personal use 0$)
* Audacity for audio recordings
* VSCode with Unity
* Trello for task management
* platform independent
* classic kanban board (backlog, todo, done)
* alternatively

## A Day in the Life of a Game Developer

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* wake up early (5:00 - 5:30), still get your necessary sleep
* do something you like directly after standing up
* stretching after standing up
* trello or some other board for tracking tasks
* eat breakfast, if possible something tasty and/or healthy
* create a working environment (lots of space, little distraction)
* go to bed early

## My week as an Indie Game Developer
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* if you don't have time to actually be productive use the time and energy left to prepare for your next productivity boost, like organizing your tasks and so on
* stay motivated by balancing your activities
* create trello tasks according to your weekly schedule by creating the tasks in a way so that the time needed to complete the task is equivalent to an empty time slot in your schedule

## Making Time for Indie Development

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* tool to track ideas and progress
* tasks for next week
* backlog
* etc.
* track **all** new ideas
* use idle time for new ideas, so you have something specific to do once you find time and motivation to work
* schedule tasks according to your weekly schedule (tasks as long as time slots available)
* avoid 'zero' days (days on which you don't work on the project at all)
* start with small project before tackling a behemoth of a project

## When is it time to move on from a personal project

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* technical problems
* break it down into smaller, simpler problems
* creative roadblock
* use feedback
* gain experience by other people interaction with your project
* burnout
* mix up your activities
* staying true to the motivation of a project
* if you wanted the project to function as a stepping stone feel free to focus on the aspects you want to improve in and after finishing those parts drop the project and remember what you have learned

## How to become a morning person

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* start the night before
* create a plan for the morning (make use of your new free time)
* start with a fun / enjoyable activity (video game, series), something you really want to do
* prepare warm clothers near your bed or shower
* prepare a glass of water next to your bed
* go to bed early

## How I developed and Released my first game

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* capture all the ideas you have whereever you are
* organize your tasks / ideas (e.g. Trello)
* try to get a lot of diverse feedback