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The Pragmatic Engineer

Building a best-selling game with a tiny team – with Jonas Tyroller

Jan 29, 2025
Jonas Tyroller, co-developer of the indie game Thronefall, shares his journey from concept to creation in the world of game development. He discusses the importance of rapid prototyping, revealing why he spent months refining game ideas in just days. Jonas explains the workflows using Unity and addresses the challenges of game testing without traditional methods. He highlights how he integrates AI tools like ChatGPT to streamline processes and offers tips on making games that sell in a competitive market.
01:29:32

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Quick takeaways

  • Rapid prototyping allows developers to test multiple concepts quickly, helping identify the most appealing ideas for both personal and market success.
  • Unity's extensive features and supportive community, alongside third-party tools like Blender, streamline the game development process for indie developers.

Deep dives

Balancing Passion and Marketability

Finding a compromise between a project that excites you and one that is commercially viable is challenging for game developers. The key lies in generating multiple ideas and prototyping them to see which resonate both with personal interests and market appeal. It's essential to measure potential success by evaluating which ideas can capture the interest of consumers. This process encourages rapid iterations, allowing developers to hone in on the most promising concepts.

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